Spring 2014 Rads

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  • have2laugh
    have2laugh Member Posts: 132
    edited April 2014

    Anne- I would definitely go for it! There is nothing that can't be packed in your suitcase. I have a big gap between my two daughters one is 3 and one is 21. My eldest and her boyfriend are expecting their first baby May 24th right about when I am due to be done with radiation. I don't care if I have to have 23 layers of shirts on to comfortably hold little Harper when she arrives-I won't be missing that moment. They live an hour away so I hope to have the energy to help that first week or so but  I know will find it when the time comes. Thought I had a few more years before I would be a grandma but life is full of surprises as we all know. I am sure your trip would be a welcome distraction and a great time for you and your family to celebrate everyone's accomplishments. I would go and enjoy yourself-you deserve it.

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  • QuirkyGirl
    QuirkyGirl Member Posts: 383
    edited April 2014

    I'm on day 27 of my 30 days of radiation and the radiated breast has an orange peel appearance (in addition to be red and some skin sloughing off - ow!). Anyone else have the dimpled skin thing going on?

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  • LidzyWidzy
    LidzyWidzy Member Posts: 22
    edited April 2014

    Hey there Have2laugh - just want to chime in that I have the exact same symptom, altho a bit milder than yours. I'm done with 19/33 today but late last week I noticed the skin is red and bumpy on my chest, not my boob. Asked the RO about it at the regular Friday check-in and he said that if the skin has even been burned in the past (as has this area, above a bathing suit line), it will react differently than skin that has not been burned (never tanned topless, so that skin on the breast has never been burned). He suggested cortisone cream, after tx, not before. Tried it but I don't think it's really helping. Also, I tried fragrance-free aloe vera but the relief is temporary, at best. 

    Anyway - it's not too bad so I'm just living with it and putting on lots of sunscreen even though I live in sunless northern Illinois . . . . 

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  • Anneb1149
    Anneb1149 Member Posts: 960
    edited April 2014

    thanks redhead- that is what I am thinking. I see the RO  today so I will run it by her.

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  • QuirkyGirl
    QuirkyGirl Member Posts: 383
    edited April 2014

    I have the same red bumpy areas on my chest where I used to burn as a fair skinned teen.

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  • have2laugh
    have2laugh Member Posts: 132
    edited April 2014

    LidzyWidzy- Mine is also area I have had lots of sun exposure. Sins of the past I guess. Prescription worked for few hours but only 2x day so think I might try to kick up aloe, too. Want to try and stay on track with treatment plan timing so I will do whatever I have to. I even considered trying Benadryl to get some relief but will try Ibuprofen recommended to cut back inflammatory response to radiation. Inflammation and histamine release kind of go hand in hand. Can't hurt. I am hoping this is just a phase in treatment. If you mind the magic potion please share it and you might consider patenting. Thanks

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  • Pam358
    Pam358 Member Posts: 294
    edited April 2014

    AnneB - I think you should go too.  You are right you can take your uncomfortable skin issues with you. I finished my radiation treatment on Friday and if I had something that was that special to get to a plane ride away I could have done it.  I have some raw skin and little blisters and it would certainly be manageable wherever I was. I think the trip would do a lot to heal your spirit and that's just as important as our physical bodies.

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  • LidzyWidzy
    LidzyWidzy Member Posts: 22
    edited April 2014

    Have2laugh - Will do! We'll make a fortune . . .

    I asked my sister-in-law with medical expertise about the little bit o' fatigue I'm experiencing and she mentioned the body reacting to an inflammation stimulated by the radiation. So, that Advil might just be the right path. I take it all the time for a bum knee - maybe that's why my skin reaction is more subdued than some women experience. 

    I stopped asking what part of this whole adventure was due to past sins (birth control in college, smoking back then, all that damned Tab we all consumed) since it all leads no where. But - the sin of unprotected sunbathing! - now I have a clear cause & effect!

