Winter RADS 2012 Club...Please come join the fun!

As far as the "taking an extra day off rads," I had posted before that in the overall scheme of treatment, most of the RO's will not have a problem if you ask to have a three day weekend just to give yourself an extra day to rebound and get a bit of strength back, or to give your inflamed skin an extra day to settle down if you are really starting to succumb to the side effects.  I think many of you would be surprised at what a difference it makes to just have that extra recovery day.  I find it amazing that we are all expected to move from point A to point B just like clockwork anyway, when our reactions are all different.  Sometimes all it takes to be seen and treated as an individual is a request to get off the conveyor belt for a day or two.  If you need it, ask for it.

Hello all.  I started rads this week - had #3 today, and 30 more to go.  So far so good.  They gave me 2 tubes of Miaderm and will give me more if/when I run out.  I will see the RO each week and she will check skin condition after a couple weeks.  I asked for 10 a.m., but right now my appointments are all over the place.  They are so busy that I have to wait until someone finishes before I get my requested time.  After about 3 weeks I am set for 10:10 a.m. for the rest of the time.  I'm still not used to going every day and I'm afraid of forgetting or getting the time wrong.  I do get a 3-day weekend in February because they are going to be closed for one day - there's construction going on and I guess that particular day they know they can't be open.

I just had #6/16 today. 10 more to go. Still looks good, I am very fair skinned, freckles. They gave am a tube of cream and I am doing saline compresses 2-3 times a day....so far okay.

I was told if I got a cold I would still get my treatment.

Thanks Elimar! Maybe that is why my doc said we would discuss early termination after round 19 next week. I will read this article.

I shouldn't have bragged about how good I felt. Came home day before yesterday feeling a bit tired but then developed a shaky fever (101) and felt terrible. I thought I had the flu but it was gone the following morning. Yesterday started to itch and now have folliculitis which looks a lot like poison ivy. It is mostly on the treated breast but I have a few stray pimple/blisters on the other breast. I was told to use over the counter cortisone cream with Eucerin calming cream. It helped but I had a tough time sleeping. I think I need to sleep in oven mitts. 11 more treatments and then the big decision...aromatase or no aromatase. Still thinking.

PatinMN,  Thanks for additional info. that was not in the BCO article.  It does make sense that some individuals would be better candidates than others.  In hindsight, I think I would have been a good candidate fo the shorter course of rads.  I always felt mine was just an "insurance policy" and a "clean up" procedure after surgery disturbed the tissues and cells in the area.  I had 33x, and have noticed that lately quite a few women are getting 25x, so maybe there is already a shift to a more intermediate dosage????   Anyone who is getting 25x, do you know what fractions you are getting?

I only have seven left, including my boosts. I'm doing all right, other than the fatigue. My skin has held up very well and crossing my fingers that it will continue to do so. January 22 should be my last day.



I was watching a couple of women coming into the cancer center today, I think for chemo. They looked so wasted and worn, it broke my heart. And then it made me wonder, is that what I looked like? Did I look that lost, that broken?



I'm glad we're all getting to the end and coming through this as best as we can. Have a great weekend, ladies.

SwgeeWI,  I hadn't done the math, but yes, it does look like what is being called "low dose" in that article is what I have seen mentioned for quite some time as the "Canadian Protocol." 

Hi QueenKong, breast radiation is M-F in my clinic. Definitely get 2nd & 3rd opinions if you can.

bexH, just these last few treatments have I started noticing pain, serious fatigue, and my poor aureola was swollen last night! but it went down and now that I started my boosts I won't be getting as much fried each day so I think I can make it through my last 4. Hang in there!

cowpower, just don't let that ribbon hit my nipple, ok? keep it low… thanks for the encouragement!

elimar, thanks for your encouragement too, that's a great tip about keeping up the moisturizing for life. I already do most of my body already, adding in the breast won't be a big deal.

Shachar, Glad you got yr day off. I got a day off on Dec 25th and on Jan 1st and like elimar said, I really think it helps us with recovery and with compliance.

Has anyone ever read about aloe allergy? It's not going to affect many people but it does happen. I have not been using straight aloe but my skin is doing quite well with lotion, I just have redness. Aloe makes my skin dry and itchy so there was no way I was going to use it during rads since I might have the actual allergy. If aloe isn't working for you during rads, consider a couple of things, the first being before you even use it during radiation, test it on the inside of your arm for a few days in a row to see if your skin tolerates it when healthy. If you're already using it but you didn't use it prior to radiation and your skin seems to be not reacting well to rads, go ahead and do the aloe test and maybe switch to something else on your breast for a couple days while you see how some non-radiated skin does with it.

sonson, you will also be done before you know it! You hang in there too!

Is silvadene an ointment that contains silver? I had something like that around a couple winters ago and it was so great and cuts healed so fast!

Did my planning appt yesterday and they did not say anything about tape, stickers etc.  I got 5 small freckle size tatoos, 3 on the breast bone and one each on my side even with the breast.  I thought they used them for lining up the equipment.  Maybe they take the place of tape and stickers.  Not really sure.  Did not want to do the tatoos at first but they are so small and freckle/mole like that it was no big deal.

They still put little light blue dots on my tats because they say it shows up better under the light, but no big marks or tape. :-)

Oh, thanks for the laugh cider8 about giving your hubby the stink eye! I realized I haven't laughed much at all today, it felt kind of weird. I'll have to rent a comedy or go see one at the theater tomorrow or Sunday. Is anyone else paranoid about getting the flu this season?

I am so hoping the tattoos take the place of tape!!!:)

Shachar-my armpit looks like yours-greyish black and under my breast it's starting to peel too.  I've done 25 treatments and have 8 (I regular treatment and 7 boosts. ) I don't feel so alone. Enjoy the weekend.

Shachar, sounds like the "toasties" are coming on now- hope it is just peeling, not painful. Aquaphor will work, but use old or cheap clothes, as it is almost impossible to get out once it stains stuff. If you start to get sore, just remember that you really will heal quickly, and dont hesitate to ask for meds if you need them. I am two weeks out now and have only a tiny open area that doesnt even hurt any more. It will end soon, I promise. As a side benefit, aquaphor is working quit well on my forehead "worry lines."



Interesting day today- had some pain along the incision from a scar revision surgery I had in October and called bs, who is super nice and told me to come in whenever I wanted. I thought it was rads related. I got there about an hour later and he extracted about 1 .5 inches of suture material that had broken off when the rest was removed. Friggin' OUCH! Feels great now, however. Also got to take my son for wisdom teeth removal. It was nice to feel like the mom again, even if that means half our household now has prescription pain meds. He is doing fine tonight.