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

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  • Nkb
    Nkb Member Posts: 1,436
    edited October 2012

    Naddine2u- I love books on tape and have been listening to so many lately when I take my five-mile walks. I like to listen to a lot of classics that might be Longer or somewhat difficult to read and have read almost all of Dickens at this point if you're interested in him. If you can get Great Expectations or Tale of Two Cities read by Frank Muller they're fabulous he also read Moby Dick another fabulous book. Other great ones are Oddesey, a Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, Light in August by William Faulkner, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell and they're making a movie of it right now. I also enjoyed his new book the Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. Julian Barnes books like Arthur and George and Wilkie Collins the moonstone and Woman in White are wonderful.



    Virginia- so glad her boss is a kind person.

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  • tina_jason
    tina_jason Member Posts: 147
    edited October 2012

    rn4babies- Thanks for the encouragement.  I think that I am already seeing improvement.  No tx since Friday I am sure will make a big difference.  They gave me these petroleum gauze bandages which feel so good and help to keep it moist.  I changed them twice today and am planning to change them again before I go to bed.  I am going to work tomorrow but then I'll be taking the rest of the week off.  I like staying home so I don't have to wear a bra.  I am frustrated because I was so close to the finish line.  I know this is just a short set back and it is for the best.  I need to heal!

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  • nancedawg
    nancedawg Member Posts: 81
    edited October 2012

    Nadine, you've probably already read it but The Help is wonderful on tape.  I just finished The Kitchen House and it was really good too.  Anything by Nelson Demille is good if you like CIA and FBI stuff.  Harlan Coben is similar to Nelson Demille. John Grisham has a new book out The Rackateer.  The reader reallly makes a difference. Jodi Picoult books are good, but usually tear jerkers.  I enjoyed "I feel bad about my neck" by Nora Epron...she reads it on tape.  Have fun listening; it really helps with the long drive.  I thought I had a long drive, but you definitely have me beat.

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  • heidismom
    heidismom Member Posts: 38
    edited October 2012

    I am gearing up for radiation soon....2 weeks post lumpectomy now.   Meeting with RO tomorrow, and then the MO on Monday.   I think it would have made more sense to talk with the MO first, but he's out of the office this week.    Met with surgeon last week, clear wide margins but a blip to original diagnosis of DCIS since micro-invasion of <1mm was found.    He did not feel it was necessary to go back and test nodes, I'm interested to hear what the oncologists say.    I sent a question about this to the Johns Hopkins "ask an expert" page and was told that "the Z011 clinical trial that now is standard of care should enable (me) to forego having sentinel node done, and getting radiation instead to include the armpit area just to be safe."    Any thoughts?

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  • PaEaglesFan
    PaEaglesFan Member Posts: 277
    edited October 2012

    Nadine, Agree w/Nance that The Help was a wonderful audio book!  I listened to it before I saw the movie and enjoyed the book much more.  
    I also like Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries, they start with "A is for Alibi".  I'm on "N is for Noose" now.  The main character is a kick-ass female PI who handles the investigations pretty much all on her own.  They're light reads and the interaction between the PI and the characters are really the heart of her stories.

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  • Aruba
    Aruba Member Posts: 543
    edited October 2012

    Tina, hang in there! You will get through this!!  And with the break, hopefully won't feel so much like groundhog day when you finish!  I went for my first boost today, #26/31.  Had my RO appt first. I am very red but they remarked how well skin holding up.  Told them that was because I lost my job a few weeks ago and now had time to use compresses, air dry, lift the boob and let a fan air dry the underboob etc.  RO said that may have been the silver lining to losing the job..having my skin hang in there.  I am a bit raw on the underboob and by the SNB but the Mepilex foam they give (you cut strips and put on so no skin to skin rubbing) plus the creams and I think especially the air....are keeping this manageble but uncomfortable.  Also, the boosts are even faster than the rest was...2 zaps total vs the 6 I had daily to this point.  My RO won't be in next Weds, so will have an asst check me out.  She gave me a graduation hug today early..still can't contemplate that this is going to really end.

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  • PaEaglesFan
    PaEaglesFan Member Posts: 277
    edited October 2012

    Question for you ladies.  I have been having bouts of queasiness since starting rads and I asked the nurse about it.  SHE thinks its a leftover SE from the chemo so I'm curious to see if there is any truth to that theory.  
    Is anyone else having any nausea (MILD) and if so, did you or didn't you have chemo prior to rads?