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  • flagirl
    flagirl Member Posts: 144
    edited April 2014

    Martalynn my prognosis is almost exactly the same as yours. IDC 1cm no nodes, onco results 22.  I did not opt for chemo (was my choice and my OC agreed with my decision).  Rads 33 tx including 5 boosts.  I have had all but 6 full and have 1 boost left.  My full breast rads was interupted because of radiodermatitis. The ROnc switched the last six full for 5 boosts and I will finish the 6 full breast three this week and three next week.  I am glad to hear that someone else with close to my prognosis got the same treatment protocol.  Gives me faith in the decision,  I am on Armidex and have been from December when they discovered the tumor.  I was on it before surgery to help shrink and postpone my surgery til I could get insurance.  I had my surgery on 2/4 and started Rads on March end.

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  • flagirl
    flagirl Member Posts: 144
    edited April 2014

    Breast cancer does not define who we are, it's just a bump in the road of life.  We will make it through and be better for it.  We will come out the other side wiser, and be more grateful for the precious things that many of us took for granted before. I know this experience has changed me forever, hopefully for the good.  I can't wait to see what lies ahead and begin to get my life back to a new normal.  We are almost done... hang in.  Enjoy each and every day HUGS

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  • flagirl
    flagirl Member Posts: 144
    edited April 2014

    Havetolaugh I was using mostly aquafore until I started getting radio dermititus on the upper inside chest area.  I started taking two baths a day using Epson salts (take a wash cloth put in water and lay it on your chest not all over). Soak for a few minutes.  When I get out I put on pure aloe.  Slide a piece off the stem about a half inch long.  Slice the skin off thinly on one side and apply to your areas.  You can renew the aloe by taking tissue thick slices of the piece to get the most out of the slice. I keep the slice in the frig to keep it cool. I haven't been using the aquafore at all and my skin has almost completely cleared up.  Good luck

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  • jld1675
    jld1675 Member Posts: 2
    edited April 2014

    Just had 6 of 33 today. I'm still trying to work, but having rads in the morning before work is kicking my butt HARD! I'm still trying to keep up the same pace as before my diagnosis, but failing miserably. My type-A personality doesn't know how to relax and let other people take care of me.

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  • Redheaded1
    Redheaded1 Member Posts: 1,600
    edited April 2014

    I am curious about those of you who have started your Arimidex before you are done with your rads.   My MO said I wouldn't start it until 2 weeks after my radiation is completed?  Does anyone know why they are taking them so soon?

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  • have2laugh
    have2laugh Member Posts: 132
    edited April 2014

    jld1675-It is hard to keep up the pace but I think you have to consider the physical and emotional stress of nearly two and a half months of treatment you have already been through before you got to radiation. Of course you're tired. I am always on the go and I was surprised how tired I was-perhaps it is because we sometimes take on so much-too much!-that the addition of one more thing tips us over the edge. I got an intermittent FMLA and have had to use a few days and switch rest of my work schedule to weekends to keep up with everything. If there is ever a time to listen to our bodies, it is now. I am using last month of this to convince myself that if I can fit an hour a day to get to and from radiation I really can recommit to three days a week at gym when done. Good luck!

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  • VintageGal1111
    VintageGal1111 Member Posts: 705
    edited April 2014

    Going for #7 rads today. I will be at the cancer center this morning for an extra couple hours since it is my Herceptin infusion day. My MO will pop in & after rads I see my RO for the weekly peek at my chest. I really like everyone there & it is a great place but come Dec when I am done, I will be sooo done, after 16 months!

    Hope everyone has a good Tuesday!

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  • keepthefaith
    keepthefaith Member Posts: 2,156
    edited April 2014

    red, my MO said I could start my HT either before or after rads. She said it was up to me. I chose to wait until I am done-not in a hurry to go thru menopause again and didn't know how I would handle rads. I have found using corn starch baby powder on my red bumps has worked well. Thanks for the aloe tips flagirl.

    jld, yes, listen to your body! It's okay to let others help you-they probably want to! You will more than likely be doing them a favor. It is hard to let go of that bc you feel like you are in control...but sometimes "being in control" means letting go. Your immune system is working hard to recover from all you have been through and added stress puts a strain on it.

    have2laugh, I like your validation of going to the gym...good point for sure! I plan to start the 12 wk Livestrong program at the YMCA in July. It's FREE! I am usually good at walking 4-5 times/wk, but I know I need to step it up a few notches.

    #20 today!

