Winter 2015-16 RADS

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  • Musosgirl
    Musosgirl Member Posts: 387
    edited April 2016
    Well, I am done. It took almost 8 weeks to do 32 treatments , but it's over. I took gourmet cupcakes in for my rads team--knocked a couple over taking them out of my bad and icing went everywhere. Oops. Didn't bother ringing the bell. Rads was awful but I don't feel done, since I have 4 more months of Herceptin and another surgery this summer. I'll wait till August.

    I have 24 hours to rest, finishing the cross-stitch gift I am making for SIL, pack, and make sure the boys are ready for their Jungle Book performance. We are heading out of town for the wedding immediately after the show. I have the cutest little monkey but my Wolf Pack Leader is getting nervous. He did great at dress rehearsal today though--just hoping an audience doesn't mess with him too much.

    I am so tired! Thinking a nap is first on my agenda. Congrats to everyone who has/is finished/ing! Stay the course everyone still in the thick of it--but take care of yourself! Rest, hydrate, and goop up with whatever your are supposed to medicate with! Love you ladies

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  • Andraxo
    Andraxo Member Posts: 410
    edited April 2016

    Done!! no fanfare...kind of anti-climactic. Going out to dinner to celebrate quietly, and then dance party on Saturday night. Woohoo!

    I baked my favorite cookies for all the staff: oatmeal, choc chip, toffee, pecan. 3 batches - one batch each for the radiation techs, rad onc staff, and the front/admin people. Oh...and I baked some for me too of course :)

    Now I just need my skin to stop hurting and heal, get back to my usual energy level, ...and to grow eyebrows.

    love and hugs to you all!

    - xo




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  • Sunnyone22
    Sunnyone22 Member Posts: 191
    edited April 2016

    Musosgirl and Andraxo - Huge CONGRATS to you both! Nice of you to take cupcakes and cookies to the staff. I'm sure they appreciate it. And it probably makes them feel good too to see another patient finish.

    Musosgirl - I hope you'll take it easy. I got tired just reading about all the things you're doing!

    Finished #23 of 28 today. I'll be DONE at this time next week! I picked up Silvadene at pharmacy and will use it all weekend, starting tomorrow after my rad. Rad onco said she doesn't want me to use it on days when I have treatments.

    I think I recall reading somewhere on this board that Silvadene dries the skin. Is that right? If so, what did you do to keep moisturized when using it? Do you use it before using moisturizer (like Miaderm?) How does this work?

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  • Moondust
    Moondust Member Posts: 510
    edited April 2016

    Congrats to Andra and Musosgirl!! You made it!!

    Can't help with your question, Sunnyone. I only used Miaderm.

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  • Duzy
    Duzy Member Posts: 134
    edited April 2016

    Musosgirl and Andraxo - Congrats on finishing. Take time to rest and gain your strength back. It does feel weird to not go back in every day but the skin heals pretty quick. I hope you can celebrate in your own special way. It is so nice to see more and more of the group completing this phase of the treatment.

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  • HappyHammer
    HappyHammer Member Posts: 1,247
    edited April 2016

    Just a reminder that our very own ChiSandy will be performing a benefit concert in Hickory, NC on May 22, at American Honor Alehouse to benefit Healing Touch- a non profit group who gives breast cancer patients 6 visits to their medical spa for a facial or massage to help them feel as well as possible during treatment. Sandy will be attending a song writer's conference at Montreat, NC that weekend and will join us Sunday afternoon-Monday.

    I will be organizing all of this and we will try get together as many BC.org gals as possible to meet face to face and have time together. We will get a group room rate if we have enough folks so please look at your calendars and let's make a plan. Would just love to meet you all and have time together! Very exciting to think of having time with some of you face to face and for such a great cause.

    Currently, some BC.org folk are planning on arriving in Hickory on Saturday, May 21. We are planning on dinner at Highland Avenue Restaurant- award-winning (Sothern Living, Garden and Gun, etc) chef, Kyle McKnight's style is southern and delightful so I think you would enjoy! Also, so much to do in the Hickory area- shopping, hiking, etc. Once we know how many are planning to gather we will make more specific plans. Let me know if you can join us!

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  • Twnkltoz
    Twnkltoz Member Posts: 215
    edited April 2016

    yeah for musasgirl and andra!!

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  • 6feetover
    6feetover Member Posts: 320
    edited April 2016

    *HUGE (gentle!) HUGS* to those who have just finished/are finishing rads! Let the healing begin!

