Summer 2013 Rads

Jerigrace rads is different for everyone I wasn't tired till the end with the boost. Radiation accumulative so for me I didn't feel the fatigue till the last week hope this helps

Thanks for the info. I've been off since before rads started, and getting close to the end of my short term disability allowance. I need to go back to work in a couple of weeks, but it's high demand and I'm a bit worried about fatigue interfering with the job.



Congrats to everyone who is done or close to it! It feels good to not have to make that trip every day!

Thank you, Len. I'm worried about the same thing. My disability runs out soon but just making myself some eggs this morning wiped me out and I had to lie down.



I'd better look at my options for extending it a few more weeks...

Is anyone here finished that can help with this? I am done with my regular fields (27) and have 4 more boosts left. I am burned to a crisp! I have been using the silver ? prescription the dr. ordered. But, the area under my boob is just not improving at all! So sore, weepy and angry. What can I do other than the prescription cream? I see my dr. today, but always seem to get more help from these boards.

Itiswhatitis, I would mention this tightening to your RO as it could be a sign of lymphedema.

Johnetta, i was burned to a crisp at the end too. I just finished 28/28 this past Monday and I am still in a lot of pain and my skin is continuing to breakdown. The area under my breast, at the breast fold and in my under arm is the worst. I have also been using Silvadene Cream and it does help, but it doesnt completely relieve the pain. Have you tried using Tylenol, Ibuprofen or anything else for pain? I had to start using a stronger prescription pain reliever because the over the counter products were not strong enough despite taking them scheduled instead of just as needed. My onc nurse and RO have made a few other suggestions that do seem to help. First is Domeboro compresses. Domeboro comes in packets that you dissolve in water, soak a soft cloth and apply to the affected area for 15-30 minutes. The second thing they recommended is Lindy Skin which are gel packs impregnated with aloe. They are kept in the fridge and you can get it in a roll that you can cut to the size you need. Both of these recommendations have provided relief for me, but the fact of the matter is our skin needs to heal and these products will help alleviate symptoms and help keep the area clean but our bodies need to recouperate. Keep using the Silvadene as it will help prevent infection.

Dragomirova, if my calculations are correct you are done on Monday...how are you holding up?

YAY Shipsgirl. Congratulations!

2tails, that is so cool of you to remember, yes I am done Monday! Last week I sarted peeling and am all different colours. They gave me a script for pain but no new lotions (still just hydrocortisone, aloe and aquaphor + lidocaine). Like you, I was doing really well right up to the last week and suddenly the boob's a mess. Have a feeling it will get worse for a week or two. Next week, as part of what the cancer center offers, I have a personal trainer appointment. Can't wait as I have been neglecting the excercise lately. Take care and hope you start healing up next week

Best to all

one week since my last rads. A week ago, I had developed a couple of large blisters at the boost site. They have opened and are slightly weeping but that is all. I just keep the area protected. They don't hurt at all. The red suddenly went away the other day. I still have a red square where the boosts were, but the rest is back to normal colour; not even tanned.

I feel very fortunate. I have had so little skin trouble. The fatigue has even been manageable so far. I volunteered for Run For the Cure only a couple of days after my last rads. I ended up sleeping for 2 days, but that is the worst it's been.

To all you ladies still in rads, hang in there. It will be over soon.

I'm almost a week done (27+8 boosts) but the redness hasn't started subsiding yet. The skin held up pretty well except for a few tiny blisters, but I've still got all sorts of skin blotches and discoloration. Based on what everybody else has described, none of this was a surprise. During radiation, the RO and techs just told me to use pure aloe and Aquafor but when I finished they said I could use whatever I want. Hopefully the skin will start to look better soon.

The surprise I've had so far was that the breast itself just HURTS from the inside. Did anyone else experience this and if so, how long did it take the pain to go away?

The other question I have is how long do I wait before starting tamoxifen? My MO said I could take a "short" vacation, at least a weekend but not six months. I realize now I should have gotten more specifics from him.

It is so very nice to be done with this stage of treatment!

mummom...

Funny.... When people say I'm a cancer survivor & I should do this function, or that function..... I say, "I'm not a cancer survivor.... I'm surviving treatment"......

Hi RosieRose,

I had a mastectomy but the area of the chest that used to have the breast and was irradiated does sometimes hurt from within. Even this far out, sometimes there is still heat radiating out of that shoulder area. I think this is probably just the way its going to be, at least until (if?) I do reconstruction.

My MO had me start tamoxifen right away, after the genotype testing of the tumor gave me a "get out of chemo free" card. The RO didn't have any concerns about it, either.

So glad to be surviving cancer treatment :-P

My skin is doing much better, the new skin finally came in and all the open areas are gone. On a different note, I had a mammogram on the opposite breast last week and got called back for magnification pictures today. I know not to get ahead of myself but I am only 15 days out from completing treatment and feel like I've been kicked in the gut all over again. This feels like a cruel joke.

2tails i ll keep my fingers crossed it wont be bad news. I have to tell you that my tumor was on the right side and when the surgeon met me to order the MRI and bone scans plus all other scans i asked her what about my left breast? the S said oh no it is no likely to be a problem in the left breast, there is no way we treat breast individually bla bla bla i demanded the mri to be done in both sides I told her i was not going to do chemo and rad and then in a few years it could be on the left too, and voila they call me to do a biopsy cuz they saw something like dense cells on the left then it turned out i had the same LIC on the left side. So i had NS BMX I wish every body demands this test on both breast i feel so betrayed by the Drs. After i was positive in both sides they say maybe it was genetic and that i will then have to consider taking out my ovaries. I told them to do a test and lets confirm it is genetics first. I had the test and i was negative so they just left me alone. I now follow my 6 sense more than any Dr. I let them talk and talk after they are done i tell them ok i need to go home and think about this and i will make a decision. I am not happy with the way we are treated at this Dr. and don't get me wrong they are very nice, its just the lack of consideration for the life we will have after all the treatments. They are not the once who has to deal with what is next for all of us. Pls forgive me if i sound negative i am just telling you my experience so if anybody out there is told that they need to take care of one breast at the time pls have them check both. Thanks and ll keep fingers crossed

jc254: Thanks for the report! So how did you feel during your treatment? Fatigue level? (Had you had chemo before the radiation? If so, how did they compare?) Any other notable effects?

Also thanks for pointing out the article!

Hi kids...started rads today..prone position...4 weeks, but double the rads dose...should be interesting!