     


     

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  • Notbuyingit
    Notbuyingit Member Posts: 1,035
    edited April 2014

    first morning i did not have to get up & fly to the clinic! slept in til 8! work @ 1...

    still sore as expected - last night i rebelled against all the cremes ( well, except the Silvadene in 2 spots) washed everything off & just let myself dry out for the night - it felt great!

    still trying to keep resting when i can - tho my mind wants to jump into a million projects that have been on hold seems like forever!

    but,definitely yes! surround yourself with family - show them that you are still you!

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  • Anneb1149
    Anneb1149 Member Posts: 960
    edited April 2014

    HaveToLaugh

    You may not be quite ready to be a "grandmother" but I cannot explain how much you will love being a grandma. My whole adult life has revolved around kids, so I thought I knew how special being a grandmother was going to be. It was so much more incredible than I ever thought or imagined. I was the first of my siblings to have a grandchild. When my first grandson was only a couple of months old, my brother's daughter got pregnant- I called to congratulate them and tell how special it was, and my sister-in-law said "yeah, we know, we can't wait". I tried to explain that no matter how prepared you think you are, it far exceeds that. Months later, when Matthew was a few weeks old, Noreen called to tell me I was right- and I have checked with people since then-they all agree- being a grandparent is more intense than you can ever prepare for. I have 6 now, and still enjoy every single minute with each.

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  • faerywings
    faerywings Member Posts: 173
    edited April 2014

    laugh (and red) I have 6 more tx's to go. I had 15 regular tx's and am having 7 boosts for a total of 23 sessions.

    My skin seems to be doing pretty ok. Its red, and tender, but no blisters. Its weird how there is such a strict line of red skin vs non- red, especially under my arm which never sees the light of day.Now that I am on boosts, I am wondering if my skin is going to be able to heal up more or if it is going to get worse since it is being concentrated. Anyone have an idea?

    The fatigue is killing me. Friday afternoon I slept and pretty much slept a lot of Sat and Sun too. Yesterday I felt better, today I am a bit more tired and I hope I don't go downhill. Sat. is my hubby's birthday and my Godson's 3rd b-day party is on Sunday.

    To play Devil's Advocate about Komen and Pink-washing... or maybe not so much devils advocate b/c I do agree with all of you that it puts a positive spin on something absolutely not positive... but a different perspective... 

    My whole family has Lyme Disease, Late Stage. My husband is permanently disabled, I probably could be disabled if I hadn't been a SAHM and both of my kids (now 15 and 17) were born with it. I think we would all give our eye-teeth and then some to get any sort of awareness/recognition/fundraising/support. Most people hear Lyme and think that a couple of weeks of abx and you are cured. For Late Stage people like my family, there is no Cure, only remission if we are lucky. So as much as it sucks to see everything Pink in Oct, at least there is some good that comes of it. It does spread awareness. 

    I really hope that I don't offend anyone but this, but just hopefully as compassionately as I can, share a differing opinion.

    *climbs down from my soap box and put it away for now*

    And now, look at me, I need help!!!!! what color ribbons should I decorate my car with now???? Pink or Lime Green? Both would surely clash!!! (trying to poke some fun at myself LOL!)

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  • faerywings
    faerywings Member Posts: 173
    edited April 2014

    -Men should thank us for not killing them in their sleep.

    hahahah!!!!!! TRUTH!!!!!!!!!

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  • faerywings
    faerywings Member Posts: 173
    edited April 2014

    Anne- ITA with everyone, go for it!!!! 

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  • MaryFox
    MaryFox Member Posts: 121
    edited April 2014

    Had 22/33 today.  Red doesn't even begin to describe my color.  Using lots of aloe, Aquaphor and Miaderm.  No blisters yet.

    I've been going out without my foob.  I wear a light sports bra, if anything.  I haven't noticed any strange looks because of it, but I suppose they're still looking at my almost bald head. My hair is coming in white (it was white before), very slowly and somewhat unevenly.  The longest is about 1/2 inch.  I guess I look more bald than if my hair was coming in dark. So maybe no one even notices my lopsided chest.


