Fall 2015 Rads

Ltam, what a relief!

Woo-hoo, Ltam!

Rainnyc - Luckily we didn't get any snow today although it felt and looked like it was going to do something. I am in Monroe Township (exit 8A) off the NJ Turnpike. I am 15 minutes from Freehold but close to Millstone and Manalapan. Where do you visit in NJ??

We had a light snowfall a few days ago. Mostly it's been cold and our apartment isn't adequately heated all of the time.

This week I went back to the pool for the first time since my lumpectomy! I've been dragging my feet for months. I used the warm pool rather than the regular one. It's been so long since I've swum, plus I was worried my arthritic knee would hurt. It felt great. I took a ton of ibuprofen that night and the next day! Going to go back this weekend.

HappyHammer -

It is indeed. Right now we're having a cold snap and the weather is basically around 0 degrees. It kind of kills my desire to go out anywhere!

Doing all right. Skin finally healed completely about a month after finishing rads, but the worst of it was over before that. Right now, I have some tightness and have started to do range of motion exercises. Still slathering on cream, but I threw out the empty Aquaphor tub with no regrets. Good to know about the shoulder blade pain; I haven't had anything like that yet. Aside from tightness, the only real issue I have at the moment is itching, especially where bra straps hit. It's not on the skin exactly, more like just under the skin, so it's impossible to scratch!

I was told I'd need to heal for 6-9 months minimum before reconstruction surgery. I still haven't made up my mind if that's the way to go, but I certainly don't feel healed enough for that, and I'm happy to wait a while longer before having a plastic surgery consult. I was also told that if I do have recon, it would have to be a flap.

How is everyone else doing?

I did get cording and mild LE--plus some fibrosis in the incisional area. No skin irritation (did get some faint redness in front and tanning in the incisional area) or fatigue. My LE therapist is doing scar massage and having me wear a Solaris Swell Spot pad in my sleep bra to break up the fibrosis and speed resorption of the seroma (and bringing down the swelling so my breast can assume its smaller “new normal”). My dermatologist, who I’d seen for sebo-psoriasis on my face & back, prescribed a steroid ointment to fade the redness and encourage the fibrosis to soften.

I finished on 23 Dec. I have a nice tan on the rads side. My skin healed really quickly after I finished, and I had one bout of peeling skin but no raw areas or anything like that. I truly believe the saline soaks and aloe vera gel were my personal saving grace. I have a large area that is odd shaped along my incision line that has been there since my surgery and pisses me off because it throws me off on my self exams. I have just started back to Crossfit (3 weeks in) and I have mild swelling in the affected axila, and some tightness but I continue to warm up well prior to a wod and take it easy during any wod that works the full range of motion. We are planning a nice family vacation to Phoenix and I'm excited to see the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and relax by the pool.

All healed up with a "tan" too. Friday I go in for physical therapy for lymphedema. I'm not having issues but going at the recommendation of my rads onc and this group Started the Tamoxifen and so far no changes. Hot flashes same as before Tamoxifen. My breast area is sore when I reach or stretch too far so I need to work on improving that. The water aerobics have been wonderful! I still have joint aches and pains in my legs and feet. The increased activity has helped so I'm going to keep at it.

Traveled to Orlando for work training and took a few extra days to myself. Swam with a dolphin named Thelma and cried afterwards. I get emotional these days over the weirdest things. I can check that off my bucket list! I'm a HUGE Prince fan so I flew to Oakland to see him perform then danced until my body hurt at the after party (he made an appearance!). Got back to my hotel at 4am and flew back to Seattle by 8am. I'm doing a walk for a local non-profit in May (Wings of Karen) that funds the researchers that work where I received my treatment (Seattle Cancer Care Alliance). Next week I'm volunteering at a breast screening event for uninsured or medically underserved women. It's at the place that found my cancer during my mammogram. April 6 I'm going to be a "survivor" model for a fundraiser and auction to fund Wings of Karen.

I'm seeing a Christian counselor who is also a survivor and she is helping me sort my way through my new normal. A woman I met during a breast cancer awareness event with the Seattle Sounders soccer team passed away while I was in Orlando. I'm really struggling with her passing. The question of "why am I here and she's not" keeps haunting me. With the help of my counselor I'll sort through that too.

I'm so glad to read how everyone else is doing!

I just have some tightness on that side but I don't know if it is caused by lymph node scar tissue or the rads. I have been working out a lot and doing physical therapy which helped a lot. I also have some skin sensitivity….mild itching sometimes. It's not really bad..nothing compared to what it was.

One Bad Boob, you are amazing!

Glad to hear we're all more or less doing well. Coming up on the one year anniversary of my diagnosis (OK, not 'til next month). Hard to believe.

I've recovered very nicely. During and after the rads my chest and underarm had lots of red itchy bumps. Now my underarm occasionally itches like crazy. I put some Aquaphor on it to make me stop scratching, and it does seem to help. There is also stabbing pain in the breast/nipple but it's occasional. Afterward it hurt to stretch my arm up--no lymph node involvement--and sometimes it still does.

The fatigue was the WORST. It didn't go away for over two months! My normal energy level is more or less back, and I'm resuming real life.

I saw my radiation oncologist for a follow-up, and he said my breasts were "brilliant". Heh. He's South African and speaks like an Englishman.

Thanks, Molly. I'm resisting taking aromatase inhibitors. I have a thread in the hormone therapy section, but it's a bit old.

Nice to hear from you, Stef. I have a most likely permanent tan as well.