Fall Rads 2014

Congratulations on reaching the 1/4 mark!!

13 of 25 today, over the hump!  Woohoo, getting closer.  Bumped into the counselor at the cancer center who I spoke to a few times early in my tx, felt myself near tears and decided it might be time to make another appointment with her. 

Hello everyone! I just finished my first of 8 boosts this morning, so 7 to go. I completed the 25 full girl rads yesterday. I held up fairly well - do have some pain, itching, redness etc. but the aquaphor, hydrogel and for the itching the cortisone cream all do help. Now my underarm can begin to heal, the incision there is very tender and the area is pretty red. The fatigue has really gotten to me the last couple of days, more than ever. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel. After 10/8, I'll just have the every three week Herceptin until April.

Mmtagirl: best of luck on your decision. It's almost easier if you're not given a choice, somehow.

Peggy: I'm also pretty much going without deodorant. Someone told me along the way that the rads would eliminate whatever it is that makes you sweat there and cause odor, but that has not happened for me. On the other hand, there is much less hair growth there than on the other side, I guess that is a plus? I just use wipes when I'm going to be out for a while so I don't smell too bad. It hasn't been as bad as I initially expected. The entire area under rads is numb for me, although the skin still itches at this point, so I just used cortisone and put the aquaphor over the top of that to keep it from drying out. 

Hope you're all hanging in there!!

Thanks, Hopeful82014 and PontiacPeggy!

Peggy, looks like you’re halfway done. Woo hoo! For deodorant, you could try dusting with cornstarch, since you’re allergic to the aloe in Tom’s. That’s what my RO recommended, but I haven’t tried it. Like jhodro, I’ve been going without deodorant. I think the chemo killed all the bad bacteria so I don’t smell bad anymore (for now). JUnfortunately, at 6 weeks PFC, the underarm hair is starting to come back (boo!), although it’s only a few stragglers at this point. I just noticed earlier this week and had to shave those stragglers off.

Jenwith4kids: Congrats on being over halfway!

Jules_NY: The machine comes on 11 times for me. We must be using the same machine. It starts with a “V” but I can’t remember the name.

Jhodro: Congrats on finishing the full girl rads. You’re almost all done! Yay!

Hi Ladies,

I am starting my rads on Monday for 5 weeks in total. I got my tattoos (kind of like them :-D). I will be doing the rads with the ABC method. There will be 4 beams (3 from the front and one from the back) each of them going twice so I will be holding my breath for 8 times at 25 second each time. I am getting the left "breast", collarbone and axillary nodes (what used to be my nodes as all of them came out during surgery). 

I know some of the SEs will be skin irritation, redness and tightness. Did you of you continue working out during the rads? I just started and I find it helps with the muscles soreness SE from tamoxifen and kind of don't want to stop now but I am not sure if it will be doable. 

I am only 4 weeks PFC and I can see some hair on the left armpit and hoping rads will take care of it. 

I still have some feeling on the armpit but it's so annoying when I feel itchy on my ribs and scratch but I have no satisfaction because of the numbness. 

Hope everyone is doing well

MommyQ we are in the same schedule . 9 down with 33 to go. . 

So today was x-Ray day and I was super happy that my shoulder fell asleep so it didn't hurt was just annoying and long. Glad tomorrow is Friday and I get a break for the weekend. I have the 7:15am time slot so I am grateful that it's over early in the day. I have been more tired than normal but it could be the amount of work that I have been doing. Just grateful that my skin is holding up so far as I continue to bathe it in 100% pure aloe. 

Has anyone ever used plastic wrap over the breast after moisturizing to keep the area moist ??

HomeMom, well that is depressing.  I'm sure you don't want to do that.  Good luck!!

LillyRose, you should be fine with your arms from now on.  Yes, they'll be a bit stiff but you'll loosen right up.  Make sure to relax your arms while getting your rads.  That can help.  I know what you mean about the cold.  I don't like being cold either.  It will probably be all right from now on.  Interesting that they did the tats after your rad.  Mine were done during my sim.  Anyway, isn't it nice to know that you're KILLING CANCER???  You'll be fine!

lily rose I am offered a blanket for my lower half. I would ask for one. I hope your arms feel better. 

hi, I found out yesterday that I won't have my last chemo, which was scheduled for today. I got a very serious but u usual side effect that I was never told about, blood clots in my lungs, now after giving cancer the last six months and still have rads to go, I have to give at least six months of treatment to getting rid of blood clots in my lungs, the next five days are the worst as they try to dissolve them without letting them break free, at least that is how they explained it to me. Anyway, I will start rads, soon, I will know tomorrow, already did the ct scan last week. I think they tattooed me, they said they did but no one can find them. I should tell you new folks I am blind, so I can't see any tattoos. She said she will give me a plan tomorrow, don't know what that means, I have 33 treatments, and was suppose to start oct 13, but that will move up probably to some time next week. So I will be done with all the rads before thanksgiving, but now I will still be fighting the blood clots. My questions is about the fatigue, how bad is it really, between the blood thinners and the rads will I even be able to get out of bed the next 6 1/2 weeks?

Gilesmt, you shouldn't be bed-ridden.  Just tired.  More so than usual maybe.  But haven't you been tired from the chemo?  My daughter-in-law often was with her colon cancer chemo.  You won't have as much energy but you should be able to handle your normal day, I would think.  That's awful about the blood clots.  Good luck with safely getting rid of them.  i don't think the blood thinners should cause a problem (my hubby takes them and has no issues).  I should think you'd know if you got tattoed.  They feel like a sharp pinch when they are done.  Don't really hurt.  Sad to think that you had them and they are "lost".  

