Coping After Treatment - Summer 2013

Hi ho hi ho, it's off to work I go - tomorrow morning. Do I have to? Hope everyone had a good weekend! Healing thoughts being sent to all of you!

I'm about 3 weeks out from final rad treatment. I started Femara about 10 days ago.  Was a little weepy this past weekend (my daughter returned to college, so I expected some of it).  It seems the emotional lows are a little lower and longer lasting now. 

Lenn13a: Still battling with the melencholy.  Good to know you are turning around.  I look forward to the 6 week mark.  My hair is taking its time growing back in....   I found a link on one of these threads about Livestrong programs at the YMCA.  So, I signed up.  It starts Sept 16.  It is a free 12 week program designed for cancer survivors, working one on one to gain strength, stamina, flexibility and balance.  (I sound like the brochure!)  I am hopefull it will help. 

As far as SE from Femara; I haven't noticed any joint pain, no moodiness (other than I could cry at a moments notice), so far no weight gain.  In fact I may have lost a pound or two, but I am blaming that on the hot weather.

Is the "cloud" lifting for you?  I guess we don't know what to expect, so I am gratefull for these chat groups.

I had a follow up sched with my RO and cancelled it.  He was not informative or very helpful at all, so I took back a little of my power by cancelling the appt.  I will go to the follow up appts I have set with MO and BS.

Been a long road.

Thank you and have a good, long weekend!

I can definitely tell my skin is regenerating. I must have had 3rd degree burns, as its taking 2 layers of skin to bring full healing.



I didn't get the foggy brain from rads or taxol, but AC totally gave me major brain fog.



I figure by Monday I'll be feeling much better. Thursday will be 3 weeks out and they told me that's what it would take for healing.



The nurse at the infusion center, who always accessed my port for blood work told me, the worst thing about rads is driving there everyday. Clearly she never had rads.



Paula

cvmarilyn~~Taking Claritin along with arimidex will greatly reduce the joint & bone pain. The generic, Loratidine, is about 1/2 the price and works just as well.



No one understands why Claritin (an allergy medicine) works for this. They just know it does. It may not make the pain & stiffness go away completely, but it will make a big difference.



Blessings

Paula

mjd~~Many doctors aren't aware of the benefit of Claritin. I first learned about it on this forum, so I spoke to my MO & nurse/practioner about it. They said, " they aren't sure why it works, but they've seen it work so often, they don't question their patients using it."



Paula

Much thanks to Lynn13ka for pointing me in this direction of this thread.



Paula - like you, I'm finding my skin is worse since my last rads treatment, even though it isn't nearly as bad as you're reporting. As uncomfortable as I am, I have much sympathy for how much more uncomfortable you must be.



I clipped my dog recently. He's an ~80lb standard poodle mix, poodle enough that he doesn't shed. We last clipped after my SLNB but before starting rads. Even though my upper body isn't back yet, I figured it was better to do it now than to wait until I'm back in classes. It went well enough but then I decided to clean up his feet tonight. His feet are *very* ticklish. I got them done, but not before he was able to kick out and connect with my surgical breast - twice. Definitely feeling the pain - but his feet look great! Even with his Velcro coat he should be tracking in much less of the great outdoors.



My rads instructions cautioned against using ice or heat. I meant to ask the RO nurse before my last treatment, but didn't. Ice would be great tonight - efficacious against any injury as well as a bit of anesthetic. Is it ok to begin icing again, two weeks after rads?

jlow~~Thanks for your kind words. I'm finally on the mend. I took Tylenol a couple times today, and I can see that 70% of the area has one new layer of skin. I think by Tuesday, 3 weeks from finishing, I will be A-OK.



Paula

Thank you for the welcome!  I hope you feel better sooooon... has anyone out there tried accupuncture?  It really helped - and I think I need to go again.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Does anyone know if Zyrtec will work to prevent joint pain just like Claritin?

I already take 10mg Zyrtec everyday and have been on Arimidex since 4/23/13. No joint pain to speak of yet, but waiting for the other shoe to drop.   My left thumb is tender at the base, and hurts with some motions, but not sure if this is due to the AI. As a nurse, I can't imagine why an antihistamine would have this action, but am so glad to hear that it does! 

Also, as you can see from my siggy, I have not been through nearly as much as most of the ladies on this forum, but I have found that since my surgery, I can't remember squat. It's like my short term memory is gone. I have often wondered if I lost some brain cells during the 8 hours of anesthesia. It's embarassing, and I really have no excuse as I have not have either rads or chemo.

I signed up for the Livestrong program at my local YMCA.  A free membership for the 12 week class.  You can use the Y like a regular member.  Hope this helps with strength, stamina and maybe some of the "fog" will begin to lift.  Also, last chemo was  5/24/13 and I bet I don't even have an inch of hair yet!!

btdemo--I plan on signing up for the livestrong YMCA program.  But RO won't release me for the program for 4 weeks following rads.  Just as well as I'm still peeling.  What a great program.

One week on anastrozole and no problems yet.  Keeping the fingers crossed.  

iron-- my bmx 5 hour surgery affected my short term memory or maybe it was just the pain medication, or the stress of it all.  I don't know but it seems pretty common.    Just getting to feel that the memory is improving or back to normal.

My RO precribed an over the counter facial cream for after treatment on the rad breast.  It's Arbonne Intelligence not-so-basic Rejunvenating Cream and Arbonne FC5 Skin Conditioning Oil.  Mixed together and apply daily.  It is expensive but boy does it make the skin feel soft.  It only takes a small dad of the cream and a drop of the oil.  Thinking about actually using it on my face too. lols