Summer 2015 Rads

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  • CAMommy
    CAMommy Member Posts: 437
    edited August 2015

    .... I'm starting this sooner than I though! I met with the RO today and he is unconcerned about my close margin but wants me to start rads asap. I am going in tomorrow for marking and ct scan and rads start Monday. I only had surgery 1 1/2 weeks ago.

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  • JenH2015
    JenH2015 Member Posts: 31
    edited August 2015

    I, too, had shooting pains in my breast. In my case, they started after the boost and I am still getting an occasional one a few days after the last boost. My RO said that it was normal. As for the role of the RO, s/he helps determine the treatment plan (how many, how much radiation, how focused), and evaluates the progress to help manage symptoms - but, as many of the other women have noted, it is the job of the radiation techs to make sure the plan (developed by the RO and refined by a physicist and others) is carried out. My techs were awesome and made the whole process bearable. (My mom makes fused glass jewlery, so I left a box with something for each of the techs who had worked on me, as I wanted to show my appreciation.)

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited August 2015

    Jen, that was a really thoughtful gift for the techs. I'll bet they were both touched and thrilled.

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  • SweetHope
    SweetHope Member Posts: 439
    edited August 2015

    My departing, thank you gift was a very large, very gooey cake with "Ya'll are Awesome, Thank You" on it...(along with paper plates and plastic forks). I wanted the entire staff to share in it

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  • 123JustMe
    123JustMe Member Posts: 385
    edited August 2015

    http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20150806/higher-dose-short-duration-radiation-better-for-early-breast-cancer-study

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited August 2015
    Oooh, what flavor, SweetHope?
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  • Midgiemoon
    Midgiemoon Member Posts: 174
    edited August 2015

    Hi Ladies!


    I haven't checked on for a bit, but it's so nice to see some of us finish camp! I have 4 more while breast treatments, then 7 boosts. It's so close!!!!

    My boosts will target my incision, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me if that area gets red and sore? I have been in the shooting pain and itchy rash department since tx 8, but if my armpit issues would improve during boosts, I'm all for that!

    I have lost 3kg during treatment, and the cream prescribed for my rash has really helped! I am much less itchy (although the rash isn't healing yet) and my skin isn't so angry. And, after 4 months I got my period(!). My untreated Brest feels much better. I am sleeping well and napping daily. I feel more well today than I have in a long time!


    And, I just adore my new dog!

    imageCheers,

    Midgie and Bailey the beagle


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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited August 2015

    Hi, Midgie - great photo of the two of you!

    I've only had 2 boosts so far. Mine also target the incision and the tumor bed, which means that the actual treated area is larger than I was expecting - roughly the size of the palm of my hand. That was a bit of a shock.

    That being said, my RO told me the area would get a little pinker but not much and I'm holding her to that! As stated, I've only had two and can't see a difference. What I am seeing is the continuing effect of the previous treatments; I'm still getting pinker everywhere, although not evenly. On the other hand, the zaps have let up and my skin doesn't seem as irritable at the end of the day (or maybe I've just gotten used to it?).

    I do think that it's easier, psychologically, once you finish the whole breast treatments and move on to the boosts. Even though the breast, etc., won't start fading for a while and indeed will continue to darken for a couple of weeks, there's a sense of relief that at least you've quit bombarding them each day.

    Hang in there - be sure to 'powder' (with whatever's approved) the axilla as often as you can. I find it soothing to those SNB-damaged nerves, as well as the skin.

    Have a good weekend.

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  • live_deliciously
    live_deliciously Member Posts: 346
    edited August 2015

    klanders. I am with darumama in that the node removal and mastectomy were together for me too so hard to determine what caused what issue . It took two weeks plus just to get the drain tube out from the under arm area tho. And like everyone says the range of motion limits and the rug burn feeling. For me I would definitely want that area healed up well before radiating it.

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited August 2015

    No boost for me today as there were issues with the software interface again. I am not complaining!

