Summer 2015 Rads

Hi everybody! I'm going to join you here in your radiation group! I found my November chemo crew to be a great help. I just had my simulation done yesterday and will start radiation on Tuesday. I had my lumpectomy and axillary node dissection on April 17. I'm still having some trouble moving my arm and so the position for radiation was quite a stretch and quite uncomfortable. I start PT soon and hope that will help (even though I've been stretching a lot on my own already and have made great progress!)

Girls in my local support group all recommend miaderm. I bought a tube and then someone gave me an extra tube she had. It has the calendula, aloe vera, and something else that I'm blanking on (chemobrain!) and is water based. It smells nice too. It is quite expensive but I'm worth it!!! They all tell me that their skin did great until the last week or so.

Here is my issue: I have one day that I cannot do the rads because I've been working on team with the state department of education for TWO years to revise a document and we have a team meeting to finish it. And, of course, this coming Monday and a Monday in July are holidays that the office is closed. I really, really want to go to Hawaii with my husband in mid-July. That would mean I could only fit in 32 of 33 appointments. UGH. Should I buy tickets? I know from everything else in this journey that nothing ever goes as planned and there will probably be other days where the machine doesn't work or something. I will discuss with RO on Tuesday but I don't know. Can they increase the dose slightly on other days to make up for the missed day?

I will also be going to Radiation Summer camp but have a conference for 4 days end of June. Hope I can start after if I can't interrupt.

I was told those weren't options, but your plan and RO may differ. It surprises me there aren't Saturday clinics.

There might be a Weekend clinic you could go to at some point??? I remember them saying something about that if there was a Holiday or something that came up, that people on that day would just come in on a weekend... but maybe they only do that for a group of people...???

But I would think that there should be some sort of contingency for things like that, since they are just bound to happen, right? I mean, people can have some sort of emergency come up and not be able to make one of the days...

Anyway--good luck in sorting that out! I'd be ticked off about missing a trip to Hawaii, too!

Hi all, I would like to join this radiation summer camp as well, I'm part of the March chemo group and I have my first dose of rads tomorrow. Looks like we'll be shade seeking together this summer, sad to hear about those of you who have to miss out on swimming pools and vacations. I dont know about you but the Netflix binging is getting old and I know I'll be missing some camping adventures-my summer activity of choice- and living in Oregon there are so many beautiful camping spots! Anyway, I'm sure we can get each other through this with encouragement and venting opportunities! Viva la rads!

I sloth. I hear you about netflix. Was so looking forward to playing with my granddaughter age 2 in the pool .:0 (. Luckily living in Maine I am close to lakes and beaches. Just need to cover up!

Sweethope, I am totally excited to be done with TX this week!! Time to heal and get stronger. I am so lucky to have the puppy as she is good company and she gets me moving! Here's a picture from today! She is growing up fast - 3 months old now.

I met with the RO today and she said I will likely only have to do 4 weeks (3 weeks whole breast plus a week of boosts). She said they have lots of studies with 12 years of data that shows the same results as the longer course, and the most recent data shows it is maybe even a little better. I won't start until mid-June, though.

Monday is my start date for radiation 😓 so hopefully this is the last piece so I. can just get out of this cancer circle. No offense ladies😇 ...

thanks, yes we are. It's hard as I have felt really good since my surgery. Now back in the saddle and not knowing what I'm going to feel like with radiation.

Gatomal -- wow, a second set of twins! That's a handful! congrats to you and your friends and family for being able to cope with this all!

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I'm going to start sometime in June. 7 weeks. I've been trying to put off the start a bit because I've got some friends coming into town for a visit... I already had chemo and surgery, so hopefully most all the cancer is out and the rads will take care of anything lingering... I'm also wanting to recover from the chemo and the surgery a bit more before I experience radiation... I'm feeling a lot better, but still having stomach problems.

It's nice to have a bit of a break from all the insanity that has been going on since my DX in November...!

Of course, I'm roaming about with a bunch of marks and tattoos and stickers on me from getting mapped or doing the simulation, or whatever that was...! geesh...

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Good luck to everyone starting their rads!

I had my sim about a week before my first treatment. Today, I completed treatment four. So far, no side effects or problems. They hit me from 3 angles so it takes a bit of time to get through it all (about 15-20 minutes total). From the right, from the left, from above.

Lmoore, I had a very similar reaction. It caught me off guard since I hadn't felt much anxiety leading up to the appointment but something about the room and that machine and the techs pulling and pushing me around into position and drawing on me with sharpies that just did me in. I had my third treatment today and I'm still affected by the thought of radiation and chemo and how toxic I've become, but the daily treatment routine is settling in. Like you, I think it's just the accumulation of surgeries, treatments, appointments and side effects wearing away at my constitution. I like what you said about having compassion for yourself. It's important and also easy to forget during this mess of other emotions.