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  • Aruba
    Aruba Member Posts: 543
    edited October 2012

    PAeaglesFan, I have not had any queasiness and had no chemo, but I do recall JPMomof3 stating she had queasiness as well for a time.  I did wake up one morning with the room spinning, scared the begeebies out of me.  It went away soon after and have not had it since..wonder where that came from. 

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  • ladyfighter
    ladyfighter Member Posts: 184
    edited October 2012

    PAeaglesFan, your not alone, I do get nauseous from time to time, I thought maybe from rads, but now i wonder if its from left over chemo like you said?? I had 4 DD A/C and 12 weekly taxol/herceptin, prior to rads. 

    Aruba, how was boost? i am supposed to get that i think next week or near to end. I had room spinning dizzy when i started taxol, my MO think its from that. I been getting them almost daily when i turn my head to left or bend my neck backward, whoaaa room spinning, it stopped when i correct my neck, but now looks like subsided since i finished my taxol about a month ago. but I had just one simple one last sunday when i laid down and turned my head to left. but no more now. so weird. My MO doesnt seem worried

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  • Aruba
    Aruba Member Posts: 543
    edited October 2012

    Boosts were very simple and took very little time...even with me having to be hooked to the breathing device used to hold my breath to move heart and lungs away from field.  No biggie at all..and so far feel nada from it.    You'll do fine!!

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  • ladyfighter
    ladyfighter Member Posts: 184
    edited October 2012

    thanks Aruba! what a relief! :)

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  • grateful33
    grateful33 Member Posts: 58
    edited October 2012

    Hello everyone

    I had my last reatment today!! Yay!! I actually got tearful and cried a bit. Didn't realize I'd be so emotional! Brought cake in for the rad techs.

    Now just to heal the raw skin that is in patches (axilla, underboob and supraclav) I know that it will continue to worsen for a week or two.

    I have been fighting the 'how do I get back to normal?' emotions and know they will resurface....but today I am so happy!

    Hugs to all!

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  • Aruba
    Aruba Member Posts: 543
    edited October 2012

    Happy dance for you Grateful!!!  You done goodSealed!

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  • Tazzy
    Tazzy Member Posts: 2,546
    edited October 2012

    That's great news grateful.  I hope you can go and do something special for YOU.  Dont think about the 'normal' emotions for today.. just enjoy. 

    I am half way through and haven't suffered any nausea.. thank goodness. 

    I know I am missing tons of you, but sending gentle hugs and healing vibes.

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  • Dianarose
    Dianarose Member Posts: 2,407
    edited October 2012

    Hi everyone- I had radiation 8 yrs ago on the left side. I will be starting rads again in about 5 weeks on the right side. Does anyone know if they can use the same tatoo's or will they have to do that part again?

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  • naddine2u
    naddine2u Member Posts: 9
    edited October 2012

    Thanks ladies for all the great audio book suggestions.  Listened to one today and definitely made the time go by more quickly.  

    Virginia - Yay for vacation!  PA eagles - I, too, have been mildly nauseated from the get go.  I finished chemo 3 weeks prior to starting rads, so maybe that is it.

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  • KimbytheSea
    KimbytheSea Member Posts: 84
    edited October 2012

    Just nine more to go. I've been soaking the armpit and underboob in Domeboro, a great saline solution, then slathering up the burned areas with Silvadine. 

    Then, Miaderm on the rest of the boob area.

    Here's one weird side effect, or it could just be me: I've been craving very specific things. I HAD to have oranges. Then, avocados looked really good to me. The other night, spicy tuna sushi. And I don't even like sushi that well. It's as if my body is saying "Here's what I need to build some new cells."

    Is it just me?

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  • patti3796
    patti3796 Member Posts: 79
    edited October 2012

    Good Morning everyone ---     I don't do well with audio books when driving...I find I concentrate too much on the book and end up driving too slowly...but enjoyed reading the suggestions and will download a couple to my Ipad...always enjoy John Grisham and had missed he had a new one out.

    Grateful -  Cool  congrats on finishing !!

    Dianarose -  See you are from Maine too. (I am doing treatment at the Alfond Center in Augusta)   I had radiation on the right in 2004 and now through treatment 10 on the left.   They ended up only adding two tatto's for me..one on the left and one in the middle.  However even through I have the tattos they still draw on me.  They seem to line me up using just one tatto on my right side, one from the left and one from the middle.   Since there are several tattos in the middle and on the right they end up circling the one they want to use. 

