Winter 2013-2014 Rads

Minus Two- Thank you for addressing my Herceptin worry and reading that you had an interruption in yours gives me encouragement that my MO might have been exaggerating somewhat that it has to be given every 3 weeks to the day or all kinds of nasty gremlins could be running around my body.  I was set to go to my high school reunion weekend Nov 1-3,  which had been my goal to achieve throughout chemo which had ended in August.  I really don't get SEs from Herceptin, but can be a little unstable on my feet for a day or 2 afterwards and still get a little of the intestinal problems I had with Taxotere for a couple of days after Herceptin.  Sure didn't want either of these things to happen at the reunion!!  So I asked if I could postpone the Herceptin treatment for a week until I returned from the reunion trip, though I would be in town on my regular treatment day just before the reunion, and would do whatever she said.  After being on Herceptin since April and this was November it didn't seem plausible to me that postponing one blasted infusion would mean bc bugs would be raging throughout my body.  She said no postponement.  Turned out I had the H. the day before I left for the reunion and was fine and had a great time with my long lost high school buddies!  I really think it was more a case of the MO keeping her patient chemo schedule on track with no changes that weren't absolutely necessary than it was a huge health risk for me.

I'm so sorry you are going through all these problems.  But you are strong as we all are!  I don't know if you are familiar with the little Willow Tree angel statues, but my RO's nurse collects them and they sit on her desk for all the patients to see as they walk by.  I wanted to get my radiation tech angels a little gift when I finish (which I guess is now going to next week) and found on Amazon the WTree "Courage" angel which she doesn't have.  It is perfect for bc patients and in fact many of the customer reviews mention they were given it when they were diagnosed or have given it to special bc friends.  It is perfect to describe all of us and those who are helping us recover throughout our journey.  That's us, girl- we all have enough "courage" to do what we have to do no matter how hard it is.  I have the Courage angel wrapped and ready to take in on my last day to add to her collection. 

Junipergirl, I'll bet you're glad the rads are all done with!  So far so good this week.  Since Sunday I haven't had any itching, so maybe it was just a startup thing (hope, hope! :-).   I had a severe rash after surgery, so the skin there might've still been probably a little reactive.   

Jmfrankel - thanks for the heads up on Benedryl.  If the itching comes back I'll take the oral Benedryl and skip the cream then.  The surgeon had prescribed a good size bottle of cortisone cream when I got a terrible rash post surgery, but I can't use it - it has some kind of perfume added to it and made things itch worse.  Smells like perfumed hand cream.  At least hubby can make use of it, he used some today even though he ended up smelling like a gardenia. :-)   Odd that an Rx anti inflammatory has actual heavy floral scent to it.   For now, no itching so all is good.  I just get a little pink glow now after treatment and it's gone by morning.  

The nurse and the instructions said not to use any deodorant with aluminum in it for the duration of treatment, but no one said if it's OK to wear it while you're on the table, and I never thought to ask.  There's no rads to my armpit, just whole breast.  Is it OK to wear Tom's of Maine or Crystal while getting zapped?  What about sunscreen on your face and upper neck?

Egad, Atlanta is going to have to start maintaining a salt supply for ice storms.  Seems a lot of colder weather heads south every year now.  Glad you got in and out today before the weather hits.

Saddlequeen.  Bet you're glad you hired great staff.

Absolutely!!!!!  They have been so so supportive.  It means a lot to me right now.  My mother was diagnosed a year to the day that I was diagnosed and the staff were great taking care of her thru her surgery.  I talked her into coming to our hospital, which is 3 hrs from her home, to have her bilat mastect done.  I'm blessed for sure.

TB90- you probably are starting on a Thursday because the person who had your time slot before you started on a Monday and had 28 treatments, ending on a Weds.  28 treatments is very common. I started on a Monday and should have finished 28 on a Weds (without bad weather delays).  I've been told by others that they fill in new people in a slot the day after another patient finishes.   I just happened to start on a Monday because a 20 minute time slot became available that day, not because it was a Monday.   Just a guess.   

I'm starting on a Thursday for 25 tx because they had an opening to do mapping on a Friday and I was told it takes 3 business days to get the plan completed and everything set up.  Since I'm starting this week, I'll give you all a two day report over the weekend.

Also I was told deodorant w/o aluminum is OK and I wouldn't have to wipe it off.  Again - every doc is different.

Red:  What is really odd is that my radiologist oncologist in Winnipeg did not want to give me the "Canadian" protocol.  He is the head of the department and I just think he is more familiar with the five week treatment regime.  He and his medical student were busy discussing the pros and cons (both protocols are great) for my situation and after having struggled so much over deciding whether or not to even have the radiation, I asked them to decide on this one.  But I had originally really wanted the shorter treatment.  Now my DH is home and I am off work and we have all the time in the world, so what the heck.  Hope I (we) can stand spending so much time together commuting daily for five weeks   

How are you today? I went for my simulation today. I may get a chance to do a shorter period of rads because I am participating in a study. I've got to read the paperwork well. I believe I will be able to choose that route. I feel okay. I can't complain. Everyone was so nice today. I am going to get to bed early. Have a good night.

