Winter rads 2014-2015

Hi Lorrilynne - This whole thing adds a lot of stress to life.  It changes things.  It sounds as if you had a busy full life before all this started.  Now you have added a hugely emotional and physically demanding element.  If it were happening to a dear friend, you would be understanding and supportive because of what she is going through.  Sometimes we expect things of ourselves that we would never expect of someone else in the same situation.  Anyone around whom you can take off the "game face" mask?   That can make a gal tired too!  If not, let it go right here.  We'll listen....and understand.  Personally, I find an occasional whine quite therapeutic.

Welcome to the Winter Rads group.  I'm sorry you have to be here, but you can be confident that you are definitely not alone.

Wow Coyote, we have grown. Thanks for keeping us updated.

Lorrilynne, Welcome to Winter Rads. I start #24 on Monday and I can't say there has been any pain. I do get "zingers" for lack of a better term. Kind of a sharp twinge, electrical shock thing, that lasts a second or two then stops. I found drinking a lot of water seems to temper them a bit.

It's cold and damp here today. Good afternoon for watching Rosemary and Thyme.

Thanks Beachlady. I should try that. I have been so happy to see Fridays come 'cause I slap on my Suave in the car after the last rad of the week. With luck I'll only have 2 more weeks of this adventure. Onward and all that.

hi coyote! My start date is 12/29 right now for winter rads. May change if i a, too sore from bmx, but for now it is the start date.

As to BO, i find it ironic that before BC dx, my pits sweated and stunk , no matter how much or which type of dedorant i tried. After tx, i switched to non aluminum, and within a few weeks i quit sweating so much, but when i did, no odor. Maybe it is chemo? I am sure the rad techs smell all kinda bo

Wish me luck ladies...start 1st rad tomorrow. Here's hoping that I don't have any issues with it!!!

Good luck to all who are starting soon. I go in for my sim on Friday and start next Monday. I can't make myself think about it too much or the terror starts bubbling up. My MO won't write me a script for Ativan because of the sleep meds I take and says I have to go to my Neurologist to get those. Huh? I don't have an appt with him until March and trying to get that message through his office people is going to be next to impossible. Guess I'll just deal with the panic under the surface!

I saw my MO on Friday. The lesions found on the PET Scan were the subject of the day - she had me go get some x-rays and if they don't tell us some things then a biopsy is next. Not what I wanted to hear. And, of course, having to wait all weekend (and probably not hearing from her until late tomorrow) for news about the x-rays has not been fun.

I've been doing this fight for 9 years now. I'm tired. I'm actually thinking about doing as my PCP has wanted me to do for years which is to attempt to go out on disability. It's very scary tho, because I would have to quit my job and live on nothing for months until they made a decision. There is no other income other than mine. My MO says she can word it so that it's very convincing but I'm a skeptic and just don't know whether to believe this or not. Sure would be nice to work one job instead of two. (Well, two instead of three if you count the house/son/pets, lol!)

I never thought I would be one of those people but I think I'm getting there.

Justjean: My MO gave me a prescription for Ativan no questions asked. He know I was anxious and wanted to do anything he could to relieve it. Tell your MO you will stop your sleeping meds and just take the Ativan. You are sleeping poorly. Are you on anti anti depression meds? Maybe that was why.

I start radiation on Dec10th not tomorrow. Last chemo tomorrow. Boy,that would be a busy day. Chemo than radiation. I go to simulation on Thursday. I DO not care how bad I feel from chemo I am dragging myself to simluation. It is only 5 minute drive from my house.

As for DO.Nobody mentioned that to me after my lumpectomy. I use Toms anyway. Yeap wanted to stay healthy. No aluminum. Did not want to get Alzheimers. No red meat. Exercised for 35 years 5 days a week.No soda,no smoking. Super healthy. Did not want to get cancer. HAHA Yeah right.!! That did not work. I will stay with same life style as this is my norm. DOES not prevent cancer.

