Winter rads 2014-2015

It's nice to see so many of you who are closing in on the end. Congratulations.

Hey ladies, thanks for all the support, you rock . The simulation went fine, I was surprised that the tattoos kinda hurt. They were so small.

I start treatment in 2 weeks, the will call to let me know the date and time close to my start. The nurse said the recommend going bra less during rads. My D cups can't be jigging around at work. LOOL, so looking for sports bra

welcome Shelleym! Yes this is the right thread, I also start this month. You will find some great info from the ladies on this thread

Hi, Shelley. Good to see you here! I start rads tomorrow, had my set-up today. How many treatments will you have?

Here's what was funny about my set-up today, but "funny" in quotes: what's bothering me most is an arthritic right shoulder I forgot I had, with both arms overhead, locked in place by my "cradle" that was made for me. It's on the opposite side from my BC, and also NOT the shoulder that has a complete separation of the A/C joint from a riding accident years ago. Go figure. Ugh. Looks like I'll have to take NSAIDS to get through this. Luckily, the treatment time is very short, and I only have 19 treatments. "Only."

Techs were lovely and everything was smooth. Tomorrow after my first treatment, I meet with my RO.

wheelygirl - no I am in Pennsylvania. My RO says she has been using the Canadian protocol. ( for lack of a better title) for several years. Finished day 2 today!

I anguished over the choice of 3 1\2 weeks versus 6 1\2 weeks....finally decided on 3 1\2 and the song playing during my very first treatment ...Beatle's "let it be"...it felt like such a God moment for me. Had a little tear sliding down my cheek and I couldn't move, which gave me a little chuckle!.

After this week of trying to " decide" I almost feel like in addition to being a treatment survivor I will be a decision maker survivor!

Keep on slathering those breasts!

cbooklvr and kayfry-- I got some really cheap, but stretchy crop tank tops that I'm wearing under my soft sports bra after I've slathered on the Aquaphor. I'm also trying to work and my treatments are at 8:00 a.m., so I go there half dressed, get treated, and then put on the Aquaphor, tank top, bra, blouse and blazer and off to work. It's working so far and am keeping fingers crossed that it will continue to work. I'm a quarter of the way done tomorrow!

Thanks for being so welcoming for all of us March girls.

Ok Ladies I need a lifeline - I thought I was going to be done with 28 rads on Thursday, but the RO today added 5 boosts to the tumor bed because my skin is looking so good. Define good please! I look like a hot mess rash on my chest and the back of my shoulder. My scar is turning dark red and all puffy and puckered, and the armpit will probably peel off tomorrow. I do not want to know what bad looks like. My arm is very tight also so I have to slowly exercise it to gain range of motion. 7 more to go. Grrr........hating this. On the plus side, I can drink since I am done with chemo. I'm pretty sure the RO said I could drink, oh maybe she meant water. Too Late!

Hi everyone, hope you all are doing great under the circumstances. I start my boosts tomorrow, can't believe how fast it past. I'm pretty tanned, look reddish brown, crispy. mainly around my breast and towards my clavicle. the nurse told me today that i could get worse before i get better, as its cumulative, but that overall i look like what they expect to see after 25 treatments.

i will miss my rads techs. I worked so hard during this time (70-80 hour weeks) that going to rads was like taking a break, and the techs made it great. I would like to do something for them but have not been able to figure out yet. What I really want is to take the whole crew for drinks when done but that may be just a bit inappropriate given that I am not supposed to really drink If you have recommendations let me know please

I am wondering when we lumpectomy girls will see the shape/size/texture differences. My BS was saying it takes about a year to settle in. Next comes tamoxifen, another step i dread...

Beachbum-I wondered what bad skin looked like too.  

My skin is red/brown and has areas that are peeling off with new pink areas-? new skin underneath.  My RO said my skin looked good even with the few peeling areas and she pulled up a picture of what looked bad which was a complete open area over the entire radiated area.  She said with the bolus that is a common happening.  She also told me why she thinks some ROs might say no lotions-seems the lotion if on too thick can act as a bolus and make the skin reaction worse.  I can't wait for the end of next week and radiation to be done!

Beachbum1023, that totally sucks! Sorry they "added" to your total. I can imagine how frustrated and angry you must feel.

I'm walking this with you. Be strong sister, you've been through so much, you can do a few more. 💪

Geezz, almost forgot.... raising my virtual cocktail to toast the killing of all those cancer cells! Cheers Beachbum1023! 🍷

Just for information - the "Csnadian" protocol is the standard drill at the leading cancer hospital where I was treated here in the UK as far as I could gather. I was fortunate to have only 3 weeks rads and despite the higher daily dosage had no bad ses. Nothing to do with distance. Sorry for you all having to do the longer time rads but who knows what the ins and outs are - you could ask your ROs.

Anyway hang in there and best wishes for a happy return to 'normality'.

I'm cracking up reading some of your posts, and tearing up at some as well. I started my radiation this week. I've done rads before for cervical cancer and that was a nightmare because it affects surrounding organs. (Think diarrhea from hell.) I made it through that without so much as a sunburn though. Strange.

I'm concerned about the skin problems that nearly everyone seems to have and the whole bra issue. Your suggestions are invaluable. I too am one of those D cup folks, actually after the lumpectomy one D and one DD. I am also 62 years old, and after carrying those girls around for the last 50 years, gravity has taken its toll and going braless is simply not an option, especially since I'm still working full time. I've been wondering what I was going to do if my skin gets bad, and I've got some great ideas here. So thanks, ladies.

Sybilskelton, I am a DD also, and 64 years old, so I understand the need for support. The nurse at radiation told me that what I wore was up to me. I wore ( and am still wearing) the stretchy multi size bras....when skin got tender I wore a cotton tank next to my skin and the stretchy bra on top. Usually I was actually most comfortable that way. No real movement of the skin when it was supported. I was instructed to use Aquaphor twice a day and I did not miss! I gloppedthat stuff on. There are several shirts (and pjs) that it seeped onto and they are now yard work shirts:) the 7 boosts at the end were the hardest on my skin, but it is improving every day. I had my last treatment 6 days ago.

The days look long when you start several weeks of treatment, but it goes by more quickly than you expect.

To Bippy625: