Winter 2015-16 RADS

STIFF MUSCLES: YES.

I felt like that needed to be capitalized, because right now it's my primary complaint. Let's add "creaky knees" to that, too. The rads people think I'm nuts. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

mdoc, my RO just said something to the effect of "boosts meow meow reconstruction." I can ask him more if you'd like to know! His line of thinking is that more radiation equals less "success" (these medical terms--sheesh) with reconstruction. . . . I think?

JerseyGirl: yay! Keep on truckin', sister!

VickiRides: hello to a fellow August chemo gal! I get lasers; it's how they line me up on the table. No flashing lights, though.

Yikes - after reading recent posts here, I'm hoping my muscles don't become even more stiff with radiation. Today is awful at 3 weeks post last chemo. I hiked 6 miles Saturday after running a couple of miles and rescuing 2 cute abandoned puppies and carrying them home, and then ran 8 miles yesterday....but spent the rest of the day on the couch. You may be thinking that is a lot of exercise, but for me it isn't and it was really crappy....so slow and painful. It feels awful but I do it because it makes me mentally happy to be outside at least trying to do what I would usually be out doing if I didn't have cancer and chemo txs. My general energy and cardiovascular endurance is pretty good (not great, but good), but I just can't put it to the use I want to with exercise and adventures. Sounds like none of us can. *sigh* At work today it is hard to get up from sitting and walk around the hospital, and my legs are so swollen. I stopped taking anti-inflammatories on Saturday to see what happens and I am realizing that my legs have not been getting better, I've simply been masking it. sucks! I'll get there eventually...just need a mental adjustment. No pain at rest, it is all with movement.

Mdoc - my chemo was 5 months (6 rounds) and you and Kate are so right....We will get there. I need more patience in giving my body at least as many months to recover. It's just hard having patience being be a patient!

Speaking of which...I saw a patient today! yay! I even got to fabricate a custom splint/orthotic. I'm sure she first wondered about the bald woman calling her back to be seen....but after asking if she or her husband were sick (in case I needed to mask up) I just openly told her why I asked about sickness, why I'm bald, and why I'd have to schedule her with another therapist for follow-up. I'm comfortable with my open baldness, especially at work, but the majority of Navajo women (and some men) have such loooong beautiful dark hair - like I did - so I'm a little envious seeing it all the time! I also really miss having my own patient caseload and helping people. I've only seen a handful during chemo to avoid their germs while immunosuppressed.

Welcome DLcygnet!! I'm also anxious about rads likely having the most damaging and lasting effects.

Kate - I am laughing about you hearing meow meow in there and thinking about the movie Super Troopers....right MEOW! I hope you know what I'm referencing! yes Kate and Mdoc, more radiation can often mean less successful reconstruction. My original recon plan (tissue expanders followed by small 'gummy bear' implants later) was aborted on the table during B mastectomy because of unexpected positive lymph nodes and the eventual need for radiation. 30% failure rate of implants/expanders during radiation per my plastic surgeon so he won't do it prior to radiation, but considers it later if the skin does OK (though more likely to do other types of recon). A friend of mine went through this last year and her expanders ruptured through the skin during radiation (they were placed at the time of mastectomy), she had 3rd degree burns and ended up needing a latissimus skin graft to cover the defect. Scary!

counting down to radiation starting...1 week to go.

- xo

Hi everyone! I've been lurking a lot and not posting much, but all the info everyone is posting is so helpful. I had treatment #5 out of 30 today. No skin effects yet, but I do think I'm going to have to give up on bras soon. I have tried the Walmart front closure bras, as well as several other options, and it all just irritates the area under my arm on my side. It doesn't look swollen there, but it FEELS swollen and flabby and just yucky. So...here I go out into the world with one saggy 36C boob and one concave side of my chest...sigh. It does feel SO much better just to wear a tank top (I bought several Calvin Klein 2-packs from Costco) and something over it, even though I look dreadfully lopsided.

I do have a little crush on the guy at the check-in desk...he is always so sweet. And the valet parking guy (they do free valet parking for radiation patients) already knows me by name, even though there are about 900 cars that come through the cancer center valet every day...sort of insane...why is there so much cancer?

