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

Hi Ladies - Just joining in!  I've just completed 12/35 rads.  I am relieved to see some women experiencing heart burn, as when my chest hurt I immediately worried about my heart!

Anyhow, my concern is that I only have 3 tattoos for my radiation positioning and my top tattoo has been replaced by a sticker because they've already had to move it twice in the first 8 days!  Also, today I heard a tech tell another tech that my scan was off yesterday.  So although they take pictures every week, it appears the picture is not reassuring me but rather causing them to reposition me?!  I asked the tech about that, and she said "oh its only a slight movement, don't worry" and something about how its typical for the skin to move in the beginning.  Has anyone else had their tattoos or stickers moved or adjusted during treatment?  I thought this was supposed to be a precise process and the "plan" that showed how much radiation my organs are receiving doesn't really matter if they aren't radiating precisely as planned, does it?  If no one else has had any adjustments, its time for me to PANIC (and get angry)!  input please!

Actually, Waiting, you CAN stop the treatments.  You probably need to talk with your RO, though.  This is my last week of rads and just learned yesterday that the women who work with me are students from a profit-making technical school.  They're supervised by a permanent staff member but I never knew they were students.  I thought they were trained professionals!  I would ask them questions and they would answer me.  I now know they didn't have the training or authority to be answering my questions.  That puts me into a mode of "don't trust anyone unless you can see their diploma on the wall."

Wow Carolyn, that is scary!!!!  I wonder about my crew also..next time  I am going to ask more questions. I only have 8 to go (I am on hold because of burns).  They seem to know what they are doing but who knows....

Waitingfor - I have the same worries, pictures every week but the  slightest movement can change things- I also worry about my heart and lungs - guess we will always have to worry...It is scary///

Waiting, since my BC was in my left breast and my heart is tilted a little, I had to use a Tomotherapy machine which used ct scan everytime I went in to check my position, then deliver the rad. Tx. I got the standard dose of radiation but I have no idea how much my body had in x-rays! If I had asked I'm sure they would have told me that the "benefits outweigh the risks." I'll have to remember to ask about that at my one month follow up with my RO.



I'm going to start my Tamoxifen tonight. I guess I'm really kind of anxious about it. At least with the radiation there was a beginning with an end in sight. Even rad. SE's wouldn't last terribly long. Tamoxifen and it's effing SE's....for five years? UGH! Good luck girls! ((Hugs))

Carolyn, if your techs were students, where was their supervisor when you were having all these problems?  Part of their job is technical, but equally important is helping us make it through a pretty miserable series of treatments.  I was ready to quit after day three until I sat down with a supervisor (at the suggestion of my techs, by the way) and he was able to give me, and the techs, the key to making me comfortable-ish with the whole thing.  If you have not done it yet, would you please arrange a little sitdown with their supervisor?  And/or maybe his supervisor?  I know you (perhaps more than many of us) know how important the human part of their role is, and just think of how many future students and all their patients you will benefit if just this one supervisor rounds out his or her program just this simple but vital bit.  It's the old "throw a pebble into the pond and watch the ripples roll" thing.

Fight4two, I just wanted to tell you that one of my tatoos was also wrong after like a couple of weeks. They just measured from the tatto0 for example they said it should be a cm above the tattoo.

5luvbugs, Im sorry that you are so burnt. I know how painful that is. I was allowed to use silvadene on mine when I wasnt getting treatments and that helped.

I hope everyone is doing better. Healing hugs to all.

Sisters, just starting chemo but I know bmx and rads are in the future. Can immediate reconstruction be done if you need rads? Does it depend on the type on reconstruction?

Welcome walkinfaith. I think it depends on the plastic surgeon. Most like to do surgery after rads but I think some do it before.

Spookiesmom Congrats. Im doing the happy dance with you.

Healing hugs to all

Hey all,

             Thanks for the info regarding the x-rays and the necessity for them.  I have learned so much on these boards.  I did ask my tech about the xray and she said they are a much lower dosage than diagnostic xrays, so that's a good thing.  One week of tx over, 11 more left.  Can't wait till I am done. 

  SwGee- Five years of tamoxifen, I can see how you would not be looking forward to it.  I have herceptin infusion  every 3 weeks.  Looks like none of us get a free ride!

Yes it does feel good to be done, I don't think it's fully sunk in. I burned pretty bad, had about 10 days off. Silva dine is great stuff. I was told to lotion the area forever. Lubraderm was suggested,



I woke up from bmx with LE. Did some PT, have garments on order. Always some reminder, huh?

Congrats Spookie & Carolyn!! Happy happy dance!!

Congrats Spookie and Caroyn!!!!!!!

Talk to your RO about It. S/he needs to look at it, can write rx for creams, lotions, or pain meds.



I found a great sunburn gel at Walmart has aloe, comfrey, lidocaine, tea tree. My RO approved it, felt nice and cool going on, the lidocaine killed the itchey.

Hi everyone, I've read posts starting back in 2012 and finally jumped ahead so I could get involved before I start six weeks rads TOMORROW! I'm not really nervous other than the possibility of lymph edema. I'm seeing a specialist in a week as a preventative. I'm left-handed and have a lot of working years ahead and I get great peace from playing piano and I believe in being proactive. I was given miaderm by my RO and grew up on the beach and firm believer in true aloe gel but will look into silva dine? Is that right? Received and gave great tips all through six hard rounds of TAC and Im only three weeks out from BMX and prophylactic salpingo - oopherectomy (BRCA1+) and will not have recon until at least three months after rad ends- like I look forward to those drains again anyway! Best to all of you; wherever you are in your journey and thanks for sharing in hopes to make other's a little more tolerable. The most least selfish act on Earth! Peace.

Welcome Megroy23, I can't stop looking at your hair. I hope mine grows back like that. I'm missing it so much. Good luck tomorrow. It's true what they say, it's easier than chemo. I haven't had any lymphedema and had a a lot of nodes removed. The piano playing sounds wonderful.