Fall 2013 Rads

Bluebird: I am so sorry to hear about all you've been through but I have to congratulate you on your bravery and determination. You will make it through and be fine, I know. All the best to you and your husband.

Batcatlady and Tanya: Good to see you both again. I am now done with 19 of 33 treatments and have experienced only slight redness and a bit of skin tightness thus far. At least for me, rads have been so much easier than chemo, so hoping for the best for all of us. Has your hair started to grow back yet? Mine is growing kinda unevenly all over my head, though an awful lot is white and fine (boo).

Congrats, honeybair

I have never regretted my choice to have a lumpectomy vs. a mastectomy. There is even very current research findings showing a slight survival advantage in lumpectomy and rads vs. mastectomy in early-stage cancer patients over age 50. As I'm 53, I was pleased to hear it but as I'm medically conservative by nature, I wanted the less radical surgery. Plus as I have no known risk factors and no family history, I felt I trusted the course of treatment I chose.

PRB, I had DCIS, stage 0, 12 years ago and chose lumpectomy with radiation. I have no regrets. I enjoyed my breasts and they enhanced my sex life tremendously. I recently had a mastectomy and overcoming the pain and discomfort from this is no easy task. My radiation tech asked me last night upon completion of my treatments if I was sorry that I did not originally choose mastectomy. I told him no, even though my cancer recurred in the same breast. Besides, even after mastectomy, cancer can still recur in the chest wall or in the scar area. I did not know this until reading Dr. Susan Loves's Breast Book this year. I do wish, however, that I had taken tamoxifen. Perhaps I would not have developed the recurrence, but then who really knows?

Since you have a young child, I assume you are a young woman. It is my personal opinion that many women choose the extremity, but each woman must choose to do what she is most comfortable with.

You can be treated and live a long, healthy life. I wish you the best in whatever you pursue.

Ms.p that makes sense. I agree that the advice doctors give is sometimes for their best interest (or disinterest!)  I'm in a doctor hating kind of mood this afternoon. I asked if I could get a script for stronger pain pills since Norco just isn't cutting it. Percocet makes me sick so I asked if there was something else I could take instead and the doctor won't write for anything else. Take it or leave it. ( they didn't say that, but that's how I felt!)  I just realized their phone number is 6660,. I knew they were Satan!  Lol... can you tell I'm grumpy when in pain? I'm going to start setting fires and share my glow!    Ok, not really but I'd like to! 

>:-(

PRB 1956 I had a lumpectomy in July and I have no regrets. I have decided not to focus on what could happen and put more focus into my faith. I had AC x 4 and 3 Taxol treatments one more to go, then on to rads. I'm grateful for where I am today, it hasn't been easy. You will know in your heart what the right decision is.

PRB

Its okay to ask any question here- after all who else will really understand. I am like many of the others on this site- was absolutely sure I "needed" a double mastectomy at first.

I met with the plastic surgeon who did not encourage me to do this in fact he was a big part of why I did choose lumpectomy. I had several physician friends say they would do the whole thing- but they were not breast surgeons.

My breast surgeon was awesome- she said these days with early diagnosis and so many different treatment options its a difficult decision. We both knew I was having surgery- just not sure which one- she sent me on vacation (already planned-she said DO NOT cancel) and said email me your decision. I searched my heart,mind and soul- talked to my husband who said "I don't care what you do treatment wise I just want you to be here" I decided on lumpectomy with radiation and never looked back.

Not as a patient but as a nurse I would urge you to take the time you need to make the right choice for you and your life. People do so much better during any kind of healthcare treatment (surgery or otherwise) when they have a positive frame of mind and are bought into the treatment plan. You could always opt for no further treatment (surgery or radiation) but make sure you make a deliberate decision not purely from fear or "what if"

PRB1956 - I hear you. Right around the time I was approaching my first CT sim for radiation, I had the feeling that maybe I should have had BMX. I think that might be a common feeling for many women. What if I made the wrong choice? How do I stop what feels like a slippery slide? How do I regain some control about what's going to happen to me? I do tend to be a "backgazer" (i.e., even when I've made a choice after a long decision-making process, I still gaze back at what might have been), and it wasn't any different with breast cancer. Like MsP. said, there are no easy or good choices when faced with a BC diagnosis. BUT...even as my fear about the uncertainty of radiation was taking hold, I kept reminding myself of certain things. 1) Having had lumpectomies, I could always have a mastectomy later if I needed to. Not the other way around. 2) I was told by a very confident and experienced Surgical Oncologist with a specialty in Breast Cancer Surgery that I was a good candidate for lumpectomies, despite having a tumor that was very near to my chest wall. 3) There is no guarantee that mastectomy will spare someone from radiation. I have been very surprised to have seen on the signatures of several women on this thread alone that they had mastectomies, and still had chemo AND radiation.

