Winter 2015-16 RADS

El Tigre. I start in a few weeks, RO didn't say go off Letrozole, at least not yet.

6 rad treatments down, 22 to go.

Met with MO yesterday and got my rx for Arimidex. She knows I'm currently doing radiation and there was no mention of waiting to start the medication.

anyone experience indigestion right after rads? It happened yesterday and this morning. Haven't had it since chemo so it freaked me.

And yes ElTigre I feel like a baby without her security blanket too. Esp during waiting for rads to start. And I'm sure I'll feel like that after because I am triple negative and my only prevention from reoccurrence was chemo. Sorta like flying thru the air without a safety net. Just hoping for no reoccurrence.

It's helped to read all of the posts here, especially from those of you on the 16 day treatments. I finished day 3 today and am not noticing any changes at all. The technicians have told me that's fairly normal for the first few days. I don't feel a thing during radiation---except my arms hurting from having them above my head. I felt a twinge/muscle spasm in my middle back during the sim and I wanted to move to try and help relieve the discomfort but knew that wasn't possible. I'm not seeing any redness or swelling so far. Since my mom just finished radiation a week ago, I ask her a lot of questions. We both have fair complexions and I keep thinking I will respond the same way she did. Right now, it's almost like a false reassurance since there are no problems with radiation. In reality, I know that will change with time though. I may not always respond to posts or in a quick manner, but I enjoy reading the posts as they come through on my email. It's encouraging to read, knowing there are others sharing similar experiences (even if they are different in some ways. We will get through this stage of the journey!!!

wow, this thread is hopping!

Cabbage. Hmmm, I have a lot to catch up on! Somewhere along the way I saw some pics that Mary/mdoc posted of finishing chemo... Congrats!

I'm doing 33 treatments, and as of today... I'm just over halfway (17 done, 16 to go)!

I'm just starting to notice redness/itching. It wouldn't be so bad if i didn't have 16 more times for it to get worse! Agh!

Miaderm. They give it to me there. I'm sure I'm getting billed for it; I doubt it's a gift out of the kindness of their hearts! Lol! Really though, they are a great crew. They say I can use other stuff... Aloe, Shea, coconut oil, aquaphor, etc... Just nothing 2 hours before treatment. The Miaderm is ok I guess, but I don't care for the scent.

I think I might have to buy some cabbage!

I've got some reading to catch up on!

Hello everyone. I am fairly new to this site. I will have radiation starting in Feb but I haven't seen my Radiation Oncologist yet so don't know any details. I am looking forward to reading your posts, becoming informed and giving and receiving support!

So just to be clear, the cabbage has to be cooked?

Marijen and El tigre - I am on Letrozole -- have been for months and plan to be for 10 years. I started with chemo taxol and then Letrozole to shrink blob better prior to diep surgery. Stayed on it during surgery. My RO knows I am on it, and never mentioned needing to come off. But I see a new MO tomorrow by video conf, as my other MO sadly left, so will ask her thoughts and report back. I'm tolerating it well, so feel like it's an extra line of defense.

Finished 7 of 28 today, so 1/4 way through. Yay! My skin is still normal, but definitely I'm a bit swollen, so now calling the boob 'Pufferfish'. A little tight and achy but otherwise ok. I find the cooling cloth helpful, and also they recommend a saline soak: 1 litre or quart of water boiled and 2 tsp salt -- let cool to room temp and soak and wring out clean facecloth-- place over boob - then just lie back and read a book or watch tv for awhile. I look forward to the cabbage but forgot to buy one! Dang!

I know tons of people who are sick with a long cold flu, both in my town and all over. A bad year for it, I think. Health and healing everyone.

What supplements is everyone taking during rads? Before rads I'm taking b6 and aloe juice for neuropathic itch, a taxol parting gift, and taking coq10 to help rebound my heart from AC. I will stop coq10 for rads but I wonder what else I could or should take. I'll be asking my RO but not until the 27th.

Thanks!

So sorry Thr_yet that you got blindsided with the test results, praying that you have an easy time of it, please keep us posted on your progress.

Had #3 of 33 yesterday, doing ok so far. Definately feeling heat in the breast after. Yesterday I used a soft cold pack for about 20 minutes after treatment, just moved it around over my clothes on my drive to work. I am hoping it will cool the skin and keep it from burning, we will see. RO said no heating pad, lol can I take my boob off then cos it feels like one... The cool pack seemed to make a difference.

Sat with a lady just finishing yesterday, thought we must sound like old soldiers comparing war stories.

Hoping everyone has a good Friday and a nice weekend vacation from our Rads.

Helen

Wow such a busy thread, it is kind of awesome. Finishing day 10 of 25 today. Phoebe58 great advice for the puffiness, I will definitely try that as my mold is very tight already! And the cabbage idea brilliant. I have a bit of redness so far but RO said to expect the worse case as we are also treating skin.. fingers crossed I can avoid it. Congrats to all those who finished and enjoy the break to those still having treatments !!

Lee Anne

Welcome to other relative newbies! I haven't posted a lot here because I won't start rads until February, but I've been following along. This thread moves quickly.

Re: supplements . . . My RO said, in our consult, that what he doesn't know doesn't hurt him. The typical line is that we shouldn't take large doses of antioxidants (vitamins A, C, and E, in particular). I told him I'm taking 800 IU per day of vitamin E for hot flashes and night sweats--and that it's working, for the most part. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't tell me to stop.

CoQ10 isn't a true antioxidant, for what it's worth. I'm having left-sided rads and plan to keep taking it throughout treatment.

Prior to starting treatment, here's what I'm taking. I started this regimen when my MO gave me the all-clear after chemo. I put in bold things I took during chemo, with my MO's blessing. The others, I added when I became neutropenic five weeks PFC:

CoQ10 100 mg; vitamin D 5000 IU; vitamin E 800 IU; vitamin B6 100 mg; vitamin B-complex; biotin 1000 mcg; vitamin C 1000 mg (time release); magnesium malate 450 mg; fish oil 1000 mg; hemp protein powder; whey protein powder; green powder; probiotic; mushroom immune complex.

I'll keep taking everything during rads except the vitamin C, maybe the mushroom complex, and maybe the fish oil. I'll ask my RO again when I see him next (even though he doesn't want to know!). I may cut the vitamin E in half, though I'm not excited at the prospect of more/worse night sweats.

The only drug I take, at least until I start Tamoxifen, is Naturethroid (a natural replacement for Synthroid). I'm happy to answer any questions anyone has about vitamins/supplements--I worked in that field for quite some time.

Cabbage works for all kinds of things. I never would have thought of it for rads, but you'd better believe I'm going to try it!

For those of you on 16 day treatments-----can you tell me at what point when you started noticing any changes in your breast (redness, warmth, any itching, changes in shape, etc)?  I finished day 4 this morning and am not having any discomfort or redness but did notice some type of mild itchy feelings during the night.  And then this morning after the treatment, I could see small little bumpy spots at the base of my nipple.  Normal? 

Another question for any of you having radiation on the left breast (and I plan to ask my RO on Monday also) --- is there any need to be concerned about radiation to the heart?  I just thought about that this morning as I was having my treatment. 

Hello all,

I so appreciate this community and wealth of info. Thank you all for sharing.

I am starting 6 weeks of rads next week. (surgery and chemo completed last year) I have been visualizing a beach vacation since this journey has begun...... feet in the sand, waves crashing in the distance...lazy....relaxation..... Do you think I will feel up to a beach vacation right after rads are done? The end of rads lines up with spring break perfectly. Thanks in advance!

thanks keepwalking