Summer 2015 Rads

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

    My MO was very pleased with the state of my skin after 30/33 today. Like my RO, she recommends calendula products for sore, unbroken spots. My plan for Tuesday after my last radiation is 1) take a bath (I'm only allowed quick showers without scrubbing for the 8 days I have the boost outline inked on my chest), then 2) make a whoop-ass big pot of calendula flower infusion to pour over myself and use as a compress for the rest of the day.

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

    Sim today....hoping it goes well. This next week is crazy for me at work because I have to teach 6 different classes on 6 different days, in addition to my normal night hours. I'm hoping I can figure out how to squeeze them in with rads. I have been told my center is flexible. Glad to hear that.

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  • PatRN10
    PatRN10 Member Posts: 332
    edited August 2015

    Congrats Midgie, I love your dress. You look adorable!

    Pat

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  • 6doggies
    6doggies Member Posts: 96
    edited August 2015

    Midgie, You look fantastic and love the dress! If you don't mind my asking, what kind of gifts did you give out? I want to give out little thank you presents but not sure what to give.

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

    Congrats on finishing Midgie. Cute dress!

    I had my sim today. It went well. RO told the dosimetrist that he has spent a lot of time working out the details of my case and working out the details; much longer than most. I do know there are some complicating factors because this is a recurrence and it recurred in 2 spots...and there are lots of incisions from various surgeries along the way.; I told him I appreciated his time. I also found out that I will be getting the bolus every day...and they will be using the bolus on the entire area. My friend just finished rads a couple weeks ago and had the bolus every day on a small area. I know what that area looked like. Eeek! I need to think long term though, and I am glad he is being aggressive. Please remind me I said that when I am screaming in pain in early October.

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

    Those of us in my waiting area all have different skin responses. My whole-area bolus treatments didn't seem to affect me any differently from the regular treatments.

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

    Thanks Ksusan; that gives me some hope of not completely looking like a well done Thanksgiving turkey. My friend who just finished had blisters and blackened skin in her bolus area. They have however healed well the past 2 weeks

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

    I'll try to post a current photo with the bolus areas marked this weekend. I'd do it now, but I think these fine young people at my tea house might not appreciate the middle-aged broad taking topless selfies!

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  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 2,000
    edited August 2015

    so apparently people getti g radiation can get chiropractic! My neck appreciates that. And my derm said Cetaphil in a jar is what she recommends for radiated skin. Apparently it's a different formula from the stuff in other containers....here I go off again on the never ending g scavenger hunt..

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

    How often is everyone getting a bolus? I know some ROs do not use them, but if yours goes, how often? I will just go with the flow... A day at a time

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  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 2,000
    edited August 2015

    every day unless they forget :) direct quote from the tech. Also, no big deal if the forget a day or if you are too burned to get it for a while...

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

    Kbeee, welcome to the late summer session at Camp Idonwannaburn. I hope everything goes well for you with your treatment results and the day to day issues of skin care and well-being.

    Littleblueflower, welcome to you, too, in case I forgot to. It's been one of those weeks...

    Midgie - Congratulations on being D.O.N.E.! I hope your skin and tissues recover quickly and completely and that you never have to sign up for another session of the summer camp everyone hates!

    It's one week since my last boost and that area's finally fading. I'm 2.5 weeks out from the WBI and things look more normal everyday. I'm still really feeling the nerve irritation (much of it left over from surgery) and the sense that all those little tissues inside are tight, irritable and a bit swollen. Tiredness hits randomly - some days none, others I just don't seem to have any oomph. Still, I'm in much better shape than I expected at this point. I've had no real burn and no peeling. I'll settle for that.

    Good luck to everyone else - go out and have a good weekend but don't forget to hydrate your body and your skin - and keep it covered! After this summer of hiding from both the heat and the sun I think I've become either a vampire, coming out only after sundown, or a Mole Woman, living underground. Maybe a mutant cross between the two...



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

    image

    Here's 31/33 (14 + 14 with bolus whole field + 3/5 boosts with bolus). I'll post it in the August radiation thread, too. I'm pink and a little itchy but the only problem has been in two spots where I had contact dermatitis from the sim stickers. One had two little blisters for a few days, and one has darker and somewhat coarse skin at the moment. The light-blue inked area around the mastectomy scar is my boost field (all with bolus).

    • Miaderm 2 hours before radiation and immediately afterward, in the late afternoon, and before bed.
    • Supplemented with an occasional Aquaphor application, normally not before bed since it made me too hot.
    • No deodorant before or for several hours after radiation; crystal deodorant later in the day if necessary.
    • A little calendula lotion and calendula oil on the two dermatitis areas.
    • MLD before radiation and at least one other time per day.
    • ROM stretches 1-2 times a day, not pushing it (about 1" ROM lost at present due to tight pectoral).
    • 200 mg Advil with RO's consent x 2 a day.
    • SPF 35-50 sunblock on entire radiated side if in the sun more than 10 minutes.
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  • pboi
    pboi Member Posts: 663
    edited August 2015

    Ksusan...did you have a bolus daily? My skin tone is similar to yours, but I turned out much darker, yes like that very well done turkey!

    I had 25/25 treatments and had a bolus daily. I have fair skin and it started to turn pink about week 3, no pain or itching, skin intact. By week 5 skin had turned very brown and leathery looking, still no pain or itching, and skin still intact. About 4 days post rads little itchy, and started to peel. No open areas though, skin underneath pink. No blisters. Now 2 weeks post rads, skin is still peeling with new skin underneath, doing my best to keep it moist, but thankful for no skin breakdown.

