Summer 2012 RADS HANG OUT

Kjiberty - I was also sent through the cat scan about three times. Those were the measurements I was refering to that go to the physics department. I should have been more specific. 

During the simulation I had my right arm above my head - my lump was on the right side - and had to hold on to some sort of a handle. My left arm was allowed to stay relaxed by my side. There were red laser beams aimed at my breast area which I was not to look at directly, but which were very cool when I noticed them crossing the room. The warm mold pad was under me, from my waist to my head, throughout the measurement taking and was made to hold me in exactly the same place every time I have radiation. They carefully turned my head to the left, away from what I imagine will be the radiation beam's track, and made me keep it that way until the mold cooled and got firm. I found the process very interesting.

I am to wait for a call from them sometime in the next week and a half when I will be told the date for my practice run. The real thing will start the day afterwards and as I understand it, will run for about five weeks. 

I was also told that every skin type reacts differently and that there is no predicting. People who never burn in the sun might well react and pale skins which usually sunburn might not. And, a reaction might occur towards the end, or even afterwards. The nurse suggested getting calendula oil from the baby section at Target, so I did. I also got aloe gel from the healthfood store as it had fewer preservatives in it than the ones I had gotten at a vitamin store which was loaded with them and I will be returning. 

I read somewhere on here that it's a good idea to begin using moisturizer twice a day before starting radiation, so I have. 

Good luck everyone! 

So sorry Diane!  I am sure you are so torn about not being with your daughter.

Summer- I'm so sorry.

Good luck with your rads!

Diane, best wishes to you and your daughter and family. That is truly awful. And I know it's hard for you not to be there to help her right now but as said above take care of this so you can be there for her long term. Fight on.

Diane, sorry for your loss!  Hang in there and take care!!

Does September count as summer?  If so, I'm crashing this rads party.  I see a lot of familiar names here.

My RO has already talked with the nurse navigator at my BS's office, so I know I'll be doing 6.5 weeks of rads.  She has said that I can start at 3 weeks after my lx, or when I have full movement of my arm, whichever comes later.  After reading through this thread, I think I'll try to push early to get an appointment right at 3 weeks after my surgery.  Is knowing how many treatments the "plan?"  If so, I will try to push to get the simulation scheduled ahead of time.  I'm already seeing my MO for a follow-up with her, 3-weeks post surgery, so if I'm lucky I will be able to get it all in the same day.  (I'm sure I've jinxed it now, though!)

I tend to heal fairly quickly (the quarter-inch scar from my core biopsy in March is virtually invisible, and the incision for my port is already fading), so barring anything drastic I think I should be ready to start rads right away.

(I can't afford to pay another $4500 out-of-pocket again next year, so I am trying to get as much as possible done this calendar year.  My PS won't "even me out" until after I'm done with rads, so I'm hurrying everything so I can get that done in December.  If I miss the window on that, I'll just have to be lopsided.)

My favorite brand of lotion (First Aid Beauty) has a new aloe gel out, I think I will order some soon so I have it on hand.  Hopefully my RO will approve of it. 

Thanks to everyone for your support, prayers and good wishes. 

I did my 2nd rad today.  Only 31 to go!

Good luck to everyone with their treatments.  

I ordered some lotions tonight.  "My Girls" and "Miaderm".  I'll let you know how they work.  For now I'm using pure Aloe Gel from CS which was recommended by my RO.

Diane 

Consult with RO tomorrow- what do I need sure to find out about?

Kjiberty, 

I'm hoping to start rads 3 weeks after surgery.  My RO told my nurse navigator that was the soonest I could start.

I did chemo first, and am getting my lx @ 3 weeks (to the day) after my last chemo.  I have to fit in 6.5 weeks of rad AND plastic surgery (probably bilateral reduction and lift) by the end of December.  There's no way I can wait 6 weeks after the lx to start rads, or there won't be time for the ps.

For a lumpectomy with IDC, in order for the recurrence rate to be the same as a mastectomy you must have rads.  If you have lumpectomy and no rads the recurrence rate jumps quite a bit.

I had a mastectomy and chemo...but because of node involvement and other issues raise in the post above...it was recommended I have 36 radiation treatments followed by 5 years of tamoxifen. My cancer was multifocal with close margins....sometimes it feels like its just too much but I decided early on to do everything I can to fight this....so here goes.

dventi- The tumor board did not recommend rads so I'm not having radiation.  I had the masectomy because of the need to get clean margins plus the breast MRI I had before the masectomy showed 3 areas of suspicious areas plus possible node involvement.  A second lumpectomy was not a good option for me once the results of the breast MRI came back.  Two of the 3 suspicious areas turned out to be very very small DCIS and the third was area was a fibroadema (non cancerous).  The possible problem node was removed and examined and nothing was found.  I'm okay with UMX w/o recon because I'm small breasted gal to begin with and I'd rather not have any kind of implant to hide any possible future problems. 

FYI:  I'm here on this thread because I have travelled with many of these great gals in chemo and continued here with them at a time when i thought I'd was having radiation.   even though I'm not having rads, they are still a integral part of my healing and journey, so I'm here to support them and everyone else.  HUGS to all and hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing weekend!!!!

Fourteenth rad today. It is SO not a big deal so far. I'm fair-skinned, but I barely have pinkness and no skin pain whatsoever. I've been pretty religious about applying Miaderm...maybe that is paying off. No fatigue--I feel great!

Melrose--good to see you and hope that you're feeling good after your last chemo! 

dventi - I had a BMX and will have rads when I'm done with chemo.  The RO explained in laymen's terms that it is "bursting out of my lymph nodes, hence the need for rads.