    Hope everyones treatment goes well today

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  • jpmomof3
    jpmomof3 Member Posts: 643
    edited October 2012

    PAEagles, I got nauseated for a while in the middle of this but it seems to have gone away. It was very mild. I finished chemo n June so I don't think mine w as residual from that. For whatever reason I think the rads made me nauseated.



    Congrats grateful!



    I am going in for my last treatment today. It is hard to even imagine being done, nine months of hell. I know there is healing and recovery for some weeks and month but this is the end of the active treatments. It probably won't hit me until next week when I don't have to go in to the cancer center again.



    My skin is red in patches too. On the back of my shoulder and a spot over my collarbone and in the axilla. Since I am just getting boosts to the lumpectomy site now most of the spots are finally starting to calm down and they are turning brown. Some are peeling. The area that is getting the boosts is getting pink but isn't as bad as the other spots yet. The redness kept getting worse for 4-6 days after the last treatments. But this morning I noted that it is finally getting better. It's going to leave some weird tan marks.



    I don't even know what I am going to do with my time.

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  • Aruba
    Aruba Member Posts: 543
    edited October 2012

    JPMom...CONGRATULATIONS!  Go do something fun that YOU want to do!  You deserve it!!!

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  • grateful33
    grateful33 Member Posts: 58
    edited October 2012

    Congrats JPMom!!!!!! Definitely celebrate the end of a long road today!!!

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  • Rose_d
    Rose_d Member Posts: 144
    edited October 2012

    Last day for me too! I really can't believe it's over an that it has been 10 months, what a strange journey it has been!

    2 biopsies, 2 surgeries, 8 chemo treatments, 28 radiation treatments.  But who is counting?!

    My skin is pretty beat up at this point and I am sure will get worse before it's better.  But at least it's over! And I alsm

    Congrats to everyone who is getting close.  I think we should all be proud of ourselves!

    Rose

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  • Andrea623
    Andrea623 Member Posts: 959
    edited October 2012

    Congratulations to all of you who are done! I'm a couple weeks away from starting. Can't wait to be at your point!

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  • Aruba
    Aruba Member Posts: 543
    edited October 2012

    Way to go Rose! Happy dance for you!!

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  • jpmomof3
    jpmomof3 Member Posts: 643
    edited October 2012

    Congrats rose. I am officially done. It's kind of anti climactic. It will hit me soon enough. No doctor visits or treatments for two weeks. Wow.

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  • Tazzy
    Tazzy Member Posts: 2,546
    edited October 2012

    Jpmom, rosed – congratulations on your rad graduation.   What will you do to fill your days now?

    I am still in groundhog day mode… but coming to the end of them.   #15/28 today.

    hugs to all xxx

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  • tina_jason
    tina_jason Member Posts: 147
    edited October 2012

    jpmom- Congratulations on finishing.

    I am still on my break but am hoping to start back up on Monday.  I think the break has been good for my skin.  I did notice today that I lost another one of my stickers for marking.  I don't know what that means so I think I will call tomorrow morning and see.  I only had one more whole breast to do and then they were going to start the boosts.  I just need to see if they need to do another CT scan to mark before they finish since those stickers came off.  I had 7 and have lost 2 this week.  Anyone else experience this?

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  • Tazzy
    Tazzy Member Posts: 2,546
    edited October 2012

    tina: Glad to hear that your skin is healing during your break... see these docs know best (most of the time).   I didn't have stickers for marking - permanent tatts for me.  Definitely call and find out.  Just to put your mind at ease.

    Yay... after today's nuking we get 2 days off Laughing

    Happy Friday everyone xx

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  • Tweetyb422
    Tweetyb422 Member Posts: 119
    edited October 2012

    Hi everyone,



    Finally starting rads, been a long journey. I had my tattoos done this morning. They are sending me for a post chemo pet Friday then have first rads treatment Monday the 2nd. I am a little nervous, but figure it can't be worse than all the chemo I had :)

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  • Tazzy
    Tazzy Member Posts: 2,546
    edited October 2012

    tweety - rads really is easier than chemo.... thank goodness eh?  It is the monotony of having them every day which gets to you - least it does me.  Groundhog Day.  Make sure you lube up lots, use saline soaks and rest.   Tiredness is a SE.  Wear big pockets on the 2nd... we'll jump in and be right with you.

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