Fall Rads 2014

Hi writinghelps and thanks for starting the Fall 2014 thread!

For you, and all who join you throughout the season, here's some helpful info on the main Breastcancer.org site on Radiation Therapy, includinginfo on types of radiation therapy, what to expect during the process, and how to manage side effects.

Also, the Treatment Side Effects section is a great resource for tips to help manage any side effects you may experience.

You may also find it helpful to read the Summer 2014 Radiation thread, for more tips and tricks from others who've been there!

Hope this helps!

--Your Mods

Hello all!

I met with my RO yesterday.  Will be having set up/sim tomorrow with rads to start Aug 25. As most of my rads will be in Sept decided to join this group rather than the summer group :-)

This is the second RO I had a consult with.  Turns out that even though the first one I met with was part of my insurance network, his facility was not!  Everyone sort of goes "what?" When they hear that, but there it is.  Would have cost a small fortune to continue with him even though he came highly recommended and I personally know 3 people that had their rads with him.  Plus he was part of my hospital network so he had access to all of my records.

The new RO is super nice and is actually a little closer which will be better for the daily rads. However, she is not part of the hospital network, so I will have to make sure everyone gets copies of records.  Already I found out that even though she got the report of the PET scan I had before chemo, she didn't get the actual images.  Picking that up today and will bring it to her office.

Looking forward to "meeting" everyone else starting this next phase of this journey that no one wants to be on!  And here's hoping for minimal SE for everyone! 

Hi all! I had my initial Rads consult on 8/4. I have my simulation tomorrow (8/14) and my set up on 8/25. Start rads on 8/26. I will be having 25 whole breast and 5 boost. 30 treatments total over 6 weeks. Happy to be done with chemo and glad to be starting the next phase. One step closer to being done! 

My RO suggesting getting a 100% cotton bra slightly larger than I would normally wear (to accommodate any swelling). Does anyone have any recommendations? The wire free bras I've been wearing post surgery and thought were cotton are actually 95% nylon and 5% spandex! 

Good luck to everyone!

-Tina

Hi Wendy, and thanks for the welcome!

Hello everyone!  Hello again to my April Chemo board friends, MakeLemonade & writinghelps!I just finished chemo yesterday (Aug 13) and am meeting my RO tomorrow morning for a consultation. I am scared about rads because mostly I worry about potential heart and lung damage. I'm hoping that doesn't happen. Skin burns and fatigue should go away with time, so I'm not as worried about those. I'm also worried about cording, since I have that right now and I hear rads make it worse. Plus, I don't know if I can lift my arm high enough for the rads treatments! Will be seeing a PT for help soon. Waiting for a call back.

Cceandme: I also have TEs and am hoping after rads, my PS can make me look good.  My PS waits 6 months after rads are done to make sure all the tissue/skin has achieved "steady-state" on healing. That way, she will only need to do the exchange and tissue shaping surgery once. 

Thought I was starting rads on the 25th, but it will be on the 27th.  Then daily until done.  And can you believe it, I forgot to ask how many treatments!  Chemo brain ;-)

First they made a mold for me to lay down on ...will be used throughout testament.  Then RO came in to put wires around the whole area to be radiated.  Then had the CT scan.  Apparently, she got what she needed, so didn't have to do that twice.  Then the tech took off the wires and I got four pin point tattoos. They pinched, really nothing more.  

Then I was free to go! Took maybe 40 minutes.  Dry run and first treatment will be on Aug 27 - that one will take 1-1/2 hours but the daily treatments after that will only take 15 minutes. They need the time in between to develop the specifics of the treatment.  I guess exactly where each beam goes and for how long.

Nurse told me to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate - inside and out :-). The more you hydrate, the longer it takes for the skin to dry out.  Drink plenty of fluids, moisturize 3 to 4 times per day.  Can not over moisturize :-)

So, now I get 2 more weeks to recover from the last chemo last week. Will be strange to not have to go anywhere for two weeks :-)

MakeLemondade- I post the bra question on the Summer Rads thread and feedback I received was to look into BestForm front closure sport cotton bras (sold at Kmart) and Bali bras. I know Macy's sells Bali. Also, your simulation sounds exactly like how mine went. 

