Summer 2015 Rads

So I have the best husband ever! He adopted a 7 year old female beagle to keep me company! My kids are gone, and we work opposite schedules. I'm so happy! She's chubby like me so we'll be walking a lot!

She's pretty creature, Midge. Here's to many happy w-a-l-k-s together. Your husband definitely gets brownie points for thoughtfulness.

I stopped by the breast center's store after RT today and found a wonderful cami with soft cups, adjustable straps and pockets to hold my mini ice packs. It's very soft and very feminine AND AMerican made. AND my insurance will pay for it. I am one much happier camper this afternoon:)

Have fun dog-proofing! She really is beautiful and will be a great distraction through the rest of RT, I'm sure.

Awww...cutie...love the name Bailey too!

PB

Yay for Midgiemoon and for the beagle. What is her name? You do have a great husband.

Nancy

I had my first of 4 boosts today (after 16 regular treatments.) They actually treatment is not all that different, they line me up - and then move me into position, give me a burst, and then rotate me 90 degrees (turn the table) and give burst from two different points (they move the machine between). When they did the set-up for the boosts, they drew circles on my breast in sharpie to define exactly the area that would be hit, which is much smaller than the area that was hit with the full breast treatment. I asked the tech today about the difference and he said that the boosts are protons (I know, opposite of what some of you have heard) and that, while the total radiation dose was slightly lower, the amount of radiation in the affected area is higher. Fortunately, the boosts hit the top of my breast (my tumor was close to my nipple near the surface - a good thing as it was easy to feel but completely invisible on the diagnostic mammogram.) The area under my breast is the sorest - so that should be able to start healing.

I agree with the woman who posted about the ribbed tanks. I gave up on bras after week one - and have been layering a ribbed tank under a t-shirt. (I am a 38D, so not petite). The ribbed tank gives enough control (if not support) that I don't jiggle too much, while not irritating my breast. (I wore a regular tank today and the difference was significant, will definitely go back to the ribbed tank tomorrow.) (I will admit that I have never been a big fan of bras - even if I normally wear/need on, so sacrificing that item of clothing has been no great loss. It also helps that I work from home on my computer, so no one sees me in a professional setting.)

I get my last boost on Tuesday and cannot wait. I am having to stay with friends during the week as I live too far from the treatment center to practically drive back and forth every day. I have considered doing day trips next week but, even though my fatigue is doing better this last week, don't think the extra driving is a good idea. I am trying to talk my 16 yo daughter into coming out with me for the last night of treatment, as I hate being separated from my family for so long. (Husband can't come with me because he needs to be home for the kids.) After this treatment is over, I will still need Heraceptin until March - but this is the last of the really bad stuff (my version is that I got carved up, poisoned and am now being nuked). I am so ready to be done with this and be able to get back to a normal life where the cancer, if a concern in the back of my mind, does not have to be front and center.

Just joining the summer group. Rads started last week. I'm scheduled for 25 treatments and have completed 5. No issues yet, but that's to be expected.

My heart goes out to those of you who are experiencing SEs that are impacting the quality of your life. You know that our ROs can only give us a statistical probability of the risks and can't make guarantees. But that isn't helpful if you are the one in a thousand that experiences those effects. You just want relief.

I feel pretty blessed. Eight months ago I wasn't certain I would still be alive today and I am still here feeling better than I did a year ago. I am grateful for the good works of the doctors and scientists who have advanced breast cancer treatments so far in a meer 25 years.

When our doctors know better ways to treat our disease, they will give us better treatments with fewer side effects.

klanders--don't put anything on the skin, it will tear, even if it's just the top layer at first, it will get worse during treatment. There is a silicone dressing they use for wounds called mepilex. These may be needed as you get further along. I needed it at my collarbone and under my breast. It was a huge relief.

I was able to wear a sports bra and a tank and sports bra through radiation. As it got worse after rads was finished, then I just wore a loose tank, or nothing at all for the worst few days. It's getting much better now.

Welcome Bluefin - and sorry you have to be here.   My RO did want me to put anything on my skin until they told me.   At treatment 21, I started to have trouble.    My skin held up great till then.   It made me nervous but at least I had a normal life for those first 4 weeks, no slathering.   You do want to keep the wear and tear to a minimum to help your skin hold up.   They don't want stuff on your skin that will change the radiation.   So it is not an exact science about skin.   They will see you every day and adjust as needed.  And they will tell you what to put on, don't worry.    Just take good care of it, don't scrub.     Calendula sometimes causes allergic reactions.   

Klanders, I am so sorry your path is up in the air and you are possibly looping around for another lap of this whole thing.   I feel like breast cancer is like running the Looney Tune 10k.    You think you see the finish and it suddenly moves or new things are thrown at you.    Grit your teeth and keep running.   I am having good luck with ribbed tanks from Old Navy.   With a dark or patterned shirt over, I think no headlights.  You can get away with a looser sports bra for the first month.   

