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

I had rads #9 today and my second weekly check with my RO. I finally remembered to ask exactly how many I'm getting. She had previously said six and a half weeks, so I assumed 33. Nope. I guess I'm slated to get 35. Not happy!



I'm already turning a little bit pink, and having some slight swelling in that breast. It's not really noticeable, except when I take my bra off I have marks from my underwires on the left side only. My RO told me to continue using aloe after treatment, and when (not if) I start to get itchy, to use Benadryl cream on it. My Ultra Repair Cream has colloidal oatmeal in it, and does a good job at calming the itchy eczema on my hands, so I'll use that for as long as it works.



Not sure how my skin is supposed to make it through 35 if I'm already going pink after #9. I know radiation burn isn't the same as sunburn, but come on. I'm so pale I'm nearly transparent, and I burn after 20 minutes in the sun. Boo.

NKB - Congratulations!!!

Rn4babies - congratulations on your last appt today too!  Yay! 

Am I the only one in the group who has to undergo 36 treatments??? It feels like a never ending story.

14 down, 22 to go.  

Congratulations to Jeannie57, lumpynme, nkb, and rn4babies!!

So happy to hear you are done with radiation.



Tazzy- thanks for the info on the saline compresses. I haven't heard of this before.



Today was 9 of 28. My skin is doing ok, so far. Just some pink/ redness. I'm still worried about complications with my implant.



I saw my onc yesterday before my #4 herceptin. He wants me to start arimidex during radiation. I really don't want to take this pill for 5 years. I only had a "rare positive cells" for estrogen on my path report. Anyone else start arimidex during rads?

Yay to Jeannie57, Lumpynme,nkb and rn4babies for finishing!!! It must feel great!

I have 22 of 28 today. It feels like a long road esp after chemo and two surgeries! Had redness last week on front of chest and the saline compresses have really settled it down along with a steroid cream. It is still red and itchy but less so. I am olive skinned and have been lubing the boob like crazy. I am finding radiation so emotional especially the beginning and the end.

Good luck to all this week!

#20 of rads happened today, Routine getting old, I have to say!   I hate getting burnt without sand nor sun, Similar result but absolutely no fun!   To my fellow rads sisters who are always so nice, I turn to you for help and friendly advice.   Aloe, Calendula, creams from a tube.. Was warned all needed to "lube the boob".   And most recent, Tazzy really came through!  With saline compress tip..so comforting..phew!   Today I laughed with Xtina addition, Calling that part "the underboob"...a new tradtition.   So you see, if I have to be here, sad but true.. I feel very lucky to have all of you!!!! 

Oh Junif you made me laugh with the car door story... good DH to put that smile back on your face.

#8 today... more x-rays to make sure still all OK.   I see my RO tomorrow.  I see him every week too... so must be a law of some sorts somewhere.

Aruba - happy the saline compress is soothing - amazing that such a simple thing can bring such comfort.

Hope everyone is hanging in there.  Keep up the lubing

I'm glad frustrations are vented here! And humor. Radiation is such a strange process. Every day for five weeks I laid on my back on a table, arms overhead, chest exposed, feet constrained while two to three men drew on me with felt pen, stared intently at my deformed and scarred chest, laid Saran wrap over the cancerous side, then what looked like a brass top Cleopatra would wear on top of that. They then ran out of the room while I was zapped. They did this three times, day after day for twenty-five days. And it wasn't until after radiation was over that I blistered and burned. Now my risk for lymphedema is freaking me out and I have to learn 20 minutes of daily lymphatic massage exercises. I've had two surgeries, 12 weeks of chemo, five weeks of rads with 12 more weeks of chemo, ten years of antihormonals and DIEP surgery to go. This is the new me! I am unbreakable. Bring it on. At least, that's what I'm saying today!

Most probably joining this group soon. Done my mapping end Sept, left country and cleared mind about all these mess. Now back to reality, going to see RO tomorrow and guess will start radiation soon.

