June 2012 Radiation Rads

Hi, I'm three weeks out of whole-breast, Canadian Protocol radiation (for lumpectomy) and noticed a few weird things I wonder if anyone else experienced.  One is, every morning, a think layer of skin peels off the inside of my cheek in my mouth on it's own.  There is no bleeding and it's not painful, just weird.  I'm wondering if that had to do with the radiation as I never had it before.  Also, the areola on the radiated side seems to have increased the number of those small white bumps and has many more than the non-radiated side now.  I'm wondering if it's all the dead stuff inside coming to the surface. Anyone else notice these symptoms or know if that's normal?

I keep meaning to post this... If you have any Aquaphor left, it works great on dry elbows.

Believe777.  Sounds like we had a similar radiation schedule.  I think I had just 3 boosts though.  My nipple wasn't tender, but it gets kind of itchy now and then.  My burns weren't that bad - red and only a little sore to touch.  I walked around my house topless through most of the treatment and maybe that's why I didn't suffer much?  I see the line which is now turning tan.  The only place I could complain about was under my breast where it started to chafe, but that has gone away.  I don't get jabbing pains in my chest, but I have some arm stuff going on.  I was doing yoga through treatment and in the 3rd week, the muscle below my tricep started to hurt and I was getting some nerve sensation up and down my arm.  I'm laying off the yoga now and resting it and those sensations have since gone away.  I joined the Livestrong program, which offers free exercise classes to cancer patients to get them back on their feet after treatment.  I realized with the pain & sensations in my arm, I need to gradually get back to where I was so I don't mess myself up.  My RO told me my breast won't shrink because I am a B cup and not heavy.  He said heavier people with more fat in their breasts will experience shrinkage.  Time will tell though as I also have had some people tell me there's shrunk and some of them weren't heavy.  At this time, my breast sometimes looks swollen and my MO said it's some lymphedema of the breast and will go down eventually.

I was prescribed tamoxifen and had not taken it yet.  I'm still weighing if I should take it or not since my pathology was favorable.

I was using Miaderm 1st 2 weeks but switched over to a chinese herbal solution because Miaderm had some ingredients in it that are estrogenic.  Now I'm using coconut oil and it's keeping things nice and moist - and smells good too! 

Oh, yes, I am still fatigued. It comes on in the afternoon along with a headache.  I feel better after a few hours sleep.  Good luck with your burns - it will get better!!

Mimikitty-thanks for your response. I will see if Livestrong is in my area. I was going to check out Curves, but I haven't been there yet.

I'm a C cup, so far so good. I bought some Coconut Creme today, you are right, I smell great.

Mama bee- all I can say is ouch! So sorry you are having such side effects. Your positive attitude will get you through this. I know we are all praying for you.

On my last day, I took my favorite techs bracelets (my Mother is an artist), I gave my friends who sat in the dressing room with my Angel Charms and I gave my Guy tech an iTune gift card.

My cousin is a nurse and says everyone brings food and she's getting fat.

I'm sure they all appreciate anything we want to give them.

At first I tried to be friendly and smiled a lot. By the end I was just interested in getting the whole thing over with.

My facility saw up to 80 people a day. They all tried to be friendly but most of their patients were grumpy. Tough job.

Thank you everyone for your kind words and support!!  What an amazing group of ladies!!  I haven't been on as I had a wicked headache for 3 days...and now am dealing with skin issues.  I had no issues the whole time and now my skin is just rubbing off and the pain is unbelievable!  I saw the RO today and she said some ladies have this at week 4 and it is to be expected.....ugh!!  Basically it is a second degree burn and very painful at that!!  Just going to rinse with cool water and use aquaphor,......some of the new skin is coming in.  Like everything-it takes time........I have been devastated by the pain as I really didn't expect any of this.  When they say you can get effects for up to two weeks...they weren't kidding!  I am taking more pain meds then I thought would be necessary but need to be comfortable until this phase passes. 

Congrats Nel on being done with rads too!!  Woo hoo!!  Every step forward is leading us all to our new "normal" lives.  It is a feeling that none of us can describe and my appreciation for anything is 10 fold after this journey.  

I have to say that I was amazed at how many people came to me and offered and did so much...I am so very humbled and blessed as I think of all my friends, some old and some new that I have in my life now.  

Thank you Bonseye and Mckenna for the warning. I thought I was skating by. 5 more to go then we leave for vacation that Friday so now I have to be prepared for that skin breakdown.

Yes, Bonseye, it is very painful. My RO gave some silvadene cream which I caked on over the weekend and I do feel better - especially under my arm. My breast is now starting to peel, in the boost area, but I keep telling myself only 5 more.....I have been taking 400 mg Advil every 7-8 hours for the pain. I think this is worse than how I felt after my mastectomy.

Lagata, you might not get the skin breakdown so don't worry yet. I know I had it because I had 25 treatments with a bolus - I think if I didn't have that bolus I would've been fine - the skin by my subclavian nodes which had no bolus is barely pink.

I brought my wonderful techs some cookies last week - gotta think of something else for the last day because they are all so sweet and caring. 

Congratulations Nancy!!!!!!

Yahooo!

How close is the June rad group to total graduation?  

Nancy,

I undersatnd feeling like your wholelife is opened up.  Since I walked out of rads on Friday, I am not sure my feet have touched the ground.  I too feel like my world has opended up and a weight has been lifted! 

Congratulations to all who are finished and those nearing the end

Nel

Congratulations Nancy!



2 more to go for me too! I absolutely cannot wait to get the remaining five stickers off and "gently" wash off my sharpie marks. I decided to bring the techs chocolate covered strawberries on Monday. My husband is going with me and after its over he's going to take a picture of me ringing the bell and I'm going to post it on FB. It will be the first time most of my friends will know what I went through, but at least they won't have to feel sorry for me because it's over!! I was a little wary of ringing the bell, but when DH was with me a couple of weeks ago during my hospitalization, we got to hear a couple of people ring the bell and everyone in the waiting room applauded. It gives a good feeling to others as well so that's what it's going to mean to me. Then hubbys taking me out to a nice lunch, I'm going to have a couple of glasses of wine, and go home for a nap!!

2 more for me too! My underarm is healing well although my breast has peeled and they stopped using the bolus for boosts yesterday. Love that silvadene.

Congrats to all who've finished - can't wait to join you. 

Officially all done! Finishing some last minute stuff before we head home!