Fall Rads 2014

blownaway, I am also going to the woodlands.  I have appt. Nov. 13 for a consultation with Pamela Schlembach.  since you go before work, do you find that easier than after work?  I heard that 1st thing in the morning was better because they tend to fall behind in the afternoons and it takes longer. 

anyone, what are these tattoos y'all keep talking about.  are they permanent?  how do you get radiation laying on you stomach?

SKBrown, yes, the tattoos are permanent.  That's the idea.  They help the therapists line up everything and they don't wash off.  Some centers use markers.  My tats are well below my bra line - one on each side of my rib cage and one in the center.  They are TINY and you have to look for them to see them.  Some women want to get rid of them as soon as they are done with their rads.  I see no reason to.  To each his own

Lilyrose, I preferred to stink.  I didn't use corn starch nor Tom's of Maine (well, I tried it and was allergic).  I was very happy to slather on the Dove Deodorant when I finished my rads last week!

My radiation room looked much different than yours, Puffin.  

Radiation room.  White is where I laid down.

All set for my rads.  What's my gown doing covering my 6 pack abs?  It was gone by the time they started.  

X-rays were taken every time and sent to the RO to check.  I did NOT have a lovely mural to look at like Puffin did.  Just boring ceiling.

It definitely was not scary to me - ever.  I was very glad there was something to do to kill the cancer cells!

MarieNJ, I'm still swollen too, I think.  It's hard to tell whether from radiation or left over from my lumpy.  I'm 1 week past my last rad today.  I had 33 tx.  The redness is fading but I think the scars are still dark.  And my nipple and areola are REALLY dark.  I'd guess we'll be back to normal or close to it in 2 or 3 more weeks. 

Jeanelle, I am doing pretty good.  Hubby seems to be improving too.  Thanks!

I am down to my boost for rads and I am hitting the wall with exhaustion. I have 5 left to go and his 7am appt sounded like a good idea but I am tired. My hair has finally started to come back and it's coming back with a vengeance EVERWHERE. I had to get the tweezers out for the chin yesterday. Grr. 

I heard that breast shrinkage can happen months later . 

I guess I should say Hi instead of just spying on you gals!     I did day 3 of rads today, after getting a quadrantectomy on August 22.      I must say, I think I'm jealous of the back and arm molds you all seem to get made to hold you in position, and I am most definitely jealous of Puffin's peaceful ceiling "window" view!    

No molds done where I am, and I'm kind of confused about what they do on day one of rads versus the other days, and how they make sure things are lined up as they should be.    I did get a CAT scan.     They didn't lay any wires on me during that procedure, like MommyQ described, but it felt like they put some pieces of tape on me that they then took off.     Then, my first day of set up and rads lasted about an hour and a half of me staying perfectly still and holding whatever position they moved me into.   I lay down with my head in a little cupped head holder and hand grabbing a rod that was above my head.    (The was the same as was done during the CAT scan).     RO made an X with a marker at the base of my nipple.  (in addition to the two tattooos they did on CAT scan day)    They kept pushing and pulling my body, trying to get some perfect postition that they said was "straight", and moving my arm so that I grasped the rod in the perfect way and had my elbow at just the right height.      During this time, they took multiple X-rays, and kept coming back with the RO to nudge me some more.    They kept saying that things just didn't line up with where they were during my CAT scan.    I think tried five times with five X-rays.   The RO  seemed to be getting frustrated and would pull up the skin on my chest (which moved my nipple higher) and say "See, it's right.   Let's do the (something-or-other)", and the tech kept saying "But it's still too cranial!, it's too cranial!", because, of course, my nipple went back down once she let go.    (or at least that's what it seemed to me was going on.    I just stayed still and quiet.)       Finally the RO says to me "just put yourself the way that feels straight to you", and ordered the techs to not straighten me out.    (I happen to have a very crooked spine.)     Apparently that miraculously put me in exactly the right position and everything lined up as it did on CAT scan day (or so they said--- hope they weren't just tired of it all by then!)       And so my first treatment got done.      The next day they just had me plop down again, with only the head cup and hand bar to guide placement.      I think they did 2 X-rays yesterday, with the RO coming in to make the X on my nipple and change something about the postion in between.    Total time of that session was a half hour.      They told me that there would be another session like that and then next week it would go faster.    Today, they were clearly behind schedule-- think they had a machine problem this morning.    So they were in a big rush to catch up.    I plopped down on the table, grabbed the bar, and the treatment was all done and over in five, maybe ten minutes.     Not sure if they did an X-ray.    (The machine did do something directly above me before going to the side-- Is it always an X-ray when the machine is above you??)        Before they went off into the other part of the room, they seemed to be lining up with only the two tattoos (I have one on my side and one between my two breasts) and they didn't care at all that the X on my nipple had wiped off -- They said it didn't matter .      (Did that serve only for some measurements they needed to take on those first days to set the machine right??? )   I'm just confused about how I'm always going to plop down into exactly the same postion and grab the bar in exactly the same way, and seems like the back mold you guys do is important.     Also, seems like it would help you keep from letting your elbow drift up or down, changing your breast position.   

Anyway--- It is what it is and I'll just count on them knowing what they're doing!

During my treatments, they cover my cancer breast with something that feels kind of like the shield garments they use during X-rays (but that wouldn't make any sense, so it must be something else)       No-one else here is mentioning that-    Wonder what that does??

Hello, all:

Newbies and Aquaphor: I did the slather after rads, ended up at work with a big grease mark from the goo.  Silly me not to put a cloth over it at the time, but you can bet I did ever after!

I've been done with rads for a couple of weeks. I had only minor complaints during, but I've been massively foggy-brained/fatigued in the past week.  I can deal with this too, was told to expect it. Will be happy when this is over, though. PontiacPeggy, I too started the Arimidex, been on now for a week.  Are we supposed to get tired from this too?

Thanks Blownaway!     I guess, even though it feels like it covers my whole breast, it's actually different in the area that directly goes over scar area?      I thought they did the bolus in the last days of treatment, but maybe in me they're doing it in first days instead.      Maybe the X on my nipple mattered only for lining things up for the bolus, and that's why they didn't care that it was barely visible yesterday, and told me it doesn't matter if it totally wipes off.     

Agent99, I have no problem with my tats being permanent.  A reminder that I spent 6-1/2 weeks killing cancer and I was glad to have it available.  And they are not noticeable either.

Hey  Gilsemt ,  Im 20/33 my skin is doing well like you ,I do have some itching that stared this week. Dr is pleased with my skin. I do have some fatigue but it's strange it comes in waves  one min I feel great then an hour later I need to take a nap  not complaining  from what I have read on here it could be a lot worse. Oh I have a few small little bumps that have appeared  they itch. Use Cardozone cream works great.

Hubemel, mine is at 21st Century Oncology located at St Joe's Oakland (in Pontiac).  Where are you?

PontiacPeggy -- Mine in Lansing looks like Puffin's.  I have mountain scenery though. I would rather have the flowers. I'm not a big fan of snow ;-)

btw, being the newbie here I thought that when I hit "reply" I was actually replying to a specific post, not just the entire thread. This is a bit different than other social forums.   I'm working on getting the hang of it!

Thanks PontiacPeggy!!

Yes, I am thankful for the great resources and people I have encountered on this journey!!!

And I think this diagnosis, caught early, will be the kick in the pants I need to make good health changes for our whole family.

I'm sorry you don't/didn't have any scenery!!! 

Personally I would like my ceiling scenery to be this view from the hammock taken by my friend who lives in Hawaii :-)

They should at least give you a poster.