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  • VickiRides
    VickiRides Member Posts: 211
    edited April 2016

    Sunnyone22, I did not notice that the Silvadene made my skin any drier. Once treatment ended I used the Silvadene only on the areas that were peeling. My RO also gave me a lidocaine gel, which I mixed in with the Silvadene, then covered everything with a Cool Gel pad that I got from the RO's office. I think those made a huge difference in being comfortable while the burns healed. I used Miaderm everywhere that there wasn't broken skin.

    Congratulations on finishing, Musosgirl and Andraxo.

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  • Sunnyone22
    Sunnyone22 Member Posts: 191
    edited April 2016

    Thanks VickiRides. I used it (Silvadene) today for the first time after my rad treatment. I'll use it all weekend and watch for dryness. On Monday when treatment continues, will switch back to Miaderm in daytime and Aquaphur at night. So far, so good but still 4 more treatments to go plus the week or so afterward when I'm told things continue to worsen. No open burns or sores yet but damn what a nice 'tan' I've got now! (Well, at least on my chest............ a rectangle...............)

    For the first time today I noticed that my irradiated breast is getting swollen. RO said that would happen and that, eventually, after it heals, it'll shrink down to a bit smaller than when treatments started. Sounds weird but part of this amusement park ride we're all on, I guess.

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  • Twnkltoz
    Twnkltoz Member Posts: 215
    edited April 2016

    walked/ran three miles today, my longest since cancer, with more running and less walking than up until now. I feel like I'm progressing quickly now that my skin is done healing. It feels so good!

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  • Kkubsky
    Kkubsky Member Posts: 231
    edited April 2016

    Thought I snuck by radiation with very minor skin irritation. Nope!! Finished 3 days ago and now have a lovely patch of red, bumpy, itchy skin on part of my boob and a red, irritated area under it with a sprinkling of bumps scattered here and there. My dr switched me to a mixture of aquaphor and silvedine plus cortisone cream. Not sure if it is helping or not. Hard to tell.

    Any good suggestions on how to quicken healing?

    I also have some of my own cream I bought but haven't used. Am a little afraid to try i

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  • Moondust
    Moondust Member Posts: 510
    edited April 2016

    Your increased exercise is great to hear, Twinkl!

    Kkubsky, I think you just have to wait it out. The skin is healing now and will be a lot better a week from now. Just manage any annoying symptoms you are having, such as itching or burning, by using whatever helps, and wait for the healing to happen.

    Sunnyone, my breast swelled the most about a week after I was done. Now it might be calming down a bit.

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  • DisneyGirl16
    DisneyGirl16 Member Posts: 121
    edited April 2016

    Those of you who have/had markers and stickers instead of tattoos - how often did you have to have your marks re-done? Any advice on keeping them from getting messed up? I was told to keep my back to the shower to keep them from getting wet and to avoid getting any lotion or anything around them and I did that and still had to have some of them re-done after about 1 1/2 weeks. The technician re-emphasized the shower instructions and said to go down to applying the lotion after treatment and before bed and forego the morning application for now since I don't have any signs of irritation yet.That made me think she was surprised that they were peeling off already.

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  • HappyHammer
    HappyHammer Member Posts: 1,247
    edited April 2016

    Kkbusky- when my breast and underarm were "done" and I had tried all of the creams- seriously- cooled cabbage leaves made al of the difference! It may be worth trying- cooled the tissue and reduced the itching A LOT!

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited April 2016

    Disney, that's bullshit! I got tattoos but they still put marker marks on me every time. The tats are just a single tiny dot and can barely be seen. What the hell is with the stickers!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  • Moondust
    Moondust Member Posts: 510
    edited April 2016

    DisneyGirl, I had both - tiny dot tattoos and marks covered by stickers. I lost two of the stickers over the course of treatment. I did not shower every day, and that probably helped keep them on. When one came loose, I would try to re-position it in the same spot and tape it on with medical tape. When I got to rads, I would tell the techs one was loose and they would re-do it.

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  • DisneyGirl16
    DisneyGirl16 Member Posts: 121
    edited April 2016

    Barbe, the stickers are basically little strip of tape that cover the marker so it doesn't wear off. I don't believe the place I go to does tattoos.

    Moondust, I had one sticker that was curling up so I thought that would be the only one that needed re-done, but she went ahead and re-marked all but two of them. Now those 2 are curling up so I covered them with band-aids for the weekend and the technician will have to re-do them tomorrow. I feel like their problem child. Ha! I have stopped showering everyday as well. Covering them with surgical tape is a good idea, too. I'll have to check if I have any. One is right where my bra sits so I think it is getting rubbed from that. One of the others is right in between my breasts and is right where my seatbelt cuts across. They could also just be getting sweaty as it is finally warming up here and I am trying to do a little exercise here and there. D*mn exercise! Lol. Thanks for the suggestions.

