Summer 2013 Rads

Hi Miss Sophie...welcome and sorry you have to be here with all of us. I am just starting rads too..in about a week! And I ride too! These women are amazing with their info and would not trade them for the world!

Hi, thanks for this informative thread! I finished chemo in June, and thought I was done with tx except for starting Femara.



Well, I was wrong . I went for a second opinion with an RO who felt I would get good benefit from rads.



She recommended 25 treatments, 5 days a week for 5 weeks. I am on day 8. So far I have red skin,but little discomfort. I'm alternating between emu oil and aquaphor.



Does anyone know the logic or research behind 25 treatments versus 33? I feel so conflicted! I am fearful about treatment and I am fearful about recurrence -- it's crazy making!



Any insights would be appreciated.



Thanks again for sharing your experiences. It helps so much!

Heart, thanks for the heads up.  Maybe it won't be so bad?  Or at least if it is, I've been warned.  Sometimes just being mentally prepared is all I can do.

   Thanks all for the well wishes

ONE LEFT!!!!  I was able to get a decent night's sleep last night considering.  Woke up at 3:30 and reapplied my magic potion, and took two more pain pills.  Then slept til my doorbell rang at 9:00.  Not really feeling much worse than yesterday, one more, I can do this.  Just want it done!

itis, I finished chemo the end of Dec, had my lumpectomy in early April, and started rads on June 10th.  So between the chemo and rads we are talking about 5+ months.  And tomorrow is my last boost, wooohooooo!

I have a friend doing it.  It will be about 3 or 4 weeks between them.

Congrats Shipsgirl!

Katie, one of my regular techs is on vacation this week.  At this point, I trust my techs, and the one who is still there seems to have a good handle on things.  I've spent many treatments silently laying there with tears rolling down my cheeks.  You aren't alone with that.

I think something that has taken me a while to understand is just HOW trained these techs are.  I have had xrays done before treatment for every day this week.  Most weeks it's been at least two days of xrays.  While you are lying there, after the xrays, the oncologist comes by outside the room and checks them.  I think there is a lot of double checking with rads that we don't see because we're on the table and the door to the room is closed.

Good Morning Ladies!

Congrats shipsgirl, encyclias, DizzyMom!! Best of luck with the rest of your treatments.

Gowiththeflo- is today your last day?

Today, I have final whole breast rad and will find out if there will be 5 or 8 boost appointments. Either way, I am getting on a flight to Rome on August 4 for a 2 week family vacation in Europe which was booked the week before my diagnosis. Timing is everything. Espresso help me! 

Welcome BeHereNow and SophiaAnne-Marie. Here is what helped me through rads: First, I had to take most of the summer off from work. I am a consultant and my clients are out of town. If I could have worked through rads, I would have only missed maybe 5-8 days of work, either for long appts or sheer exhaustion. The extra time to rest is a blessing, the medical bills piling up with high deductible plan, not so much.

Next, the 5-6 day a week workouts- Zumba, Gentle Cardio, or just 30 min on treadmill with a book- helped combat the fatigue and energy. A few weeks ago, I took a week off from working out and didn't eat like a warrior. That week was the worst for side effects. The cardio flow of oxygen and daily smoothies must be doing something good. It is a daily fight to make good choices- getting to appts, working out, eating right, getting enough rest, using all lotions and potions, saying no to first and/or second glass of wine.  

Third, honor the F word (fatigue). The best advice I got was to pencil in committments through this period, to give yourself persmission to say "no" - opt out of "non-essential" plans when you need to rest. I overdid it my first two weeks of rads- running my schedule as normal - ended up with sore throat, fever, high white blood cells- working against myself. Once I made better choices (and a round of penicillin), I felt better. And I now love my daily cat naps. 

Not sure what to recommend for skin. Tried a lot of options- MiaDerm, Aloe, 2 RX lotions. MiaDerm soothes, but skins is still red, scabby, broken down and weepy. It sucks, but is manageable, and it will heal- - - soon! I sleep with open button down shirt with air conditioner vent right on it. I use cotton pads under cotton sports bras when working out. Sleeping has been an issue since Day 1 diagnosis,  I use OTC sleep aids 3-4 nights a week- generic Unisom works best for me. Will wean off eventually. 

Just as rads are wrapping up, I finally learned how to manage them.  Rads will be a memory soon and at the end of the day, I will look back and say it wasn't all that bad. You can do it!!!! 

Hope everyone has a blessed day of treatments! One day closer to your goal. 

Cozzoli, WOOHOOo to your last whole breast rads.  I'm jealous of your trip.  I leave on my vacation on Saturday, but it's just to visit family and friends in new england.  My sister is coming down here (I'm in Charlottesville) tomorrow and will drive me to CT, then take Amtrak back to Philly.

Today is the day I get to ring the bell.  I'm sure those of you all over the world will hear it.  I'm SO over this.  Time to heal and take my life back!  

I wish for all of you still doing rads to have a great day, lotion, lotion, lotion, drink, drink, drink! 

Those of you who are starting, I wish you the best.  It does go by in a quick blur of drives to the hospital and lotioning up.

Congrats GWTF!!!! Yeah!!!!!!!

Question for women who are finished rads. I am now 4 weeks out from my last treatment (boost). All my skin is almost back to normal. Still have a little overly tanned skin (dark brown)in the crease, but all the broken down skin is healed. However, I have a persistent rash in the boost area that I can't seem to get rid of. It doesn't hurt or itch. It is just a field of red bumps of varying sizes. Anyone else have this? I have tried cortisone, aloe, biafine, and nothing seems to get rid of it.

Thanks. I couldn't keep from sobbing on the table.  So emotional to finish.  I celebrated by going fo a mani/pedi afterwards.  Now waiting for vidodin to kick in so I can nap.  Then tonight, time to start packing.  

I'm sure I'll be checking in from vacation.  I never go anywhere without my laptop.  

Hello sisters congrats to each and one of you.......ring those bells I can hear it all the way here In Miami !!!! Enjoy your vacation my ladies and we will lotion lotion lotion drink drink drink ... How much water should I drink ... I hate water ....

patricia, I was always an iced coffee girl.  Once into chemo, it no longer tasted as good.  I'm still a big lemonade drinker, have started on iced tea too.  Anything that doesn't have caffeine is good.