Summer 2015 Rads
I've been following the Spring Rads and learned so much from this giving group. Many have graduated with more finishing every day. So I felt it was time to start the next group. I have my simulation on Monday, May 11th. Please join me and share your experiences and suggestions as we go through this in the heat of summer.
Comments
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I have my lumpectomy on 5/23 and will be entering radiation a month later.... Good luck!
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Hi, Midgiemoon, I'm sorry you will be joining me, but I'm sure you will learn a great deal from these wonderful women and men here at BCO.
I'm sure you can not wait to have your lumpectomy and get this process rolling. My lumpy and follow-up 2nd lumpectomy for clear margins were the easy part of this journey. The waiting for test results were the hardest.
Be sure to drop by the Lumpectomy Lounge. Peggy and many others are so helpful with their comforting ways, and knowledge. I'll be here whenever you are ready. Best of luck, and gentle hugs, Becky.
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I started radiation treatment Wednesday May 6th. So far going ok but I'm seeking feedback on best products for skin protection and healing. My treating facility gave me samples of Udderly smooth cream, which I used through Chemo, Aquaphor and Miaderm. I've also seen recommendations for Aloe Vera and calendula cream and.got both. So far mostly using Aloe Vera but wondering if I should alternate through the day or use calendula with Aloe Vera and/or other items. I am brushing with cornstartch to keep areas that get damp from sweating dry to prevent itching.
Any feedback or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
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Sweet Hope, good luck with your simulation Monday!
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Thank you, Liwi. The products you listed have all been helpful (from what I have read). Just make sure none of them contain alcohol which would dry out your skin. I'm preparing a sock full of cornstarch to pat the girls underneath...this southern heat and humidity has already started.
One tip that I found fascinating is to scratch your leg if your breast gets itchy. It keeps you from breaking the tender skin and the brain is fooled into being satisfied.
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Happy Mother's Day!
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I started radiation on April 23 and have completed 11 of the 25 TX. My RO told me not to put anything on the TX area during radiation days. Apparently the moisturizer can cause the radiation to stay closer to the skin surface and therefore cause more skin irritation as a result. This seems contrary to what I have read here but I decided to follow her advice. She did say starting on Friday after radiation to mid-day Sunday to put a thin layer of moisturizer on the area over and over again. She didn't recommend any particular brand but stressed it should be perfume free. So far, I am doing pretty good. I see some darkening in the skin in that area and it is a bit tighter too but not red yet.
Wendy
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Wendy, Hi! Thanks for the info. That makes a lot of sense that the moisturizer might keep the radiation from penetrating deeper. I, also had not heard of using perfume free brands.
Hope your skin stays healthy. Only 14 to go! XOXO
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Hi - I am finishing chemo in 2 weeks and will start rads in June. For those of you who had chemo first, how long did you have to wait after chemo before starting rads? I want to get this show on the road.
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Molly, Today is Day 20 PFC and I am going for my simulation this afternoon.
Congrats on finishing chemo in two weeks. I followed your group and read that you had a reaction to Taxol, but you were able to continue with some extra meds. That is quite an accomplishment!
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Oh, my reaction was very minor! And after that first one I never had it again. The nurses acted like it was pretty common!
Day 20 PFC sounds AWESOME!! Is your hair starting to grow back yet?
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I was told radiation cannot be done sooner than 3 weeks PFC. I finished chemo unexpectantly on March 25 (couldn't complete my 6th and final one due to complications). They bumped up the radiation which ended up being 4 weeks PFC. I'm now 1/2 way through 25 treatments and it is going pretty well
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Molly, I have pure white fuzzies about 1/8 inch long. I am taking Biotin and a multi vitamin daily. But my eyelashes and brows are still falling out!
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Thought I'd say hello and start learning about radiation. I'm not due to finish chemo till June 5th, but I have my simulation scheduled for 6/16. No appointment for the actual beginning of treatment yet, but I would imagine it would be the next week. Molly- My MO had been telling me that radiation would start 6 weeks after final chemo, but my RO told me he preferred to start anywhere between 2-4 weeks after chemo depending on white counts and how I'm feeling. He thought 6 weeks was a real outside number. So glad I had an appointment with him before I finalized all my summer plans!
