Summer Rads 2014

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  • Deblc
    Deblc Member Posts: 479
    edited July 2014

    Wow Barbara those baked goods look great! I finish on Monday and today I realized that my rads centre makes a big deal when you finish, "graduation" certificate and confetti lol. So now thinking about what to take for the techs. My chemo centre does nothing to celebrate when you finish chemo, plus I am still going there for herceptin, so I didn't even think about giving the staff there a thank you gift, and never thought of it for rads until now. Does everybody usually take a gift on finishing? Any suggestions?

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  • Sunshineinky
    Sunshineinky Member Posts: 461
    edited July 2014

    Barbara that looks delicious!!!! Tomorrow will be an exciting day! Take a picture and go do something fun! I really hope your skin doesn't open up! 

    Izzy just rest as you need to! What I learned through this is that my body will shut me down whether I want to be shut down or not.  

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  • lyzzysmom
    lyzzysmom Member Posts: 654
    edited July 2014

    Barbara, Yummmmmy! I want to reach through my screen here and grab one, or more...! Congrats for tomorrow! Hope the skin  behaves.

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  • lyzzysmom
    lyzzysmom Member Posts: 654
    edited July 2014

    Deblc, I was thinking when I eventually get done I might get one of those fancy fruit things delivered, like a bouquet but fruit. I have not baked cakes for years, only bread occasionally but I don't think they would like one of my bricks

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  • Deblc
    Deblc Member Posts: 479
    edited July 2014

    Lyzzysmom I am the same lol. Whatever I get will have to be store bought.

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  • Rosiesride
    Rosiesride Member Posts: 513
    edited July 2014

    Barbara....Yey for last rads!!  So happy for you!

    Izzysmom...sorry about your back!  I am learning a lot from my pt gal who is also massage therapist.... I hold my stress in my neck and upper back...shoulder shrugs, neck stretches and pulling shoulders back to stretch chest especially during rads helps...I hope to keep doing these as rads does a number on chest...not sure what you are able to do with your pulled back...I know at anytime if I move a certain way, I will pull something!  Also, re: ILC...I believe I have had mine for many years...never felt bad but from reading about it, I am sure it has been there....I had ALH diagnosis 10 years ago...reading over all my reports from 1994 til 2014, I believe I just " fell through the cracks"...changed docs at different times and there was not a red flag I guess on my records...we have to be our own red flags and know about our stuff!  Oops...got off tangent and on a mini rant...

    Yey for all sisters finishing rads and still hanging in there!!!

    Btw...a lot of us didn't realize rads go out your back too...this is my back after 13 and I have it to supra clav....not to freak newbies out but to make you aware that it happens...just seems like a large area to me! 

    Have a good no side effect ridden day ladies! Rosie

    image

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  • tangandchris
    tangandchris Member Posts: 1,855
    edited July 2014


    The breads look amazing!!!

    Day 3 for me today...they switched me from 5pm to 1245p. whoo-hoo! I did not like being that late in the day. Yesterday there was apparently computer issues that put everything back about an hour, so I actually didn't get in until 6pm.

    izzysmom-I have an Izzy too...short for Isabella. Smile

    image

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  • mripp
    mripp Member Posts: 106
    edited July 2014

    I had no idea there would be SE to the back. I srart 7/22 and I don't even know where, except left whole breast, where my beam will be. They said they had to make my plan when I had my CT sim session on 7/9. My 1st Tx is 7/22 11am and I was tenetatively given 2:24 pm for the rest thru Sept 5th. I said "2:24, that's a weird time!" The receptionist said, yes thats because it's a 6 minute Tx. Oh???!!! The crappy thing is that 2:24pm will put me into rush hour on drive home and if I'm by myself, then I can't use HOV lane. Really don't want to sit in traffic for my normal 1 hour commute to rad. . I asked for a change and my preference was 11am or 1pm at the latest. I'm planning on working 1/2 days and working morning will be best. My thought was after rad I could nap if needed or just go home and not end up at the office til 6 or 7pm. We'll see if I get it changed. I know they have alot of patients.

    Well hope all Tx continues to go well for you all and healing is quick for those w burning.

    Mari

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  • jbokland
    jbokland Member Posts: 890
    edited July 2014

    So I had treatment 5 today.  

    I was dead-dog tired last night...hit the couch at 6:30.  Certainly, this can't be the rads doing this already?!    When did everyone's fatigue kick in?