    Hope this helps KBeee

    PB


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

    PB: Every other day for the main field, and every day for boosts. I have a couple of coarser patches of skin, but generally speaking, most of it is smooth and slightly reddened/tanned. I'm not light-skinned, just paler from being compliant about sun exposure restrictions since February. I think this is the lightest I've ever been! I have two more boosts, then we'll see what the two weeks after radiation bring. No peeling so far.

    Edited to add: I didn't start getting at all pink or itching until about the last week of treatment.

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  • live_deliciously
    live_deliciously Member Posts: 346
    edited August 2015

    hi everyone. I finished all rads on Wednesday. It was a difficult day and i cried a lot. My skin is peeling in a few areas kind of like when you get a lot of sun and the skin is just dried out. I'm also peeling on the back shoulder which I never moisitized so I guess the rads went through my body . still doing OK on energy. Don't have a lot of extra but still on the go every day til bedtime. I start tomoxifen on Monday. Im very thankful to be alive and enjoying life. It's been a journey but thanks be to God there was this treatment available.

    Thanks ladies for letting me share our experiences together

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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

    Live Deliciously - Congratulations on finishing. I hope you'll be able to relax and enjoy this weekend. Good luck with tamoxifen - I hope it works out well for you and is well-tolerated. Keep on moisturizing! (By the way, my back got darker than any other area but not really pink; it just looked like a very localized tan and I never felt any irritation in that area.)

    Susan, thanks for sharing the photo. You're definitely pinker than I turned out. I hope it all heals up quickly.

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

    Thanks. I think some of that pink is camera artifact--I look pinker than normal, but nothing that would make you think anything but, "Did she take a nap by the open window and get a little too much sun?" It's not at all uncomfortable other than a little itching, and the skin is smooth and flexible (other than a little rough at two of the sim sticker dermatitis points). If it were from sun exposure, it would just be a pleasant light toast color by tomorrow.

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  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 2,000
    edited August 2015

    Pre radiation appointment #3 went well...apparently I am an excellent breath holder with big lungs and a small heart. They decided to move my first real appointment to next tuesday, so I don't have to come in for my last one on a Monday. Kind of them. Hung out with the Rad tech and the physicist for about 20 min and started getting physics 101- also intro to how their CT modeling software works. They seemed stoked to have someone ask questions. The physicist looks just like you'd expect- hot as hell, with buddy holy glasses and a mohawk. I think I've seen him at the brewery rocking a utilakilt. Mmmmmmmmmhmmmmm! The lead tech is sweet as he can be and really into fly fishing. With any luck, they will save me! Met with the RO again, it's all systems go, so that's good.

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  • CAMommy
    CAMommy Member Posts: 437
    edited August 2015

    7/20 done. The rescheduled my time to late afternoon. So far no real complaints. Nausea under control. Breast is tender but not overly so. Has not changed color yet. Energy is ok. Can't wait to be done with all this

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

    Littleblue - Lucky you to get to quiz the physicist! I kept asking questions (and got many answers) but had no opportunity to see how the modeling software works. That would have been SO cool!!

    CAMommy - you're pretty much 1/3 done! Hang in there.

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

    I met the dosimetrist who came with today, but did not meet the physicist. He/she will likely remain as much a mystery as the physics itself

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  • Midgiemoon
    Midgiemoon Member Posts: 174
    edited August 2015

    I am DONE! I finished by ringing the bell, kissing my techs goodbye, and taking a selfie with my rad buddy, she has. Stage 4 IBC. All we did was laugh together while we waited our turns. Our texting is epic and hilarious!

    image


    Then I went out to my car and cried for a few minutes, and took myself out for a cherry vanilla ice cream cone.

    6doggies, As far as the gifts go, I found cute kits of sparkly wine accessories for the rad techs at a local store for $7. I had them gift wrapped and I also gave each rad tech a bottle of pink moscato which I wrapped in pink paper and put into a little white wine bag. They all loved the gifts!

    I gave my nurse and the chief rad tech small pink Gerbera daisy plants or their offices. I wrote personal notes to All of them. I did give my ROs assistant a bote of pink moscato too, I hope she is over 21!

    I thoroughly enjoyed being the pink ribbon Santa yesterday!

    My lumpectomy was 3 months ago today. What a journey summer camp has been!


    Love to you all, and remember, the glass is half full!


    All the best,

    Midgie

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

    Midgie - now the healing can begin in earnest! Remember to baby your body/skin/soul. And enjoy lots of great walks with your new family member.

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  • ErenTo
    ErenTo Member Posts: 343
    edited August 2015

    KBeee, I'm getting bolus every other day which started on day 1. So will be getting 13 bolus with WBI and 12 regular plus 5 boosts which I assume will be with bolus as well. I'm on 14/30 now.

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

    Yay, Midgie!

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  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 2,000
    edited August 2015

    dosemetrists seem to be rare birds...my goal is to be friend mine and add it to my radioactive aviary...and also have a good grasp on physics by the time I'm done 😉just kidding.

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  • NorthernCanuck
    NorthernCanuck Member Posts: 44
    edited August 2015

    Hi folks,

    I've just entered into RT today. I'm part of this groups and will check in from time to time.

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

    I like the idea of a radioactive aviary. Plutonium Parrots, Radon Robins, Technetium Tanagers....

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