Spring 2015 Radiation Sisters

maricar - Thank you for your good thoughts and wishes. Went back to see my RO today and she said we are done. She feels like I've gotten enough radiation using the bolus and the three additional boostS would not be necessary. She wants my skin to heal and I am grateful for that. But it was kind of anti-Climatic to hear that I am done. Now what?? Feels strange after eight months of chemo, surgery and radiation that I'm finally done with everything. I know I should feel happy, but I feel a little bit lost. Anyone else experienced these emotions? Now it's just starting my Ariimadex pills for the next five years and hope and pray I don't experience a lot of side effects from them. I guess now it's just trying to get back to a normal life without daily and weekly visits to the hospital and doctors and hope and pray this monster doesn't revisit my body again! I have a little trip planned at the end of the month to visit with family and maybe that's when I'll celebrate and it will finally sink in that my cancer treatments are done. Thinking of everyone still going through treatment and

I can provide an update - I finished on 5/22.  The several sores I had have healed but it took until this week.  I still have itching and flaking/peeling.  I am not yet wearing a bra.  My coloring is still darker on the treated breast but much less so.  The breast feel different.  Tougher, harder, swollen, sore.  I can't lie on it when sleeping as it hurts.  My medical ONCO saw me yesterday and said he didn't even want to look at it yet, come back in 3 mos.  My primary care told me yesterday that the scar tissue takes 6 months or so to loosen up.  I definitely need to keep stretching out the arm because I can feel it tightening up (a lot) to the armpit.  Sometimes my arm tingles and hurts from shoulder to elbow.  I am wearing a LE garment when working out.  My shoulder remains numb.  I am not as tired.  I am on the femara to keep a 'new cancer' from forming, as a "preventative". 

MarifromPA - I also heard it was cake.  I didn't find it so.  Compared to chemo, I can imagine it is.  But if you have RADs SE and pain then it might be more like stale toast.  (Attempt at humor.) The worst for me was the end.  The last week of regular and the 5 days of boost.  Buy some Benadryl to help you sleep and for the itching.  Clear aloe gel and hydrocordisone cream too.   The whole experience is emotional, regardless of how tough you might be.  I cried on the table a time or two. 

Best wishes and good luck!

Before I started radiation, one of the RO nurses told me multiple times that as strange as it may sound before you start, many women feel depressed when radiation treatment is over because they aren't checking in with medical staff every day, the routine ends (even though it wasn't a desirable one), etc, and other feelings people are expressing here. I got done yesterday, but don't feel totally done since my skin is in bad shape so I have to see the doctor and nurse tomorrow and Monday and possibly beyond that, and I'm tired and in pain so that certainly doesn't feel done. Plus one doctor explained to me that the side effects I am seeing now are from the radiation I received 2 weeks ago, so I am prepared to keep suffering for a bit before it gets better. So it is a mixed bag of emotions. The radiation techs gave me my "diploma" and had me ring the chimes that I was done, but I don't feel done yet.

i absolutely love your tattoo! !!! It's beautiful! !

Gosh, I've been away for a while! Congratulations to all who have finished up!

On day 20 I met with my Rad Onc and he said 8 more + 5. That would have only gotten me to 33, so I was skeptical as we'd discussed 34-37. On day 25 I had my CT to prep for boots and he told me it would be fewer regular rads, but 8 boosts. I had my first one on Friday and #2 today. Will be a total of 36 treatments.

My skin has held up pretty well so far, except for some ingrown hairs. I am also more sensitive now. I can't wear a sports bra at all and have gone back to my Victoria's Secret, lightly padded underwire bras. They're comfortable because now there's lots of room in the right cup for my sore boob plus a cotton nursing pad. Honestly, though, I am very anxious about what the coming two weeks hold. My boost area goes from nipple to sternum and I'm terrified about what's going to happen to my nipple. Being a DD (on that side) before surgery, going bra-less is not easy to hide and it's pretty hot down here in the south to be wearing jackets to work to cover up.

I've been wanting to go to yoga, since I gave up teaching thru July, but realized that my techs wouldn't appreciate having to replace my stickers any more often than they already do, so I'm holding off unless I can make it to a yin class. Just haven't had the motivation to get to the weight room.

Yesterday was a bad day. I was overwhelmed. In addition to all of this, I was PMS'ing (something I rarely do), my period was 4 days late in starting (no worries about pregnancy), and both of my parents are dealing with health issues 1,000 miles away. I guess it was bound to all catch up to me sooner or later.