    Side note- parking is a nightmare at the hospital, I keep telling them they need to have designation Rad parking so we can get in and out.  Anyway, I used street parking and put 45 minutes in the meter.  Wouldn't you know today the physicist came it to do verifications and QA on me.   I had a ticket at 46 minutes!   $22.00 ticket .Bastards!  

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  • Brwneyedgirl
    Brwneyedgirl Member Posts: 113
    edited July 2014

    jbokland - I noticed yesterday that I was more tired than I have been in the last few weeks.  I am at 11/16 whole breast.  Still tired and a little down and a little emotional this morning.  Not sure if the mood is due to rads or not.  Have a great day everyone and congrats to those that are finishing.

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  • Macintx
    Macintx Member Posts: 118
    edited July 2014

    I believe you would only have radiation side effects on your upper back if you are getting rads to the supraclavicular nodes.  Not everyone gets radiation to that area.

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  • Debster
    Debster Member Posts: 82
    edited July 2014

    jbokland I noticed the same thing with being tired. I have noticed that in the afternoon after my treatment I feel really tired and can hardly stay awake. I am also thinking it is to soon to be caused by rads but I am wondering if I am still having some effects of my chemo and my RBC. Neverending questions! 

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  • jbokland
    jbokland Member Posts: 890
    edited July 2014

    Well, I am 6 weeks PFC....my bloodwork has never looked better.   I'm thinking Rads or maybe I'm just tired!

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  • Deblc
    Deblc Member Posts: 479
    edited July 2014

    The tiredness really hit me around week 3-4, I think. Everybody is different as to when and how much, but fatigue is a common side effect of rads.  I was recovering after chemo energy wise, but the rads really knocked me down again in that respect.

    Ddgm are you still on herceptin? Although they say no se's I find myself very anxious/depressed sometimes and I am wondering if it's the herceptin. My doc says it's probably not, that it's just the whole emotional toll of dealing with treatment, but I found that my mood got worse after I started herceptin.

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  • aff
    aff Member Posts: 279
    edited July 2014

    #5 of 28 today

    Rosie - thanks for posting that picture. I am having supraclav treated and I already noticed a small area on my back that is darker. Good to know what's coming so I don't freak out when it happens. 

    Jbokland - I have walked 3 miles every day since I started rads, including the weekend, and I have felt great. Today is the first day that I didn't walk and I just told my husband that I am exhausted. I needed to go somewhere after rads which is why I missed my walk. I am definitely back on track tomorrow. Sorry about the ticket. 

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  • Crazywabbit
    Crazywabbit Member Posts: 563
    edited July 2014

    Rosie, I have a similar rectangle on my back but not that red. Just noticed my skin on the clavicle is starting to peel a little. keeping it lubed up with aquphor from now until morning then will use something else since it is too greasy to wear work clothes.

    Izzy is a cutie.  I always wanted a daughter but have 2 sons, now hoping for a DIL soon. I was so happy they could take me at 8:15 today instead of my ususal 3:15.  gave the techs and staff more time to eat the goodies.

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  • Crazywabbit
    Crazywabbit Member Posts: 563
    edited July 2014

    JB, just went back and looked at when I posted about the sudden fatigue it was after the 18th Rx. Hit me all of a sudden but never got worse after that. Just stayed about the same. Hoping by  2 weeks I will get a "spring back in my step"

    I had a great celebratory  2.5 hour lunch with a friend who is a fellow BC survivor who went with me to several chemo sessions. She went through chemo last year after a recurrence and I returned a basket of scarves and hats she loaned me. I hope to never have a need for them again

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  • aff
    aff Member Posts: 279
    edited July 2014

    Barbara - Congratulations!!!!!

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  • jbokland
    jbokland Member Posts: 890
    edited July 2014

    Barb-good for you enjoying that lunch with a fellow thriver!   Nothing better than the company of a good friend!

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  • Crazywabbit
    Crazywabbit Member Posts: 563
    edited July 2014

    JB, Love the word thriver, sounds so much better then survivor.  I must remember to use it.

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  • Sunshineinky
    Sunshineinky Member Posts: 461
    edited July 2014

    Congrats Barbara!!!! Finishing rads is a good thing.  I'm a week out, I've had a day or two where I'm pooped but I think it's getting better! I'm sure the techs enjoyed the goodies!!

