August 2015 rads

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

    Meezer..I have a friend that went to rads before work. That worked best for her. She has an office with a door and could close out the world when she needed. I, on the other hand, work in a large control center with 20+ people. No privacy there. You'll be fine either way.

    7 of 28....I noticed some reddening under my boob where my bra band fits. It doesn't help that I've gained 12 pounds and everything fits a little more snug. I think tomorrow I'll shift to sports bras in a larger size.

  • queenmomcat
    queenmomcat Member Posts: 3,039
    edited August 2015

    Sim today, oh joy. Though I expect it'll go swimmingly.

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

    Today is my dry run. Tomorrow rads starts officially. Ready to get this going so I can get it done. I only have a 25 minute drive each way, but I am glad it is not mid winter and slippery roads. I am not nervous for the process, but have been nervous in general lately...similar feeling before chemo started. I am most dreading adding fatigue since chemo just ended 2 weeks ago

  • Alibeths
    Alibeths Member Posts: 656
    edited August 2015

    GOOD LUCK! : )

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

    May it go smoothly today.

  • bluefin
    bluefin Member Posts: 50
    edited August 2015

    I'm due for #8 today. The area that receives the daily bolus (along my incision) is looking a little pink, but it's only noticeable when comparing to my right side. It's pretty faint at this point. I do have some itching between my TEs - possibly the internal mammary nodes site?

    I saw my PS yesterday and he said my skin looks good. I will see him again after rads is complete. Originally I had been planning on delayed DIEP (1 year post rads) but I also want to have more children if I can, so I am entertaining the idea of doing implants first temporarily and DIEP later on down the road. Anyway I asked my PS about rads and implants as I thought they don't usually go well together and he said in my case I have really good skin and if the pocket shrinks some, we could make it work with a slightly smaller implant and Alloderm. He doesn't seem concerned unless I have a severe reaction to rads by the end.

    Good luck queenmomcat and KBeee!

  • queenmomcat
    queenmomcat Member Posts: 3,039
    edited August 2015

    Sim done, phewph, though I actually start rads on September 1st.

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

    waiting........... They had some problem this morning and are way behind

  • Zoritsa
    Zoritsa Member Posts: 37
    edited August 2015

    Today is day 11 of 33. Everything is still going well, though yesterday was probably the first day my breast felt warmish and my nipple hurt more then usual. I also felt the staff was a bit crabby yesterday...hopefully they are in a better mood today, because I try real hard every day to be pleasant,lol. Monday started off nice, I got in early and the person ahead of me didn't show, so I got in right away...only to end up waiting more then a half hour for the Dr. to see me. Mondays are see the Dr. day. Luckily, my main Dr. saw me sitting there and he saw me instead of who I normally will see. My weight is creeping up every week, and I need to buckle down. I'm starting to feel worn down at times, so I know I'm not moving as much. I can't gain anymore...I've worked to hard over the past 8 months to lose, and I still am not at a normal weight.

  • meezers3
    meezers3 Member Posts: 95
    edited August 2015

    Today was my second day of treatment. So far going before work is okay. I'm surprised no one has said anything about lotion, bras, or deodorant. I asked them after my first treatment yesterday if I needed to put any lotion on and they said no. Going to ask them tomorrow if I need to get special items for the future treatments.

  • Zoritsa
    Zoritsa Member Posts: 37
    edited August 2015

    Meezers3, I wasn't told about any creams until I met with my Dr., who sees patients after treatment on Mondays, so no one there said anything until a week into rads. They then gave me a cream, and while they told me that's all I need, I learned a lot here from what others use/have used. I did know not to use deodorant or creams before radiation, and only certain deodorants are ok. They can't contain aluminum. I was also told not to shave, or if I do, only use an electric razor. I finally went out and bought some comfy bras. Target had some really soft ones with no underwire and they were cheap. They all go over my head, so no clasps or hooks.

    Today was better. No crabby people and I was in and out. My skin itches now and then, so went out and got some hydrocortisone cream....it helps. I also kept moving today. Took the dog for a walk and felt so much better today...not fatigued for the most part, so as long as the weather cooperates, I'll keep up with walking or biking.

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

    Horribe, horrible scheduling issues which make me steaming mad because I asked 2 weeks ago to know my time since I need to turn in my Sept work hours by the 21st of Aug. they did not have an early afternoon slot so they put me in the morning and I now have 9 shifts I have to get covered at work. I am beyond mad. Uuugh. They were also an hour behind. I hope tomorrow is better. Not looking forward to going there the next 30 or so days. Tomorrow will try to awaken with a more positive attitude

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

    Ugh. Hoping it goes better, Kbeee.

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

    1 down in the books. Glad there was no crazy long wait today; I was in and out pretty quickly, all things considered/ They did another xray today and then the treatment & bolus. That gel thing is cold, and much bigger than I thought it would be. Brrr. Must remember warm blanket next time.

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

    Glad you've got one taken care of!

  • pboi
    pboi Member Posts: 663
    edited August 2015

    Kbee...hurray for #1 done. I had the bolus gel thing everyday. Yes it is cold. My tech was kind enough to warm it up on something everyday, so when she put it on it was warm. Maybe you can ask if they'll do that for you?