Love to you all fellow campers!   (guess what else I can do with the ointment they gave me at radiation?   It is used as an antifungal for aquarium fish!!!    No kidding!    We have an MD from South Africa!)  

Hey Littleblue, I did Zumba and T25 in a sportsbra  (25 - 40 min per day at home, not whole classes) until #21.    Should have stopped at #20!  Now too tender.   I could bike but the thought of sweat under my breast where I am broken down keeps me from it.   I just finished whole breast and 2 days later, it is already healing under there.   I don't think it will take too too long to get back at it but can't even think about anything besides walking now.   

Littleblue...I completed 20/25 today and thankful I have had no issues. I do go without a bra. Skin is a tiny bit red, darker like a tan, but no tenderness/pain anywhere. Hoping it will hang on like this for the remaining 5 treatments.

RO has me using hydrocortisone to keep redness down and aquaphor and aloe 3 times a day.

I'm trying to walk everyday to keep the fatigue at bay, moderately helpful I think. Now at end of week 4, more fatigue and have been taking an afternoon nap sometimes, but manageable.

PB

Littleblue and Blue Fin, too - I've found that simply getting overheated irritates my skin. For example, staying in the shade but walking outdoors tends to catch up with me fast and I can hardly wait to get home and slather aloe on my skin. I am NOT large and I'm used to exercise but the skin simply reacts more to heat (to say nothing of sun) than prior to RT. IF you're going to run you might try using a cool pack (not an ice pack) near your chest to keep the area cooler, or maybe use a cooling band around your neck. I'm working out indoors (air conditioned) this summer.

By the way, I've just finished tx. #27 and my skin is holding up fine. It's moderately irritated (dark pink) and definitely swollen but, so far, no sloughing, no breakdown and minimal itching. I'm primarily using LOTS of aloe (liquid, not gel) and Emu oil. My RO also okayed a few other products (hydrocortisone, aquaphor, calendua,liquid lidocaine) as needed, based on the fact that my skin's doing well.

I did start moisturizing well at least 2 weeks prior to RT - I think that helped. Also, the smaller you are the better the skin seems to do. That is one thing that ROs DO seem to agree on.

The calendula issue for some women seems to be related to ragweed allergies; if you're allergic to ragweed, do a patch test first. In fact, doing a patch test on your inner arm is a smart thing to do before using any product on your radiated area.

If you'll have s/clav radiation be sure to treat your back as well - your RO or techs can show you where.

I will pass on SweetHope's great suggestion - apply a cold, wet cloth to your skin right after treatment. I keep a slightly damp fingertip-size towel rolled up in a baggie in the freezer and take it along each day. After applying aloe I place the frozen towel over as much skin as I can cover and leave it there until I get to the office or home, by which time it's usually warmed up but has cooled the skin. I reapply aloe and lotion at that point and put the towel back in the freezer after sun-drying it each day. It definitely feels great and may contribute to your skin making it through in good shape.

Welcome to Camp Idonwannaburn!

Even better than 20 days LittleBlue - I was able to do fairly vigorous exercise up to 20 treatments.   It was not as hot and I was indoors though.    You will do great.   By the time my skin got sore, I could see the finish line.  

Midgie- Congrats on bringing Bailey home. What a sweetie pie! My dogs (little ones) definitely keep me going, and smiling. And they know when I'm having a bad day, they stay pretty quiet and cuddle up to me. Glad you have a new Buddy.

Bayoumama- your boosts sound like what I'm getting. I've had 3, 2 more to go. I don't use the body cast, though, it's a different set-up. No bolus or anything, just a different position. I also get those sharp shooting pains, and now I'm swelling so my skin is tight. I'm pink now, too. RO told me to apply crushed ice packs, or other malleable ice, as it helps with comfort and reduces inflammation. My regimen up until this point was nothing but fresh aloe, and cornstarch. I take some aloe with me an apply immediately after treatment, let dry, powder with cornstarch.

The fatigue has finally kicked my a$$ this week. It set in during week 3, but now... ugh. The boosts aren't causing this, it's the cumulative effects of radiation combined with fatigue problems anyway. Apparently this will take a few weeks post-treatment to go away, but that's just me. I'm definitely not suggesting this applies to anyone else, each case is different. I haven't been able to exercise at all since April (got sick, then lumpectomy, etc etc). I can't wait to feel like me again, and re-start tai chi classes!

Hope everyone enjoys the weekend off from rads camp. I want all of us to be well again.

Thanks for the welcome to Camp Idonwannaburn! Looks like the campers are great! Guess I should bite the bullet and call my RO- in the immortal words of Fall Out Boy, let's light'em up!