Spring 2016 Rads

My RO said to use over the counter 1% hydrocortisone for the itching. I used it a few times and it did give me some relief.

One week down and four to go with 5 of 25 treatments finished, and so far, no adverse effects. My nurse gave me Aquaphor and said to use it right after tx and before bed. I didn't like the idea of using something greasy after tx (my appt. is in the morning), so I'm using the MyGirls cream and then the Aquaphor at bedtime and shower in the morning. I had a UMX, no reconstruction, and they use the bolos on me every other day. I think the tech said it is to get the radiation deeper into the tissue? Good weekend off to you all.

I hope everybody had a nice break from their cancer centers this weekend. As we head back into rads this week, remember #RadiateTHIS!!

kbutler, that's fantastic - you must be excited to be finishing up this week! I haven't found it bad whatsoever (so far!); I've had 7 of 21 treatments, and I feel great that I'm already one-third of the way through.

Bjsmiller- I'm with you 5 down! My appt is this afternoon I so appreciated the weekend tough to go back! We will do this! Here's hoping this week is as smooth.

Kbutler- I hear you about the weekend! Congrats on finishing this week!

Grazy - I think your "RADIATE THIS " will be my motto!😄

Ingerp- I found the waiting to be hard as well glad your first treatment is in sight. You will do fine with the breathing!

Iammags- congrats! So Jealous! Keep us updated about life "after"!

Here's to another Radiant Week

I'm here to tell you that a MX doesn't guarantee no rads: I'm lucky enough to be one of those few with a synchronous bilateral diagnosis and even after BMX I still had to do both sides--one technically clean but teeny tiny margin and one dirty margin. I don't know if having bigger breasts would have made a difference; they were on the border of B/C. The dirty margin was on the side with the 9 mm tumor so who knows. I've certainly thrown everything at it!

Anyway, eight down, twenty-eight to go. No problems so far, though I do feel really tired today. Probably unrelated, I think I just didn't get enough sleep.

Just want to give everyone going through rads a bit of encouragement.... I am almost 1 month out and am feeling just fine. I had some skin issues but after about a week of being done with rads, things started healing quickly. Tan is fading. Skin is healed. Peeling has just about come to an end. NO MORE ITCHINESS!!!-that drove me insane.

I couldn't wait to throw the damn Dove soap out and go back to my regular! And to use deodorant again! I am glad not to have to baby my boob anymore. It gets treated the same as the "good" one now....lol

Ingerp, don't buy too much. I bought some aloe that I barely used, a new cotton t-shirt that I never wore, and more bras than I needed. Wish I had a balloon emojis in celebration of completing rads last Thursday. I didn't use anything but a little aloe until around day 8, since then, I only used the cream that was mixed at the pharmacy for me, don't know what's in it, but it has been all I have needed beside extra hydrocortisone for the itching. Good luck!!

Butler, congrats on finishing!!!!!!!!Yay!!!!!! (Balloon emojis for you!)

Mags, so glad you are almost done!!!! I said the same thing! Any more cancer found and they can just take them both!!!!! I'm serious!!!! I wouldn't have been prepared to say that 2 months ago, but I'm ready to say it now!

Grazy, I didn't notice much until day 8 either, that's when I started the cream the RO ordered for me. Hope your time passes quickly!

Paxton, good luck with the rest of your rads!

Kkubsky, you are right, THE DANG ITCHING IS DRIVING ME CRAZY! Seems worse at night, extra hydrocortisone helps some and I'm hydrating the skin with aquafor. Seems worse around my stretch marks

For all, I am 4 days post rads, nipple and areola already look better, redness and extreme tanning is improving a tad, arm pit is looking better, sentinel biopsy area is peeling, skin itches INSANELY on and off- but the zinger pain and extreme nipple sensitivity is a little better. No shrinking yet, hope that doesn't happen. Can't wait to see how everything looks when I go back in a month. Still can't wear but VERY loose sports bra, nothing tight or you will be sorry. I'm afraid I'm never going to want to wear an under wire again! Lol!!!! Ill be perfectly fine when itching gets better!!! HUGS to all!!!!!!!

