Summer 2012 RADS HANG OUT

I've got 11 more to go...under my arm is very sore. I'm supposed to start tamoxifen next bit am seriously considering not taking it. Anyone else feel that way?



Congrats to all the ladies who finished rads! It's a long journey indeed.

KCB

I hear you loud and clean on going topless.  I can't stand looking at myself in the mirror any longer with my wig (I call her LOLA), but I don't have the guts to walk into work without her on my head.

I go everywhere else with a baseball cap on, but can't do it at work.

You go first and let me know how you do.  I know I'm chicken!

I'm supposed to go on Arimidex.  Haven't spoken to the doctor about it since March.  Quite honestly, I'm debating which route to take..Stay tuned.

Congrats to all who have finished.  Anyone have any input on Arimidex?

Diane

Summer51:  I hear you about the wig.  My son is getting married this weekend, and I am dreading wearing my wig.  I am 10 weeks PFC.

Kim:  I have a small area that's red...Everything is fading.  The area looks great.  I did take an electric razor to my armpit tonight.  It hurts a bit.  I think I will put aloe on it before i go to bed.  BTW, I have hair growing under my armpit in weird areas.  Not where it used to grow.  Anyone else have that issue? 

Kim:  He told me I could start using it tomorrow or Friday.  I think I am going to try to hold off as long as possible, so long I don't gag on myself.  

Thankyou all for the congratulations! it is so nice being done. However now my expander feels like it is gonna poke through the side. I didnt even get pink until the last 3 rads and i feel worse after its over. Weird? i am thinking that my expander was so stretched after my fills that when they took out half of the saline for rads that i need more cushion? or maybe my skin just tightened up so now its rubbing on it? i dont know but i wish i could just take them out at this point. Congratulations to all who have finished, stay strong to those still going at it, and good luck to those starting.

I have done 3/25 and feel a bit irritated, armpits worst than chest wall. Thanks for the tip about sox and sports bra. I already stopped wearing the bra with breast forms- it seemed uncomfortable and tight.

Ali- I have low back pain- I think due to lying in an unsupported way for my back through all that planning and the rads. I tense my lower body I think while trying to stay still. I am doing back exercises to try to mitigate this.



I'm getting both sides done at the same time- so takes about 20-25 on the table while they do all the adjustments. They are putting a fake skin form on me for part of it to keep the rads from going too deep into my chest wall.



What a long strange journey killing cancer is.

I just started having lower back pain this week and never connected it to rads.  How is that possible? 22/33- Thought I slept the wrong way or pulled something, but I haven't done anything strenuous in a while.

Any comments?

My husband noticed my voice getting raspy tonight.  I just keep cleaing my throat.  Afraid to say anything to my RO because I am hell bent on finishing on time with no interruptions.

After going through chemo, I have to admit that my MO takes care of my entire body, while I don't feel my RO cares about anything except my breast and rads.

Diane

I went to Sloan in RVC on LI for consults with MO and RO and was turned off by their approach.  Just wasn't for me.  I go to work each morning and travel 44 miles roundtrip to my RO & then back to work.

Guess I'll mention these concerns to the RN tomorrow.

Thanks,

 Diane

Summer51 - Your nurse might be able to help or advise you. I hope you start feeling better. Come to think of it, I had lower back pain a week and a half ago which I attributed to doing too much too fast on an incline walking machine. I rested a few days until it felt better then took my nurser's advice to take it easy on the machine and go more slowly. My nurse is lovely and so is my RO, but maybe I got lucky.

I go to MSK in Commack each day, which is 100 miles round trip and about an hour and fifteen minutes or so each way from way out east where I am. It's tiring, especially when the LIE closes a few lanes for repairs as it has been doing, but I am halfway done. I doodle my way back home through various different roads and towns, stopping to investigate stores and sometimes farmstands. It makes the day interesting.

I'm sitting in the RO's office. Sharon is getting her 2nd to last zap today. One more and it's all done.





The music on the speaker system is a trying-to-be-cheery mandolin instrumental of "Mrs. Robinson". It is better than a dirge. Still, to me, the place is depressingly crowded.



Eric

I'm Done:  today I finished radiaiton.  My spouse and Iwent ot have a celebratory late lunch/early dinner and had a lovely time.  

This process was not easy for me.  I know that it varies from person to person but this is what I learned along the way:

It is not uncommon for  women with large breasts or plus size women to have not just redness and/or darking but also significant peeling (and with it pain) due to the size of the breasts and the folds in their bodies.  I understand that I did better than most owmen in these categories and the last three weeks I was in significant pain, soaking my breasts, applying a aquaphor and lidocaine prescribed mixture and taking otc pain relievers as instructed.

If you you have dark skin or are a person of color your skin may darken to the point that it is literally black even if you are "tanned" skin tone.  I think of myself as the color people want to be at the end of summer and this was my skin's reaction and I understand from the techs that this is normal.

If your doctor doesn't prescribe pain or antibiotics such as silverdene and you are havign bad symptoms, press on.  You shouldn't have to suffer through this process.

Best,

VVH 

CONGRATS HIKER61!!!!!!  Definitely time to celebrate now that you have finished with the rads!!!!!  I'm so happy for you!!!!  Okay, I'm curious about where we stand with hair..... I'm now almost 6 weeks PFC and my hair is making a comeback!!!!  I have fuzz plus regular hair now!!!  The regular hair is still super short, at least 1/4 inch  plus more sprouting everyday.  The eyebrows and eyelashes that fell out towards the end of my chemo have started to come back too!!!!  Believe it or not, I still have some of pre-chemo hair.... not much but those hairs are just mighty.   I started taking Tamox about a week ago and haven't had any major side effects.  Have #8 of 17 Herceptin only infusion coming up next Tuesday.  Just so glad that I'm now what I call maintenance ( Tamox & Herceptin) and continuing to recover from the last 6-7 months.  Again, congrats on finishing with rads!!!!  Have a great trip to Tanzania and safe travels.   

Hope to see you post on the Living Life Hang Out.  Here is the link:  http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/7/topic/789387?page=8#idx_233 

I think this back pain might be taxol also. I am stiff several places, some of the spots move around, thumb for a few days with no injury, calves always quite stiff, quads and neck also.