Winter 2015-16 RADS

Katja23, yay glad you are halfway there and no SE. I'll be right behind you and hope I do as well as you have. I just got home from a screening colonoscopy that my onc likes all her patients to get. Guess she thought I was close enough to 50and results were grea

Hello all, Well I finish tomorrow!! Am so excited. Wanted to tell those just starting out that it is doable. Not fun but not that bad either. I have some redness, but have been using Aquafor since the beginning. Also wanted to share with everyone a "hair growing back weird" story. So I used to have auburn hair. It started growing back salt and pepper with a weird hairline in the front. The middle had hair but the sides were receding. Well now the receding part is growing back and it is the auburn color. The lower back is a white blonde color and it is starting to curl:) Just had to share. I have 3 different colors and different textures too:) I feel so pretty:) Take care all and good luck to everyone!

MaggieMae123... Tomorrow is my last day, too! I am excited to finish up. Actually, it has been a fast 6 1/2 weeks. The techs asked me if I was planning a party and I told them that I want to just catch up on some sleep. I have worked full time through the chem and rads, only taking the day off for each infusion. I feel old and tired and my skin finally decided to " open up" so now I have Silvadene cream to add to the mix. With all that being said, I am tickled to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I gave each of the rad techs an angel pin to thank them for being "angels" through all of this.

Kkubsky, I too am fairly well-endowed, but I did find a front zip-up sportsbra at Kohl's that has been a lifesaver. (Although if I forget to do the hook at the top, the bra will unzip on me. That can be a bit embarrassing when you just pop open at an unfortunate time and flop loosy-goosy, and in my case rather unevenly.) But the front closure makes getting in and out SO much easier.

Yesterday I saw my RO and asked about my radiation area. I feel the box on my chest is too low. We were radiating a good 3 inches below my breast--I have mentioned how those ribs hurt--and the top of my breast is not red at all. She argued with me and I dropped it. I am just counting down the days to being done with rads and going back upstairs to my MO. BUT today I went in and the techs said we were going to do more films. She really listened to me! Now, I spent 45 minutes with my arms above my head and literally could not feel them by the time they were done filming, marking, resetting, and treating, but they readjusted my settings up by more than an inch! I feel better about the placement, although still feel it is a bit low, and even if it is only for 10 days. 9 now.

Welcome Kkubsky and CountryFrenchRose....this is a great place for information.....and Kkubsky, I am a larger woman, and I found a bra by Bali.....no metal or plastic strap adjusters, almost like a sports bra with a light padding for modesty in the front...the sides (underarms) were high enough to cover scar and keep the miaderm from getting all over my clothes....they come in small,med large and xlarge....I found them in Macys and in Kohls.....good luck....

Sunnyone22 I used the Auqaphor at night and Miaderm during the day, now 2 weeks post rads I'm just using the miaderm 2 x a day.....I am healing very quickly.......

Barbe1958, I feel your pain, my husband was Fired the night before I started rads...just adds to the stress. took 6 weeks for unemployment to kick in.....all I can say is there is some truth to the saying "things happen for a reason" He was here to drive me to work ,pick me up from rads, take care of the house,walk the dog,and feed me.....I guess I had to look at the positive side or murder him.....hahaha.

Musogirl, Im sorry you are having such a hard time and Didel too.... I still feel fatigue....but I come home from work put on the pjs and rest when Im like that....otherwise ....I go for a walk with the dog...and if the sun is shining....I smile ...for the first time in months I smile......

And Mdoc524, I cant thank you enough for starting this forum...it has helped me in so many ways....I am now (today ) heading to my MO to see if its tamoxifen vs armidex....Im so nervous....my friend is driving me cause my mind is all over the place......I will report back later to let you know which med I will be on

Have a good day Ladies and Warrior On.......

HI everyone,

Today was my second radiation day. So far things are going ok. I don't feel anything and don't notice any changes in my skin...yet. How long did it take for you to have any kind of skin reaction to the radiation? Or maybe you never did?

