Fall Rads 2014

I'm just wondering, how many of you are on AI's while getting rads?

Jaimieh, That's rotten.  I don't hold onto bars - just the wrist of my other arm.  The therapists put a rolled towel under my neck and that helped with the chin in the air discomfort.  They seemed to have made a good mold - at least after 10 tx I have had no problems.

How long is the radiation administration? 

Heard from my favorite BS today and I have clean margins so no more surgeries!! Yay God!! I am feeling somewhat better today. Each day is better. I just take one day at a time and relax. Im not going to return to work too soon.

My MO and BS both in their 50's "old school" docs told me the old way of thinking when they were taught was not to do rads and AI's together but they both told me the newer younger docs don't necessarily agree and I should ask the RO who is late 30's maybe. She said it was entirely up to me but both have SE's and they would be compounded and we wouldn't know which caused what. So I decided to wait till done with rads, there is a clinical trial I'd like to get in on but not allowed if I'm doing rads. But now with the insurance snafu I don't know when I'll be starting rads and with such close margins, 1 mm and 10 positive nodes and ineffective chemo, I'm getting nervous about no tx for so long. It's been 5 weeks since surgery, 11 weeks since chemo. UH still trying to get insurance to waive the deductible but I went ahead and made an appt with Cleveland Clinic for Thursday at 8am with a new RO. If UH can't get the ins to ok it by tomorrow I'm going to tell my RO that I have to switch. I'm going back to work in 2 weeks and I need to be able to plan my life. This limbo is making me crazy! Anybody else that has to have the VMAT machine? Probably not since I'm one of the weird 1%.

MommyQ, glad to hear your 1st one went ok, good luck keep us posted.

PontiacPeg, woohoo, 10 down! 

Jaimieh, ugghh.. sounds dreadful, hope the next one goes much better, maybe you'll get a different tech, good luck tomorrow.

Everyone else, good luck, one day at a time I guess... sweet dreams to all

Peggy I meant the appointment, so thank you! I thought it was a quick appt compared to chemo, just wanted to get a better idea.

I am so relieved. Now I am going to go visit my cousin in Arizona for a week and then have my Radiation sims on the 29 and start Radiation. I am not sure when to go back to work either. I am a Respiratory Therapist and I work in DME with my brother, we have our own business but we are approaching our most busiest time of the year with flu season and pneumonia RSV and now there is the new virus out there so Im not sure what to do.Especially since they are predicting I will have SE with Radiation.

congrats Nancy, so happy to hear, I am assuming the seizure issue is better controlled now too?! Hope you have wonderful time vacationing!

PontP.. glad to hear you can get a little rest while hubby is recuperating in hospital... take advantage of your ME time!

Peggy they told me I would most likely burn because of my vitiligo. I have no pigment on my chest  and the RO is afraid because I get sunburns very easy that this may be an issue with rads too. Im sure it will all be ok. Im just not sure what to do about working yet. Ill know better once I go back for my follow up.

I hope your doing better. 

Had my 2nd rad treatment today and was immediately feeling tired as soon as I reached my car in the hospital parking lot! I got home and laid down on the couch with my dog for about 45 minutes before I felt ready to get up. Felt a little nauseated. Might be because I ate a chocolate chip cookie on the drive from work to the hospital! No snack tomorrow!

ncollett: That's excellent news on clean margins. Yay! Regarding SEs, you might not even get any, like Peggy said. But you could consider working part time and having your treatments in the afternoon (towards the end of the work day), so afterwards, you can go home and nap if you need to. That's what I'm doing. Most of my treatments are at 3pm.

clarrn: I am working part time (25hrs/wk) while doing radiation. Not sure if it's a good idea or not yet...too early to tell. I took short term disability time off during my 5 months of surgery rehab and chemo, so I was ready to go back. I just hope the fatigue doesn't make even part time difficult.

genny5775: Sorry to hear of the insurance woes. Insurance can be a royal pain sometimes. Wish it were simpler. 

Peggy: Hang in there. I hope your hubby gets better soon.

Hello, all:

I've just passed the halfway point with my rads. Main side effect is the expected: fatigue like a wall, fuzzy-headed when I try to resist, started by the third treatment, and on the increase. I'm trying to continue working, but I'm finding I need to leave early (rads in the morning, p.m. not an option as my clinic stops giving them by 4:00) often and need a day off every so often. Skin beginning to seriously discolor, no pain, but nipple sore from the start and sorer now. I've been doing the aquafor and the T-shirt patches  recommended here (thanks jhodro).

My set up uses cushioned C-shaped rests for head and arms like MommyQ, and between set up and radiation, I'm done in about ten minutes, HomeMom (I love your 'We Can Do It' logo, by the way). I've tried counting the seconds of the actual radiation (there's a sound) and I get @ 25 seconds each, one on a side. I'm interested in MommyQ's "10 different locations". What is this type of treatment called?

The radiation doesn't bother me much because I read so much I feel like I know what to expect. Not fond of the fatigue, but it's not pain. 

It's the prospect of the hormone suppressant treatment that scares me.

I'm with HomeMom -- good wishes that we all "Can Do It". Having the support of folks on this forum certainly helps!

mortmain: I'm like you. I tried counting the seconds for each radiation beam today! I found that the beams were being shot for between about 10 and 25 seconds each, in 10 different locations, as the gantry rotated around me in an arc for about 200 degrees of rotation. You asked what type of rads I am getting. It is the Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) variety. I don't know about the different types. What type are you getting? 

YEAH Genny5775!!  About time things started going your way.  When you are doing that special breathing technique, my RO says it does take longer.  Anyway, glad you can go where you want to go for your rads!!!!!

MommyQ you seem to have the same dx as I do and the same surgery etc. Are they just radiating your arm pit?

That is what I was told they would do to me. What did they tell you about the increased chance of LE radiating your arm pit?