Summer 2015 Rads

I'm glad to see I'm not the only GEEK. I thought there was something wrong with me. I've even gotten permission from my RO to video a session. I can't see that little alien head when it disappears under the table.

My RO lent me one of her books today for weekend reading. i haven't started reading it yet, but she thought it might be good for me.

Good news on the MRI, Andrea!

KBeee... my overall cancer treatment plan has changed by the week, it seems. It's primarily because I've gotten so many different opinions along the way and as you know, we recurrent ladies give them a run for their money! I didn't do the adriamycin so I jumped ahead of you. I was supposed to start rads on July 27 but they found some new active cancer spots that they were concerned about. At that point they decided they wanted me to do a full SLND (after already having two SNB's). Then wait to heal and do radiation in October. And then wait until radiation was done and do two more months of chemo, and then finally start me on hormonal meds. But I ended up going with a different opinion because all along they've said that rads and hormones are my best bets at beating this stuff and in their plan I would have know about this recurrence for a year before getting started on hormones. That didn't sit well with me. After a 3 week delay while I figured things out with 2nd opinions, I started radiation (this past Tuesday).

I have a full breast bolus. The supposed new cancer spots are under my subpectoral muscle and in the internal mammary glands so those areas are being radiated along with full breast and lymph nodes under my arm, plus I think subclavical. I wear the bolus every day and after 4 times I haven't noticed any change yet. I will have a total of 30 rads. I don't even notice the radiation machine because I wear special vision glasses and a breathing tube (like snorkel gear), plus a nose pin. This is for the breathing technique that they use to protect my heart since they are radiating the left side. I have to concentrate on every breath and keep it in the range that is identified on the screen that I can see on the glasses. When they are ready to radiate I have to breath in and hold it in a certain spot on the monitor. If I waiver and go outside that spot the machine automatically shuts off and does not radiate. I chose to radiate 2 hours from home so that I could use this technology. My guess is within a few more years every radiation place will be using some sort of breath hold technique for left breast radiation. For those of you holding your breath on your own... I would check with your technicians to ask them about that. If you didn't hold your breath during the sim it might move things around a bit.

I have permission to start hormonal therapy during radiation so I will be getting a lupron shot next week and then two weeks later will start on AI's. I still might need to to adriamycin after radiation but right now I'm just focused on getting through this step.

Whheeee... never a dull moment.

klanders, so sorry to hear of the new spots they found. My second 2015 tumor they found was also under my pec muscle. I distinctly remember them saying how rare this was. My question moving forward will be how they will assess for this in the future since I obviously cannot feel one there. I guess it is not as rare as they think it is. They are hitting my internal mammary, axillary and subclavicular nodes too. I am ok with that. I want to hit it hard and be done with it for good this time, I hope yours is kicked to the curb for good this time as well.

hey ladies, I hope you don't mind me asking but how did they find you had a reoccurrence and where it was? This is a big concern of mine too since I had a lot of nodes involved. My doctor says she will monitor my blood, not tumor markers. So I feel like I'm in a wait and see position here

Four more boosts to go -- then I'm done! (Last day is August 27th -- coincidentally, both of my brothers were born on 8/27. They are eight years apart. Lucky day for my family? :-)) On one hand, I am thrilled to be done. On the other, I am getting a little nervous. I have been under constant surveillance (surgeries, treatments, scans, doctor appointments, etc.) for many months -- and this is sort of the end of the road. (There are the follow-ups, of course.) Anyone else get a little nervous after you were done with rads? I also start Tamoxifen shortly. Wondering how that is going to go. (Already bought a fan for my night table and a "cold" towel.) Going forward, I will also be making some changes to my diet/lifestyle. . .cut back on the sugar. . . add more green tea. . . get back to a more aggressive exercise program (when cleared, of course.) Anyone else planning on changes? Hope you are all having a nice weekend.

Hi everyone -

I am another person having left breast rads but no special breathing technique necessary. I do have lymph node involvement so my supraclavicular area is getting nuked as well as my left chest wall. Different people have different anatomy too...some peoples' heart and lungs are higher than others.

I had bilateral BC but my right side is not getting radiation because the RO and her team could not come up with a plan without giving me radiation to 30 percent of my lung tissue...not good in a youngish person. So we decided to just radiate the left side, the side with lymph node involvement.

Andrea

live deliciously, I found my recurrence because I felt a new lump at the same spot as my original tumor. They thought it was scar tissue but I requested a biopsy. It was cancer again. They did a reexcision and found a second tumor. I had chemo again and now will start some pretty aggressive rads. Where in Iowa are you?

Kbee im in des moines iowa. I'm glad you were able to feel the lump the 2nd time around. I feel like a lame duck sitting and waiting for a reoccurrenc with symptoms instead of getting it earlier.

Andrea, I was really freaked and worried about the radiation to my supraclavicular area (s/clav, in the jargon). That area actually did just fine - it did not redden and I don't think it was even as pink as my breast. You will probably have radiation passing through your body from it, however, so be sure they show you where you need to use aloe and moisturizers on your back, as you won't be able to see it right away. For me it was a fairly large area - just about as far as I could reach over my shoulder. It gave me a chance to work on staying limber! My husband helped apply lotion, too, which I appreciated a lot.

live deliciously, we live close! I will send you a PM

My radiation is with breath hold. Initially I had a regular CT simulation and was told by my RO that depending on my imaging I might get called back for a repeat with breathhold. Well they called me back. We first practiced with a snorkel-like device and then repeated the sim. It wasn't easy in the beginning, but they split the beams in fractions that the patient is able to hold her breath, and now after 14 sessions it's become pretty comfortable. I won't be doing breath hold for boosts.

Has anyone ever used Hylatopic cream? My RO wrote me a prescription for one to have on hand.

FYI I'm on treatment #6 so no skin issues yet and have been using Miaderm so far.

8/20 done today. Quick and easy today too but now I'm tired. So hard to find something that doesn't irritate my nipple. Bra nope, cami, nope. Can't run around topless as I have kiddos. They would be mortified lol.

I am finding cetaphil cream in the tub to be the most soothing on my skin and help with the itching.