Winter 2013-2014 Rads

Thanks to all of you who have posted.  I finished rads late in February.  Although I haven't posted much, I have read a lot.  Your posts have helped me both mentally and physically, so I wanted to say thank you and wish you all well.

TeamKim,

Glad to hear you're doing so well. I'm still getting those "zingers", too.  My RO said it's actually the nerve endings trying to repair from the surgery. My MO confirmed this. They said it can last for months and sometimes even years. Have fun in the cold NE.  

Been on Arimidex for a week and so far no SE's. YAY!  

This battle has been really difficult for me since not only have I been battling cancer, so has my husband. The support I've received from this board has helped me cope and vent which, in turn, has helped me heal so much faster than I thought I was capable of. I really hope everyone progresses as well as I have because it feels so wonderful when the end is in sight. THANK YOU!!!

In fact, I'm feeling so good I started a Relay for Life team "Forward March!" We
walk through our local zoo by the shores of Lake Michigan every June. It's a long night but well worth it. It truly is a wondrous sight to behold. 

Walking through a zoo ... how neat!  Good luck to all Relay for Life walkers.

Red:  Way to go!!  I am right behind you.  I too have thought about my schedule change.  I have been commuting, but have sort of gotten into a rhythm and have started to enjoy my music, lunch with friends, etc.  I go right back to work, so will likely soon forget about the days of radiation and commuting.  Funny how there are things about all of this that we will miss.  Who wud of thought? 

Love the post tit note.  I am certain that they will all miss you too   xxxxx

Thought  I would update the group on my 1 month post rad checkup. I saw my RO today and she said it looked great. I feel almost back to normal. The first 2 weeks post treatment were the worst. Mostly around the nipple since that was where the boosts were given. It was swollen and sore but not to bad. I liked wearing my men's baggy Hanes t-shirts. I bought a three pack and they were soft and comfortable. If I went out I had a soft sports bra I wore.  My RO said she wanted me to come back in 6 months. I was surprised that I needed to go back. I also met with a new medical oncolog

RED - great news.  Congrats.  Now we just have to get through the next two weeks while the burns keep accellerating. 

I have to go back to see my RO at 6 months and one year.  She suggested I set up the schedule to alternate with the MO. 

Congrats to all graduates!!!     

OK, so has anyone sudddenly developed a raw infected burn spot 3 weeks post rads?  When I left treatment they said 7-10 days is when the burns peak.  I was sweating a lot yesterday and kept dabbing my boob with under my tshirt.  It looked pink and started burning, so I put cornstarch on it to keep the skin from sticking.  When I went to shower the cornstarch was all gunky and yellow so I put Neosporin on my skin and left off the cornstarch.  This morning, there was a raw patch of bright red skin along with bright red dots.   Dabbed at it with tissue and again yellow gunk on the tissue.  Put more neosporin on.  At last check it was covered with this whitish grey wet coating and again there was yellow.  So I called the nurse.  She said this is the time when burning peaks and that's normal to have a reaction this late in the game..  OK, so which is it?  7-10 days is a lot different than 3 weeks!  She said ust to keep putting neosporin with gauze on it.  

How do you keep the gauze on without using real sticky tape?  The gauze won't stay put and the tape keeps peeling off (don't want to put heavy tape on it out of fear of ripping off more skin by accident.  I put my big  granny rads bra on to keep the gauze from falling off, but it's really hot and I'm afraid that will make it worse. In this cold weather I'm not going to walk around with no top on in here.  How do you keep gauze over a wound under your boob?  I tried cutting a strip of tshirt and tying it around my chest underneath, but it either was too tight or fell off.   Nurse said call back Monday if it's not better.   Mammogram and seeing the RO is 6 mo. for me.

Hi everyone. I have an appt with my RO and my MO at the end of May. That's only 2 months post rads, but the do a lot of stuff different in Canada. 

My Post Tit Note was a hit so if you want to borrow the idea TB90 go right ahead. To be honest, I got the idea from someone else, so, pay it forward. Lol.

