Winter 2013-2014 Rads

Lizziek,   Glad to her your accelerated treatment is going well.   Sounds like not that many folks can get an opportunity to do it based on stage and tumor grade.

Today my blood counts came back and were great!  Of course the rads nurse was calling me within the hour to get me in today.  I said I felt up to it now and trudged though a snowstorm for a 4:00 appt.   I had a very interesting discusssion with my RO.  He said there wasn't a lot of research on extra rad time for people who missed days who had breast cancer but he had info from the head and neck cancer area which is much more aggressive cancers.  Their formula was 0.6 extra rads per day missed.  Since I missed 6 days due to my illness I would have to do 3.6 extra rads.  I get 1.8 rads per session so I would need 3 extra days.....what?  I corrected the RO and said that was 2 extra days not 3.  2*1.8 is 3.6.  For a second I caught him off guard then he scribbled some math on a paper and said I was right.  I think he was embarrassed he made a silly math error....but it does make one pause and go hmmm.  He said he had to think more about whether he wants to be that aggressive.  I guess I can say the worst case is I get 2 extra days.  

He also mentioned that he saw my ct scan from the hospital and noticed my spleen was enlarged.  He compared it to a previous scan last year.  He thought I may have had sepsis.  Don't know what that is but will be looking it up shortly.   Very weird that the doctors at the hospital never mentioned an enlarged spleen.  I don't know what to think.  Just glad to be alive and back kicking cancer to the curb!

jmfrankel- glad you were able to brave the snow and get to radiation. I was happy to be done yesterday and could  stay home. 

LaurieKaiser, I was told the same thing when I asked about the Canadian protocol. Now, at halfway through I'm trying to figure out how to go out in public with DDD's and no bra. I *was* a bralessly happy hippie chick in my youth, but the girls just don't hang the same anymore!

I've been fighting exhaustion and have gotten some nausea/lack of appetite. They've put me on Zofran. They claim I *shouldn't* be nauseous! but oh well. I've lost 14 pounds in the last 2 weeks: it's now 5 weeks since stopping chemo. That taxotere sure causes edema! There was a lot of water in me, but I don't know if it was THAT much. If I don't stop losing weight they'll have to remap me.

TB90 & Holeinone  Yes it is like PTSD .Problem for me is I can't deal with my own chit just yet.  We are waiting to find out when hubby goes for tests to see if he has cancer. We've been waiting for the call since Feb 1st.  Sucks, can't make plans. It is just too much to deal with. We are both so stressed out right now.

I just started rads on Monday, Feb 17, but this is my second time around. I had IDC (left) and rads in 2010 and now DCIS (right). I will have 30 treatments so I'm hoping that when I'm done on March 28, the weather will be more Spring-like! We had crazy blowing snow this morning on my way to tx. I have the same rads onc and I like him very much. He's quirky but very smart and caring. My field is smaller this time since he's not radiating nodes or supraclavs so I hope to have minimal SEs.

Thanks for letting me jump in this group!   Gina

just finished my rads on feb. 6, 2014.  My RO said NO MAMMO's until a year from when I found out my BC, October 2013  So that's when I will have a mammogram again.  It would hurt like HELL if I had now or next month or so. My RO said my breast will take atleast 6 weeks to 6 months to heal completely. I would wait.

One Week Partial Breast Treatment Update:

I had my 8th treatment this afternoon; only one more on Monday and I am done! If I had started on Monday instead of Tuesday (President's day) I would be done now. 

It is a bit more pink in the area, I have a bit more
swelling and it feels like I have a sunburn inside more than out.  Tonight it feels a bit itchy as well.  They said I could take some ibuprofen but I haven't needed it yet.  I lined my bra with the Curity cover sponges they gave me (basically soft paper) which also keeps the Calendula cream off the bra.  Because the area radiated is about a third of my breasts (I'm a size behind my nipple I can still wear a bra comfortably.  The sunburn feeling has always been a bit worse after the afternoon session so I am kind of glad my breast gets 2 days off this weekend to recover.  

RedReading I also got the tingly feeling right after the treatment so I guess that is normal.

