Winter 2015-16 RADS

coconut oil has helped my skin immensely! When I was 2 weeks out it was all healed up and a faint tan.

I am 4.5 weeks out. I still have some residual tenderness, but I don't know how much is from surgery and how much from radiation. Just have a tan, now. I would say it took a couple of weeks to really feel relief, but I was very burned with a huge patch of raw skin under my arm. I still have good days and bad days, energy-wise.

Yesterday, I finished the main 28 txs, and now I just have 5 boosts to go. Yay! Just had #1 of boosts. Skin is so red/dark and a little raw on my side/under axilla, but all is expected. Battling nausea for a few hours each day for the past 2 weeks and oddly had it all night last night. Hoping that starts to resolve over the next few weeks. Still exercising hard for at least an hour daily, still working too but only approx half time. Going to take some sick days next week. After working through chemo nearly full-time and also through radiation, I want a break. I could go back to working 10 hrs days right after rads, but I'm tired and simply need more rest - you all know how that feels - so I'd have to sacrifice other things such as exercise and getting things done around the house in order to work so much...and I'm simply not going to do that. If something has to give for a few weeks, it is going to be work!

My hair is growing better now - yay!!! - but the front/top and by my temples is still behind. I just buzzed off the 1/4 inch it had grown everywhere else. I think it looks better nearly bald with a millimeter shadow than the 1/4 inch of patchy weird hair. Almost tempting to keep it buzzed for the summer. I'm just not looking forward to the awkward growing out years...and it will take years.

Have a great weekend everyone! Ahhhh...our skin gets a break for a couple of days.

xoxo

Finally, just as my 28 whole breast radiation treatment were coming to and end (before the 5 boosts), I started to feel a little irritation in my armpit and in the crease under my breast, as both areas get red. I notice it when I try to sleep at night. So, I am glad I am done with rads to those areas.

yay for being done Moondust!! Congratulations! My skin got worse for almost two weeks before it got better; I had peeling and some oozing, especially on the underside of my breast. But now it is fine (three months out). The area under my arm looks to be permanently tanned, and I noticed yesterday that it does look a bit odd in a bathing suit since that area shows a bit. However, since I am not much into sun bathing at all and usually put on some sort of beach coverup when I am not actually in the water, I doubt if anyone will notice.

In any case, I am heading on vacation in three weeks, and bathing suits will be in order. I have at least four (as a scuba diver, bathing suits are an essential piece of clothing :-)) So, once I land in Mexico, a trip to the market to find a new cute coverup for those times in the hammock will be on the itinerary! :-)

Sending good thoughts and gentle hugs to all. Edwsmom: I wanted to mention that I didn't not find rads as emotionally difficult as chemo, but I can tell you that now that I am several months out from either, I am starting to feel much more whole. Hang in there.

Octogirl

Hi everyone,

Just catching up on a ton of posts here.

I had rad treatment #12 of approx. 30 today. Nearly half way done....trying to keep looking at the glass half full...lol

I only had one day off from radiation the past two weekends as they are trying to make up some of the sessions I missed when their system was down. I definitely don't want to keep doing that.

So far, my skin is holding up, but I will say that it's really tight compared to the other side. My PS said it's shrinking my skin. Does it get more elastic after the treatments have been done for a while?

Thanks, Mary - 1 more to go.

kkubsky I have the bumps also. They itch. I was told it was an irritation of my skin. I keep them lathered up too. But I am almost done and hope they go away quick.

I have been having trouble sleeping. If I move the wrong way my skins near my underarm feels like it is tearing. It wakes me up and I have to try and position myself better. I end up doing it again and I am trying to get comfortable all over. This too shall pass. ( Something my mother use to say all the time.)

Just 2 more days....boosts. Then I will be done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I only had 18 treatments total and that is enough for me. How does one stay sane for 5 or 6 weeks? I don't think my boob (or mind) could take it. As it is my boob feels beat up. But maybe it feels that way now because of the shorter but stronger radiation protocol I had? Just glad it is almost over.

I bought more of the same soft surgical bra that they gave me in the hospital post mastectomy and I've been wearing those through rads.

This one (I got it in black and white)

http://www.amazon.com/Carefix-Marianne-Front-Post-Op-XX-Large/dp/B00J8P75ME?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

I tried the wife beater but I have a lot of tops that it didn't work very well with. (my wife beater style tank top was cut in too close to the neck so the straps showed). I have used regular camisole tops (thin straps) too and those have worked well when I didn't want to wear the bra.

Good luck Muso!!!!! A nice way to celebrate the end of it all.

I have an itchy area that when I scratch has turned into baby blisters...does that mean I'm on my way to bigger, badder blisters???

I finished rads today. No bells, no whistles. I got a certificate and hugs.I wished everyone waiting good luck. It felt so good to walk out that door. I will be back in 6 weeks for a checkup but that is ok.

I truly believe by not scraping off a layer of skin every day in a shower is really helping me. My RO expected SE's 2 weeks ago! It's almost like he's happy my skin is finally breaking down. I have to use a bolus during treatment which causes the radiation to not penetrate quite as deeply (like to my heart and lung!!) and they expected my skin to be pretty bad. I'm a keener and am hoping to do better than they expected.

Congrats, Karen! It is so great that you are done! You received the same things I did. Now on to a few weeks of skin healing for you.

Barbe, I did not take a shower very often either and I think it helped.

Randi, good luck. You'll start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel before you know it.

Edwsmom, that bra looks very comfortable. I am still wearing a bra 24x7 so the bad girl doesn't flop at night.

I am one week out. My underarm is looking good. I have one area, I guess you'd call it the outer portion of the inframammary fold, that had black skin. Part of the black peeled off to reveal red skin. But it is not painful unless I mess with it, so I don't. I'm still using the Miaderm and hoping I can get by without purchasing another tube.