Radiation after full axillary dissection????

I would go and get a PT eval of my arm before rads starts if you have not done that already.  I would also do as lindalou has recommended on getting all info and sitting down with docs to get the best info you can.  It is your decision when all is said and done.   Do not just accept what the doctors tell you to do without doing your research and demanding answers.   I always ask my docs what they would do for their wife, mother, or daughter and see what they say then.   Ask for the percentage of treatment needed. 

Good luck with all and hope things go well for you.  I had rads to chest wall, supraclavicular, axilla, and all nodes and am doing pretty well with it now after 2 years.  It does not bother me as much as it did for the first year.   it takes a good while for things to settle down but it will get better.   I had 5 very large ax nodes that were positive and a 3.5 cm invasive lobular tumor.  There were 2 precancers found on my path report on my noncancer side.  I am doing well with no recon because I did not want to compromise my immune system with further treatment and healing.   Could always do it later if I want but not likely to ever do that.

Hello, I am not sure of your age but my RO told me that due to my age (I was 31) that even if I had just one positive node, I would be receiving RT.

Pam,

You are getting good advice from everyone here.  Looking at your picture you appear young (I just now read you are 45...that is still young but you look younger!) and I notice you are also BRACA2 positive.  I am sure this has a great deal to do with why you are getting recommendations for aggressive treatment. My approach to my cancer treatments has always been to be as aggressive as possible as long as it makes reasonable sense to me after discussing with the medical experts and doing my own research.  That does not mean I will feel no anxiety about specific treatment protocols, but it does mean I have made up my mind that the benefits outweigh the potential risks and it is within my comfort zone to make that treatment choice.

I can tell you that for me, radiation was by far the easiest of my treatment plans.  Even with 3 fields of treatment, I would be in and out of the radiation room in less than 10 minutes.  Yes, the last couple of weeks I developed reddened, irritated skin with a few blisters, similar to a severe sunburn.  But this was totally tolerable and the good news is that skin rapidly heals once radiation treatments are completed.  The ongoing issues of radiation are continuing inflammation and scar tissue that you cannot see on the surface of your skin, but which occur at deeper levels in the tissues.  Radiation effects can persist for a year or more, but these were not effects that prevented me from feeling better and healthier the further away I got from the completion of all treatments.

I do believe there are steps you can take to help you reduce limitations due to radiation damage and also help reduce your risk of getting Lymphedema (LE). Flopsy's recommendation to get a PT eval is an excellent one, but I would make sure it is a PT who has been certified also in treating Lymphedema. It is important that you get baseline measurements of both arms and be educated on specific do's and don'ts that can decrease your risk for LE.  Because radiation treatment causes inflammation in the body, as does chemo, the more you learn of ways to assist your lymphatic system and keep it as strong as possible, the better your chances of avoiding LE.

I had LE before I ever started radiation, so my concern was not the fear of getting LE but how to keep it from getting worse.  Knowing what I know now, I definitely see the benefit in seeing a LE therapist throughout radiation treatments so you can keep your lymphatic system supported and in the best shape possible.  My flat chest has completely healed, scars have faded and there is no residual visible damage from radiation.  The first year or so my left chest wall was slightly darker in color...like a light tan, but even that has faded so you cannot tell the difference. 

Please make sure you spend some time on the StepUp-SpeakOut website and our Lymphedema forums here to learn of ways to find a qualified Lymphedema Therapist and to reduce the risk of LE. Knowledge is power and when we understand why we make the choices we do, we feel more in control of our life.

Let us know how it goes for you. 

Linda

pamelahope, I had an ALND (22 nodes), and even though all 22 were negative, I still got axilliary radiation.  But my situation was weird (tumor was in arm).  

My RO considered irradiating the breast on the same side as the arm, but after discussing it with her colleagues, my surgeon and me decided not to.   she had the physicist come up with several plans for hitting the axilla/arm, and then she went over the plans with me and explained exactly was and was not in the field in each plan.   You should be aware that even area that are not a target of radiation get a considerable dose.  (For example, my supraclavicular nodes were not "in the field" but even with the best plan, they still got 75% of target area dose.)  My RO is a doll ... hopefully yours will be equally open to discussing what options are available and the pros/cons of each.