Fall 2012 Rads girls......come on in!

I told my DH I was going to write on my boob "Zap Here" with an arrow pointing to the sticker  and see what the girls at the RO office have to say about it. Last night they had an Eagles CD in the rotation.  It was hard to lay still and not sing along LOL

Rosiehere, I'm sorry you didn't receive any responses here. I had never heard of mammosite so I googled it.  You are having internal radiation treatment?  I think everyone here is having external rads.  Not to say you aren't welcome here, everyone is!  But I don't know if you'll gleen much information from us.  Have you tried using the SEARCH function on the site?  I bet you'll find a group that is going thru the same treatment you are.  

Back to Google to learn more about internal rads and wonder why I wasn't offered the treatment?  I'll see my RO before my treatment tonight so maybe I'll ask him.  He's a fun guy... he hid in the gowned waiting room with us last night just so he could sit down for a few minutes lol 

I had my "practice" rads today. They gave me a quick check-in card (scan a barcode, I don't have to go through reception), and walked me through the process. I spent about half an hour on the machine while they moved me around and took x-rays or whatever from several angles. I was given a list of about ten appointment times to choose from, and I was able to get one that works fairly well for me. I'll go over my lunch, and should only miss about fifteen or twenty minutes from work each day. (Not looking forward to eating sandwiches in the car for the next six weeks, but what can be done?) I spoke with HR, and they're going to allow me to make up the missed work time or not, whatever I want.



First rads is tomorrow.


Oh, and the place I go to has two machines. One main machine, then a backup machine in case they are running behind or the main one goes down.

Yesterday was #5 and I had xrays, which I understand will happen every week and every Thursday I meet with the nurse and the Doctor which just adds more time to all this crap.  Remember when they used to warn you about the dangers of dental x-rays.  I know they did about 3 x-rays times 6 weeks--YIKES that's waaaay to much.  Well, I have to get ready to go get zapped.  31 years ago today I was getting ready for my wedding and little did I think that BC was in my future. 

I just had my first rads treatment. How bizarre. I am wondering why my treatment location doesn't use those customized back molds... It took four nurses ten minutes to get me lined up properly. (Then they did some more x-rays, but I know that's not every day.) Then a nurse had to come in and take measurements, mark on me, and move the electrode before each zap (four times).

She didn't use the waterproof stickers, so the marker will wash off in the shower and it will have to be done again every day?

It seems like there should be a more efficient way to do it.



I hope the process speeds up somehow, as I was out for an entire hour, but only get 30 minutes for my lunch. That much time will be difficult to make up, and I can't afford to be short five hours every paycheck.



I didn't even have time to put aloe gel on afterwards, had to throw on clothes in a hurry and speed back to work. And now I smell like ozone.



Additionally, tomorrow I have to go in fifteen minutes early, to have labs done. The time isn't a problem, as I'm off work all morning for PT, but I don't understand why my RO just doesn't use the lab work I had done two weeks ago for my MO. They work in the same office!

Herstrong--thanks for the info--going to check with my RO tomorrow when I see him.

Cottontail--hope things go better and faster!  Today I was in and out within minutes, but tomorrow I'll have to sit around and wait for the nurse to come in and ask stupid questions (do you have any pain...uh yeah, in my breast where the seroma is...oh you have a seroma?  yeah, the same one I've told you about three times now). Then wait a little more for the RO who comes in to say hi and joke around (um..I have better things to do).  My patience level is non-existent especially when people ask me the same bullshit over and over.  

I had my initial meeting with the RO today. This guy is great!! He took a lot of time to explain things and to answer our questions. I'm set up for the simulation and teaching appointment next Monday. I'm ready to get started.

Hi ladies,

Good to hear some others are using Miaderm. My rad tech recommends 4 times a day, and it has kept me from bubbling so far (I only have 3 boosts to go and then I am finished). I also started getting a slightly itchy chest/bumps and the doc in my weekly meeting said it was probably folliculitis (hair follicles reacting) and to use a 1% hydocortisone cream. I use the Hyd cream under the Miaderm before I go to bed at night and it seems to have calmed it down. I don't mind them marking me up if it means they hit the tumor bed and not some other tissues. It all washes off eventually. And the tatts are so small, they look like freckles. I think I would like any future doc to know where it was done (as it cannot be done in the same region ever again).  I have also asked my doc and dose technician for full tech details of the doses (again for future refs). I would be happy to never have to refer to any of this again, but if I do, I would like to know they have the full info. The women in the south, for example, who went through Hurricane Katrina had some of their records lost I heard and I wouldn't want to have that happen.

As I am finishing on Monday, I wish you all the best and hope the side effects are minimal.