I finished rads on 5/27--just realized that's 3 weeks today. I have a little itchiness from time to time, a little puffiness, and occasional pains in my breast. My chest is still a little pink. I have some tightness/discomfort in my arm, particularly around my elbow, and had cording, which is resolving. I've been seeing a physical therapist and wearing a compression sleeve for that.

I haven't started Tamoxifen yet, but probably will. I struggle with worry about recurrence, but good moments are increasing.

I forget who asked about Miaderm. I liked the feel of it, but I still got all red and itchy. I think you have to go with what feels best. I used Aquaphor at night and aloe sometimes, too. I have vitamin E cream now that feels delightful. I use it on both sides.

And, yay, school is out for summer so I'm getting lots of relaxing. And slowly catching up with house cleaning. Bleah. But that is fairly normal for me.

Thanks everybody for making this a safe community to come to.

Lisa

Okay ladies, I finished rads last Friday! Over the past week I've had a lot of skin break down, especially along the sternum and under the arm pit. Cloths are a serious NO WAY right now. I see my rads onco Monday to follow up. I'm thinking he's going to need to give me something other than the hydrocortisone.

I do have a questions. The final week of rads is when my fatigue really hit. This past week I'm exhausted. Like not wanting to get out of bed exhausted. Once I get going I'm usually okay, but jeez, when I stop, I'm done and mornings are the worst! Anyone else experience this?

Thanks

Michelle

9 weeks post rads. Breast still feels heavy, swollen and tight. On my 6 week post rads visit my RO said it was healing normally and swelling would continue to go down over the next few months. I never had actual skin breakdown and continued to use aquaphor, cool showering and cetaphyl skin cleanser till last week. Love, Jean

Michelle, the last week before final week was when I hit the wall. I finished two weeks ago. I went to rads that morning, blew off work and came home and slept. I had never experienced fatigue with chemo, so iti really got to me.

Besides being as swollen as a tic from my own bad eating habits on vacation, my energy is returning day by day.

Congrats to those who finished this week!

My boob too looks completely different: swollen yes, sore, no, looks like a "lift" compared to the other one!

Kath

I've been lurking for awhile and have been cheering you all on too. I was supposed to have my 4th boost last Friday but my skin is so bad that the RO that was on site that day (not my RO) advised against it. They are giving me 4 days off for some healing. I see my RO tomorrow to see what the plan is now. I've been using neopsporin, Aquafor, and Remedy cream but I'm still losing layers of skin. It's an angry red and burns. Part of me is nervous to forgo the last 2 boosts but another part of me wants to it to be over.

speechmom22...... I feel your pain. My skin also broke down during my boost. Skin got as red as a lobster in the hot pot of boiling water. It was very painful. My our own recommended that we skipped the final three boosts. I was scheduled to have five boost but she felt I have received enough radiation. Because they used a bolus on me the entire time my radiation was enhanced for the initial 27 treatments. Completing rads was kind of anti-climatic as I wasn't prepared to hear her say "we are done". But I am so glad. They gave me a prescription of Silverdene which really helped to heal my skin in about 9-10 days. I still have a few angry red spots but overall it is 100 times better. The Silverdene has an antibiotic in it and I believe requires a prescription. They recommended mixing some Aquaphor in it as well when spreading it on. Good luck and I hope your skin heals quickly. Hugs

Oh thanks Cassiecat. Now I feel better. I finished April 24th and am still swollen and tender. The rads nurse said that is normal and it can take a few months for the swelling to go away. My skin is fine though. Thank God. Love, Jean

mjs1266 - I would recommend using the Silverdene cream because your skin can continue to break down even days and weeks after radiation is done. My skin turned really red and was very painful and then even with using the Silverdene I started to develop cracks in the skin on my incision line. I would recommend mixing the silver team with a little bit of Aquaphor as it keeps your skin more moist spread on a nice thick layer using a popsicle stick. At night I would then cover the area with nonstick Telfa pads. Because my skin got so bad I actually had to stay home about a week and a half from work because I couldn't put any clothes on top!

Glad (sorry) to hear others arent 100% yet- I finished rads on June 3rd and since then still not a lot of energy, actually kinda depressed. NOT missing any docs, tx, etc. Maybe just want my old life back, which means I need to work harder on the new normal

K

Dearest ladies who are going to the beach....please, please stay out of the sun. Use umbrellas, lots of sunscreen on exposed areas and cover up as much as possible. Sunburn could be very serious. I am concerned for you. I'm 9 weeks post rads and don't go outside without covering up. I even wear white cotton gloves. Love, Jean