Winter rads 2014-2015

Well, I've made it through 15/30 rads now without too many SEs, mostly starting to get red and very freckled in the treatment area.

ckr1956 - I've worked full time all through chemo (with a day off here and there) and also through rads. After two weeks or so of rads, I starting feeling fatigued around 5pm, so at least it was at the end of the work day. Still, not as bad as the chemo fatigue.

JeniferE - I'm doing the breath hold, and while I despise it, I got used to it after a week or so. My center uses the SDX Spirometric Motion Management System (you can google it), so I have a tube in my mouth, clip on my nose and goggles on - not fun for the claustrophobic. Luckily, I found out I won't need to use it for my 7 boosts.

So the spots are getting ready to peel and I will need to use Silvadene. I have had a little reaction to a sulphur based pill in the past so I need to test a bit on some unzapped skin first. I do remember people here who have finished saying the Silvadene worked well.

linzer Thanks for taking the time for an update and for your encouragement. I think we started the same day but I have 33 treatments so will be longer finishing. Hope all goes smoothly with the Herceptin.

ckr1956, welcome to the family! And a big hello to others I have not had the pleasure to meet yet.

I am almost done. And, as the resident (and very vocal) griper/moaner/complainer, I will not apologize (not that anyone is asking me to, lol) for not having a positive attitude. We all get through this in our own way. The only thing I am positive of is that I've been battling this for nine years and 5 occurrences and I'm really tired of the fight.

I have 2 rads left of 30. It has been a terrible thing for me to go through and I have not handled it well. It seems like I have been doing it forever, and even though I "only" have two days left, it seems like it will never end. I'm very grateful that most people don't have this happen to them and that the time flies.

I will not ring that bell, and if they try to hand me a certificate I will not take it from their hands. I only want to get out of that terrible place just as fast as my fatigued ass can carry me. I hope that I will never have to go down there again.

I am terribly burned in my underarm area. It hurts very much to do the exercises that the PT has given me, but I do them anyway. I cream and cream and cream the area and I'm sure that it will be fine eventually. The RO gave me some lidocaine cream. Doesn't help. She looked at it today and told me to call her if it starts peeling or doing something other than what it's done. Apparently it's on the verge of doing so.

Coyote, would you please put a finished pic by my name any time after Wednesday? I should be done at just about exactly 1:53PM ET. Not that I'm counting or anything. Heh.

BTW, since we were sharing some pics (awesome work, all!) here is a little something I made for my sister for Christmas. It was my very first quilt, of any shape or size, and I hadn't touched a sewing machine in over 30 years. I was pretty pleased with it! (note - binding was not hand sewn at this point, so it wasn't quite finished)

that quilt is unreal!

I am very emotional today, had my sim. Tomorrow it gets real. I have had many, many, blistering sunburns as a native floridian. Have not had one voluntarily in over 30 years though. Ha! So funny that I was worried about melanoma! Thanks Eileen and everyone for tellin me not to worry. I just cannot believe tx is nearly over. Chemo was a horror, I just cannot believe rads will not be.

I am planning a cancer killed party, and a friend of mine will be here from Maine for it. Bonfire time! Going to burn arm bracelets from chemo, rx bottles, medication fyi sheets, etc. anything that makes me sad, mad or that I don't need now. We have a very large backyard, so it will be nice to have a gathering there. All my pals that have never met will be together for the first time.....

Anyway, blessings to all and also, health

JustJean, The quilt is beautiful. Amazing talent. My MiL made a quilt for my DH and I when we got married. Later, she made us a Christmas tree skirt.

Bippy, For me, the sim was the worst part. I hated it.... and everything about it. The actual rads treatment is easy in comparison. I loved the beach and the sun so much when I was younger, that I got sun poisoning! Well, I'm 3 weeks into rads and my skin is slightly red, except for under my arm and under my breast. Those areas a bit redder because they receive more radiation.... and the underside snuggles against my body... ugh!

I'm tired, too. I fall asleep on the couch everyday.... even with the kids running around!

ckr1956 - I worked thru both chemo and rads.  Rads was by far the easiest to do.  I did rads on my lunch hour every day.  I know 6 weeks seems like a long time, but it really does go by fast. 