Jenwith4kids- I also finished Taxol on 8/4 and also had my simulation today! I was hoping to start Rads after Labor Day (for a solid 4 weeks off) but RO said she could start me last week in August. I have 7 tattoos as well! Are you the one who told me they were at Morristown for treatment? 

cmp, I was at Morristown for surgery and chemo but I'm doing rads at MSK in Basking Ridge.  I wonder if we crossed paths today?  

I could have started last week in August, but I'm having my ovaries out so i am starting 9/8.

Jenwith4kids- We might have crossed paths! I was there (on 2nd floor) for a 10:30 appt. I'm seeing Dr. Schupak. I still don't know what time my schedule will be but maybe at some point we will be there at the same time! Have a great weekend!

I met my RO yesterday. He was very nice and explained how everything was going to work and answered our questions. I will have 33 treatments total.  I will go back week after next for the CT scan/simulation, where they'll use the wires to map out radiation areas. Then, on the dry run, they'll use permanent markers to mark reference points. He said they don't do tattoos anymore unless patients specifically request it. I'll go for the markers. Less painful and not permanent. Like MakeLemonade's ROs said, they will clip a part of the lung, but it shouldn't cause any problems. He said that now that they can map out our anatomy with the CT scans, they are better at directing radiation away from the heart and lungs.  There is a very small chance of radiation causing asthma, but I think he said it was really rare, and if it happens, he can treat me with meds and it'd be temporary. And he also said that there is slight potential the heart could be affected but it's not anything that would make me die at a younger age. I guess I just have to go through with it and hope for minimal problems.

On the 25th, I go to my PT to get help on getting rid of this cording so I can be more comfortable during the radiation treatments.

Starting radiation on Wednesday.  Facility location stinks because it is way, way across town, but I'll deal...I'll have to!  Hope it all goes well.  Glad someone started this thread.  Good luck to all of you!

I went in for SIMs last week, and begin radiation this Wednesday. Because my breast cancer is now in the spine, femur, and sterum area, I will be radiated from top to femur. Only 14 days! They also made a mask for my head in case I have to have my head radiated. My oncologist expects my cancer to be everywhere. There are areas that they are ignoring. Don't get it.
At this point, it is pointless to worry about a lot; except I would like to keep my brain in tact. I had a brain mri Friday...trusting God my brain is cancer free. I have no idea what I'm going to feel like after full body rads...drinks lots of water.  They said no vitamin e's, D's, or anixoitants.

Hello ladies, I have had 2 of my 4 TC chemos following my lumpectomy and oncotype 27. So, assuming no chemo delays, my last chemo would be Sep 18. How long did you guys have to wait between last chemo and start of radiation? I'm guessing I'd maybe start the second week of Oct?

Hi Everyone.  I finish Taxol on Sept 5th and I guess sometime after that I start rads. Can't believe things are actually moving along. One Lump I have to go on the other side of Orlando which is about a 30 min drive with about $6 in tolls. Then it will be a long drive down I-4 to my job (another 30-40 min). I may ask for a referral closer to me.

Puffin,  Good to see you on this thread!  I didn't know whether to post here or on the Summer Rad thread, but this one is shorter.  I think the timing to begin rads following chemo varies widely.  My MO was thinking 3 weeks (which was quick for her), but my RO said I could start only two weeks PFC.  I had the simulation set up appointment and a "test run" beforehand, and my first radiation treatment was August 7, two weeks to the day from last Taxol.  The simulation appointment was much easier than I expected and the 5 pinpoint permanent tattoos were not in the least painful.  I feel good about getting started on the final stage of my treatment!  I see my RO after every Monday's rad.  I expect to be done around September 23.  So far, no problems, but then didn't expect any this early.  A while ago, I had an lymphedema education session with an LE PT specialist.  Baseline measurements were taken of each arm and hand. She recommends that I get fitted for an LE sleeve and glove and that I wear them whenever I fly.  My first flight will be in Oct to go to Disney World with two granddaughters.  I'm getting the sleeve fitting tomorrow, so I'll have it in plenty of time.  I have no signs of LE so far, but it was good to know how to avoid (as much as you can) and what to look out for.  I already had some nice looser nylon non-underwire bras, but before I go any further in treatment, I found some 95% cotton sports bras at Walmart at a bargain price - 2 for $10.95.  Cotton is preferred as being kinder to the radiated breast. 

Good luck to all of us as we begin our treatments.