Hi Everyone
They really liked the thank you basket. I got super tired the first two days with muscle weakness especially in the knees. I would be sitting and then all the sudden I would be falling asleep. Now I get tired off and on. It seems to accumlate over the week. Then I have two days offf to recover. Skin is doing ok red spots that are itchy and I'm pink. MDOC I still have the cold....sadly. Week four!

21 of 30 today, and fatigue is starting in earnest. So far, my skin is annoyed but my normal mastectomy bras are fine. My foob stays put, but I doubt anyone would notice if it didn't because it's so small. My rads side definitely feels off. I'll bet it would feel worse except for the mastectomy numbness.

My bone/joint pain and weakness magically lifted a few weeks after I finished Taxol, just before I started rads. While I'm not as strong and have less endurance than I did before, it seems normal considering I haven't done much since last July.

Hoping that this is my new friend.

My underarm is extremely raw, the doctor says it's because of friction during the day. He told me to get bag balm from the farm store. ..... It's much cheaper there then the drugstore. 6.99

MDoc. My shoulder feels much better I think it was from having the weekend off.

I might only have four more days of these 30 minute sessions, and then five shorter sessions. My RAd dr. Seem to change treatment again yesterday . Now it might only be 30 sessions instead of 33. I'm not going to argue. 😌

Oh, i've given up on a bra for now. It is scary . I don't want to give myself a black eye with the floppy.

Maggie - Hi I don't post very much these days but yes I am getting scans/xrays once a week. Kinda cool to see them and look at your lungs and heart. But yes it does seem excessive to be exposed to more rays etc.

Moondust- may want to check about applying the lotion/cream prior to your treatments. I was always instructed not to apply anything until after treatments and at night. My rads appts were daily around 10am. Hugs!

Hi all...

Maggie, yes, I'm getting x-rays each week. Not crazy about the idea, but I guess it's best to be sure that the rads keep going where they're supposed to go.

I think my bone aches are left over from chemo (6 weeks PFC now) or I certainly hope so! I certainly don't need additional aches & pains from rads as well. Skin issues will be bad enough. I'm still tired much of the time but have finally managed to walk my dogs down & back up the driveway a couple of times now. It had been more than a month since I could do that, between total fatigue and very cold, snowy weather. A month ago, I had to stop and rest several times coming back up. It's a steep driveway. Now I can make it most of the way, stopping only once, so perhaps I'm improving more than I realize!

I haven't worn a bra at all for many years since my breasts are small and I never really needed one. I just wear camisoles all the time these days, mostly for extra warmth. I guess I'll have to find something I can tolerate once the weather gets warm so I can pad the missing boob when I'm out in public. I have no plans for reconstruction. At my age (66), I just don't need that boob or any additional surgery.

Will have #4 of 28 this afternoon. The drive back and forth to the hospital takes more than twice as long as the treatment! No real skin issues yet, but i assume they'll show up at some point. Sigh.

Happy, skin is doing well, a bit red today, but now that I'm on to boosts, I don't think that'll be a problem as I'm continuing the cream...

El Tigre, Fearless195 and luzeelu, Thanks for the replies. I'm glad I am not the only one. Guess maybe it's standard practice. I am off to get some more radiation! Take care.

Maggie - I will have xrays taken weekly too.

Kate - Hello, fellow August girl! There were lasers to line me up, but I had imagined a laser sweeping across my body during treatment. With chemo I could watch the bag's level to see how things were progressing. It felt weird to have no feedback during rads, but I guess I will figure out the machine's pattern soon enough.

Thanks, HH. I checked with them yesterday and they said do not apply within 2 hours of my appt, which is at 1:30 today. I'll take my shower and apply my salve way before the deadline.

I'll find out the daily procedure today, since it will be my first real go with the read rads.

Hooray for everyone's progression! I love when there is an end in sight. After today, my end will be in sight too. At least my end for now, because none of us knows the future.

KateB79 - which drugs are you supposed to take?