    PB

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

    10 of 28...I have some reddening under my boob. I'm not wearing my regular bras anymore. I'm wearing the cheap 3/$10 over-the-head sports bras.You know the ones. No cup size, just circumference. So now I don't have two boobies, just one big uni-boob. I followed someone's advice on this web site and bought 3 sizes. My size, one larger and one 2x larger. That's really helped. Some days I feel like a regular and other days one or two sizes more. To me the key is having that flexibility. Each size hits me in a different place. So when one area gets a little tender, I shift to a different size. So far, so good.

    OK, I'm a self-proclaimed GEEK and proud of it. I bought a new laser beam, IR, no contact, thermometer (on Amazon). My older one broke some time ago. After radiation, the surface temperature of my left boob is ~2 degrees warmer than the right boob. So when I come home, it's off with the bra, on with a softy T and the cooling towel (Polar Pad) over the left boob till it's cooled down. Works for me. I told my techs and they 'bout fell off their stools. An extra bonus....I can pick out the coldest beer in my fridge to enjoy while chilling. It would probably work for getting the perfect temp wine too

  • Nancdancer
    Nancdancer Member Posts: 47
    edited August 2015

    day 16 of 28 and started to feel a little itchy but nothing bad and have only used lotion twice, hope things keep on going smooth for me. They had some reggae music on today and it really calmed me down. Still not used to having 3 people stare at me while they are positioning me!

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

    14 of 28. Half way there. Some of the SE have started kicking in. My GEEK side measured my surface temperature of my boobs after rads. I now have a 6 degree temperature difference between the rad boob and normal boob. I'll going back to using the polar pad afterwards. I'm also starting to feel more more "twitches" during the day. Just little spasms of pain that kinda hit you randomly. Fatigue? I'm not sure. I normally crash early in the evening anyway, cause my alarm is set for 4 am for work. I have been crashing really early though and then unfortunately I wake up at 1 or 2 in the morning....like now. Then I can't get back to sleep.....like now. It makes me a little tired at work, especially mid-afternoon.

    I'm glad we have a 3 day weekend here. It will be nice to chill and not have to set an alarm clock. And if I wake up at 2 am, I can just embrace it and go back to sleep when I feel like it, not on a schedule.

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

    Keys-Plez, I admire your spirit of scientific adventure! I'm using the hands-on approach of saying to my coworkers, "Hey! Feel this!"

  • auroaya200882
    auroaya200882 Member Posts: 942
    edited September 2015

    Finished last treatment Wednesday now to wait two months to see if rumors shrank

  • meezers3
    meezers3 Member Posts: 95
    edited September 2015

    i had #9 today, so happy to have three days off! Will be nice to sleep late for a change.

  • wrmbrownie
    wrmbrownie Member Posts: 114
    edited September 2015

    About the breathing, I go to MD Anderson and there, if your breast is on the left side, you hold your breath during radiation to move your heart and other important stuff out of the way, just in case. For me, they're radiating four different places and it takes about 45 minutes or so.

    I've only done three so far. I drive an hour and half each way (without traffic) and luckily, my time is such that I can drop the kiddos off at school and pick them up later. I was sitting in the last waiting room a couple days ago and two other won were driving an hour to get there and a third was staying near there (because she lives in NM.) I've been listening to books on CD while driving to keep me occupied.


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

    ksusan..."feel this" I might get kicked off the watch floor at work. Heeheehee. BTW, where's my country rap song? Dog, Mama, Train and Prison?

    wrmbrownie...MD Anderson is a top notch place. It's worth the drive. My SIL insisted that my brother go there (from Mississippi) for prostate cancer. My RO here in Key West fellowed there. So I have the utmost confidence in her.

    If I don't dilly-dally, I can be in and out of my rad center in 18 minutes. But I almost always dilly-dally.

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

    :) My limit is one a week. Feel free to improvise, though!

    ETA:

    However:

    • Prison/He is risen
    • Truck/give a f***
    • trailer hitch/cancer is a bitch
    • Dog/chemo fog
  • Keys-Plez
    Keys-Plez Member Posts: 304
    edited September 2015

    Choo Choo Train/chemo brain/all insane Chemo brain made me miss my train. Isn't it insane? Or maybe just lame?

    Pickup/D Cup/Good Luck Spilled my coffee cup while driving my pickup truck. Good luck with those D cups.

    Mama/Bahama Kissed my Mama then escaped to Bahama.

    jail/hell/bail make my bail, get outta jail, go to hell :o)

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

    jail/bail/cancer-fail

    Chemo tail makes me wail

    Itchy scratchy armpit-nail

    Kill those cells

    And then smooth sail!


    Wait, are we writing songs or spells lol?

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

    Nobody said it can't be both!

    Constant pee/Big D/got no hair/don't look at me.

    I loved my man, but I couldn't stay/Had to coconut-oil my ....

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

    Kissed my Mama, went to Bahamas, took my dog, to hunt for iguanas. (my avatar)

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