Fall 2015 Rads

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  • marijen
    marijen Member Posts: 3,731
    edited December 2015

    One Bad Boob, how many total in your building? Hundreds or? It makes a difference on the odds

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  • jctreehugger
    jctreehugger Member Posts: 31
    edited December 2015

    Happy Hammer - my nipple started to hurt a little after about 3 weeks, and my rad doc recommended putting tape over my nipple during treatment. The tape worked really well, it stopped hurting within a day or two. I also had itching and they prescribed a 5% hydrocortisone cream and it kept the itching at bay. Good luck, I hope it feels better. I found the break on the weekends to be SO helpful to my body.
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  • Sloan15
    Sloan15 Member Posts: 896
    edited December 2015

    kbee - Great news. I was thinking a lot about you- worrying for you and freaking out for me- so hearing your news helped me with a lot of my fears. It's so scary, and it's about time you started getting good news!

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  • Creativevintage
    Creativevintage Member Posts: 76
    edited December 2015

    12 of 25 regular treatments today. My skin is fine with no changes at all. My underarm feels a little tight, but I am doing my stretching exercises. I took yesterday off because I have a bad cold and was running a fever, but was back at it today. I am getting a bit more tired so started working part time today. I figure I need a bit of a rest...it's been a long eight months

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  • Sophrosyne
    Sophrosyne Member Posts: 19
    edited December 2015

    Hi ElishebaJoy,

    I finished today too......congrats!. I started the hormone blocking meds before radiation. I didn't chose Tamoxifen. I have a monthy shot of zoladex and another medication daily to re-inforce that shot. It really hasn't been bad. My Doctor told me this medication was going to affect mood (make me a bitch - exact words). I have been cranky, but I can't blame it all on medications because I have always had mood swings. Best of luck with your continued healing!


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  • molliefish
    molliefish Member Posts: 723
    edited December 2015

    first boost in the books. 4 boosts to go and done. Will not start tam until after the holidays. Put me in the would like to have 'me' back for a week or two category.

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  • Suzanne50
    Suzanne50 Member Posts: 280
    edited December 2015

    Hi ladies - I saw my plastic surgeon yesterday. I am looking to get my tissue expander our as soon as possible. I have to go back in 6 weeks and if all looks good then, we will schedule the surgery - probably early March. So another step closer to being done with treatment. Next week I see my MO and will probably start tamoxifen. I have read so much about side effects but going to hope for the best. Can't worry about it till there is something to worry about....that's my mantra.

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  • Molly50
    Molly50 Member Posts: 3,773
    edited December 2015

    Congratulations to you, Sophrosyne! Suzanne50, are you getting an impla

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  • cuddyclothes
    cuddyclothes Member Posts: 160
    edited December 2015

    Congratulations, Sophrosyne and ElishebaJoy!

    I finished (I think) December 2. Since then my fatigue, balance and thinking have all been terrible, but they are FINALLY getting better! I'm walking without a cane 75% of the time, and only need it when I get extremely tired.

    My skin gets better, gets worse, gets better. The itchy red area above my left breast is still there, extending up to my clavicle at one point. There was a big outbreak of itchy red bumps in my left armpit, but that's subsided. Some of the skin color change, as I might have mentioned before, wouldn't be that noticeable if my right breast wasn't so pale.

    The worst problem I've having started during the radiation and hasn't gotten better--body odor! My left armpit always smelled slightly worse than my right armpit. But the combination of radiation and not wearing any deodorant seems to have sent it into hyperdrive! I mean, it stinks after I take a shower. A few times I've scrubbed it with a washcloth and a different soap afterwards, but the smell still lingers. To be honest, I smell like a sweaty guy on the subway.

    Is anyone else having this problem? I'm using Tom's which seems to help a little, but not for long.


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

    Suzanne: even planning plastic surgery was an enormous comfort for me! (minor revision on my affected breast, reduction and lift on the contralateral one) I wouldn't worry too much about the SE of tamoxifen beforehand--remember, the people who don't have SEs tend not to come back to tell others about that fact. I only had mild queasiness.

    Cuddy: when are you seeing your RO next? did they say anything about what deodorant you were to use, post-rads? (or is the Tom's your choice? If so, my apologies--never mind.)

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  • Suzanne50
    Suzanne50 Member Posts: 280
    edited December 2015

    Molly50 - I am getting my tissue expander swapped out for a silicon implant. But also having some work done on the other side - a lift and small saline implant to "even me out". Maybe I will look better than when I before cancer. Non saggy boobs might me nice!

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  • cuddyclothes
    cuddyclothes Member Posts: 160
    edited December 2015

    queenmomcat: I was told not to use anything during the actual rads, and then Tom's afterward. I used my usual antiperspirant on my right side. I see my RO at the beginning of next month. I'm guessing he'll tell me it's not because of the radiation.

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

    Huh, I will never figure out how ROs determine what to tell their patients. Much may depend on where the fields are and how the patient reacts..

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  • cuddyclothes
    cuddyclothes Member Posts: 160
    edited December 2015

    He tended to deny much of anything was caused by the rads, although the nurse told me it was. He did admit the fatigue, particularly when I told him I have neurological conditions that are greatly aggravated by fatigue.

    Today I took my dog for a short walk, and then did three loads of laundry. I am DONE.

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

    Sweet Dog, aren't there a lot of doctors out there like that? In fairness, I can see waiting on antiperspirants with irritants until you're healed from rads; would asking the nurse be an option? Others have mentioned deodorants other than Tom's.

