Summer 2013 Rads

Yipee! I'm done! I got my certificate of completion and rang the bell they have. Now time to start healing and on to the next phase. I will be starting Tamoxifen on Saturday.



Gently hugs to everyone

Yay Heart!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!  {{{{hugs}}}}

Hello Everyone,

My mom will be finished with her chemo on July 12. Now we are exploring the thoughts of radiation. I have tried to stay informed as much as possible to help my mom through this. She is very anxious to get everything over with as everyone can imagine. We just don't know what effects radiation will have in store for us. We hope it will be better than the SE's of chemo.

MzDiva

WooHoo Heart!!!

Let the healing begin!!



I just finished a Domeboro soak and it felt good.



Time for dinner. My nutritionist says to increase my protein while healing. Is chocolate protein? ;-) It is when it covers almonds!

Way to go, Heart. You really had a hard time- here's to fast healing!

Ideism, yea, they are crazy. My fist appointment was that early, but I wanted it before starting radiation.  I'm not willing to drag myself out of bed that early again.  I got an 8:45 am for tuesday.  

Congratulations Heart - hope you will feel like celebrating soon!



My MO said he didn't want to start me on Tamoxifen until I had finished radiation - I thought he said because it might potentially interfere with effectiveness of radiation - but I've seen several people on these boards who started Tamoxifen before they finished rads.

Thanks everyone!



My MO wanted me to start tamoxifen right after rads. He also said one thing at a time is enough. So I will start tamoxifen tomorrow. Need this one day break.



Happy Friday!

Chocolate is whatever I want it to be--I like that! I declare dark chocolate covered almonds to be a  health food! 

I remember the pink fading away overnight early on. Hoping that it will keep doing that for you, Carol. Happy weekend! 

Those fat rolls and lumps do get hit hard. My dog ear under my arm that they left for reconstruction was unhappy the second half of rads but is hurting less today. And as painful as I still am, I do see signs of healing in the areas that haven't been radiated for 8 days. Like Heart, I have that cruddy dead skin smell going, though. Yuck!! Ok...this too shall pass. 

I had a bad reaction to one of the meds they gave me for healing so I am back to emu oil as it is the only thing my skin likes right now. Aloe burns, aquaphor burns, calendula burns, miaderm burns, silvadene burns, arghhh!! But the good news is that I see signs of healing 8 days out from my last full radiation so I will stick with the Domeboro soaks and emu oil. Skin reaction is such an individual thing. 

Happy Weekend to all! I think the radiation departments around Phoenix must have left their doors open, though, because highs are predicted to be 120 this weekend. Why do I live here? Not because of the nutty wild west politics , but cuz I love the desert and the mountains and the sunsets and the beautiful hikes ... just not in the summer! Time to fill the bird bath--poor babies will be mighty hot and thirsty this weekend! 

Gentle hugs,

Linda

Hi Ladies, I've been waiting for my turn to join. I start rads next Friday and had my simulation/tattoos today. I'm trying to gather as much information from everyone, so thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience, it helps us all. A lot of women have said that emu oil is very good. I was going to buy some but thought I would run it by my RO since I was seeing him today. He said no, because it is oil based and to be honest, was quite disappointed. He recommended lubriderm or glaxol. He said if I run into problems, he will prescribe then. I may still still get the emu oil to try.

slv58--My RO said emu oil is very good as long as it is not on my skin for rads. Since my radiation was at 8:20am, I would shower before going and use Dove soap to make sure any remaining oil from the night before was off. Maybe if you tell your RO you will be sure it is off, he will ok it. I had bolus every day to bring the radiation to the surface of my skin (they wanted to fry me) and I am convinced that I would have needed a rads vacation if not for the emu oil. Most women do fine without it, though, so don't worry. I have heard good things about glaxol. Welcome aboard. It will go fast!

Donna--A perk from your recent mastectomy, huh? Numbness. So glad you cannot feel it! I was very surprised and really rather scared by how much I hurt from my skin breakdown. Here's hoping that four days off will help you get through the last few treatments better. 

Heart--So you cannot use the creams/salves either. We are so very tender right now, aren't we? And my nurse said the same thing about the smell. Hmmm... I first noticed it one morning when I woke up and noticed this yucky smell, and I thought it was one of my dogs having got into something gross...or something dead! Lo and behold, it was me. I cannot stand yucky smells!!! I think olfactory is my best sense, so arghhh!!! Maybe it will be gone soon and in the meantime, bring on the Mepilex. 

Happy weekend to all!

Linda

Thank you for your good wishes, Linda, and a happy weekend.  Just don't know if I have the ability to bear the skin damage and pain that so many having rads have had to bear.  I'm a wimp.  I'm a double-wimp.

To everyone, have a great weekend.  Never thought two days off could mean so much.

Carol

Hi all, thanks for the posts. Heart- SO glad you are done-woohoo! I hope your skin can repair itself well now that you are not getting hit.



I have had two of 25 zaps now. Does anyone else get a weird gold colored chainmail thing draped over the breast? It is supposed to bring the radiation more to the surface skin. Seems bizarre but so do so many things with treatments.

Can I ask anyone using emu oil which brand you recommend? I'm going to get some and just make sure I wash it off well prior to rads.

Sciencegal, I have a bolus (actually there are two of them) on for my treatments.  It's a rubbery glob of something and cold when they put it on.  The only other thing I can think of that they use is that plastic that melts for people getting rads high up on neck/head.   They put it on warm and pull it down to form to your head so they don't have to mark you in visible areas.

I got a nice lesson in that when I asked Bob the tech the other day.