May 2012 radiation

Lettiegonz, I used eucerin cream in the morning, and after rads, then aquaphor in the evening, and then after 5 weeks started using aquaphor 2x a day when I got a little. Haven' t had any skin breakdowns.



With just 5 boosts to go, the machine is down for the second day in a row, Asa Ed to say I cried, I need to be done.



McKenna, how r u doing with the nausea?



Susannah

Hi, everyone--I missed you over the weekend!

Kane and her husby were here until early this morning when I put them on a plane back to Colorado Springs.  We had a wonderful time.  It was nice to have "face time" to talk about lots of stuff, including breast cancer, but not JUST breast cancer.  She starts chemo tomorrow, and I think she left here feeling shored up, supported, and ready to rock and roll.

I had my boost this morning and saw my RO.  ONE MORE TO GO!  Tuesday's treatment will be the last one, so Neeners and I are in a race for being "tail end Charlie"! 

Thanks for all your friendship and encouragement.  You guys are the best.

Hi all - one more to go.  Today was different, because we ended up going to the ER after the zap because hub has been having some issues with flipping heart and feeling some general heaviness and he couldn't get in to the doctor until Friday.  They did tests in the ER and the EKG and blood work came back fine.  I would like to point out the ER nurses were nicer than the rads techs, and everything seemed to move more smoothly - go figure!  Tomorrow hubby will go to the cardiologist.  I'm sure he'll be OK.  I think the laid-back guy's body is stressed and who can blame him.  Feeling slightly stressed myself

Neeners, glad to hear your husbands doing ok. This whole process is so very hard on our spouses and partners.

Susannah

I was very touched that so many of you sympathizesmwith my radiation plight, when mostof you have gone through far worse.



SB - very happy that you've reached the end of rads!! U and Kane are fortunate to have each other, I'm amazed by your strength.



Susannah

Oh my gosh! I took off for a 3-day weekend and now I can hardly get caught up here!  Welcome SusannahW and Lettiegonz. 

Lettiegonz -  I agree with someone else who suggested you might want to look for or start an August rads thread. But we'd love for you to stay here, too, and you can count on support from all of these wonderful women. Maybe you should consider dual citizenship. 

sbelizabeth and schatzi14 - My sleeve is the boring flesh-colored one, too. I love-love-love the patterned Lymphediva sleeves, but turned out they don't make them short enough for me. Who knew? Not only vertically challenged, but arm length too, at least enough for it to matter. The other problem I ran into with the Lymphediva brand is (at least in the patterned styles) they don't have enough compression. My therapist ordered me a lovely solid pink sleeve in less compression from a different company that makes them short enough, but theirs aren't patterned. So far she's not even letting me wear the pretty one, but at least I've been released from wearing the hand compression. LOL! Before my specially made sleeves arrived, she let me wear her loaner, which was a sample from Lymphediva - the tatooed one! It was a real hoot noticing the looks people gave me!! 

SusannahW and STLmom - I started letrozole (generic Femara) on June 1. The only SE I could definitely pin on the eensy-teensy yellow pill was a bit of indigestion/queasiness. The first day I wasn't sure; when it happened again on Day 2, I was convinced. So on Day 3 I switched to taking it at bedtime and no more problem. The only other possible SE which is more unnerving is that twice in as many weeks I've been awakened with awful shin splints. Some women experience leg cramps, but this was definitely on the lower shins. It hasn't been frequent enough to blame the Femara, so hopefully not that. I know I don't want that misery for 5 years!

neeners and sb - very excited for tomorrow for both of you. sb, I'm in the PDT zone too. I wish I could raise a glass to you at 3:00pm (work's been a bear lately), but it'll have to wait till later.  

I had a nightmare last night that I went for the final zap and the tech said, "see you tomorrow!" and I said, "no, this is my last zap!" and she said, "the doctor decided you need to keep going".  And then I started crying.  I then had to sort of wake myself up and remind myself it's just a dream (no matter how real it seemed)!  Plus, that tech that told me is on vacation

I'm both excited and scared to be done; I'm sure a lot of you have felt the same way.  I need to get my tamoxifen script filled, too, which also makes me nervous.  I'm also nervous about hubby now, but like I said - I think it's just stress related for him.  I can't get through all this only to have him seriously ill.  I'm on the east coast, and I'll be done by 9:00 a.m. EST unless the RO keeps me waiting a long time.  I'll log in when I get home.  Thank you lovely ladies for such wonderful encouragement  

Neeners, you'll be finished about three hours before me.  I'll be thinking about all of you when I get my last zap as the last of us!

Spokanellie, Lymphedivas make sleeves in different levels of compression--did you try the higher compression sleeve?  My LE therapist said I should wear the hand compression when I wear my sleeve, which is only when I exercise and fly.  I think she's being cautious.

Kane's chemo got bumped again.  The path report wasn't complete.  Now it's Wednesday.  Poor thing, she was ready to go today! 

Neeners - I am thinking about you right now and you are probably all done!  Yea for YOU!  I know it's been hard on you seeing everyone finish and you still have to climb on that "table." 

SB - it will be 6 p.m. when you finish so I'll be toasting you two and all of us with Asti tonight!  I'm so sorry your sister is getting delayed again.  You know the anticipation of the chemo is worse than the first chemo.  I was so fearful of it.  Why can't they start without complete path report?  Ugh, they know it's IBC right? 

Susannah - I had nausea the first few weeks with my tamoxifen.  It's better now especially if I have something in my stomach.  I take it in the morning.

Spoke - I read somewhere that you put a bar of soap in bed with your for leg cramps.  Google it.  I haven't had them yet so I don't know if it works.

congratulations neeners

Go SB

I didn't cry when I finished but I had a little melt down on my husband a couple nights later. I had hardly cried the whole time. I starting thinking where did that come from. Our spouses go through a lot.

susannah so about the delay. Such a bummer. At least your skin will have a good rest. Hang in there.

Neeners, I cried when I read your post, glad you're done!



Thank you stlmom, you're right, my skin is looking better. I don't think my last week, whenever it happens, will cause my much difficulty, skin wise.

Susannah

I just got home.  My last radiation treatment was at 3:00, and the sound you hear is the caboose pulling into the station!  Yay!

And YAY for all of us!

My techs had a little diploma for me, which was kind, and there were hugs all around.  I had originally planned to bake cookies for today, but you know, I see treats on their desk almost all the time.  There must be patients "graduating" and bringing goodies with great frequency.  So I decided I would write a personal letter of commendation for each of them and send it to their boss for their files. 

Girlfriends, sisters in this battle, I have appreciated your support, advice, encouragement, and boosts of the non-radioactive kind, throughout this adventure.  Let's keep our group intact.  Katy