Quick little "POST" rad update:

Almost 3 weeks post-rad and everything looks good over here   The nipple is "starting" to look a little more like it's regular self (although after the lumpectomy it tends to want to point a little more to the left instead of straight LOL - makes great "pointer sister jokes" in my family).

Still very "tanned" - under the breast is still quite dark but I guess that will take a little more time.  Incision areas are great too -  Doesn't show up as much anymore if I wear a v-neck or a buttoned shirt. 
 
All in all - was nice to see a good improvement this week .. there is hope at the end of the radiation tunnel !

p.s. - and I started wearing my underwire bra again - and although some days it's more annoying than others - it's nice to feel almost normal again

MinusTwo - I started on a Thursday as well because my sim was the Friday before.  I asked the techs about it and they said as long as they get the first 2 treatments in before the weekend it was acceptable.

TeamKim and BethF7 - I , too gained weight during chemo but because my break between chemo and rads was over the holidays I ate whatever I darn well pleased.  I figured I'd diet during rads but my RO said absolutely not! They said I needed to maintain my current weight for the best possible healing during rads.

Lojo - the lines may fade but as long as the techs can see a little bit of them you should be good. Also, they would have taken pictures of the marker lines for reference so once again, you should be good.

20 down, 5 whole breast and 5 boosts to go!  

My breast is bright dark pink and tender around my scar. Also my armpit has some raw spots and is extremely tender around the lymph node scar.  I have to be very gentle when applying aquaphor so I don't tug at the tender spots.  Going to ask my RO about silvadene for the raw spots.

Friday will be one week post final rads and I haven't noticed a huge change in the color of my skin.  It looks like the skin peeled away (much like a sunburn would peel) from my lymph node scar and a little around the lumpectomy scar.  It doesn't hurt though, but the skin looks like I've been laying out in the sun all my life!

My nipple also looks like it's experiencing some sunburn-type peeling.  In general it's not painful but it's really hard to wear anything other than oversized shirts.  Even then it's not comfortable so I had to take a week off from the gym (the hardest part!). I am using up the last bottle of Miaderm along with Bag Balm and even my cocoa butter vaseline simply to keep the area moist.  Nothing I use is making a big difference but as long as I lube up my boob up I don't feel that uncomfortable stretching 

All in all, not too bad. Just looking forward to when the skin is healed.  One neat side effect is the breast that was treated appears to be lifted a little but the other one now looks like she's hanging a little lower, ha ha!

Saw my RO this afternoon and she was surprised I'm not in pain because my breast and underarm are so bright red. She expects me to start peeling soon so I start a Domeboro Soak this evening.  It's an astringent solution that helps relieve skin irritation. I have to soak washcloths in the solution, squeeze them out so they aren't dripping and apply them to the affected area for 15-20 minutes 3-4 times a day.  Has anyone else used this? I also have to glob the aquaphor on my nipple and cover with gauze because that is so tender.

Thanks for the information on the deoderant TeamKim.  I'll ask the techs about the area being treated.  I don't think they included my armpit, but will check to make sure.

Saddlequeen,  That has to be awkward with staff unless they're all women.

Junipergirl, Good news on the improvement you're seeing!  

Simplypoise glad your simulation went smoothly.

RedReading, I hope more gals can have the 4wk. protocol too.  Medical change comes slowly here.  

Just found out today that do they an x-ray every week to to a quality control type of check.  That was a surprise!    Of all the days my back and arm were particularly cranky.  It'll be so good to see the pain doc on Monday and get something for relief.  No fatigue though so far though. Yay! Only minor stuff happening so far with regard to rads.   

Question for you pros...have any of you had deep aching underneath your breast  deep inside like it's your chest muscle or rib? (tumor was very close to chest wall and surgeon couldn't get a good margin there).   Also, right after rads, it feels like I have a heating pack implanted in there - handy in this cold weather! But it feels like it's coming from within and not from my skin.  Skin is just a faint pink until the next morning and I had that last week with none of this internal burning sensation.   Is it also common to get some minor chills on and off, once you start to feel some of the burn?   This is day 8.  

I finished 25/30 rads today. Skin is red and a little itchy but not to bad.  My whole breast rads are done and now I start 5 boosts. They did some pre- planning today. I am nervous like when I first started radiation. When I look at the Sharpie marks they don't make sense to me. The RO is suppose to come in and look at it tomorrow before they start. Hope it  makes me feel better. I have started researching how to change my diet. The RO didn't want me to lose or gain over a couple of pounds during treatment. I want to lose weight and go more plant based.  It is so confusing to know what diet is best.