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I have an appointment with the RO on May 28th, the day after my final chemo. Are most of you starting with hormone therapy before/at the same time as rads, or waiting until after? It seems like my MO is wanting me to wait until after radiation is finished.
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I finally have my start date...next Wednesday, May 20. I am happy that I was approved for IMRT since I am a leftie.
Molly, my MO won't start hormone therapy until I am finished with rads. She wants to know that any SE's are not from Rads, and visa versa.
Have a great weekend everyone.
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I am starting rads on Monday, May 18th. They are doing three fields with 12 sub fields. Doesn't sound like it's going to be particularly easy. They started me on hormone therapy May 1st and didn't seem concerned that the side effects would be indistinguishable from each other
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I also started tamoxifen a week before I started radiation. My MO said some people like to finish radiation first but she saw no reason to delay starting hormone therapy. My main SE from Rads is fatigue, from tamoxifen is hot flashes and night sweats and I believe I am still dealing with fluid retention from chemo. I wish I had a better idea of the duration for the chemo SE's as a few of them are hanging in there I think. I have had 16 Rad TXsand I'm starting to see some skin changes now. It is getting pinker plus it feels a little tight. 9 to go!
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Greetings. I'll finish out one more round of chemo in 3 weeks (I hope), then get my port out and start radiation in early July, I think. Not sure when we'll do the simulation. I'm having more and more dermatitis from adhesives, so I may do a trial run with their marker and products on the non-rad side this month in early June to see how I react in the number of days they need to hold those marks before the calibration and tattoos.
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Hi ladies! I finished chemo on 3/10. I had my exchange surgery on 4/15. I start radiation on 5/20. I'm looking forward to getting this done. My MO said I won't begin hormone therapy until after radiation.
So far my RO didn't give me any creams to use. I hope she does once radiation starts
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I had a reaction to adhesives after my MX so we are not using them for radiation at all. I do have to be very careful not to wipe it off. It is really only a concern over the weekend.
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I had my appointment with the RO today. Can you say sensory overload, crimany sakes, I could run down the street screaming. I will have my ct sim on Thursday. Then I guess a start date from there. The lumpectomy seems like small potatoes to this new reality.....whole breast radiation x30....
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Had Lx Friday 5/15. To start Rad. at some point soon. Nothing happens fast here. See BS for post op this Thurs. and hope to get my final grade, stage etc from final pathology. -
I had treatment 9 of 30 today. It feels like time is going fast as compared to chemo. Since mid last week it seems like my breast is a bit swollen and turning morered around the surgical incision areas but it doesn't feel burnt or itchy. I see my RO tomorrow and will ask about it. I am 6 weeks post surgery and wondering if it is related to that rather than radiation.
Has anyone ever tried sun protection clothing? I got a couple of tops to use at a festival I'm going to over the weekend. They are supposed to provide UPF 40 protection. I'll still use sunscreen underneath and hope between the 2 things it is enough.
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Yesterday was my first Rads session and I, thankfully, did not have a meltdown. But I came close. The Tech showed me my cat scan with the overlay of what was to be radiated and it included the top of my lung and half of several ribs. I was under the impression that IMRT would avoid those areas. So I requested a talk with the MO before any tx.
Dr. H explained that those areas were unavoidable and they needed to radiate the chest wall; and the number of grays that the ribs and lung would receive (9.6) were substantially less than what could damage those areas. (Using regular straight beam radiation could lower the grays in that area to 5, but the heart would get radiated and because I had adriamycin, that was unacceptable.) So I feel reassured now, and I am grateful that my rads team took about an hour of extra time with me.
FYI: I found all cotton tank tops in many colors for $2 & $4 at Walmart (regular price). And in their sleepwear section, they had these silky, lightweight 3/4 sleeve tops for $10 to cover the girls nicely, yet very cool for summer. So I now have some good looking, cheap tops that I don't have to worry about ruining with creams, and at the end of rads, I can burn them (like my chemo shirt) in a little celebration.