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  • Amelia123
    Amelia123 Member Posts: 96
    edited July 2014

    I haven't been reading these boards regularly (summer is crazy busy for some reason) but I was so happy to go back many, many pages and read about so many of you finishing rads.  So excited for you!  I'm at #6 and so far so good, but I know there is still plenty of time for SE to happen.

    I started taking Tamoxifen about 2 weeks before my rads began.  Do you take it in the morning or night? I didn't think to ask, and am wondering if one is more beneficial than the other.

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  • Blessedteacher37
    Blessedteacher37 Member Posts: 314
    edited July 2014

    In My first round of radiation in 2011 , I didn't have much fatigue until the last few weeks, then for a little while afterwards. This round (just finished) I had some fatigue at the beginning. I did have a week of fatigue after I finished but it has gotten better . Really make an effort to rest as much as you can. I worked full time during both sets of treatment and getting those little bits of rest here and there helps so much.

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  • ohiofan
    ohiofan Member Posts: 206
    edited July 2014


    Congrats, Barbara!!!  Another step completed!!! 

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  • Rosiesride
    Rosiesride Member Posts: 513
    edited July 2014

    Barbara ...so happy you are done!

    Aff and Barbara...saw the doc and physicist today as my reaction to rads and being that red so early into it is highly unusual...especially my back as physicist said it's only one beam  on supra clav and exit radiation should not cause that deep red almost bruised look and large area...he checked out the setup with me on the table and they have said about 5% of people react like this so, AFF....it is not the norm so don't expect that to happen to you!!! It is totally me and something in my body causing me to react like this to rads.

    Doc had me take a break until next Tuesday and will look at me again...I have 12 whole breast left and 8 boosts but he said he may only do 5 boosts...I just want this to be done!!! But I don't want to be fried either...

    This too shall pass...Rosie 

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  • lyzzysmom
    lyzzysmom Member Posts: 654
    edited July 2014

    Oops I deleted my post halfway through so this is short version. 

    Barbara, CONGRATS!!

    Tangandchris, Izzy is so pretty!! Mine is just a little dog that made DH cry when she had knee surgery. He seemed fine with mine LOL

    JB, what a pain! Most places I know of have plenty of patient parking, even if some of the larger hospitals charge and give you a ticket to validate to get a discount. 

    I think rads just makes you plain tired. Everyone is pretty exhausted by the time it starts, whether its surgery, chemo, hormones, work, relatives , insurance etc. .....and it all builds up to the rads "finale". The fact that so many of us burst into tears at some point just shows its all taking its toll. 

    I don't know about others but my RO only told me to put the cream all over the breast so I had been doing that plus the SLN scar. He did not mention that it can affect other areas. It has not affected the back but down my side is starting to turn pink and also near my shoulder that is not pink had peeled a bit so that is all getting the cream too from now on.

     Anyway I took a day 16 pic to give those starting an idea of how mine is going with no bad reaction or itching yet (famous last words).I think the brown spots are just lighting and the orange peel appeared after surgery 

    image

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  • CoastalXPat
    CoastalXPat Member Posts: 83
    edited July 2014

    Hi All, Wanted to join in though I'm a little late, I started rads about 2 weeks ago. I'm on a 20-day plan, 15 regulars and 5 boosts. Just finished #11. So far it's just a bit of discomfort/sensitivity and a very weird tan line. Well, also time management between a long drive to the hospital and needing time for naps.

    But I think it's going okay just because I'm so happy to not be on chemo any more!

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  • CoastalXPat
    CoastalXPat Member Posts: 83
    edited July 2014

    Oops, and with apologies if it was posted earlier on this thread, but here is a cartoon that has helped a lot with my morale re rads:

    http://xkcd.com/933/


    (full disclosure - I opted out of tattoos in favor of tegaderm circles covering Sharpie X's)

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  • Amelia123
    Amelia123 Member Posts: 96
    edited July 2014

    Hi Coastal - welcome to the boards!  There is so much useful information here.  Like you, I am just thrilled to be done with chemo and the rads seem very doable - at least so far.  May I ask why you had chemo? I noticed that your nodes were 0/2.  

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  • tangandchris
    tangandchris Member Posts: 1,855
    edited July 2014


    I'm tired too...already and this is just my first week! Maybe I'm just tired from everything though.

    ((hugs))

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