A friend of my Mom's in NYC had treatment for breast cancer. She sent me a box of creams apparently made especially for radiation. Apparently she used it during her radiation treatment and had great results. I showed it to my Dr and he approved me to use it. It's called radiaderm. (http://radiaderm.com/) Has anyone here heard of it or used it before? It's a 2-step cream process. Right after treatment I put the first one on (it's a "cooling" gel) and wait 10 minutes. Then I wipe off any excess and apply the second cream. At night I apply a tube of the second cream again. They are packaged in little single use packets so I can just keep the packets in my purse. I guess we will see how well they work.

Anyway, giddy-up...this is only the very beginning of this process for me. And, I have an appointment tomorrow for follow-up with my MO and I know she's going to get me started on tamoxifen - which I'm DREADING.

PS - did your doctors ever tell you anything about how much doing radiation reduces the risk of recurrence? Like a percentage or something? Thanks!

I've been suffering horribly with a bladder infection, probably brought on by Arimidex and am on my second round of antibiotics as the culture showed the first batch was resistant. Like I really needed this right now??????

Thanks MissV123 for sharing your story about your DH's job, I don't feel I can take much more.

I'm nauseous yet again today to the point I just took Gravol. Did anyone else get nausea?

I do notice right after my zaps that my skin is pink but it settles down. I do see where I will eventually have problems. I've only done 3 and have to do 22 more. They keep warning me I'll blister. I'm getting what I think is a pretty large area done - from under left arm, across chest wall to sternum and up to lower neck! It's like a quarter of my torso! Thank goodness I don't wear a bra (flat from BMX) but have been wearing a cami under everything to keep creams off my clothing. I feel bad for those of you who have to wear bras as I'm sure underwire isn't allowed. Would sports bras work?

Hanging in there....barely. At least we have this Friday off both work and rads for Easter. Will be driving 3 hours to visit half of our kids and 3 out of 5 grands. Should be good. We get at least one sleepover....love seeing the grands in the morning!

Kkubsky I understand the bra trouble. I ordered sports bra's that zipped up in the front. I didn't like them, Next I ordered from Geni and my first shipment I didn't like so I sent them back. I got some $7 specials from them after that. They are ok. The best were clearance ones form Walmart. They were $3.00. I am not to big so they are working fine. I have to wear something because I am continuing to work so I have to have something on.

KarenR0618...yes, this is normal if you are having "boosts". If you have already been receiving rads, then the boosts are given at the end of your treatment. The reason for the boost is to target the actual tumor bed (where the tumor was located) and give it more direct beams.

Karen...that's what they did to me. Told me 33 treatments. They just didn't elaborate that the last five would be boosts, until it was time for the new sim.

Hello, I'm a newbie to the discussion boards. I started radiation on 2/24/16. I have to have 33 treatments and I'm almost done (have 2 1/2 weeks left!). I have already been through 6 rounds of chemo, surgery and now doing radiation. I am so tired!!!!!

Anyway, wanted to join this group because I'm having extreme fatigue and my underarm is starting to turn black and hurt, so thought I'd see if anyone else was experiencing the same. I also have numbness/tingling/pain in my hands and feet from chemo that are worse with the radiation.

Congratulations to everyone finishing!

I am getting quite red and sore, especially my underarm. Boosts start next week. SeekingSerenity, you have given me hope that my skin will start feeling better soon. My RO gave me a prescription for Silvadene this week. I find myself getting more tired and cranky. We had to move all of the furniture out of our bedrooms last night because we are having carpet installed today. I was pretty much useless and that frustrated me.

barbe1958, I am sorry you've had to much to deal with. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Vickie rides Watch the silvadene it can dry you out and make your skin crack my RN told me. I only used it a few days. watch your skin for dryness even if using it in combo with something else. Used it under my arm and it helped in a couple of days and then started to feel scratchy. Just an fyi.

First - congrats to everyone who just finished rads. You're an inspiration to the rest of us.

Today I finished #7 of 28 treatments. Earlier I posted a photo of the way I'm marking progress - 4 champagne flutes, each containing 7 pink gumballs. Today, I finished the gumballs in my first champagne flute and am ready to fill the flute with champagne. Cheers to you all!!

Sunnyone