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

Jennifer and Mother4 :  I am a newbie to radiation having just finished 9/33.  I feel so badly for your pain going through this.  I am sure some of the ladies who are finished may have some helpful suggestions.  Please take care and know we are all there with you.

Mother4Life, Sorry you're having so much pain! I'm glad you get a day off and that you are so close to the end of treatement! Can you get any extra help for the next couple weeks? I hope so. Call some family or good friends in?

Jennifer, I don't recall where you are in your treatments but I hope you don't have to suffer too much more of it either.

Haven't been here in a long time as I finished at the end of December.  Just wanted to see how everyone is doing.

Motherforlife...sorry you are having such a time with burns and pain.  I will be in Oshawa tomorrow too for a 10:30 follow-up.  Missed my appointment two weeks ago due to weather and am hoping the freezing rain doesn't stop me in the morning.  What time is your appointment?  

Good luck to everyone else and remember to moisturize, moisturize and moisturize some more.

My appointment is at 9:10 for rad treatment... Even though my doctor appointment are normal on Wed.. Going to ask to see doctor or nurse before treatment as I am in so much pain...I soak the breast... Cream it, take pain killers yet I am losing more skin and am bleeding in areas. I can not move without pain. My last appointment was Thursday, missed Friday due to snow storm. Thursday was my first booster treatment. It burned me alot worse than the normal treatments... And it was been a living hell since I had treatment on Thursday. Not sure if I should be getting another treatment, give chest time to heal or what. Thus going to see what he says. Last time when I saw him on Wed.. He said my skin was in good condition for going though radiation... Now I feel like my chest was hit with a nuclear bomb...it is so raw, pussy, bleeding. I can't even wear a normal shirt.. Was puss, blood is going though tshirt. If I am home I have been going topless as I am in so much pain and have spent most of the weekend in bed as I could not handle pain... So max out on pain killer and had hubby look after kids. 

Thank for the support. I will let you all know what doctor say. For Outdamnedspot... If you see a shy tall 6 foot, chunky built woman in her 40's with short brown curly hair...with a sky blue color coat on tomorrow.. That is me.... Real name is Karen. Also it is my right side I am having issue with so you  may see me not moving right arm/hand unless I must...as it is painful to move any on skin on right side. Lord.. Please let me get though this last week. I can not handle the pain... If I had my way.. I forget the last 4 treatment.... Just take my tamofen and Just let my body heal. I do not know how much more pain I can take right now.

Momforlife...if you see a short, stubby blonde in a red pea coat...that's me.  You'll probably be gone by the time I get there.  I was hoping we could meet.

Real name Jackie.  Good luck today!

mother4life - wow, I wonder if someone gave you the wrong dose of radiation for your boost.  It sounds so miserable...I'm glad you don't have to do any more treatments!

Karen, I am so glad you were finally able to get through to everyone that you were really suffering.  I hope relief comes quickly for you now that treatments have been halted.  YOu are in my thoughts and prayers.  I know you're having a really rough time now, but hang in there. 

As for my infection, it's still going strong.  My RO called me in the "mac daddy" of antibiotics (that's what she called it, LOL) and am doing Domboro (?) soaks three to four times a day.  I really soak the washcloth.  I don't think I was soaking good enough in the beginning.  I am also using bacitracin ointment, silvadene, and my mom made me some little pillow like things to use to hold up the breast so it gets some air.  She made little tubes out of Tshirt and stuffed with some very soft filler.  They're perfect.  For the oozing parts, I put a panty liner of all things on the breast and that helps with that. 

I have been done with treatment now for six days and under my arm is feeling much better.  It's peeling but the skin underneath looks good.  It's just the underside of the boob that's infected.  I am taking pain meds mostly at night to get some sleep.  I tell ya, it's always something.  Thanks for the comments everyone.  It helps.

Outdamnedspot and Mother4life, It is so cool you met each other!



Jen, glad the healing has started. It should pick up speed from here.



