just found this forum thread. Great explanation from an RO on skin reactions etc. This RO sounds great. Wish I had her

Topic: A rad onc weighs in on radiation "burns"

Forum: Radiation Therapy - Before, During and After — What to expect from treatment and ways to cope with side effects.

Today was busy! Herceptin this morning and I donated my wig and all of the wig supplies. I gave them to the LGFB rep and they ended up with a lady in the treatment room!! Quick turn around. Another lady was not able to get her chemo today, her counts were too low. She looked so sad, I knew exactly what was wrong. I said to her, "it's crushing isn't it?" It is so hard to try and think "I get another week to recover" when all you can think is "I was supposed to be done next week and now the end is 2 weeks away" I told her and her daughter to go do something together that they love. They were trying to think of what to do as they left with smiles on their faces. It gave them something to look forward to for today. It really is about getting through the day sometimes. 

Radiation completed this afternoon. 30/30 Received my diploma but did not ring the bell. There was a man sitting there waiting for his treatment with staples all around his head. Another man on a hospital bed sleeping and waiting for his treatment. Just didn't feel right. Physical therapy after rads. 

Went out to dinner to celebrate being done, but I really don't feel celebratory. I still feel tied to treatments and have to go to my MO's weekly again. Weeks 1 and 2 for port flush and week 3 Herceptin. This goes through Jan. 30th of next year. My husband doesn't understand where I am coming from. I thought I would be happy about each step coming to a close, but all I see is another 6 months of treatment. Hoping for a paradigm shift....maybe I just need a kick in the ass. 

Michelle, triple antibiotic cream for open skin on radiated areas. 

Good luck tomorrow!

first day of Rads!

Michelle it is not prescription. Should be able to find it just about anywhere. Pharmacy, walmart, target.....usually near band aids....but if you ask, you find it quicker!!

thank you ladies. I called MO again today and talked to the regular nurse. My question was misunderstood when I talked to the new nurse yesterday. Today they told me that if they did blood work it wouldn't come back until beginning of next week. So they just moved my appt to beginning of next week instead of at the end like it was before. 

I appreciate so much being able to come on here and express my concerns and have you wonderful ladies respond. Thank  you!!

Jbokland - how did rads go?

Congrats to all who are finishing up. 

Jodi- are you still in Houston?

Holli

Michelle-  ask the doctors when you at hospital!  Maybe they can get something on it while you are there.

Robin- that was so thoughtful of you to pass the bell.  And before that talking to the lady!  You were your own ringing bell that day.  Truly wonderful.  Congrats!  Onward and upward!:)

Barbara-  I do not know what kind of scans, but my RO ordered them!  It was not my MO.  In the past, I had ultrasound, CT scan and bone scan.  I never got a PET.  You read my post, so you know he said it wasn't protocol.  However, he did think it should be the norm for stage 3 gals like us.   Now- he probably has a file on me with red letters that says ANXIETY, OBSESSIVE, and PANIC. I seriously bring up something everytime I see him.  Remember me asking about how it skipped the mammary chain and got the middle lymph node?!  Yeah, I don't think he would consider me a laid back person when it comes to this cancer.  My competitive spirit takes over and for once is a good thing!  I have to win!  And I can be as ruthless as I want to win;). 

Still itching here ladies:(. Mid chest and over the top of shoulder is itchy.  I have RX cortisone but not doing it.  Oh well- tomorrow is 22/33: time to suck it up and grin and bare it.  Going home for the first time in over a month tomorrow.  I just want to sleep at home.  The 6 hours on Friday and then on Sunday will suck but I am so sick of this apartment!  The girls are ready to get home and stay home.  Hoping this mini break will let us all push on through.  

Robin, congrats on finishing rads! Whoo-hoo! I'm sure it's hard to be real excited when you still have so much ahead of you; but look how far you've come! 

I'm glad you III ladies are making some headway on getting scans, etc. My RO's words keep coming back to me...."5mm clear margins; well, that's why we're doing rads"! UGH! 

Michelle, good luck today. Sry you are having skins issues now. gheez.

holli, is your skin healing okay?

Have a great week-end ladies!

((HUGS))

Terri

Robin, hooray! you are done with the "hard part."  I get your feeling, though.  I too will continue to have Herceptin through December.  So I'm not "done" done (well, I'm not actually any kind of done until a week from Monday.  I've got 6 more boosts).  I am planning to have a party to celebrate in the fall, when I *hopefully* will not need a wig/scarf any longer.

So jealous of you that are to the point of donating the damned wig!  My hair is coming in, but still looks more "cancer patient" than "edgy hipster".  Also, I can't figure out what color my hair is coming in.  Natural color is medium brown, and this hair is darker than that - but I think more of a dark gray than a dark brown.  I didn't really have any gray pre-BC so feeling bummed about it.  I really liked my old hair .

Missy, thinking about you and your rear today.  Never thought I would be writing a sentence like that !  I pray that this is the final chapter of your Butt Book .  Ok, must stop with the ass jokes!  Seriously, I am praying for you.  I know this problem has been no joke!!!

There are no bells of any kind in the locations where I've been treated.  Maybe that's a good thing (thinking of Robin's story).  I am getting rads at a general RO center - so not just BC, other patients as well.  There is a man about my age (early 40s) who has a treatment time around the same time as mine.  I've never spoken with him.  Today, he was clearly in shock, very upset (verge of tears), and it put things in perspective for me.  I truly believe myself to be cancer-free - just doing rads as "insurance" - but that's not the case for everyone in the waiting room.  I so hate this disease.

Michelle - thinking about you and hoping all went well

Holli - a piece of chicken cutlet does not make me feel very good about the road ahead of me My PS made my DIEP boob larger than my natural breast to account for shrinking. Hopefully it will hold up.

Robin - congrats on finishing rads!

Jodi - I hope you enjoy your time at home

Hi Ladies! I'm home and doing well.....surgery lasted about an hour and i was in recovery for a little over 2 hours.  Just couldn't get the pain quite under control at first but now all is well.  He removed the fistula and abscess, closed it from the inside and cauterized it and left the remaining part open so that it will heal from the inside out.  I have put myself on a liquid/soft diet the last 3 days and will for a couple of more days just because i'm worried about going to the bathroom! ha! Thank you all for the thoughts and good wishes! Now on to healing and no pain hopefully! 

Love to all my sisters! 

Michelle

Michelle, so happy it went well.  Now on to healing

Michelle,  glad all went well, wish you a speedy recovery!

so what do you gals use for birth control since you can take the pill?

We all know that Jodi's got rhythm. 

jbokland, I was offended by that as well, when I was asked by someone.  So I had the conversation with my MO.  She said that cancer free and remission are used interchangeably for meaning the same thing.  She said unfortunately, medically remisision is the term they have to use, but then she winked and said "but you're really cancer free".  Made me feel better.  I consider myself cancer FREE!!

How is everybody's legs doing?  Mine are much better but after I'm on them a while, oooohhhhhh achy!!!! Especially my knees.