Spring 2015 Radiation Sisters

Jean -- yes, we can do this! Today will end my second week.

Happy bra shopping, ladies! Not my favorite kind of shopping, but sometimes necessary.

I got a question- just finished my 3rd rads today, 7 more to go. Any suggestions to combat the nausea. I get it abput 5-6 hours after treatment and dont feel like eating anything. I don't vomit just feel like I almost need to vomit but just can't, if this makes sense.

Kathy

Hi everyone. My first time posting so i hope i am in the right place. I just finished my whole breast rads i have a total of 34. They told me to go back Tuesday to start on the last 8 to the tumor bed. for all those who are just starting- we can do this. I want to ask those who finished. Does it get worst when they do the boosts? hugs to all my new sisters.

You have everything left that's important,  Those other things were just accessories!

I bet this will be tolerable for you also.  Of course it always depends on the humans delivering the "cure."  Luckily, my humans are humane.  I pray you also have that same experience and things go Well!

Sincerely,

Kathy

One week down today!!!! Go me, teehee. Five more to go. Tired and a little stingy but that may still be from the ALND surgery last month. I feel like we are in a race together where we will all be winners. Love, Jean

Jesika, I had 23 regular rads and then 4 boosts, and so far the boosts haven't created any SEs that seem worse. My RO put my regular rads on hold to give my armpit skin a chance to settle down and heal a bit. Monday we'll go back to regular rads I think. I have 5 of those left plus 3 more boosts. My routine continues to be calendula cream right after treatment, aloe vera another 2-4 times a day, aquaphor at night and cold compresses when I can lie around that exposed to do it.

Jean--Glad to hear you conquered your first week.

Katluck--I know what you mean about looking forward to being normal again.

I was getting pretty cooked for a while. But my homemade cream has turned out to be a winner. Things are going pretty good for now. I was definitely more tired today. I haven't been sleeping much. I have 9 sessions left. Can't believe I'm getting close to done.

Hi everyone. I had simulation on Monday and started hypofractionated radiation on Tuesday. I am already turning red. Was not expecting this so soon. Three weeks to go....

MombieZombie, what is your homemade cream made up of?

Jesika, glad things are going well for you.

BC2015, I haven't even tried shopping for real bras or anything like that yet. I got some Coobies that are pretty comfortable to use after surgery, and I wear them now too, or else a cotton cami with a shelf bra. I'm only an A cup, and only on one side these days, so I don't need much.

shelleym, you can do it! Take it one day at a time.

Jean, I'm sorry you're feeling sick and having to deal with C and D issues on top of everything else. That is just not fair.

Hi ladies. 

 Finished chemo and set to start 30 rads on the 31st. 25 and 5 boosts. Nervous about starting just because every time I think it's going to go a certain way (during this whole trip) things take a different path.

Here's hoping to uneventful rads for us all. I'll keep you posted.

Janine 

Hello Spring Rad Sisters, Simulation done last week... have my red sharpie marks with clear stickers... passed on the tattoos even though they are tiny. Will have my dry run 3/25 and first actual treatment will be 3/26. Looking forward to getting it done! Armed with calendula, pure aloe and Aquaphor. Let's do this!

Hi all, welcome to anyone new--Janiner, Shelleym1, Jesika, Shelly74, Rekidal, BC2015--hope I didn't miss anyone. Welcome, welcome! Good luck to you all as you begin.

I have 9 sessions left. I'm on the down hill slide, though I think the hard part is yet to come. I talked to my friend who has 2 sessions left so I learned what to expect.

Rekidal--I had 33 treatments in my plan too. What's "canadian protocol?" Nope, no treatment laying on tummy for me, but I have read about it on the net. It's supposed to be safer, especially for left-side treatment. I have wondered about it since that's my treatment side.

Jean, sorry to hear you've been having more ups and downs.

DaisyQ--Yay for one week down! I'm on Herceptin too. It causes me horrible bone a joint pain. And some nausea in the first three days, but nothing else. Sorry you are having gut troubles.

Cassiecat--homemade cream has the following: coconut oil, sweet almond oil, emu oil, calendula oil, 100% aloe vera. I am going to try adding an essential oil from Young Living tomorrow or Monday. It's called Panaway. And when my rads are done I'll also be adding Vitamin E oil.

Today I was walking behind my mom as we were leaving a building with a group of friends. I wasn't paying attention and didn't notice she had paused. I ran right smack into her shoulder (she's petite) with my radiated side. Thought I was going to throw up it hurt so bad and it caught me by surprise. Still hurts. My cream calmed things down a bit, but it's not designed to fix this. Going to be a long night.

Mombie,

Yay on the downhill slide on the rads. You say the worst is yet to come from your friend who has two sessions left. Can you give me some clues on what to expect on the slide down the rads hill from your friend. I was secheduled for 10 sessions and have done 3 so far, 7 sessions to go and just have nausea so far.

Kathy

neogirl--My friend did fine until she got near the end of her boosts. Then she reported that her pain had increased to a serious level--talked about a type of nasty burning sensation that was different from the feel of the radiation burns. She also said that her skin had started falling off in chunks. She was being prescribed special creams that she didn't need before and had to see the doc two days in a row. I am waiting to see what she says on Monday. You and I should both remember that everyone is different in how they react to rads. My friend's difficulty scared me a little because I have already had a lot more skin trouble and pain than she reported.

Jean--So sad that your troubles continue. You continue to be in my prayers along with all here. Keep drinking liquids. You know that dairy is bad when you have had diarrhea for a long time? Mentioning that just in case. Take care.

shelleym1--I'm sorry the treatments hurt your neck. I'm on my back and have arthritis in my shoulders. My shoulders hurt and burn and then go numb when I'm in treatment. Sometimes my left shoulder shakes and I can't make it stop. You might want to consider oncology massage if you have access to that. That's something I'm doing and it helps. My dh is going to go to my next appointment so he can watch and learn what my massage therapist does. (we have a massage table)

Questions--(1) Is anyone getting irritation in the throat? I'm starting to have trouble swallowing certain things and I cough a lot because of a constant tickle now. (2) Is anyone experiencing pain in the ear on the side of treatment? I am. I brought it up with my RO. I know they are concerned but they don't think it's the rads. It got worse again after my Friday session. Going to bring it up at my next doc visit.

rekidal--If you are having second thoughts still, let your RO know. My planning session was so painful to my shoulder that I had doubts too and I was told there was nothing I could do to fix the problem. I told my RO and she made the dosimetrist have me come back for a second planning session to adjust my position. Since my tattoos were already placed, there were things we couldn't do, but there were able to improve the situation some. Not perfect, but it helped. If you aren't already, be vocal through everything. Luck to you.