JustJean - Your quilt is absolutely beautiful!!!! 

Bippy - I want to join your party!!!

Poppy -  I had the bad burns under my arm and under my booblet.  I had a piece of old foam and covered it and pinned it to my bra to create a barrier so my skin didn't touch my bra.  That seemed to help, but it was certainly an ugly "fashion statement".  It also made one of my foobs stand out more than the other, but at least I didn't hurt anymore.

kpmacmill, thank you for the name of the device you use to help with breath holding. I will look it up. My radiation center does not seem as up to date with regard to techniques and equipment. They have only one rads machine, the other is down and is in the process of being replaced. This is the center where I had chemo and will receive herceptin til summer, so I am inclined to stay there. I do have other options, though. May consider this...

2 more to go! it will be 30 in total... just wow. Can't believe it!

I will be celebrating inside myself.. and my daughter has been listening (shes 12) so shes at least going to acknowledge it!

CoyoteNV:you can put me on the calendar. I am starting rads Thursday January 22. Should be 16 treatments so I am looking forward to celebrating on Valentine's Day!

I had my sim today and it was pretty painless. Anxious to get started so this phase can be completed. I can't tell all of you how much less intimidating this has been with your help, suggestions and support. Just knowing what to expect calms some of the fears.

Speaking of fear, I was reading a wonderful murder mystery by Loiuse Penney a couple days ago and this quote spoke to me:

'Fear lives in the head and courage lives in the heart. The job is to get from one to the other. And between the two is the lump in the throat.'

Thanks for giving me courage.

Cavalier I love the Three Pines/Gamache mysteries and have read them all. Full of great quotes and yours is very apropos.

Thanks for the compliments on the quilt, all. It took me months to make that thing, working in between my two jobs. It turned out so well that several local quilters urged me to enter in the biggest quilt show in the area, and I have! The show opens on Valentine's Day and I hope all my friends go and see it hanging there with some of the best quilters in the area.

Beachbum - Sheffield Lake? Eastlake here, definitely in the snow belt! Small world!!!

Coyote, I'm sorry to hear about your ribs. I had not heard of that particular side effect.

Tomorrow, about 45 minutes after MY LAST RAD, I go to see my MO, to talk of where we are and where we go from here. Stay tuned...

Yikes - It's the Kathy Ireland Seamless Ultimate Comfort Bra.  They are sold on Amazon.  I bought them extra large so they would bind in any way.  Because I really didn't have much of a skin issue, I don't know how it works for that. With reconstruction, I don't need a supportive bra. I love these.

I worked in my studio today. It is so relaxing there.  My horse stares at me when I'm working at the bench in front of the window.  It's like he's mind melding and saying, "Bring me a carrot."  I actually took a nap on the couch in the front room.  Two cats slept on top of me until they got cross with each other and woke me up. They get jealous about who is closer to my head. The farther one started "touching" the closer one and pretty soon there were little rumbles that definitely were not purrs.  This is the first time I've had multiple cats and they really are like children in many ways. 

Cavalier - Got it.  I'm sure you are glad to finally get this going.  You just can't be finished until you start.  I hope it is easy for you.

Hi JustJean, Hey neighbor! More snow on the way, but on the West side winter has been so easy compared to last year's polar vortex. Great news on the quilt, it is beautiful. And the end of rads, a good day for sure. I hope you get some good news from the MO. I saw my Neurologist today to figure out what to do with my peripheral neuropathy, thank you Taxol! So more meds, three times a day. Nice I can mix them in with my heart meds, thank you Adriamycin. And all the supplements, to grow hair, fix nails, and increase my Vitamin D. Drug Mart loves me, a frequent flyer there with all the meds. I start rads next week and my Oncologist wants me back in chemo, thank you Stage IV. I get it. And I forgot to get the Aloe Gel for rads, so back to Drug Mart!! Oh geez, this is exhausting......

Where is the quilt show?

Hooray to HockeyCat and JustJean.  I'm really happy for you that rads are now finished.  The smiles are all set.