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  • marijen
    marijen Member Posts: 3,731
    edited December 2015

    I think ROs and the others are trained in what to tell the patients. There's probably a whole philosophy about it. Need to get a ahold of their training materials

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  • Sloan15
    Sloan15 Member Posts: 896
    edited December 2015

    Why can't we go back toI regular deodorant after rads?

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  • Sloan15
    Sloan15 Member Posts: 896
    edited December 2015

    or rather, why can't we go back to regular antiperspirant after rads?

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

    I'm not entirely sure either, as I used regular antiperspirant during rads, just not while I was on the table. But then I had a smaller field. Crazymaking.

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  • rainnyc
    rainnyc Member Posts: 1,289
    edited December 2015

    I've finished 23 of 25 treatments, and we've definitely reached the stage that's not much fun. Last night the blisters under my arm popped, and the skin basically melted away. The front of my chest is raw and bleeding in patches, and the skin on one shoulder also is peeling. They are being aggressive with rads because my cancer is/was aggressive. I know it's a short term thing, but these next few weeks are going to be challenging.

    I made three visits to the wound care department this week and will go after both rads sessions next week. Interesting: the RO's office is big on Eucerin, but the wound care nurses swear by Aquaphor. They washed everything down with saline solution and dressed the raw areas with silvadene cream and the rest with Aquaphor. Then nonstick pads and some more padding and a surgical bra. Eesh. The real challenge will be doing this myself once rads are over. They say it will get worse for a week or two, then start to heal. Which brings us into the new year.

    Looking forward to life around, say, Martin Luther King weekend!

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  • molliefish
    molliefish Member Posts: 723
    edited December 2015

    as long as you have a goal, you have purpos

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  • AusUSA
    AusUSA Member Posts: 27
    edited December 2015

    Finally done! Finished on Friday with my 5 boosts after 25 whole breast and supraclavicle area rads.

    Let Christmas finally begin!

    However, I have a nasty time with the skin. Rainnyc, sounds like you are a bit like me. My skin started breaking down all over on 24 of 25 and has been getting worse since then. It's gotten worse since I took the picture on Thursday--the weather here is insanely HOT and relatively humid (37-41C/100-106F) in Melbourne.

    My doctor even cringed when he saw me on Thursday and immediately asked if I wanted Oxycontin (paracetamol/tylenol with codeine wasn't working). So, yes! LOL

    The nurses have given me a surgical bra, burn gauze, solugel and padding to help in the healing. It's just difficult doing it myself and the weather!

    It's not as bad as it looks. :) But just raw on the clavicle, underarm (thank God it's mostly numb anyway), nipple and under the boob. I can tell it is starting to heal in some areas after one week.

    image

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  • rainnyc
    rainnyc Member Posts: 1,289
    edited December 2015

    AusUSA, we are definitely on the same path! I can't wait for it to be done (two to go). But I can't imagine having to deal with the heat as well. That must be fierce. Glad you're starting to heal.

    I've been telling people that my chest and underarm areas look like the surface of Mars....

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  • cuddyclothes
    cuddyclothes Member Posts: 160
    edited December 2015

    AusUsa, congratulations on finishing your rads! Take good, good care of yourself!!

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

    ouch! I had that moist desquamation too. Mepilex dressings help a lot!!!! Ask for them. They are specialty wound dressings

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  • rainnyc
    rainnyc Member Posts: 1,289
    edited December 2015

    KBeee, I had silvadene dressings when the skin surface was blistering, but they say they're too irritating once the skin actually degrades. I'll ask about Mepilex. I really appreciated the pictures you posted earlier; they gave me a feel for how long this lasts and when I can expect healing to begin. It can't come soon enough--but I still have two more rads sessions!

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  • Molly50
    Molly50 Member Posts: 3,773
    edited December 2015

    Congratulations for finishing Aus.

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  • Tresjoli2
    Tresjoli2 Member Posts: 868
    edited December 2015

    I went back to my regular deodorant...no one told me not to.


    Molly...are you just not hungry...or having trouble swallowing? I was just turned off of food entirely during rads. It's better now. But trouble swallowing should be looked at

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  • AusUSA
    AusUSA Member Posts: 27
    edited December 2015

    Thanks guys,

    I had mepilex before, but they won't give it out here. I'm going to the hospital tomorrow for the nurses to dress me. I get a burn gauze put on along with some burn gel on it, and then padding. I can do it myself, but I prefer them to do it properly, as well as look at my wounds to see how they're healing. I think a lot of the area is healing now, but I'll probably have scarring. Well, you see my lumpectomy scar already, so more won't hurt. LOL

    The heat has been bannished by a cold front that came through in the late afternoon. Tomorrow, a high of 19C/70F. Fun! Christmas will be back in the 80s. I will never get used to hot Christmases! It just isn't right. LOL But love Australia, so we're here for the long haul.

    Hope you're not as bad as mine is Rainnyc :)

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  • AusUSA
    AusUSA Member Posts: 27
    edited December 2015

    Tresjoli, I was thinking the same thing with my deoderant, but in a few weeks. Crystals just ain't cuttin' it! LOL

    I was also told to stop my anti-oxidant supplements (vitamin D, hair/skin/nails supp, goldenseal, etc) but not when I can restart them. I suppose I should ask the nurses this week when I get my wounds looked at and re-dressed.

    Getting ready for bed. :) Enjoying the cool weather after the last 4-5 days above 100F!


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