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  • FastWalker
    FastWalker Member Posts: 98
    edited August 2015

    ksusan: Ya never know. :)

    april25: Congrats - and fattening snacks are always a good choice. ;)

    Hopeful82014: The other side of your back must be getting sympathy itchiness. ;) Thank you - I am starting to feel better. Planning on taking it easy over the weekend. I wonder if our low grade fever is the body's way of turning up the immune system in response to foreign invaders (radiation). Yeah, I know what you mean about the SNB - I wasn't expecting the pain/dysfunction from that since I didn't have a full ALND.

    klanders: So sorry to hear your news. :( I couldn't lift my arm after the SNB because some nerves were damaged -- and I also had cording. I had to go to physical therapy for 6 weeks and my full range of motion is still not back. A couple of things that helped me - I told the radiation techs and they help me get my arm up -- and I also take pain medication an hour before radiation every day. (My neurologist told me to do that.)

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  • meezers3
    meezers3 Member Posts: 95
    edited August 2015

    I have an appointment for my sim on Tuesday the 11th. Can't wait to get this over with. Only info I have so far is that I will be having 6 weeks of treatment. My last week will be boosts.

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  • pboi
    pboi Member Posts: 663
    edited August 2015

    Last rads today, 25/25! I didn't think it would, but it actually went by pretty fast. I have been very fortunate, skin turned very pink and dark near the armpit, but no tenderness/pain, and skin is intact. RO said there would be a chance skin will peel this week and I can expect the fatigue to worsen. Was prescribed Silvadene, and will continue with my hydrocortisone, aquaphor, and aloe Vera. Goodbye campers...I'll come back to update...

    PB

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    Congratulations!

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited August 2015
    Congratulations, PB!! Enjoy your weekend with a light heart. Please do let us know how you're doing as you go on.
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  • Darumama
    Darumama Member Posts: 135
    edited August 2015

    Congrats Pboi!

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    Broke out the Aquaphor for the first time last night. I felt a bit sore and itchy, and this morning I feel better.

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited August 2015
    I'm glad the Aquaphor worked for you, Susan. I hope the weekend gives your system a break and a chance to recuperate.
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  • Gatomal
    Gatomal Member Posts: 483
    edited August 2015

    one thing I was given for itchiness was a collagen gel called stimulen. It is for wound care patients, but also helps with severe itchiness. It protected my skin, and I had no breakdown or blistering, and the itchiness was totally controlled. See if your RO has some or will prescribe it for you if really uncomfortable. I started the last day of my 25 treatments. (UCSF does mini boosts all along your therapy, so there isn't a separate boost period)

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    Thank you both. I'm doing okay so far. I just took a bath with almond oil in the water (Vitamin E). It's good to have options, since I have 12 more treatments to go.

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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited August 2015

    klanders, I had ALND 18months after BMX, also for recurrence. I had a lot of cording , but range of motion returned quickly with daily stretching. I did however have a drain for over 2 weeks.

    I'll be joining you ladies soon. I have my CT, mapping, tattoos, whatever you call it on the 21st. First things first ... Final chemo on Tuesday.

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2015

    Congrats on final chemo.

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited August 2015
    Good luck on Tuesday, Kbeee. Are you free of the shoe now,too?
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  • april25
    april25 Member Posts: 772
    edited August 2015

    Hmmm... How many people get PETS at this stage? I only had one before I started treatment (neoadjuvent chemo).

    Horrible to find more cancer after all this. I wish you the best, Klanders! 'Hope it gets taken care of and you can get back on track.

    KBeee -- Congrats on finishing Chemo! RT was enjoyable for me, compared to chemo. Hopefully you'll breeze through!

    ===

    Nice to give more personal/hand-made gifts! I had a friend who made her rads people little crocheted items. I'm just terrible at that sort of thing, so little fattening snacks will have to do!

    I think the rads people get a lot of love. We're mostly towards the end of the most time-consuming treatments when we leave them. And we get to see them more often than others, and for less traumatic things than surgery and chemo, etc..

    I didn't get the infusion nurses anything... Hmmm... maybe I should! I'll think about it. But the end of chemo I was a total wreck, so I couldn't even think about gifts! I still have a year of Herceptin infusions, though, so I can do something later if I feel like it...

    -----

    3rd day post-last boost... Red area of boost is very red! It also seems to be more red and swollen than during the treatment. But the rest of the breast is getting a lot better. It went from red to tan to less tan, now. Even that tender SNB incision area is feeling a bit better! Everything is feeling a bit better because it's not the entire area... The redness of the tumor area is no fun, but much more bearable. And I mostly need to put the creams and lotion just in that area (which is about 2"x5" on me... my tumor was long-ish and they thought they saw some calcification that added to the length--but it was benign, thankfully)--so it doesn't feel as messy.

