Three down and 21 to go, today wasn't too bad, only 20 minutes.

Think it is going to be a very long weekend, here all by myself, but just didn't want to drive all the way home and then be by myself.

Hugs to you all. 

Thanks Tazzy = probably do me good, I am so tired.  Hugs

Marcia I am using capsules too and just stick the end of a safety pin in and use the capsule to apply. I seem to get two applications from each and easy to do. Funny now as the reason I have them is in case I had any problems when I got my nose pierced with my daugher two years ago. The health food store I bought them at suggested it was much cheaper to buy capsules than the oil. BTW, my daughter's nose ring fell out two weeks later and I still have mine and love it. Post op two days I had a hard time getting it back in especially with all the bandages and anesthesia effects but did not really want to go the tatto/piercing parlour to have it put in!I am tough and 4th or 5th go, it went back in. 

Ellen, what is the place like and the other women you are sharing with in Edmonton like?

Two weeks today post op and when I called to see if path results back late afternoon, it was no even though I see the surgeon Monday at 0800. Guess I will be seeing her without results. I went to a yin yoga class and am better now than when I heard that news.

Marian 

I had my #2 herceptin yesterday, it was quick 90 min. No pre-med.



Anxious to start first radiation on Tuesday 25th at 330pm, which is also my Mom's 82nd birthday. We will celebrate her birthday at the restaurant with family.



Stride, I usually use my imagination run wild whenever I am in any position where I can't use anything. Sometimes I think up ideas of taking photos etc. I love to take photos and turn them into arts and colorful. I will try and post one photo in here.



Everyone's RO gives all different preferences of creams, etc for after radiation ! Mine says aloe Vera hope it is good enough?



Jpmom, love your new photo!! Wow your hair is growing well!!!



Hope everyone having nice weekend

marianeliza- I can't believe I didn't think of sticking a pin in the capsule.  I've been cutting it with a pair of scissors and it makes a mess.  I will definitely try a pin.  I feel dumb for not thinking of it myself.  Thanks for the suggestion.

ladyfighter - This is so weird - I start rads on Sept. 27th - my mom's 82nd birthday.

Wow I got really behind on reading! I hope everyone is doing well on this leg of the journey. I had another consult with my RO on Thursday, and I am scheduled to do some sort of CT/treatment planning whatever Monday morning. Not sure when rads will actually start. I forgot to ask my RO if he is okay with my taking tamoxifen during rads or not. I will have to ask on Monday. I would love a break from tamoxifen, I am so emotional, moody, depressed and angry. I think a lot of it is just dealing with the UMX but I think the tamoxifen makes it worse.

My RO just recommends 100% aloe vera to use. I may buy some but I do have a giant aloe plant and it may be chopped to bits over the end of the next two months if I decide to use its aloe juices.

jpmom, I love your posts...I am so angry over this whole thing and I feel like I can relate to so much of what you say. I can't hear anything these doctors tell me because I am too busy trying to either not cry or not scream at them.

Patti thanks so much for the tee shirt tip. I am on 3/31 rads done and want to shop for something like camesols or tee shirts or larger flannels if i don't want to wear a bra as time goes on but being large cupped could be a challange

Thanks for the t-shirt tip, Patti.  People keep telling me to go without a bra and wear a silky cami during rads, but being without a bra is extremely uncomfortable for me.  (I know a lot of ladies who take their bra off as soon as they get home, but I wear one pretty much all the time, except showering and sleeping.  It feels nice when I take it off, but after awhile I'm uncomfortable and put one back on again.)  I will try the t-shirt under the bra instead.

Laurie, I will also be working full-time through rads.  (I worked through chemo, too.)  When I did my planning/mapping this past week my RO stressed several times that the main side effects would be the possible "sun burn" and some fatigue as treatment progressed, but I should be fine for work. 

Marcia.....I worked through 30 rads last year and did not experience fatigue. I have a very physically demanding job. However, my mother and aunt both experienced extreme fatigue about half way through so I was prepared for the worst.  My RO told me I may experience the fatigue this time because it is following chemotherapy. I did 11/25 yesterday and so far so good!