We've been eating at various restaurants around Beacon Hill every night.  The weather has been pretty lousy, so mostly we stay in the hotel on our laptops.  The cancer resource center gave us free tickets to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts so we will do that this weekend and maybe catch a movie. 

They shouldn't be telling you what you should or shouldn't feel (nauseousness).  You have the symptoms and they need to help you deal with them.  I would like to lose weight but it sounds like you don't need to be thinner.  So I'll send you good energy for feeling better.  stay strong, sister.

Lol Mimi & Minus Two.  I wonder what that might be? Really though, it sounds good, I'll have to Google it.

Donna, you feeling better today? We are having a pocket party for your surgery, so wear something with lots of pockets so we aren't too cramped, please.

Laurie, let's face it. We are just a wonderful bunch of ladies. We're darn near perfect! Lol and once again, welcome. 

Aeryno, good to have a report from someone who has finished. It comforts me to know what to expect. Turns out I hate surprises now. Lol

Hi Gina, happy you found us, sorry you have to be here. 

3 of 16 down, then 4 boosts. (cdn protocol). So far, I am fine. A little pink, but I expected that, I always burn when exposed to sun, so... I am already tired though. Didn't expect that until week 2. Might be all the pills too though. I've been on Tamoxifen for almost 4 weeks now. And Gabapentin and Effexor. And I've started taking Calcium every morning too because I worry about rads and my bones.

Hi Kim, hope you're doing okay. We all love you and thank you for starting this wonderful thread. {{{{hugs}}}}

Supposedly you can get Bag Balm at Walgreens & CVS.  Been around since 1899.

Something else that I'd forgotten about - Healthy Hoof.  I used it years ago and it worked wonders on my nails & cuticles.  Developed for - you got it - horses hooves.  Now my nails are really brittle & peeling & splitting from chemo.  I dug out my last jar of cream and will start it again tonight.

TB90 - I did read that study that suggested it might not make any difference for women age 66 plus with very early stage 1.  It was like they were talking about me. It sounded like they were saying the chances were just as great that some other problem was more likely to present itself and harm us as cancer recurrence.  But we must remember that those are group statistics and not individual.  My doctors never considered not recommending radiation, and in fact the surgeon said if a lumpectomy then radiation was important/necessary like they were married.  Since my mother lived to be 94 and died of Alzheimers my financial advisor seems to think I need to plan to live a long time.  Keep up the rads and certainly don't jump off the table while it's buzzing.  I'm on day 3 past my last treatment and the itching is letting up.  And I have an excuse to sit quietly and not do anything that might injure my fragile skin!  I'm not using Bag Balm - but they sell it everywhere here and the farmers swear by it.  

The radiation machine reminds me of puff the magic dragon looking me in the eye from one side and then swinging around to look at me from the other angle.  So I called it Puff.  The techs laughed and told me they always call it Ursula.  I don't know why.  Night all.

70Charger:  That is it!!! I see you are from Alberta.  Perhaps it is a prairie Canada thing.  You can still buy it.  Wonder if it would be good for radiation?  My DH and I would love to get our hands on it. As a child, it was used to cure everything.  I can still smell it.

Mimi: I had a mx for dcis and radiation is almost never used following a mx for pure dcis, however, I have a small positive margin and sometimes radiation is recommended for this.  It is still not clear cut.  My BS felt the chance of recurrence was still very small, but some studies suggest that radiation is beneficial.  It was agonizing.  But rads it is.

Good nite.   

Hi Gina and everyone,

I haven't been on in a couple weeks so much to catch up on!!!

I am right behind you on Rads. Mine was delayed 2 weeks, yikes, I forgot an appt. and weather pushed me back another week.  I started Feb19th and have 30 rounds.  So 27 more to go! 

I have started on Tamoxifin and boy the HOT FLASHES are crazy!!! Every day 2-3X a day. Side effect.

I am only able to get 30 tabs at a time.  Is there anyone ordering on line for a 3 -month supply? Is ths possible?

I had bloodwork 2 weeks ago and my counts are still a little low. So more protein in store.

Love you gals

XOXO