Winter 2015-16 RADS

Hi all! I did manage to walk the dogs down the driveway and along my little gravel road and back up the path through the woods below my house. It's been so long since I was able to do that. Nice sunny day in the 60s. Also went out to the thrift shop and the bank. Can't recall the last time I drove myself anywhere. Came home and even got some work done. (I'm self-employed so have been able to work a flexible schedule.)

Mdoc, yes, I live in central Virginia next to the Blue Ridge Mountains. More cold on the way unfortunately, but meanwhile, it's nice to enjoy a couple of warm days! Time to take a break now, however. I have a tendency to overdo things when I feel slightly better. Make hay while the sun shines. Or something.

Congrats to those who finished up this week!! Tall you look pretty good..hope it heals up quickly for you.

I am done 3 weeks.4 more to go. I'm definitely having issues with fatigue and mouth sores which I didn't think about as much as I did though chemo. It's frustrating I'm back to rinsing several times a day hoping it does the trick.

Happy Saturday . ..it was nice to sleep in today!

Hugs to all

Diane

Hi Ladies

Hope you are all having a nice weekend. I've finished one week of rads and by Thursday, was feeling super fatigued. Saw my rad onc on Friday morning for a 1 week checkup, I mentioned the fatigue, and he said that's a bit earlier than they expect. It's usually not until the 2nd week that the fatigue hits. I've been dragging my butt for 3 days now. Ugh. I am soooo tired. Did this happen to anyone else? I think I may actually cut my hours back at work, as I barely made it through my 6 hr day yesterday.

Shopgal, hang in there...my skin opened up also, both under the arm and under the breast, and once it started healing it healed very quickly! Aquaphor really helped for me...

Hugs to all,

Octogirl

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. It's cloudy but in the 60s in the Atlanta area, so not a bad day. So ready for spring!!!

Tallnterrific --- Congrats on finishing and glad to hear your skin has held up so far. I'll be joining you on the aromatase inhibitor boards. I agree with you that the group on this board is an amazing group of women!!! Twnkltoz --- Sorry you had some additional days added on. That's a bummer. Hang in there and Warrior On! Mdoc524 --- Yes I started on Arimidex about 2 weeks ago. I've already been through menopause so the return of the hot flashes has been what I've noticed more than anything else. They are similar to what I used to have, mainly in the middle of the night between 3 and 4am when I wake up kicking off the covers. I had a couple of nights with some knee discomfort but nothing unbearable. To me, the se's with the medication are more than a fair trade-off if it helps to prevent recurrence.

thanks, all. And now I'm feeling crummy and nauseous again. I guess this is my trade off for being through chemo with minor SEs.

Brightsox, I did not have any blood work during rads, just x rays, as mine was image guided. I had 42.5 G to the whole breast and an additional 10 G to the tumor bed (boost) mine was hypofractionated 16 days whole breast and 5 days of boost. Myplan never changed. I had three RO's advise the same treatment plan for me. Everyone is unique so every plan is a bit different. The important thing is that your RO is carefully planning your treatment to get rid of any remaining cancer cells

I have just completed my third treatment and my hairdresser noticed that clumps of my hair were falling out when she washed it last week! I had a perm the week before I started radiation in the hope that it would make less work for me. From what I had read, it sounded like my hair should not be affected because the radiation is not to my head. The nurses and radiation techs have said the same but am very disappointed. I'm also having severe nausea. With 13 more treatments I hope things don't get much worse! Am I being realistic?

Well, hi everyone! Some of you I know and some I don't. I'll be starting rads on Feb 23 with 30 treatments (25 whole breast plus 5 boosts). What can anyone tell me about Mepitel film? A Canadian friend told me to ask the rads dept about it because it works so well in preventing skin issues.

Funny how there is such variation in treatment plans even for those with very similar dx and surgery pre rads based on what I am seeing/reading here.

