July 2012 Radiation

Babette - I had a serious meltdown at the PT's over an appt. mix up. Stood there crying like a baby in front of a room full of people. Not my finest hour, but hey, s* it happens as they say. I cry at a Hallmark commercial some days. Thank goodness it's not the holidays. The Budwieser horse commercial would probably push me right over the edge. :-) The meds mess with your brain. Hang in there. Hugs.

Graced:  Let us know how those teabags work out for you.  

onvacation, I think it was end of 2nd/beginning of 3rd week.  By the end of the 3rd week, wearing a bra started to get really uncomfortable. 

Had my first radiation today....a very emotional ordeal (no pain of course) & cried most of the time.   My husband came with me & admitted that even he was intimidated by all of the equipment and he does not intimidate easliy)  It gave him a good understanding of what is happening to me.  I was on the darn table for over an hour....trying to get a good image and had to have it done twice because of me being tense. 

Tomorrow after #2 I meet with my rad onc. and then a counselor.  Everyone is very kind and caring & soon I will stop being such a baby. 

25/34 done = 74% done (3 WBR and 6 boosts)

Today I saw the RO and she is concerned about a 4"x4" area about 3 inches down from my armpit.  It is extremely red and she doesn't want the skin to breakdown.  I have 3 WBR left and she mentioned that I might need to take a few days off before starting the boosts.  I said, "NO", I want to be done before school starts on 8/22.

The plan is to make a decision after my boost block check on Thursday.  I just recently learned about this boost block check.  In case you don't know, it means an extended period of time (about a half hour after my regular rads tx for a total of 45 minutes) with your arm held up above your shoulders (OUCH!!!) while they direct beams and draw on your boob just like we had done previous to starting regular rads.  She wants to see where the radiation beams will be directed (ie. through my tender area or through another area).  She has a feeling that the beams will need to go through this "bad" area and I may need a break.  More disappointment has entered my life.  I need to accept the fact that I might not be done before school starts.

Thanks for the hugs I received after my last rant.  You made me feel better.

Aside from the one bad patch of red skin mentioned above, I don't have any other SEs.  I only had very light pinkness until about a week ago after about tx #20.  The red skin patch happened over this past weekend--kind of suddenly.  I have no itching, no pain, just a light-medium pink color on most of my breast.  The red (4x4) area does cause me discomfort although not extreme.  I am still able to wear a bra.  I like the Genie bra.  It has a soft, stretchy band that doesn't bind under the boobs.

Isabelle - Congrats on finishing treatment #1.  Soon, the process will be routine.  It does get easier.

Karen - sewn in cups sound like a great solution! Sounds like you found a great seamstress! hope you will post a picture of your dress!

yes!  sounds so much better than 11 out of 33!  LOL

  Again I have hit the "Remove from My Favorited Topics" button!  I have missed 4 or 5 days on this thread!

22/33 done!  So very very tired tonight.  I can't call off as it's too late now. Gotta drag myself into work again.  I just want to take off the rest of the time till I heal! Coughing, sore throat for a week now.  RO said if it get worse or not better by Friday then he will give me something for it.  

Kj....yeahhhhh for getting your dress fitted & figured out! 

Babette....I am so sorry your going through this.  Besides the skin not being good.  Your plans are being messed with.  We have no control with this DX & just when we think we might have a little, snap it's gone!  Besides the SE's it throws us into a tizzy of emotional mess!  Gentle Hugs!

Isabelle....Awwww sweetie it can be so emotional at the least expected times!  That is such a long time.  I'm so glad your DH got to be with you.  That is good to have that kind of connection with a loved one that really get's a look at the nitty gritty.  My DH has a special look in his eyes as he ask's me how I am doing.  He know's I'm going through so much!  It makes me that much closer to him. 

Yeah Lana!  I hope it misses you all together!

Grace I'm sorry your going through so much.  I can't wait to get my Bra off after work.  Did you say ITCHING!!!!!  Oh how I wanna scratch!!!!!  I have had a little, nothing I couldn't control with the cortisone cream...until tonight!  The Chocolates sound wonderful for them as well as the cards what a lovely thought!

Hi to ALL & Everyone!  Gotta go get ready for work!  Night Nite!  Sleep Tight!

13 out of 33 complete - yay! I think the percentages sound better too but I'm terrible at math lol. So far so good. Still no SEs. Of course, that could change any minute. But I figure the further into tx I am before it starts, the shorter the time I have to deal with it.

I am two weeks out of rads and the skin has eiter tanned or gone back to normal coor, but I have an itchy spot under my cooar bone. This area was itchy during treatment but not really irritated. Now it is itchy and peeling a little. Anyone else have this happen after treatment?

Rad #2 today...another hour on that hard table....images were not lining up.....painfull on my back & neck and of course tickly itches all over when you can not move.  tomorrow should be the final long one...I can only hope.

Met with the counsellor & she said...cry all you want...let everything out & it is not necessarily the Femara.  We are so trained to suppress emotions & maybe the cancer is a release mechanism.  I never have been a teary person and now it seems it is constant.  She was very good.

 26/34 done = 77% done (2 WBR and 6 boosts to go)

Isabelle - I'm sorry for your pain - sending hugs your way.  BC makes us all emotional.  Know that you are not in this alone.  We all care.

mini1 - I can't answer your question, but I am jealous of your tan.  My boob is various shades of pink with one red spot.  I'm used to turning pink as my lily white skin has never tanned.

Julz4 and graced -  The 3 of us are very close to the finish line.  Julz4 (5 reg; 5 boosts) - graced (2 reg; 5 boosts) and me (2 reg; 6 boosts).  Let's link arms and make a dash to the end.  I'm with you as long as my red spot holds up.  If it gets too bad, my RO says I have to take a few days off. 

My areola is slightly darker on my bad boob but not like the colors described by Julz4 and graced.  I still have no itching and am only slightly more tired than usual.  My only problem is the red spot.  Isn't it amazing that rads affects all of us differently.  But then, I guess chemo was the same.  Apparently, the body does not like toxic chemicals and massive doses of radiation.

What a nice plan Isabelle! It cheered me just to read it.

Isabelle- Yum on the peach pies!!!!

I've got 13 treatments done and 20 more to go.  So far I have it easy.  Only very slight tanning and all the hairs fell out.  I won't miss those.  Finally, an upside to BC!  Too bad they won't fall out of the other breast, or under my arms...  So sorry to hear that some of you are struggling with bad side effects.  I'm sending {{{{hugs}}}} to you all and wishing a quick return to healthy skin.  I'm going through aloe quickly, but it's only $3.00 for a tube at COSTCO. 

During my treatments the techs play Mozart for me and I close my eyes and imagine the few remaining cancer cells absorbing the radiation and exploding like fireworks that bathe my breast in a healing light.  I know it's kind of silly, but I like to think healing thoughts.   Do any of you have tricks you use to get through the treatments?