It might be helpful to talk about your fears of each of the proposed treatments. My fear is not of radiation itself. I believe it to be a safe modality for extending my life given my diagnosis. The fear that prompted me to think again about mastectomy as I neared radiation treatment, was fear of recurrence in my breast tissue. Surely if my breast tissue is gone, I won't have to face this diagnosis again! Not necessarily true. A lot of this process is giving up control. That is very hard to do for most, if not all, of us. Trusting in the process is also hard. I have a young child, too, and was dismayed when I saw women writing, "I chose mastectomy because I have a young child to live for." As if I didn't?! But everyone uses the information they have at hand, plus their personal experience and belief system, to make decisions about treatment. For me, I finally settled and feel good about my choice because I view this as a step-by-step process. My lumpectomies followed by radiation are the first step. Tamoxifen is the second. Cancer-starving nutritional choices are next. I trust that my health care team wants me to live and will help me make decisions that allow me to live.

Whatever you choose, know that you are honored and loved in that choice. We are with you. I am sending you vibes of acceptance and comfort with whatever course you choose. XO

Mcmacey,  you can jump in anytime! That's what we're here for! Yes, internal pain can happen. Just mention it to you doc. I call them zingers. It can be uncomfortable, but hopefully ibuprofen helps you.

mcmacey - welcome! I thought I was the only one who felt some internal pain yesterday, which was only my second full treatment. I thought, "how can I feel something so quickly after treatment? After all, I only just started!" but, yes, I felt little achey pains in first one breast, then the other (I'm having both sides radiated). I told my husband, "hmm, maybe it's bad cancer cells being forced to jump off the cliff to their certain death..." if so, I'll take it! But seriously, if they get worse, do as Bluebird suggested and speak with your RO. Also, I'll mention, I take an Ibuprofen one hour before treatment. It helps to calm my shoulders when holding them up above my head for so long.

summergal, can you share your cancer starving nutrition choices?

Bounce - I am using the cream from Boiron. My RO gave me a sample and I just ordered the same thing here from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WRZOW0/ref=oh_details_o02_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It does have a smell, but I hadn't read the label to see if there are perfumes in it - I just went with what I was given. I found the ingredients list here just now and it looks like there aren't fragrances added:

http://www.boironusa.com/products/calendula-cream/

I am surprised to see alcohol on the label since she was so insistent on the brand of aloe vera gel I get not having alcohol. She gave me a sample of that too and told me to find the same one for when I need to apply it after a couple weeks or so.

I also had some swelling yesterday that has gone down a bit today, and a little pain - more beside my breast. The pain didn't last very long. Maybe I'll try some ibuprofen too - it might also help with some of muscle pain I still have hanging on from chemo.

I'd like to try the massage, but I'm really worried about even touching my skin beyond putting on the calendula cream. I'm going to see what my RO says about that today if I get to see her at my appointment.

Wishing everyone a great weekend with lots of healing!

CarlaK,

Thanks for updating us on your progress and congratulations.... continued healing. And I agree with you that soothing the skin is the best we can do. I did not have to have my axilla or supraclavicle area radiated and I think that makes a big, big difference. So glad that you are doing well.

Love, MsP

Just finished 4/28 today...no redness but breast achy too. Had same thing during chemo and they said it was cells dying in the tumor..kinda like pacman eating them!

Bounce this is for you! was a view from our balcony in Hawaii before I had surgery- makes me smile just to look at it now- take a little vacation in your imagination and get some rest!

wyo - Thank you. I went back to bed thinking of Hawaii and had an extra 2 hours weekend sleep. Wonderful.

I had my CT scan and re-consultation. I've also got marks and stickers I don't go back for the practice run until Black Friday at 7am! I was hoping to get started earlier. My RO recommended the Miaderm so I ordered that. He said 6-weeks so I am assuming that is 30?? We shall see.