And at Sams I bought SPF40 long sleeve shirts for $16.
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hi ladies. I will be joining too. I have one more taxol dose dense in two weeks. Cant wait to be done with this phase.Then target rads first week in July. I've been told I will have 33 tx. We put in a pool last year and was planning to be in that a lot this summer. Now im hearing avoid chlorine. that is a big mood buster for me. Maybe I'll just sit on the floaty out of the sun. Was really planning on swimming a lot with no hair to worry about washing after ea swim.
thanks for starting this forum. Look forward to sharing experiences.
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Sweethope - I think that is great that they took the time to explain all that to you. They seem to be very caring. I like your idea of shirt burning after you are done.
I heard somewhere that the amount of radiation we get is a lifetime amount to that area so you have to be very careful of the sun too. I have an area on my back also which was a surprise to me so another spot to watch for well!
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Hello!
I've got my Mapping??? appointment this afternoon. Actual treatments to start sometime in early June-- 7 weeks, daily, full breast.
I just had my LX 2 weeks ago (May 8) and a week before that I just finished 18 weeks of chemo (4/26). I'm still having SE from the chemo (heartburn, diarrhea, low potassium, anemia, neuropathy--weakened leg muscles in legs). I still have surgical tape over my LX incisions. I haven't had any time at all to even think about this whole radiation thing (so I know nothing!). I've just been happy to be finished with chemo and surgery... I had my 2nd round of Herceptin (1 year, every 3 weeks), yesterday. So stuff keeps going on...!
So I'm glad there are groups like this, because I come into these things totally clueless! (People keep saying stuff like, "Oh, it's nothing, don't worry! You got through chemo, this is a walk in the park," -- but I really don't need reassurance! I don't mind knowing a bit about what I'm going to be facing. I like to be prepared, at least to some extent (even though I haven't had time so far!). Sharing this experience with others like you all, I have found it very helpful--with the chemo and the surgery! I'm looking forward to hearing about all your experiences as we go along!
--Anything odd or a surprise when it comes to the mapping?? appointment? (I'm not sure of all the correct terms at this point!)
--What about the first treatment? Anything I should know or expect about that?
Edited to Add----------------
OK, that wasn't bad. Took around an hour or less.
I should warn people that you will need to be able to put both arms above your head and lie in that position for quite a while. I'm glad my SNB incision hasn't been bothering me much!
Also-- they do love leaving a lot of little marks on you! I got four little dot tattoos (I was wondering if they'd have a tattoo gun! But no, it was just an injection of a bit of ink, I think! --I've never had any tattoos, so this was a first!). Plus marks with some stickers over them. One is right at the base of my neck! Yeah, it's a clear sticker and only a dot and a kind of half circle, but REALLY??? Even in the winter I wear some necklines lower than that. *sigh*
Oh, well... What can ya do?
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April - glad to hear the mapping went well. For some reason, I only got 3 tattoos and the X mark is a bit lower on my chest. My first rad TX was probably the longest as they had to do some more images but most of my other treatments days took about 10 minutes. They are radiating 4 different angles on me. I noticed slight skin changes after about 15 treatments and it has continued to get redder all the time. It feels kind of tight too. One thing I just found out about last week is that some women experience "frozen shoulder" especially if they are radiating your underarm area. The center gave me several exercises to do. These are very similar to the exercises I had to do after surgery. Another thing is try to avoid rubbing your arm (pretty tough to do that though) against your chest as the friction there cause more skin changes it seems.
I completed 20 of 25 today! One more week to go!!!
Sweethope - I hope Rad TX is going well for you!!
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RV6gal -- A friend of mine said she got 6 tattoos! I wonder what determines the number? Maybe the type of machine? Or whatever they are using to get the right coordinates?
That's great you are nearing the end of your rads! Good luck in continuing to avoid any major SEs!
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