Welcome Moondust! I've only used Mepitel at work to treat mild/superficial wounds/burns/ulcers (a long time ago when I used to do more general wound care) but never tried it for prevention of anything. I use a lot of Mepiform now (thicker product, same manufacturer) to treat post-op scars, but that's obviously very different scenario. Just found this on-line, on the manufacturers website:

http://www.molnlycke.com/news-media/wound-care/mepitel-film-prevents-radiotherapy-skin-reaction/

Kate - I was told I would not need boosts, but I am going to ask again and confirm that on Friday at my appt for sim and tattooing. I had B mastectomy for a small L mass and no reconstruction yet...maybe never, but still leaving that door open. To my knowledge what type of reconstruction depends on how the skin fares with radiation. Implants are not usually recommended - there is even a ~30% failure rate of expanders and implants in radiated skin (per plastic surgeon). Fat grafting (liposuct your own fat and redeposit it to make breasts, and takes a few rounds) is a great option for small breasts. I am considering it (depends partly on fat stores in the right places and gaining weight) just to fill in a little space behind my nipples since I'm pretty warped now.

You're so right about laughing with the doctors. I goof around a lot in my regular life, so it comes easy. Going to miss my department banter while I'm hours away for rads and working remotely for 6 weeks.

A little anxious about starting rads. Anxious not quite the right word, but I can't find another one that works, but I'm sure you all understand. It's a big fat unknown and everyone responds a little differently just like chemo. Hoping I don't get fatigued much and my muscles finally start healing and feeling better from the chemo. I keep pushing myself physically to run or hike or lift weights every day, but it feels terrible (but I do it anyway). Just walking and squatting down is painful unless I take an anti-inflammatory. I think I need to re-work in my head how long it may take to recover and really feel strong again, like the pseudo-athlete I always tried to be.

Have a great week everyone! I am so thankful you are all out here for support!

- xo

I'm probably not doing boosts, for what it's worth. I was in a "gray area" to begin with re: rads, and I just can't see myself adding five more days to this. My RO said that, even if there's a slim, slim chance of me wanting recon, boosts will be off the table (haha--see what I did there?).

Andraxo, I hear you 100% on everything you said above. Anxiety, pushing, trying to be an athlete again. I've started exercising again, and it FLOORS me how much chemo weakened me. I worked out last Thursday and Friday, and could barely move all weekend. It's gonna be a long road. . . But we'll get there!

JuniperCat, it's worth asking your RO. I mean, boosts are no big deal, at least from what most folks say here, but it's five more days and more radiation, you know?

In the meantime, I think I've developed dry eye from taxotere. Seeing the eye guy on Thursday. Yay for more appointments! (chuckle)

24 of 30 down today!!! I more reg and then the 5 boosts! Whoohoo!

I get a CBC done every other week. So far, all my counts are good.

I'm feeling better than over the weekend. My skin is starting to break down under my arm and it was getting pretty painful--there would be a burning sensation when I put my arm down. Applying lotion helped for a short time. I did find the under shirts and that helps, as well as the hole-in-a-tshirt trick. Last night we tried something that also gave me some relief: I took a bath (not toooo hot but hot enough to be comfortable), and my fiance made some oatmeal water by just soaking quick-cook oats for about 15 minutes, then using a spoon to squish all the good stuff out of the oats and grind up the flakes a bit. Then we soaked a cloth (the rest of the t-shirt we cut up, actually) and laid it over my whole burn area and under my arm. The water was cool and it was very soothing. I re-soaked the cloth every 5 or 10 minutes and reapplied. It was quite soothing while I was in there, so we will probably do that every night until the burns subside after treatment.

The nurse looked at my skin today and gave me some Mepilex, so it's funny timing that someone just brought it up. It has a mildly adhesive back, and she stuck it on under my arm to keep skin from rubbing skin. Instant relief from the burning sensation there.

I alternate between Aquafor, 100% aloe (I actually found it at wal-mart!), and a homemade salve someone gave me made of comfrey, lavendar, and olive oil.

Ugh...the itching is starting.