Winter 2015-16 RADS

KateB79, have you had a bolus every other time the entire radiation time up until now?

I just met with my RO and she said to stop the bolus (so i would be 2 short on the bolus). So i have 3 more normal zaps. Did your RO give a reason? (I'm not getting boosts due to my TE) My RO said to skip the last 2 bolus days to preserve my skin integrity.

Congrats to Jersey and Peabrain and everyone else finishing this week!!!

Hi All! So happy to see so many finishing up! Hooray!

So it looks like I get the 11 treatments with the bolus (2 down so far, #3 today) and the last 17 without. In my electronic patient portal It looks like someone added 6 boosts at the end...which is another f'ing week to make it 34 treatments. I'm annoyed by this (and finding out about it electronically) since the RO initially told me I likely wouldn't need boosts. I will ask him tomorrow when I see him in person. I'm calling BULLS**T on this one.

Hard to know how much lotion/cream slathering I need to do right now while it is early. suggestions? I'm doing 2x/day, but nothing heavy/thick - it absorbs in well. And...of course I am concerned about exercise as my skin gets sensitive and starts to fail as I get more zaps under my belt (or...on my chest).

I ran this morning and starting bawling at mile 3. My leg muscles weren't cooperating again and I was short of breath the whole time. Mile 3 was where I had to climb up 3 stupid rock steps and needed my arms to pull myself up and then rest a minute. This run is in the arroyo, so it's dirt trail and sand...which is very hard for my legs right now - I always feel defeated by it. I still did the entire 5 miles, but cried even more at the turn around where my partner was waiting. He's so supportive, and I know it hurts him to see me feeling defeated when he thinks I'm doing so well. I do logically know that running 5 miles is a big deal, but I just want to be all better NOW (said in the voice of Veruca Salt...the snotty girl in the original Willy Wonka who wanted the golden goose NOW). Aside from a rough start with tears, I'm having a great day working from home! My happiness kicked back in after breakfast despite all this cancer crap.

Second Spanish language class tonight. Wow...I've never been good with languages, but my chemo brain really sucks at it! Didn't realize my short term memory was affected so much from chemo until I tried practicing conjugating verbs in Spanish and making sentences. I think I'm in over my head, but I will keep at it!

Thanks for all the sweet comments about my henna head! I flaked off the paste a couple of hours ago and this is what it looks like now (pic below). Not as exciting or striking as the dark brown paste, but still pretty interesting. Twnkltoz - I still have some regular stubble and a lot of that new translucent fuzz/hair and it really helped hold the paste on for an entire day instead of a few hours. The woman that did it was glad I didn't razor shave my head.

Moondust - They tell me there is no way to completely miss all of the lung no matter precise when zapping the chest wall, but only one small area is affected. In 6-8 weeks after treatment ends, it may/can (doesn't happen to everyone) result in some lung inflammation of the affected lobe that is easily treated by a few days of steroids.

Also...I talked with the MO yesterday about my concerns about general chemo-induced and radiation-induced problems in the future (such as leukemia, heart problems, other cancers etc). She said those things don't usually appear until at least 10 YEARS out and there is no way to know what, if anything, can happen to anyone. That didn't help me to hear. She tried to re-focus me on the now and that the first 5 years is serious and a very big deal and that based on all my tests/factors./treatments, 99% that I will NOT have any recurrence in 5 years as long as I complete rads. I guess that is something and I should be happier about it.

Hi y'all, I am joining you after starting radiation treatment on Feb. 29th. It just took me three days to read all 59 pages of posts. I'm having 37 treatments. I'm not sure why and plan to ask when I see the dr. again next Monday. I didn't really want to start this week just two weeks off of chemo. My eyes and nose have been watering all this week. Yesterday when they finished they asked me if I could stay that the counselor wanted to introduce herself. It didn't hit me until later that all of them thought I was crying.

mdoc524 - I know so weird how every RO is different. Like the # of treatments too all differ. Here they do boosts on lumpectomies and anyone with reconstruction they steer away from the boosts. Do they do boosts on your nodes or on your breast/chest wall?

Well day 15 of rads and I just found out the good doctor only has me doing 25 rounds instead of 30. Weird I almost felt bummed. Wtf. So far skin doing great, and I do actually enjoy the comradery with the patients before and after me. I am not looking forward to chemo (next) so I have mixed feelings about wrapping this up. I just wish the doctor's would have been aggressive and done rads back in 2012 and maybe I wouldn't be in recurrence hell to begin with.

7of9, I am also doing chemo after rads. What is the reason you are doing it in that order? My reason is because I changed my mind about chemo after doing more research. Glad to hear you are doing okay with rads on day 15! I had day 6 today.

Mdoc, after you mentioned Joey Feek, I looked it up, because I didn't know about her cancer. I don't follow the news much. Such a beautiful person, inside and out, and what a lovely couple. I was fortunate to see them live a few years ago when they were touring with Zac Brown. I got teary-eyed too, especially watching some of the videos in Rory's blog.

@Mary....sorry to hear you are having such a rough time with the flu and cough. And its hard to boost your vit c as its an antioxidant we need to avoid on rads. Wishing you a speedy recovery! As luck would have it, I started a itchy sore throat and dry cough last night so tea, lemon and honey and lots of water helped me through today. But I had a harder time reaching my deep breath holds due to dry throat. Anyway, techs said I did well . Had to take 2 different angle xrays first and then the treatment seemed so fast....I was surprised by how quickly it was over. They told me no cream for minimum 2 hours before and after. I had taken my cream to put on right after like some of the ladies do but was told not to. Each place has different rules.....I always wonder why?. Took my Ativan 2 hours before and it really mellowed me out. Hope it lasts till I sleep tonight.

@KImmer33...Are your skin creams doing a good job for you? Sounds like they are.

Dorothy, the skin cream has done its job, not having any skin issues. 3 more to go

Whew! Miss a couple of days and it's hard to catch up! Congratulations to everyone who's finished! Can't wait to join you!

Henna head is so cool. What a great thing to do.

I have a question about the bolus. I get the bolus every time but many of you have said you get it every other time. They do 2 zaps and then come back in the room, put the bolus on me and then do 4 more short zaps. The RO said I needed it but some of you have mentioned how it's too much for your skin.

I'm also intrigued by how many different lotions and creams everyone is using and all the different opinions of the various ROs. They gave me some aloe gel and it's the only thing I'm supposed to use.

Today was #10 out of 28. Plodding along...

I also have the bolus every time, for 5 of 7 zaps.

I show up 2 minutes before my appt and they take me right in. I've never had time to talk to anyone.