Summer 2015 Rads

Hi,

Tomorrow is my last wBR, and my sim for the 7 boosts. My RO seemed quite concerned about the skin under my arm. It's read and angry. He thinks it may peel in the next few days and wants to check me every day this week. He will prescribe silvadene Friday, just in case the peeling happens. I am quite uncomfortable at this point, but looking forward to being done next week.

GoodConstitution, my fatigue kicked in at about tx 5, I am having 26WBR and 7 boosts.

Midgie

Hi Midgiemoon,
Sorry you have some skin issues going on but it sounds like your RO is on top of it. you are so close to being finished...hang in there! I start the first of 33 on Thursday. Yikes!
Any advice?

I heard from my RO today regarding 3 week vs 6 weeks. It seems I'm not a candidate because I had intrabeam (IORT) during surgery. That's not automatically an issue, but when I had IORT it was with the expectation that I would not need further radiation treatment. So my dose was 20 Gy. Well, my surgical labs changed all that and I need WBR. The study for 3 week rads and IORT combined calls for a dose of 12 Gy. Since I had 20 Gy, my RO does not feel it is safe to use the higher dose required with the 3 week therapy. I guess that makes sense.

One plus to that is my IORT counts as booster. I'm assuming I won't need any booster, but that's an assumption. It's amazing how little I really know about what's going on.

Slothabout, I have been holding my breath also and no one told me to do that. My thought was that having the radiation with my lungs deflated would expose less of my lung tissue to the radiation. Who knows if that is correct or not.

Today was treatment number 22 and I am now two thirds of the way through my treatment. My skin is holding up well so far.

nancy

I started camp this week. I am in Canada and am scheduled for 16 treatments. So far so good. Doctors here recommend Glaxal Base moisturizer and ask us not to use aloe vera. Not wishing the summer away but will be g)lad when daily trips to the hospital end.

I have been working through my radiation treatment. My job is demanding with travel and lots of interactions with people all day. I had a bad week and worked half a day from home. My boss is very supportive. I really think paying attention to my protein intake made all the difference but it took me four days before I started feeling like myself again. I do not eat meat so it is harder for me to get the 60 grams of protein than most people.

Peace and healing,

Nancy

Armpit started peeling yesterday.. after today, only 7 more days of camp to go. CAN'T WAIT!

I've been following for awhile but just haven't formally checked into camp. I've completed 11/30 rads. My RO discussed the shorter treatment with me but didn't feel comfortable using it because she said there's only about 10 years of data behind it and at my age she feels more comfortable using a treatment with a longer history.

My RO did three different sims. One on my stomach and the other two on my back breathing normally and holding my breath. She then runs all three and picks the one that best keeps the heart out of the field. I didn't find out until my first day which she picked and had my tattoos done then. For me, she picked on my back in a breath hold. I also have an X-ray everyday to check positioning with the breath hold.

My RO has me using prescription Biafine, a steroid cream for any itchy spots, and aquafor to tender spots (applied in that order). So far my skin is doing well. I'm just starting to see an outline of the field.

So far I'm only a bit tired in the afternoon. I'm a teacher and return to work next week and am a bit worried about how I'll manage the fatigue. I'm going to give it a try and see how it goes.

I've really enjoyed reading all the posts. They are all so helpful and supportive.

I start tomorrow! I am doing the Canadian method (3weeks) followed by 4 boosts.

Hi,

I worked full time until treatment 8 or 9. I dozed off at a stop light in my way to treatment after work one day (I have a 40 mile commute each way). That was the end of full time. I am now out on short term disability, and I go in to work 1 or 2 days a week for 4 hours. I am an engineer and a manager. I go in to see the team. I really miss them, they have been solidly in my corner through all of this!

I finish rads on 8/21 and I expect to be back full time on 9/8. Everything hinges on my skin... I start boosts tomorrow, and during my set up today, my RO said that I was "cooked." That is the understatement of the year!

I am already planning my gift bags for my rad techs and am anning to rock a pink dress on my final day!

Best of luck to all!

~Midgie

123justme,

I am premenopausal, so it's tamoxifen for me. I just had my first period in 4 months last week! I expect to get the prescription filled in late September when I see my MO.

I have some concerns regarding vision related side effects that I want to discuss with her. I am deaf and wear a hearing aid, and I can't imagine life with vision issues, too... I am curious to hear if any of her patients have had vision issues on it...

Midgie

Congrats pboi! I am glad that you have graduated. I am sure the fatigue will ease and the moisturizing will lessen the peeling.

GoodConstitution, I went with the shorter protocol (16 days of regular and 4 days of boost) and am very glad I did. At the time I made the decision (back in June), the standard recommendation in the US was for the 6 week course, but both the Canadians and Brits had made the shorter course the standard protocol in those countries, but a study released this month seems to recommend it in the US as well. You asked about fatigue, mine was actually the worst in week 2 - when there were days I was exhausted by the time I got back to the place I was staying (about 5 miles from the cancer center.) That week, I was worried about driving myself home to Ellensburg (110 miles) after my Friday treatment. By week 3, I was actually doing better - I needed a nap in the afternoon, but did not crash the moment I got home, and the drive home on Friday was a lot easier. And by week 4, I was fine and did not need a nap in the afternoon. (I will say that I was very fortunate and have tolerated all of the treatments - taxol and radiation very well - lots of folks suffer from much more severe fatigue. Many people on the same protocol are exhausted) My RO was passionate about exercise - and I made a point of doing at least 30 minutes every day (mostly walking, as I stopped wearing a bra after the first week and am too large to jog without one, and, although my energy level was decent, I definitely did not have the aerobic strength I would have had pre-treatment). I can't tell you how glad I was at the end of week 4 (with just two days left as I had started mid-week) that I was almost done and did not have to face 2 more weeks of treatment.

hi everyone. I had my first boost today. They did use the bolus. It was much quicker than the whole breast and only 4 more to go. My underarm is peeling so glad that area is left alone. Still doing great otherwise. Sometimes I'm tired but only had to nap twice over the course. Overall it was easier than I expected.

I see the MO today for my first follow up since chemo. They will take blood and put me on tomoxifen.

Congratulations to everyone who has finished!  

I still have 2 more weeks. Ugh!  Today will be 27/36. 

I didn't start to feel the fatigue until week 4. I think exercising every day for at least an hour really helped. I am retired so didn't have to work but I do believe that feeling pressured and rushed while trying to live my normal life and also going for daily treatments contributed to the fatigue. I am usually able to make decisions without much trouble but I am finding myself feeling overwhelmed and burdened by decisions, even minor ones.