Thanks, all. The problem is that I have a long-time (20 years?) diagnosed sleep disorder and take meds at night to go to sleep. I have no trouble sleeping with the meds. I have trouble during the day any time I think about what is going on - the panic is always right under the surface, as are the tears and frustrations and all the things that you all know about. So the MO says that she can't write for anything because of that med and that I should take part of my sleep meds during the day (like about 1/4 of what I use at night) to get through this. But if I did that I would run out of meds for the sleep disorder! So she says that I would have to get my Neurologist to write the script for the increased amount. Huh? Why can't she just write me a few extra pills so I can get through the next few weeks? Very frustrating. I see her point, but, sheesh...

Justjean -sure hope you can get something to help you. Dealing with all of this is so stressful. I can't imagine fighting for 9 years, but please know you are an inspiration and I pray for strength for you. The docs need to understand what it is like and I hope they will give you something to help you through

I just finished number 18 and I have quite a burn starting under my breast. It is starting to open too. No more bras as much as possible which is difficult for a very well endowed girl like me! The techs said this is where you get burned first because of the crease and to expect it to get worse. Yay! I see the RO tomorrow. I have my SIM for my boosts even though they're over ten days away. We will discuss strategies for the burn then , for now lots of calendula and 100% aloe I guess. The fatigue is the same I'm just tired of the long drive. Had a great thanksgiving with my man and my oldest daughter. I miss my youngest but she comes home on the 8th of January from her semester in Germany. I can't wait! The end of this is near and its a good thing as I'm having more episodes of poor me! I hope everyone had a great weekend! I don't know what I'd do without all of you! It's the one place I don't have to put on a good face.

I still don't have a start date.... but I finally have an appointment for my planning CT scan- Dec. 4.

I enjoy reading everyone's helpful comments, but wonder whether my chemo brain will remember anything.

So sorry, Coyote. Thinking of you

Coyote, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's step mother. Such a shock for them all and for you, too. I'm glad you are half way through and doing well.

Eileen, you are moving right along. I hope for minimal side effects for you and then an easy road through Rads!

Labelle, good luck with your decision!

Justjean, keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

I got the okay and started radiation yesterday.  I still have a seroma in my breast which is pretty sore but my BS and RO seemed to think I'll be okay getting radiation.  I never got direction about stopping DO after lumpectomy either.  AND, they told me I could continue using it during radiation.  Anyone else who didn't get told to stop using it when starting rads? The skin care instructions have been pretty minimal so far - to switch to using Dove sensitive skin soap for showers, start using the Natural Care aloe vera lotion they gave me in a few days, and apply cornstarch under the breast to keep the area dry. I'm happy with my RO, the nurses have been wonderful, and all of the techs are female.  They have all made things very comfortable so far so I consider myself lucky. Once I got in position on the table yesterday and the techs left the room and told me not to move I started to tear up thinking about what was happening. Then I just hoped the couple of tears that fell down both sides of my face would dry before the techs came back! Of course rads did not come as a big surprise but it just got so real when I was on that table. One down and 29 more to go.  And just like during chemo, I am counting down again.

Hugs to all.  Thinking of all of you and hoping side effects improve for those who are struggling with severe skin issues.

Sandy

Hi Sandy, I also got a little teary my first couple of times. I finished #10 today and that aspect of it has gotten easier.

I think we all have our "poor me" moments. I don't think it would be normal if we never did. As long as they go away and we have our more "normal" days it is fine. Of course, my "normal' days now are not what they used to be. Hopefully when treatments are done, hair grows back and reconstruction is done, I will again have my new normal!

I have been doing pretty good. My skin is starting to get a little pink. It is very tender under my "breastlet" (what I call my mastectomy with tissue expander that is much smaller than my other breast). I am also tender under my arm and it is starting to hurt when I raise my arm which was not a problem before surgery. I saw my RO today and she is happy with how things look. I am also having joint/bone pain. Don't know if that is leftover from chemo or if it could be related to radiation. On a positive note, I have had a little more energy lately. I think chemo is washing out of my system and fatigue hasn't hit from the radiation. It was perfect timing so I could enjoy my two college kids who were home last week. Lets see how long the energy lasts!

I had my weekly meeting with my RO today. Things are going well, although the skin irritation is becoming bothersome,especially under my arm, and I think the sleepies are finally hitting me. I have 3 more regular treatments, then 5 boosts. I should be done with this nonsense next Friday.

Coyote: I'm sorry about your friends step-mom.

Hugs to all.