Fall Rads 2014

Jeanelle -- I told my nurse I was going to use duct tape!! Then she laughed and told me that some of her male patients have used duct tape to stick their tubes to their legs....evidently not thinking about having to take duct tape off hairy legs, lol! And I hope you can sleep as much as you need. I slept all weekend and found I felt much much better.

MarieBernice -- Hopefully you aren't having a reaction. I found out today I was probably allergic to the silvadene. Doc said the redness looked more like a rash than the radiation. The silvadene did hurt when I put it on, but I figured everything is going to sting. I switched to hydrocortisone today and it felt quite a bit better being applied. I'm also using the biafine which is nice and seems to help. But truthfully, for me, the aquaphor is the most soothing. Great idea to keep things in the fridge.

GilesMT and MarieMJ -- Glad you are both feeling better and finding things that work. Great job advocating for your needs!

Hi Jeanelle -

What is a bolus? So obviously it isn't being used with me. I will definitely bring it up with my radiation oncologist tomorrow. I know it seems early on for me to be mentioning side affects etc, that I think I might be experiencing. Everyone's body and system are different though. I know my body and I never had these types of complaints or feelings before and it is only on the side that the cancer was on. Hope everyone else continues to do well.

MarieBernice6234

MarieBernice - I think that is how you spell it. They put it on me every other day.

I've just been using the aquaphor every day and while my skin looks a little pinkish in places and can feel warm at times, it's doing well according to my doc. I haven't had any real fatigue yet, but I'm just about half way through.

So today was my 21 out of 30 treatments. My RO decided that I need a break because of how red and raw the skin under my breast is. I won't go back until Monday and now have silvedine cream to put on the bad area. It did provide a big relief when I put it on tonight. Luckily they will be open the Sunday before Thanksgiving so my last day will be that Wednesday.

Jeanelle, I'm so sorry you having discomfort. Hope you better soon.

Blownaway I use auquphor and cordizone cream together and it seems to help.

Ok everyone tomorrow is my LAST!!! Radiation treatment. all of you will probably hear me ring the bell I will be ringing it loud.Then my lunch with several friends and margaritas. Whoo Hoo!

Susug - Congrats on finishing! I'll listen for the bell! It hurts a little but actually since the blister broke, it doesn't feel as bad. The silvadene cream seems to be helping. Just need to hope it heals up enough by Monday to continue the treatments and not wait anymore. I do not want to be doing this into December!

Susug, Ring that bell loud and long! Your sister is right there beside you and has been all along. HUGS!!!

Hi all,

Just stopping in to let you know I had my last rad today! Total was 26 rads plus 8 boosts. No bell to ring, they just gave me a certificate of completion. Plus I got a few hugs from my favorite techs. They were awesome! Glad to report the emu oil worked out great. I have some pink skin with a little redness in the area that received boosts. No sores or blisters or peeling. I get a little itchy in my underarm on occasion, so my RO told me to buy Benadryl cream at the grocery store. I have only used it a few times, but it works great.

Saw my MO today after rads. My blood work was great. Also had my port flushed. The only SE that is still hanging on besides eye problems is my neuropathy. He suggested I try acupuncture. He has had a few patients improve with it. But as always, he reminded me we are all different, and as such, respond differently to treatments. I am eleven weeks PFC. I am now scheduled for visits every 3 months!

Hope you are all doing well, lilyrose

Had my one month post-rad visit with my RO today. It looks like we will be BFFs since, after all the visits this year, I will see him yearly forever. I do like him. I asked about the discoloration I still have on my nipple (the rest is fading and was never very dark to begin with). He said that that will keep fading for a year. And what I have left of the discoloration at the end of a year will probably be with me for the rest of my life. No problem with that but I was surprised. I guess I thought it would go away like a tan does. I like that each of my oncs keeps poking and prodding to make sure everything is good and cancer -free. Works very well for me.

LilyRose, I also got a certificate and many tears on my part hugging the techs. I am lucky to have such a great team. Yeah for being done!!!

No, Puffin, I haven't had that at all. I use Chrome. Which browser are you using? I'd be annoyed, too.

congrads susug and lillyrose, I was to be done today but it will be Friday for me. No bell to ring, just like chemo no nothing, guess I live in the poor section and they can't afford a bell around here. Anyway, I just want to run and never look back. I don't ever want to see them again just like my Cancer team, I just wants Om forget this years. mAybe they should haven a frying pan, it men hard and maybe in ill forgets the last nine months.

Anyway moving on, now that we are done, can we go on a cruise, celebrat our birthday and get married. That is what I am planning to do exactly one month after I finish Friday. Won't ask permission, I am just going to do it.

Lillyrose - Congrats on finishing! We don't have a bell here either. We get a certificate and also put our handprint up on the wall which will eventually be framed and put in the hospital somewhere.

This break is sort of weird. I'm sore and the siladene may be working but hard to tell. My skin is sloughing off now. On the bright side, my rash has cleared up a bit. I did work a normal schedule yesterday and went home and made dinner. I felt almost normal!

I really want to start back up on Monday so I can get this over. So close yet so far away.

Vikingqueen - I had cording and have had it before with other surgeries. I know it sounds crazy but I've worked at breaking the tissue myself each time I've had it after a surgery (always breast surgeries). The first time I had implants placed 15 years ago, I developed cording down my rib cage. I remember soaking in a hot tub and using both hands to stretch my skin apart long ways (same direction as the cording was growing). When one breaks, it makes a snapping sound. I know it sounds gross but it really doesn't hurt.  After my lumpectomy/lymph node surgery, I developed cording down the inside of my arm and have managed to get two good snaps but I can still fill and very thin cord that I can't manage to break but it's not hurting me or limiting flexibility. Hope this helps, but your doctor can send you to PT for them to massage and hopefully stretch or break up the cording.

Puffin, that's so strange. No thoughts on getting rid of it

IM DONE!!!!!!!!😊😊😊😊😊😊 Happy! Happy! Happy