Winter 2015-16 RADS

2 more boosts to go!!!!! Both are later morning appointments, so I don't have to rise before the sun to get there! Yay!

Kate and Happy, I just met the other RO at my center, he, too is at least 6'5" and a walking stick.. These guys could play Ichabod Crane in a cancer center version of Sleepy Hollow! Too weird. Although my RO is a VERY quiet talker and the other guy is the life of the party talker...

My RO is an Indian man. I just got a letter from him yesterday that his contract is up at the hospital, so his last day will be next Tuesday.

He did give me good news though... I was to have 9 more treatments, 5 of them boosts, but he examined my crispiness yesterday and shortened treatment, now I only have 6 left!! One regular this afternoon and 5 boosts next week. A little good news can really push the clouds away.

Now the question is...... If I'm done on the the 4th, where should I go for spring break on the 14th?? I would love beach, but crispy open skin probably will not like beach... A room with a view somewhere.... I will search homeaway.

We can do it!!

Hi everyone! It's my birthday today...and I celebrated by having #9 of 30! Then I went and got my ear double pierced (triple if you count the one piercing that was already there). I had wanted to do it before my diagnosis, but then I didn't manage to do it before chemo started and I didn't want to risk infection. So I went to the teenybopper place in the mall and had it done. :-)

My right arm has been sore, and I just assumed it was from being radiated on the right side or being up overhead during the treatment. But when I was changing clothes earlier, I noticed a red streak going from the inside of my upper arm all the way down past my elbow. Seems strange...I might have to call the RO. Has anybody else had visible sore red streaks in areas not actually being radiated?

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Happy Birthday Durhamgirl. I hope all is ok with the red streak on your arm.

I got my sim done today. It went fine. I got my tattoos and blue marker all over my breast. Not the cutest look. My first treatment is March 7th. Not the best time of day but hoping after that the times will work better with work.

OMG - these people are stressing me out. Today I was offered another five days worth of Ativan with a warning and a threat. One I shouldn't be having nausea with my radiation even though I told that it was possible by one nurse and the RO. Today the possible changed to "weird", and the threat that I would have to see my primary for a work-up to see what is wrong EVEN THOUGH my lab results are better than ever. And then finally I was informed that I'm on a low dose! Really? for an occult tumor they are going to lightly radiate the general area and a very positive lymph node (lightly dose that area too?) What am I doing this for?? 33 treatments of a low dose with invasive metastatic to the lymph node? And you only get to do radiation once? #13 today. Won't see the RO until Tuesday. Now I am good and upset. That's what I get for telling them I feel nauseas? Disbelief?? Bought myself a piece of cake! So there!

Durham- Happy birthday. PLEASE call doc abt red streak. Probably nothing but..it's Friday so want to check on it before the weekend.

KateB79 - maybe the rads people have had their brains fried by all the stray rads.....

Too late to change right in the middle (almost) so I'll thank my lucky stars for light rays and not say another word until I'm out of there!

Another bit of interesting info. They are charging $12,000 every week just for recoding the machine and adjusting measurements! (for my light rays). I should just go out and sun bathe..... probably have the same effect. But really I ask Jesus to direct his rays towards me and I'll be drinking ginger ale for my upset tummy. That's all I need. Amen.

Hi All!

Just back from simulation and tattooing. Oddly my left arm went numb and hurt during the process. Maybe because I lifted weights today hard, and had PT appt where my arm was overhead for the majority of an hour. I was expecting that I'd have to do gated breathing like Kate given my L chest wall rads after mastectomy, but they said no. huh. Worried about my heart. I have sharpie on my neck - going to take a while for that to go away...thanks! The techs were nice, but I still felt like a number. I became annoyed though when I mentioned that maybe my arm was bothering me because of lifting weight a few hours prior and one tech jumped on me about whether or not I was even allowed to lift weights after surgery. Seriously? My surgery was almost 6 months ago and I had restrictions only while my drains were in...after that I was free to do anything I wanted. It was the same tech who wanted me to back off exercise in case it would mess up the sharpie with sticky dots. Back off lady!! I decide what and how much I do with my body.

Happy Birthday Durhamgirl!! How exciting to get some piercings! Booo for the red arm streak though...hope it turns out to be nothing of concern.

Marijen - so sorry for your continued stress with getting Ativan and the way they treat you. It is so ridiculous. Hooray for cake therapy! I had some margarita therapy last night (just a small weak one).

Really don't want to start radiation Monday. Wish there was a way around it. A little bummed about it, but going out to dinner soon with my love. Will put on my happy face as best I can (I'm usually happy anyway...being bummed will pass quickly). He came to the sim appt with me today, but I didn't realize he's not allowed in.

Hope everyone has a great weekend without radiation appts! Get outside and have some fun! If we had some freshie snow I'd be snowboarding....waiting for the next storm to hit the southwest.

- Andra xo

YEAH FOR FRIDAY - 19 down - 13 to go. MDoc, Brimton and DiDel less than 3 weeks to go. The countdown is on>>>> I am starting to itch under my arm and around my shoulder blade. I started using hydrocortisone cream. I haven't noticed any blistering yet - just really really red - fingers crossed. I do feel very tight so I hope that subsides once treatment is done.

Durhamgirl - HAPPY BIRTHDAY you deserve to celebrate

Marijen - I can not believe how difficult the prescription has been for you and having to suffer through. Eat all the cake you need you deserve it.

MissV - I had to laugh at the toothpaste reference. I catch myself grabbing the weirdest things totally out of the blue. Had a good laugh.

Scotland - congrats on finishing regular treatment - hopefully boosts go fast for you. Did they do another sim for the boosts. No one has said anything to me about it yet. It looks like we have a very similar diagnosis and treatment.

Jerseygirl22 - congrats only 2 more to go - Are you bringing something to the techs when you are done. I am not sure if I am or not. I just want to run out of that place on my last day.

Congrats to everyone else I missed on either recovering, completing, moving on to boost or just starting. This thread moves by so fast but it is great to hear how everyone is doing.

Rest, relax, do something just for yourself during our 2 day break. The weeks are going by fast and this group is so supportive and it has really helped to get through the weeks.

Connie

So does anyone here know what their radiation dosage is? High, low, medium?

My first week is over!!! Feeling ok except my nipple is sore. I am having breast feeding flashbacks.

Hi everyone! Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I just had a lovely evening with my family and our best friends.

So I did go back and see my RO this afternoon about the red streak, plus I noticed an area of swelling just past the elbow on the inside of my lower arm. She recognized it as a thrombophlebitis right away. Out of an abundance of caution she ordered an ultrasound to rule out a DVT. Results were normal. She said thrombophlebitis is not caused by radiation, but I'm not sure. I was not happy to have spent 3 hours of my birthday at the cancer center today, but I'm glad I can be at ease that it's not a DVT.

Happy weekend everyone

Love reading all your posts! Have a great weekend off ladies!!!!