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  • Keys-Plez
    Keys-Plez Member Posts: 304
    edited August 2015

    I'm new to this website and forum. I thought I posted this earlier, but maybe I didn't hit the right button. If it appears twice, oops.

    Although I was diagnosed 3 months ago, in May 2015, I still feel like a babe in the woods. Every time I turn around there's something new, different and unexpected.

    I was diagnosed in Key West, FL. Although Key West may sound great, it's not when you have a big medical issue. The first thing my PCP said was, "Get to the mainland where they have better medical facilities for handling this". So I had my surgery at U of FL/Gainesville. During my surgery, they did intrabeam radiation. This would be in lieu of external radiation. Remember what I said about different and unexpected? There were some findings on my surgerical path report that were different and unexpected and now I have to have full breast radiation too. The intrabeam will count as the booster.

    I'm choosing to have my radiation in Key West. I can't take six weeks off from work to stay in Gainesville. Before I left UF, my RO (at UF) said I would need 3 weeks radiation. I've consulted with an RO in Key West and she recommends 28 sessions. She said it would be easier on me to take lower doses over a longer period of time. I've already done the CT and simulation. My treatments are scheduled to begin Aug 17.

    I just read the article that 123JustMe posted about shorter term is better. http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20150806/higher-dose-short-duration-radiation-better-for-early-breast-cancer-study I even went directly to JAMA Oncology and read the study. It seems that UK and Canada have already figured this out and are using this technique because of the less severe short-term and long-term side effects. From reading through this forum, it seems that the problems and issues really escalate during the last few weeks of radiation. Maybe shorter is better.

    I'm now questioning the judgement of my RO in Key West. Is she misinformed or just doing the status-quo? I've only met with her once and am not scheduled to see her again until my first session. Should I just suck it up and just go back to UF and lose 3 weeks of work (and pay)? Or stick with the Key West RO and her plan? Too many decisions, too many twists and turns, and not enough information. I'm totally confused now.

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  • april25
    april25 Member Posts: 772
    edited August 2015

    Keys-Plez -- Lots of us here have had the longer RT. I think ROs are still doing it because it's the status-quo. I think if I were just starting, I'd try and push for the shorter plan... particularly if that is better for you time-wise! I'm guessing that the longer course isn't bad... some of the news reports here were still saying stuff like "shorter MAY be better" --so maybe it depends on how progressive or conservative the ROs are?

    I'd already started my RT before I began to hear about the shorter ones being better, so I figured I'd just stick with it.

    Good luck!

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  • Keys-Plez
    Keys-Plez Member Posts: 304
    edited August 2015

    april25 I'm thinking facilities like Universities and large facilities are more cutting-edge technology. Doctors at a regular practice, especially in a small town, are more the status-quo.

    I'd much rather do 3 weeks than 6. I feel like I'm on a train that's already rolling and I can't jump off now.

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  • sailorbev
    sailorbev Member Posts: 75
    edited August 2015

    Keys-Plez---That is such a tough question. I had hoped to have IORT and sought out a facility 2 hours away that would do it. After several trips back and forth for consultations and tests (mammograms, MRI) I found out I was not a candidate and had to have external radiation anyway. I had hoped for the shorter course but was told by my local RO I wasn't a candidate for that either. Now I am 4 1/2 weeks through a 7 week course of treatment. It is a LONG slog and I am still very disappointed that I have had to spend my entire summer in radiation summer camp. I am sorry I can't answer what would be best for you, though. 

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  • Keys-Plez
    Keys-Plez Member Posts: 304
    edited August 2015

    I think I'll try to contact my RO at UF and get her spin on this. I wanted my RO down here to work with my RO at UF. Maybe by approaching it that way I can avoid creating an issue with my RO down here. I don't want to piss off the person that is treating me. That wouldn't be too cool.

    I guess if UF says 3 weeks, then I've got a tough decision to make.

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited August 2015

    Keys, Welcome to radiation summer camp, and good luck figuring that out. It's a tough situation, isn't it?

    Like SailorBev, I'd hoped to be a candidate for either IORT or hypofractionated treatment but that was not to be. I think having your two ROs talk would be a good start to resolving this.

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