Winter 2015-16 RADS

Thanks, PattyM!!

for those who haven't started yet, I posted a description of my sim and first treatment on my blog.

Sim http://jenniferfightscancer.blogspot.com/2016/01/r...

First treatment http://jenniferfightscancer.blogspot.com/2016/01/first-radiation-treatment.html

natejorle, it looks like we are close in diagnosis! I am happy you are grade 1! I am grade 3. Too bad you live so far away, I have been wanting to meet someone with IBC. I have yet to meet someone in person but have been in contact with others from other states. There is a Facebook group with over 400 members. Let me know how you are doing. What have they used to target the HER2

Good Monday morning all, here's to starting another week. Today, I crossed my half-way point. 17 of 33 treatments. I was just bragging Friday that I hadn't had any issues and BAM over the weekend the skin under my arm decided to break away. It's not painful yet just uncomfortable. Unless you look at it, then it looks painful.

mdoc524, I've worked full time since the beginning. I took a week off work when I had surgery but actually did some work from home by the end of the week. During chemo, especially when I was doing weekly Taxol, I basically came home from work and did nothing. Honestly, it's been two months since that ended and I'm just now starting to feel back to myself. The rads don't seem to bother me fatigue-wise but if the skin issue gets worse I might have to take some time off to deal with that.

Patty-thanks so much for the recipe! I am going to buy a Blentec blender this week and this will be one of my first tries!

Hi everyone - I hope you all made it through the snowstorm on the east coast without any issue!

TallinTerrific thank you for posting that picture. Those grandbabies are so beautiful!

To answer a few of the other posts... I am working through Rads however I'm working from home more. The fatigue hit me like a ton of bricks for my first few treatments and then evened out a bit. I can already feel it from this morning's treatment though and yes it's not the same as being tired. I feel like someone plugged me in and is draining the energy from me.

I have a rash with blisters on the top of my chest. The RO nurse gave me some 1% hydrocortisone cream. I'm also using Jean's Cream on my skin. Has anyone used this? Thoughts?

I also now have the worst heartburn and subsequently have canker sores. Regardless of what I eat, the heartburn flares up. I am going to speak to the RO at my appointment with him on Wednesday. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

I have 12 more sessions to go!

as for working: I have two part time jobs, teaching ballroom dance and writing (from home). I've been on leave from the dance studio since July, and I cut way back on the writing work. I'm extremely fortunate in that my SO can support me even if I don't work at all, but I like having the money and paying my own bills.

#3 went fine today. Fatigue is different from chemo... I just get very sleepy. Chemo was a hundred times worse.

mdoc - re work, I was off for chemo and surgery as per my doctors, but now with rads I have been working -- started at 4 days, then currently 3, and am half way right now -- it was handy to have at least 1 day off for other appointments e.g. physio, ....but I plan on reducing further if needed, with a week away just after it finishes [I need to travel to see my PS who wants to check how her diep work held up] then building up again 2 then 3 then 4 days weekly -- it was an educated guess with my schedule, as I know fatigue starts to hit individuals differently, as do breast issues, and I told work it was a tentative schedule that may need revision. I would like to work as much as possible if feeling well enough, but don't plan to be a hero!

pattymeg - great recipe -- I have made many variations of that .... sometimes replacing with other dark green spinach or chard -- I tuck some in the freezer just for smoothies, dark berries, chia seeds or ground flax, regular water or almond milk -- it's very forgiving and I also often toss in some protein powder -- so don't worry if you don't have everything -- it's not fussy like a cake!

zelda -- sorry about your side effects -- I have heard good things about Jeans cream, but can't try it here in Canada... and I have used warm salt water rinses to help with cankers in the past, and heard that smaller portions of mild non-spicy food can help with heartburn, but I don't personally have that -- I think it depends how close to your esophagus is in rad field

tallnterrific - what a sweet picture!

@Tallnterrif - I ended up with a retinal hemorrhage three weeks after I finished chemo. It's healing slowly on its own, but drives me crazy to have my vision messed up. I think it's from the chemo but none of the doctors will fess up to it.

@etnasgirl - how many days are you signed up for? We started the same day and I am in for 28 total.

I asked the tech about shaving the pits and she said not to, that the hair would fall out due to the rads anyway. Anyone had this happen?

It makes me feel better to hear that I'm not the only one with emotions all over. I've kept a good attitude through all this and then was so mad last week. My poor DH, I could barely stand myself, but he was sweet.

We went camping this weekend, the first time since before surgery last June, and it felt so good to be outside and doing something normal.

Hugs all round

Had my SIM today and markings done. I start next Monday 2/1 for 33 treatments. I was surprised to find out today that I will be receiving Bolus?? treatment every other treatment. Is anyone else having this? When she explained it I thought it sounded like I would have issues with my skin. Somehow it radiates closer to the skin. I hope this is not the case. Time will tell. Any thoughts from someone who had this treatment would be great.

Hope all fairs well this week with treatment.

Mdoc524 thanks for the welcome and you do a wonderful job keeping track of a very fast moving thread.

I'm getting the bolus, too. That's pretty standard post-mastectomy, since there's not a lot of tissue there to disperse the radiation.

Today I've decided to focus on the good weather we are having and all that is good in my day. I was all over the map yesterday emotionally and realized that gratitude is much better than anything else I'm dealing with.

Thank you for the support on this site. I'm happy to have any responses about my issues. It's so great to hear from others who are dealing with something similar.

I hope your day is wonderful.

Thanks for checking in Steflove!! My underarm area started giving me problems over this past weekend and I was worried that it would be horrible dealing with it for 3 more weeks. The nurse told me that my last 8 treatments are boosts so that area doesn't have many more to go. Sounds like you dealt with that too. You look great by the way.

Here's something that I find entertaining: when my RO described the bolus, I was imagining a nice, soft, sort of rubbery thing that would cushion my skin. . . . NOT SO. It ended up being a piece of hot plastic that they slapped onto my chest and then molded around me as it cooled off. I think of it as my armor vest.

Another funny thing: every time the tech (whom I really like) said she was going to turn on the "LASERS," all I could think about was Dr. Evil.

It's the little things.

That said, I'd much rather have a gooey gel thing than a chest armor thing, but I'll take my vest and wear it with pride.