Try to breathe.  You WILL be fine!!  HUGS HUGS!!!

Pontiac Peggy yes I have been exhausted from the chemo, way more than most because I had some serious side effects, first diarrhea for 30 days straight then, 15 more days on top of that but I might get one day break every three days, Monday we finally got that under control, I hope. Then I got neutropenia and was hospitalized, two weeks ago, I also got pneumonia then. I kept telling them last two weeks, that I felt like someone was sitting on my chest, 7 doctors heard me get worse each day, yet not a one ever ordered any more test, I have not been out of bed since 5 weeks ago. Finally tested for blood clots and finally we Have our answer blood clots. Now with blood thinners and rads everyone says I will be to tired to get up again. I hope that is wrong but already so ruined down and now two things that give you fatigue, I am just nervous.

About the tattoo, he said he was going to tattoo me now, and he stuck a needle I. Me, around my sternum and under my arm around chest area. But I can feel the one on my sternum, and people can see the little red mark the needle left but it is not a tattoo, it will go way like the needle from blood work it is small and red and last a day or so, the one under my arm around chest area, no one can find at all. There is no other marks, except the wire purple marks from the ct scan, but they have now all washed away and no one can find then anymore either. Well I will find out tomorrow when I go in, but as of now I have no tattoos that we can find. I do hope I start next Monday I just want the anxiety gone, I want all this to be over with, I an so done with cancer and treatments.

I am so jelous of all of you who lost your hair, it was the one thing I was looking forward to, at least on arms and legs, shaving while blind is a b**** and I wanted so much to not have to do it. Everyone told me I would lose all my hair, I lost 50 to 60% on head! I lost very little anywhere else, which I think sucks. I also can't say I don't smell, I never heard of that but that would have been great also, maybe I don't on the lump side but I do on the other side. Okay for you with no hair how fast did it grow back. I left mine hoping when it came back it would look fuller faster, with my hat on it did not even look like I lost hair, most of what I lost was probably due to the hat on all summer. Honestly I don't know why I did not lose the hair, I did nothing to save it, I never thought that was that much of an issue, maybe cause I'm blind and can't see it. But then again, I had all the very unusual side effects, and I'm sure none of you would trade your hair for pneumonia, neutropenia, blood clots in your lungs, or diarrhea for almost 45 days straight. 

Gilesmt: you must have watched Dr Oz this week too! I saw the segment on using lemons as deodorant. Dehydration increases the risk of developing blood clots, so be sure and keep your fluid intake up. So very sorry you're having to deal with that too. I see my RO Oct 6 to have my CT and simulation.

Hi ladies, haven't been here in awhile but I finally got my first rad yesterday. It has been quite a chore let me tell you. If you don't remember, I went for my 1st sim about 3 weeks ago, then a week later got a call from my RO saying she has tried every angle and can not get my lung out of the way of where she needs to tx. So she informs me that I am one of the 1% of the population that needs the specialized radiation that can only be done downtown at the main campus (45 min away if not during rush hour). So I remind her that the main campus is not in my network for insurance. So she spends a week getting my ins to waive the OON $5500 deductible. OK so I got the waiver and went last week on Thursday for my repeat sims and scans. Well then they call me and tell me to come in last Wed again for a trial run. I have to do ABC (active breathing control) radiation which they said will take 30-45 min each session. So I get there on Wed and they put me on the table and wrap both arms in the molds up around my head and stick a snorkel-like breathing tube in my mouth which is hooked up to a machine and put nose plugs on me. I have a button in my hand which I must push down on the whole time. If I let go of it, it indicates that I am distressed. I was in that position told not to move for 65 minutes! It was brutal, shoulders locking up, hand falling asleep. And remember, I'm 6 weeks post BMX. So I survived that thinking I wished I'd taken a Xanax before I got there and they tell me to come yesterday for my first rad session and it will only take 30 minutes...wrong... same position...another 60 minutes, and by then I was driving home in rush hour traffic which I am not used to and hate. So now I'm working really hard at staying in the day in my head because the thought of this 32 more times just depresses the hell outta me. Oh, and they have drawn all over me with different color magic markers which I'm not supposed to wash off. The first day I had worn a v-neck shirt and stopped at the grocery store on my way home with these different color marks on my chest. It looks like a 2 year old got hold of me with magic markers. Even with a button-down shirt they show unless I button to the top. I started on Arimidex last week and so far so good with that, no SE as of yet.

Carusa...woohoo!!! congrats, so happy for you! I know what you mean, I started this in February and I feel that I have given a year of my life to the blasted disease and I cannot wait to take my life back. I will have the TE's until sometime next year but when I'm done with rads I hope I can put much of it behind me. I'm so happy for you, hopefully one day very soon you will wake up and not have cancer be the first thing you think of.

Gilesmt, I suspect much of your fatigue is from the diarrhea. Your body probably not absorbing nutrients the way it should and certainly dehydrated. Make sure you drink tons of water and eat yogurt, or ask your doc about taking a probiotic. The pneumonia will cause a lot of fatigue as well. So sorry you are having so much trouble, hopefully the worst is behind you. I never lost the hair on my legs either, although it thinned and grew very slowly. I kept fuzz on my head but very little but kept some eyebrows and a few eyelashes as well. Never lost the hair on my arms either.

Homemom, The RO only let my PS inflate my left TE cause she didn't want the right one to be in the way. He overinflated the left one cause he said the rads would shrink the skin so he put 450cc in the left and only 150 cc in the right so I have to wear a bra padded on one side.

Well got to start my day, good luck to all of you and congrats to those getting close to the end. We'll get through this!