Laurie Last time I did not work as I was teaching at a college. The first part of the semester I was doing Chemo and was not up to teaching so had taken the fall semester off. So I did not teach during radiation...but I felt good enough to. The funny thing was I had said I wanted to be finished radiation by the start of the January semester. Had last radiation at 10 in the morning and first class that day at 1 in the afternoon.

dventi--prone has been around for quite awhile is NOT experimental.  It may not be done at your center or the RO may not be comfortable doing it but it is far from experimental.  It is unfortunate that most of us have to ask for it.  There is an old thread on this forum where people discuss this.

Topic: Radiation treatment in a prone (face-down) position...

Forum: Radiation Therapy - Before, During and After

hi all ! i started my rads late august so i have been on teh summer hangout thread a few times.

tomorrow is #19/34 so i am more than halfway done. i'm lucky-knock on wood- that i am not burning or anything. i use a greaseless gel provided by my RO and center- i use it twice a day- first is right after my tx then before i go to bed...since it is working i figure why spend money on something else? i do sometimes use a square of tshirt material between the boob and bra but don't want to build up more heat!

i was very apprehensive about rads before i started- not sure exactly why -just was!

i, too, close my eyes soon as i am on the table.....i am scared to bits of things near my eyes and i guess it also helps to not look at the machinery or the techs as they are drawing on my body and moving the table around etc! some days there is music and others there isn't...truthfully, i almost fell asleep one day!

thursday this past week, our machine was broken and it kindof put me off going in later for my tx- concern about the machine as well as how it messed with my schedule!(work as well as "routine")

i'm 58-almost 59 -and i understand both sides of this coin...i thank God that i have already raised my kids, etc.....i did attend one support mtg but hubby went with me which put a damper on it for me and i was too tired other times- the gals were for the most part at least a few years older than me- and all are way out on their journeys- i think i was one of two who were actively in tx...i want to go back but it's not a priority!a group of peers (job or otherwise) would be great!

well- it's late and i need to get up in the morning- i do work 40 hours and i am lucky it's only mentally demanding- i am starting to feel fatigue but i am not sure if it's mental or physical due to some family issues in life....

oh- feeling like who is watching over us after tx and "adrift"--yea --i think it's real and valid....and i feel it some already....

Hi - just wanted to check in. I have just started my third week in rads and Sunday night I broke out in some spots. Ro's nurse said its the first reaction - skin breaking down on my chest where they're has been sun damage from crazy teenage years. She sprayed it with aloe- but I can tell I'm going to have to start with the white t shirts under the bra etc.

I am being treated face down - I was told its better for the left side - but also it was said by my first MO ( that I did not stay with) that heavier ladies get treated face down. She was at MSK . That's not the reason I switched by I'm at Cornell /Weill and they have me face down.

Anyways - I'm cranky and uncomfortable and need some connections to help move on forward. Thanks

Laurie-  I am also working full time during rads.  I do work from home 2 days a week so that helps.  My work is 45-50 min from home, so on office days I'm going to the office early - leaving at 6 to arrive at 7, working till 3, then driving an hour to rads (15 min from home), then I get home at about 4:30 and am working an hour at home till about 5:30.  I'm just going to take it a day at a time - plan on it, then if I get tired I get tired.  I'll sleep when I get home every day if I have to, dh is there to pick up the slack if I need it, he's really supportive.  If I need a day off, then I do.

I guess we just have to go into it with a plan, but then realize that if we do need to deviate from it, we do.  Attitude is so much though, so I don't (or at least try not to!) worry about it in advance. 

Sorry to hear about possible LE too, that is a big fear of mine and I am very high risk. I had a recent scare after having a bunch of axillary webs broken but I think it was just from having arm twisted in every direction and having those lymph cords broken and so far hasn't returned. If you want any references I have some and there are great lymphedema threads on this website too.