Hi gang,

Had #11 today and then my weekly appt with RO.  Since i am in that clinical study, she then feels my neck, clinical exam on both breasts, listens to heart, does BP, temp and weight.  I think it would only be a skin check if not in that trial.  I have not had any blood work done with start of rads.  Xrays every week (I asked) are to make sure that there are no changes in line up of where rads should target (that could change with any weight change, swelling etc??) I don't like getting that much radiation either so will ask if that is included in total radiation as well next time.  I am getting a bit pink in small area in certain light too.  If I get itchy to use hydrocortisone as extra too, but I don't feel anything yet anyway.  Hope all our SEs are slim to none!! 

17 down. 5 to go. No labs for me either.

Skin has red dots and is a bit itchy, tho manageable.

X-rays every 5 days, 4 tattoos, some marks with stickers over them, these may change a little after X-rays.

Sometimes I hop on the table and line up right away, sometimes they make various

Adjustments.

Music varies, none today. Supraclavs seem to be the longest zap- about 20 seconds.

RayRay - that was the worst pickup line ever! And you know he probably stared in a mirror practicing that one at home! lol

cottontail - I'm sick of driving back and forth already too. But please make time to moisturize yourself afterwards. It doesn't take long and everyone seems to stress how important it is.

virginiab and bonlee - good luck starting rads today.

jpmom, I feel a little weird and maybe very slightly nauseaous after rads, but I attributed it to stress. hmmm... It goes away within an hour though. I think once I get to work I am too busy to notice anything I might feel, but I notice it while I am driving.

Yesterday I got 4 zaps but I thought the day before I counted 3. Does it vary? Or maybe I am counting wrong, that's entirely possible. lol

I start in about a month, I'm still waiting for my surgery to be scheduled.  I'm having a lumpectomy and a SNB.  At this point I'm a candidate for the tomotherapy.  Has anyone done that?  I can't decide between that and traditional radiation...

6/36 here.. my boob is a little pink.  (sheesh, even *I* am pinked out for BAC month!!)
I asked about the tattoo/sharpie markings.  The tattoos on your sides are so they can level you on the table.  Has anyone else seen the lasers that come from the walls or ceiling? The one in the middle is the starting point.  The measurements the physicist gives them all start from there.  The first treatment I had they measured from the dot, made a bunch of lines, put an X on my boob with a sticker over that.  That lines up with the grid in the X-ray camera.  Once all that is done, OFF WE GO!!  I was in and out of treatment in less than 10 minutes this morning.  
Gawd I hated getting up early, but now I can have all of my treatments done before I come to work and now we can just go home at the end of the day.  Now I have to start cooking supper again  

Junif, I believe I get a choice because I am lucky enough to be going to one of the wonderful all-we-do-is-breast- cancer centers and they have the technology.  I believe it is an option for almost any breast cancer patient.

I haven't met with the RO yet, but my surgeon told me the benefit of tomo includes no burns, only 5 days of treatment (2 Xs/day) and that it treats only the tumor and not the whole breast.  They CT scan you at the same time, so they are able to notice if anything has moved or changed between days and adjust for it.  I hear I have to have a little balloon inserted for the procedure, and they can do that at the time of the lumpectomy.  They'll deflate it and pull it out after treatment.

I read things on this board that just make me want to cry because it sounds like so many women have to keep track of all the details with all of these physicians.  I have a case coordinator (guardian angel ) who is an oncology nurse and she manages everything for me.  She's even going with me tomorrow for my first appointment with the medical oncologist.

Everyone I see is in this one practice so all results will be available to all of my doctors.  I love this place and I know I am very lucky to have them!

Day #2. They did about 8 more x-rays today. Only attached the diode once (in a different location than yesterday) and left it for all four zaps. After that I had to go do my ct scans all over again!



It seems they've had my arm position wrong, which is the reason for all the x-rays before the rads. I hope they get it figured out, as yesterday and today they had me holding my arm in a weird position so it was only half in the arm holster, and it's been super painful to hold it the whole time. (Today they tried wedging my arm in it with a folded up towel but that didnt work). I know the darn thing moves, so hopefully tomorrow they'll have it in the proper position.

I think I'm out of luck for the head rest, though, they have me all the way at the top of it so the ridges push into the back of my head and my neck hurts by the time I'm done. My right arm also hangs off the side of the table with no place to support it. Who in the heck are these tables designed to fit!?!

Pamelahope - I also had full axillary dissection. My RO said he was not radiating the axillary. I am having my chest wall and supraclavicular. I'm sure each case is different, but at first they told me yes to the underarm then changed their minds.



I'm not sure about the cartoid artery. My RO didn't mention that to me, but I would ask your RO.



I'm really scared too. I thought I would get out of radiation with having BMX. Just have a list of questions for your RO.