Radiation and pain

wildflower, you should ask about the silvadine since your skin is broken down. It is a really common rx during rads. It was like magic in a tube for me. Those last few days before boosts were terrible and I stayed in a daze and I felt I would never escape that hell - but the healing came quickly after. My case is a bit different because they didn't acknowledge that my lung mets were there at the time, even though they were. So based on the thought that I was stage IIb, it went like this:  neo adjuvent AC/T, bmx, rads with concurrent adjuvent Halaven (clinical trial because I  had residual active cells in three lymph nodes and 4mm of breast tumor left after neo adjuvent). Then when I was supposed to be "done" again, I had follow up scans for the trial and they finally acknowledged that my lung nodules could be mets. So I did biopsy, pet scan and the works. Then the resected my lung in two places to remove the nodules. I am not currently on any treatment. My first CT following lung surgery was clear, so I am now siting in the metaphoric waiting room every day. 

Where are you mets?

To back track a little, I understand about the pain. Mine, so far, has mostly been inside the breast. I had a mammaplasty just about 2 mos before I started rads. So now EVERYTHING is totally inflamed. It actually grew about 2 inches, so far, from the swelling and lumpiness. And I'm only 13 of 30. Sometimes I just sit and the tears start flowing. Talked to my RO and she told me to take more Motrin. Yeah, that works for about 2 hours. Now they tell me that for the "boosts" they will have to compress my boob. Are you F#^king kidding me I can't hardly touch it. The sim for that is on Tuesday, if I get the same set of bobo's I got the first time this should be fun. Boosts may not happen didn't really want to do rads but was guilted into it

I see a pattern of 2's here.  .    .   umm

Okay I am not a pot smoker but my friends are. I am two days out from my last treatment and I am miserable with pain and itching. My underarm and upper chest are broken and weeping. I'm using Silver sulfadene and not sure it's working. Tonight I'm going to try a couple of puffs. 

Wildflowers I had a recurrance to chest wall hence the rads and a bone met to rib. I'm on Femara for the bone met. I'm curious to hear what your treatment plan will be.

Thanks Wildflower, I will. I was just going over my "new" schedule. And from what I can figure out it appears Now they have me coming in twice a day for a few days. I think the second is for boosts. Anyone ever had regular and boosts the same day? I know why she is doing this. I told her I may not go for the boosts. So now they are going to try and what sneak them in, Really? Looks like I will be talking to her on Monday. As conveniently our weekly is the day I am suppose to have 2 treatments, after of course. Yeah I'm a little pissed. She told me "I was the driver" yeah not so much.

Yeah, good news is they had my schedule all messed up and I don't go in twice a day. Had to get the actual scheduler to come and talk to me today. Yeah they messed up. Hopefully it's all straightened out this time. 5 boosts at the end. I'm not a druggie but the Motrin isn't cutting it. Then I read that you are not suppose to take Aspirin, Motrin, pretty much any pain reliever with the Tamoxifen. Unless Dr. approves. I guess because of the liver. Great!

Wildflowers, my skin broke down at about my last treatment (around 25 out of 26), and continued to get worse for another 10 days (felt like eternity). At one point I had an open area the size of two matchbooks on my chest. The percoset worked for me (in terms of pain relief, but I also found the wet dressings very helpful (I forget what they were called, but essentially sterile gauze embedded with Vaseline that adhere to your skin without pulling the skin). They come in individually wrapped foil packages, and you just put them on your skin and they stick (though do wear something you don't care about as they stain). My RO and rad nurses kept assuring me that it wouldn't get infected despite appearances (and they were right). It healed from the outer edges in, and hence appeared to gain speed as the wound closed. By about 14 days post treatment it was mostly healed, and by 18 days, completely. I went through another two rounds of peeling, but it was superficial and painless - like an old tan. My chest is still fairly tan (where the bolus was), and my MO said there might be some permanent discoloration, but I just noticed I'm going through another round of peeling (now about 10 weeks post end of rads). I know my situation is not as serious as yours, but I hope that if you're still having trouble you can find the Vaseline dressings. (The RO said no silvadine when there were open wounds). Best