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited April 2016

    Disney, I would think you had enough to worry about without worrying about stickers!!! When I was on Fentanyl patches for pain, they, too would fall off if you can believe it. I was supposed to wear them for 3 days then put on another. I don't bathe every day either, and even with that, they slipped off no matter where I put them. Found that in my underwear area (front) was the least slippage but I sweat a lot, too.

    Geez, just something else, eh????

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  • Musosgirl
    Musosgirl Member Posts: 387
    edited April 2016
    They had to redo my stickers once. They were strong little suckers though.

    Survived my weekend with in-laws. Wearing a normal bra for extended periods of time got challenging--plan to go braless for the next two days! Tried swimming in the hotel pool and only lasted about 20 minutes. My swimsuit rubbed a couple of my incisions and really irritated under my arm. I was more worried about sensitive, radiated skin, but that was fine. Little guy was good and only grabbed onto my good side while I was swimming with the boys. Overall a good weekend.
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  • mdoc524
    mdoc524 Member Posts: 336
    edited April 2016

    Hello All .. just a quick drop in to wish all that have finished Big High Fives, Congrats an Happy Dances!! And Hugs to all still going strong!!

    I have been a little insane just going back to work and now working additional hours (12 hour days everyday including weekends) to cover for associates who went out on strike! Whew tired but feels good to back in the swing of things - I am 1 month out of treatment with no residual issues other than a slight tan!

    Hope to drop in longer & catch up soon!

    Mary

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  • Twnkltoz
    Twnkltoz Member Posts: 215
    edited April 2016

    it's amazing how time passes and the nightmare gets further and further behind us! Mary, I'm so glad you're doing well.

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  • KarenR0618
    KarenR0618 Member Posts: 78
    edited April 2016

    I got tattoos, stickers and marker. The sticker would come off and they marked me up more.

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  • BellaV
    BellaV Member Posts: 27
    edited April 2016

    No tattoos here...I got the stickers and marker. They asked if I had a skin allergy to the sticky tape, and were happy when I said I didn't.  I also didn't shower daily. 

    I used aquaphor twice daily, but avoided getting it on the stickers.  I did not wear a bra, just a cami for about the last half of the treatments.  .  . And STILL they had to change stickers a couple of times.  They were sometimes moving them over just a fraction, but were very OCD about having them EXACTLY in the right place.  No matter. 

    By the way, I found a great cleanser for my healing scar ... my makeup- face wipes work great!   Then use the aquaphor immediately after.


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  • kbutler
    kbutler Member Posts: 66
    edited April 2016
    DisneyGirl16, I only have the markers with stickers covering them, no tats. They replaced a few of mine after about a week and a half then I had one to just about completely come off so I just put a piece of tape on it then they replaced it when I got to rads. I don't shower every day and also try to keep my back to the shower try to keep lotion off them and pat dry with the towel. Good luck !!!
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  • Peabrain
    Peabrain Member Posts: 268
    edited April 2016

    Has anyone had any tendonitis, either from rads or chemo?

    I've never had it before, but it flared up just after rads and now I can barely use my left wrist and it won't heal.

    The MO and RO both say it has nothing to do with their treatments, but good luck. Thanks, guys!

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited April 2016

    Peabrain, did you get a frozen shoulder from rads? I have my DH rub cream into my shoulder immediately after rads as I'm getting zapped from the back twice during the process (as well as front twice) and I believe it's helping with blood-flow and keeping the muscles loose. You might have a pinched nerve from your shoulder......

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  • DisneyGirl16
    DisneyGirl16 Member Posts: 121
    edited April 2016

    Hi, all! Thanks for the comments/suggestions regarding the stickers. I have given up daily showers and totally avoid applying lotions, etc. near the stickers. I still had to have more of them replaced on Monday. With the warmer weather starting and with me starting to exercise more, I think I will probably have to have them replaced every week and a half or so until I am done. I'm not going to worry about it anymore.

    As Gilda Radner's character Roseanne Roseannadanna would say: Well, Jane, it just goes to show you, it's always something! If it's not one thing, it's another!

    I hope everyone has a great day!

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  • Sheri64
    Sheri64 Member Posts: 113
    edited April 2016

    Hi I just started my rads and was wondering if you were able to work through all the treatments.  I have 36 treatments to do only 2 done so far.

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  • edwsmom
    edwsmom Member Posts: 346
    edited April 2016

    Hi Sheri,

    I'm not done yet, but I've completed 19 of my 30 treatments and I've been working full time since my diagnosis (with the exception of a couple work from home days each chemo cycle). I'm interested to see how I feel as I wrap up radiation but so far energy is good and my skin is holding up well.

    My doctor says that staying active and involved really helps get through radiation treatment and helps combat the fatigue.

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