Mother4life, so glad at least the added damage is over for you. Kick back with thise painkillers a few days and things will improve. Please keep us posted on how you are feeling and let the house run on "DH Power. " ((gentle hugs))

Susancats, being on the " boosts" is practically being done. These last days will go by quickly and the boost treatment itself takes only seconds. Hope the skin holds up, but don't be afraid to take meds if you have to for a few days. You are not a whiner. I found the skin damage to be the most uncomfortable part of my whole treatment- probably because I thought rads would be " nothing" compared to chemo. It is certainly NOT"nothing," Chocolate chip confetti? Count me in!

susancats, "Titty Tartar" sounds like a sexy villainess in a Bond movie to me - love it! hang in there! I did not have open sores etc so believe me, I don't think you're a whiner! It sounds awful. but yay! for not too many trtmnts left!

laurascott, my radiation experience wasn't the big nightmare that mother4life or Jen or susan have been going through. There's a wide range of reactions. Some of it has to do with what type of treatments one is having. One member here (cowpower or shachar?) was supposed to get bad skin burns to stop some cancer that had spread to the skin. others just seem to be more sensitive to radiation, some not so much. I am 3.5 weeks done with my 30 rads (25 +5 boosts) and I barely look like I spent any time in the sun - there's just a slight change in skin color from non-radiated to radiated skin. My nipple - which was SO SORE by the end - is only a little sensitive now and the spot in my armpit and the one under my boob that looked pretty toasted and a little rashy are almost like the rest of the breast, barely tanned. I started moisturizing at least a few days before I started rads and I kept it up 2 to 4 times a day without fail during the whole treatment phase. My RO really encourages moisturizing the area a lot so I get the idea he sees some benefit from it in most cases. good luck! we'll be here for you and in your pockets when you're getting treatments!

Mother4 - I sure hope your starting to feel better - sounds like they put you through hell, only good thing is that your are DONE!!!!

Girls, has anyone gotten away with little or no side effects?  Wonder what they do to men with prostate cancer, do they have all these issues? !!!  Just doesn't seem fair, women suffer too much..

So here is a Question for anyone: If you need 33 treatments and went to rads 7 times but 3 of those times you had to wait because the machine was not working properly what would you do?  I am going to a very reputable treatment center but am getting quite nervous wondering if I'm getting the right aim and dosage...Also after # 6 have pain in incision and under arm toward chest area, any one else have issues like that? Kind of scared about all this radiation to begin with, wonder if I should just give up radiation, go somewhere else, or perservere....  Anyone else with these issues?  Don't want to find out down the road that they screwed up...

Mother4Life, it sounds like you have experienced hell. So now you'll be able to say you have been to hell and back. Hope you're feeling better. 

JenniferW, doesn't sound like you're having a great time either! Hope you're healing up.

Laurascott, I have finished 20 of 33 treatments and have skin that looks like a garden-variety sunburn. A little bit of itching, no pain. So reactions are really different for different people. The boosts are not supposed to be as bad as they were for Mother4Life. It really sounds like something went wrong with her treatment, or her doctors just were not paying enough attention. 

Susancats, I think Titty Tartar could be your porn name. Or Gooey Boobs, but it probably would not sell as many movies. And that giant party sounds great with chocolate confetti, jacuzzi and fruity drinks sounds great. Why don't the radiation centers have those? People would be lining up at the door.

That said, 5LuvBugs, most of the time I think the machine breakdowns are harmless. I've had to reschedule once and had to wait on the table once while they fixed a machine. The problem is those machines have so many moving parts. Each of those "leaves" or "teeth" that you see in the window has its own little motor thingie, and they have to operate upside down, sideways, at weird angles, etc. The techs told me the machines are set up so they will not work if anything goes out of tolerance. So every repair is a big deal. They have a physicist at my facility who oversees the repairs and is on call.

Yeah Stride, so true

Welcome aboard halfcan! How many treatments will you have?

Can't type good on iphone

Welcome Halfcan,,lots of nice girls on this board, join in..