Welcome guineamom.  You'll not find a friendlier bunch of women with tons of advice for each other.  Good luck at the RO.

LuvBngGma... My RO, Nurse and the 3 rad techs told me to start lubing as soon as rads started.   I am using Glaxal Base and also a saline compress which I shared with the other ladies here.  1 litre water brought to the boil, 1-2 tsps salt.  Let water sit until at room temp, then get a face cloth or similar, soak the cloth then lay across chest for 10-15 mins... resoaking if necessary.

Really I would start lubing and soaking sooner rather than later.. but that is me.  Good luck

Tazzy, after the saline compress, do you rinse the area or just pat dry and lube? I haven't started rads yet, my planning session won't be till the 30th, but I like to have as much info as possible before I need it. Thanks!

LuvBngMa--

Try not to stress about the thyroid test. I had a needle biopsy of my thyroid last week. The only thing that hurt was the injection of novocaine-type stuff. It was no more or less comfortable than at the dentist. It was a very large syringe (with a very skinny needle) that they used for the novocaine. The area numbed up really fast and the needle biopsy was fast. I was able to watch the ultrasound screen the whole time and could see when the cells were sucked out of the mass on my thyroid.

They had a tech with a microscope right in the room, and she took a few minutes to prepare some of the material that had been extracted, to make sure they had enough cells for pathology to work with. They did, so we were all done.

This was Thursday afternoon and I was told it would take 2 to 4 working days to get pathology results, but my MO's nurse called Friday evening to tell me the results were benign.

Most thyroid growths are benign (which you probably already know). I hope yours is too.

Keep us posted!

Junif-  Thank God for sarcastic husbands, no?  Mine is the same way. 

I had a mini-meltdown last week.  It's my most stressful time at work, which of course I was not planning for this all to happen at the same time - work stress, rads stress, etc, and that's exactly how he handled it.  It's how he handles me much of the time.  Don't get me wrong, he's not an ass, when I need to cry a little he's right there for me in the best way, but he also just knows when I need to unload and how he can get me laughing again.

I also love when the RO says "You're doing GREAT! Keep it up!"  Really??  I'm doing great, am I?  Glad you think so dude.  I'm just thinking "Wouldn't it be even "greater" if I didn't have cancer and have to do this every day??"

The techs and the RO never say things like that, I think they know better 'cause they see us every day - they know what the right thing to say is in a way that's not patronizing.

Xtina--you're right the techs are great and I don't get a lot of stupid comments from them.  The hospital I go to is NOT a teaching hospital but they have some tech students come in for experience.  Two weeks ago I walked in and had 4 in with me.  I have face-down radiation so they are trying to get you line up and then the table is raised which they keep jerking to the point where you are getting naseous.  It makes everything take longer.  Then they were gone.  Yesterday I had another one and expected a bigger group today.  I asked the tech about it and she said 'Oh if you don't want them there just tell us.'  Well you know what, I think I should be asked..I do not want to be a teachable moment.  I don't feel that great, I simply want to get in and out (which happens when I only have 2 experienced techs.   I really don't feel like bearing my ugly breast to a group of perky little students and I don't want them touching me and making the 'lining up' process irritating.  My brother just gave me a lecture on how these students have to learn and I shouldn't complain.  Stupid Bastard.  He soooooooooooo pissed me off.  He has no idea how this feels.  I just want in and out.  I spent most of my life teaching college--that's enough--I don't have to give them my body too.  It just irritates me that I am not asked about this why put me in the position of walking into the room and telling them to get out..oh yeah, give me a little more stress!!  Needless to say, I will never again mention a thing to my brother.  Lately I'm just angry about a lot things!

Hope everyone is having a good (or at least tolerable day). 

My armpit is all burned and uncomfortable. My rad tech mentioned an over-the-counter product called Dermo-something. It's a bunch of little cloths that you soak and apply. They apparently have powder on them or something. Very soothing. 

Anybody tried it? (Or can remember the name?) The armpit is dark red. Bleh. 

22 down, 13 more to go. It. Is. Neverending.....