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  • flagirl
    flagirl Member Posts: 144
    edited April 2014

    have2laugh I got the same reaction as you called radio dermititus.  I started taking Epson salt baths 2x a day and use a washcloth to soak just the area breaking out.  It calms down the itching I also bought an aloe plant and dropped the aquafore and started using the aloe to treat.  Soothing, healing and not sticky.  Stored cut piece in fridge to keep cool. Now that I am healed up (took about 5 days) I will start using the aquafore again.  Good luck

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  • flagirl
    flagirl Member Posts: 144
    edited April 2014

    Went for my last boost today and to see the RO; my next to the last appointment.  So I asked him what's next and this is what he said:  You have six more treatments and then you will be done,  The surgeon got the cancer, so you were cancer free.  The radiation gives you a better non recur rate based on statistics and that is why we do the radiation.  So when you have all of  your treatments done you will have no more cancer. You are cancer free and you should live your life that way. Those words made me realize that I am almost home free.   I will have no more cancer--- tears came to my eyes as I took a deep breath....doesn't seem real. That's gonna take some getting used to.

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  • keepthefaith
    keepthefaith Member Posts: 2,156
    edited April 2014

    Aww, Flagirl, good for you!!! I know that made your day.  SillyHeart

    Sounds like you have a great Dr! How are you doing on Armidex? I will be taking something soon...

    20 down, 11 to go....not counting at all! Pink/red a few red bumps, no fatigue:).

    Maryfox, I didn't have a MX, but a LX and rads have really changed the difference in my girls' sizes! My left breast was always bigger and of course my rt one is BC....I feel lopsided, too, but I'm sure nobody else notices. Good for you for getting out with your bare head! Wondering if I should talk to a PS...

    faery, my RO told me that the boosts will be concentrated only to the tumor/scar area(s) and the rest of your treated breast will start healing once boosts start. Not sure if it will make the boost area worse or not. I hope your fatigue diminishes soon. I think pink and lime green would look great together!

    anne, I couldn't agree with you more about the grandbabies! Can't get enough of them. My DS and DIL are expecting my 5th in November-day after T-giving! I am fortunate that they all live fairly close by. My DD an hour away and my DS 10 minutes! They are the best thing God ever created!

    Have a great day ladies! Group HUG!!!


     

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  • have2laugh
    have2laugh Member Posts: 132
    edited April 2014

    Anne-I am really looking forward to welcoming little Harper later this month. I am the youngest of five girls but will be the first grandmother-they may be jealous! My daughter asked if I was going to come up with another name for myself but I am happy to be Grandma. If being a Grandma is half as wonderful as everyone says it will be great.

    Thanks to ladies that offered advice with Epson salt. I will try it. I was working fulltime and going to grad school fulltime when I was diagnosed- dropped down to one class for which I have a final exam tomorrow. Terribly behind and  just can't get head in the game so I am off to make a pot of coffee and cram tonight. Coffee doesn't seem to work as well as these days. Will be relieved to take one thing off my plate.

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  • FightBC
    FightBC Member Posts: 57
    edited April 2014

    Starting my rads today in couple of hours. 

    Scared and worried!

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  • keepthefaith
    keepthefaith Member Posts: 2,156
    edited April 2014

    fightbc, good luck with your first TX. I think we all share your fear, but hang in there, you'll get through it! 

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  • Redheaded1
    Redheaded1 Member Posts: 1,600
    edited April 2014

    FigtBC---hope you post tonight and tell us how it went!  Today was 1/2 way for me.  14 down, 14 more to go......starting to itch a bit.   Saw my surgeon today, he said good job---good attitude---scars look really good and will eventually fade away.  he wants to see me again a month after I complete my rads.  Said he would check out my other breast....c'mon. this guy is too cute to check out my other boob...l

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  • AndreaJ50
    AndreaJ50 Member Posts: 889
    edited April 2014

    I am four days post Rads and my skin is almost back to normal. I had one burn but the Silverdem helped it heal. Now it is peeling, but the new skin looks good.

    My boosts didn't  feel any different. No tenderness or redness at all. 

    I am still hoping my radiated breast shrinks a bit... So tired of big breasts!!!  

    I am just wondering if anyone was told they could not have hot baths or hot tubs ever again??? I thought it was just during Rads!!

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