My boobie is bright red from collar bone to about 2" below my breast. The thing I've found that helped the best were 2 baths per day with the proper amount of Epsom salts. Did you know it calls for 2 cups per bath. I've been doing it wrong all these years. So I buy the big 9 lb jug for $8.99 and it does me about 4 days. 

Ttyl. Gotta make dinner. (((hugs)))

TB90, sure it does. More than one meaning to the word post. As in, after/used to be/done. Lol. Your boob used to be! I think it still works. 

:-)

Lilyluv - I found that gooping the aquafor on pretty thick under the breast made the dressing stick to the aquafor. I'll bet vasoline would do the same thing. You could do the neosporin first.  I used those non-stick dressings that were smoother than gauze.  (Telfa pads?).  I had to use two to completely keep from having skin on skin rubbing. But my girl is pretty large and the shear weight of her helped hold the pads in place.  Also those Domboro soaks helped lots. They were soothing and help keep that layer of old skin in place while new develops. Hope that triggers some ideas that you can try.  T

I have only two boost to go - Monday and Tuesday.  My redness/soreness/tenderness has turned into a tan and just peeling slightly.  I'm not yet fatigued. 

But, I did want to ask if anyone has had indigestion/acid reflux?  It's that feeling that there's a bubble of gas in your chest that just won't release?  I didn't ask the doctor or nurse because until this weekend, I'd only had it a couple of times and thought it was from something other than radiation (don't want to blame everything on that!). Although I've read that the esophagus can be irritated from the rads.  It happens most often when I'm lying down. I'll be asking tomorrow - just wondered if anyone else has had this - I'd never been bothered by this before treatment.

Also, I KNOW that slight chills must be a SE.  I've often felt them when I'm sitting and reading and just realized this morning that they're coming directly from my breast that is undergoing rads.  I'd read that there can be weird sensations and I'd thought it referred to the zingers, but the isolated chills must be another one.

LOL mimi I love the way you put that about your girls.  Is it OK to put that Aquaphor over open skin? (it's raw but it doesn't look infected anymore).

lovewins I recall the nurse saying to use Telfa but I just thought that was a brand name for gauze or a band aid.  So I looked it up and found out it's the stuff that you're describing.  Yesterday after searching around neither Walgreens or CVS carried it, so I had to order via internet with express shipping.  Probably won't be here until Tuesday.  I found a couple of those huge bandaids - looks like Telfa is what they use.  So I cut most of the tape off of it and it's at least staying on well enough if I don't move around a lot.  I never had reaction to tape, but every kind of tape - even the paper stuff causes itching now and takes off more skin. I bought this huge bra for rads and it was working pretty good until I moved a certain way and the gauze fell out and the band touched the icky skin.  It's due for a hot water wash today.  

TB90, that's just what I experience, too.  It feels like a pressured bubble when I'm lying down and actually, today I have it even when sitting or standing.  It's very annoying.  I'm going to ask the nurse about it tomorrow, so I'll let you know what she says.  

And those chills, Lilyluv and TB90, are definitely real, too. Just like chills when you're starting to get sick, but you can tell with these chills that you don't have a fever.  

Thanks for sharing SE's. 

TB90, Mayanne & LilyLuv the chills you feel are perfectly normal. I know because I am a redhead. How does that signify? I have had many, many sunburns! Sunburns are accompanied by chills, sweats and often fever, indigestion and diarrhea. Trust me on this one! You are getting one heck of a sunburn on your boob right now. Your body is reacting accordingly. All the good stuff races to the boob leaving the rest of the body to find for itself. 

Sorry for right this minute. But it will go away. (((hugs)))

Minus Two:  From what I had read, I even stopped my multi-vitamin for awhile.  And I too have read that taking supplements is not a good way to address or prevent bc.  Maybe Vitamin D would be an exception?  I have always been uncomfortable with the fact that our bodies could not get what they need simply from the food we eat.  If we all followed Dr. Oz, we would do nothing but eat and pop supplements in order to get "enough" of everything.  Maybe this theory needs to be challenged, finally.