Well I finished 15 of 33 today. It seems like it is taking forever. I have a pretty big burn on my neck and am putting the Aquafor on it. I don't understand why I am so tearful and upset over a little red skin. I guess I just am ready for it all to be over I had the bad mamo end of January and surgery and rads and I'm tired. I guess I need a little encouragement.

ladsqma, 33 treatments is a long haul, that's for sure, and I can imagine you're feeling very tired out, but after tomorrow, you'll be halfway there and you can keep the end in sight. You'll be all finished by summer and that's something to look forward to. Some of the other gals on here who've done the longer treatments might have some good suggestions for you, things that helped get them through, and have some other ideas for soothing your neck. Sending you a hug. Come here often, vent all you like and let everybody help you through the second half.

How's it going with the Arimidex? You're a little ahead of me with treatment, but we're doing the same things, radiation and Arimidex. I've heard some people say that Arimidex makes them a little tired and they switch from taking it in the morning to taking it at night and they sleep a little better. I don't know if the AI might be a factor with your fatigue...

Wow, my RO has never told me not to wear lotion or deodorant. I'm so happy about that! I keep using my girlie lemon verbena soap and I'm not gonna stop. tee hee.

Paxton, I, too , should have know that even after mx you can still have rads. Thanks for filling me in.

ladsgma- I spoke to a couple of ladies at the cancer center today and we all felt the exact same way. It's not the treatment that is getting to us. It's the SE's and just the "dragging" or "heavy" feeling of it all. Or, maybe it's the fatigue SE that we have. Hang in there.

Grazy,- Glad that you're carrying on...

LG- Guess we'll have to meet up in the Tamoxifen forum in a couple of weeks. I'm so excited! (not really).

#CancerSucks #CancerCanKissMyAss # RadiateTHIS! #BCSucksButI'mAliveToTellTheTale

still reading. Starting May 24. I did chemo after surgery so I hear you all...I've been in treatment of some sort since late November when I had surgery...and of course diagnosis took a month before then. Im so done and not looking forward to rads.

On the bright side, I've been on tamoxifen for a week and so far no biggie.

Those of you who have large breasts, what kind of bras did you wear during rads? I'm an f-cup abs plan to be working, at least part time

Bjsmiller, I started taking Arimidex about 2-1/2 weeks prior to starting rads. I've had zero side effects after 8 treatments, tiniest bit of pinkness and that's it; no itchiness, no fatigue, and I'm not using any creams yet, but I have some Miaderm waiting in the wings. Some oncs do recommend not taking Arimidex during rads, and I don't know if my MO picks and chooses who can do both concurrently, but all I know is there was no discussion, she just had me start on it that very day before I'd been referred over to my RO for mapping. My RO didn't have a problem with it either when I met with her. Perhaps my being on the higher dose/shorter treatment plan is a factor (16 + 5 boosts), but I really don't know for certain. Maybe it would be more of an issue for someone doing 25-30+ treatments... not sure how many are in store for you.

Well, I'm back! On mother's day I had shortness of breath and chest pain. Taken to ER and scans done to see wassup with my lungs. Of course my mind went there since I have a couple of lung nodules and had adriamycin--- so heart failure? mets to lungs? I couldn't take deep breaths so results were fuzzy. Saw consolidations with fluid in both lower lobes. Put on abx thinking pneumonia. Admitted and on abx for 4 days. Echo they couldn't get all the views because the TE is in front of 2 of them, but card thinks heart is ok. Release on Thurs pm. Had done 5 days of rads and missed all last week so started up today and the 5 days is added on to the end, making it 6/16 done for me. Nothing like being told you could be in heart failure and/or have pneumonia! They seem to think I had partial collapse of the lower lungs with fluid. Man it was so painful on top of not being able to breath and then my head was in such pain. I have never been so miserable in my life for those days last week.

LG--thanks, I read that over on the Winter forum--not to buy everything you'd heard about but wait and see. My RO's office gave me a small thing of aloe, I ordered the Miaderm (just one, no lidocaine) because everybody was *raving* about it and I figured should I need it at some point, I didn't want to wait for Amazon to get it to me, plus I kinda felt like getting myself a treat. :-) The calendula cream just looked cool--people allegedly use it for *lots* of stuff so I figured it couldn't hurt to have it in the house. And I probably won't buy any new undergarments. I'm really curious how the Comfort Sling works, plus I work from home so can go au naturel most of the time. :-D

Artista--that sucks. It just totally does. Hope you're continuing to feel better every day.