Spring 2016 Rads

Hello All;

#2 of 34 today. Yesterday was ok but I am not a fan of the breathing thing! I find it distracting and makes it difficult to focus on the deep breath. ugggghhhh it will take some getting used to!

Sawyer

Comments on a couple items from someone who is now 3 1/2 week post-rads:

About using Aromatase Inhibitors (and perhaps Tamox.) during rads - I started using the AI Letrozole (Femara) after 10 rad treatments. My MO used to wait until the end of rads before starting anti-hormone therapies because the belief was that you just don't want to compound SE's of rads with possible SE's of AI's or Tamox. So the old protocol was chemo first (if needed), then rads, then anti-hormone pills. But she said it's becoming more common now for MO's to start the pills during rads (or even before) if the patient doesn't seem to have any other comorbidities and is in good health. In my case, since I decided against chemo, I wanted to start a systemic treatment as soon as I was allowed to. I had no issues.

I did 28 whole breast rads (boosts done during surgery) and never had bad SE's - no itching, no open sores, etc. Just a really dark tan rectangle on my chest (which is nearly imperceptible now. Overall, a non-issue. I have also had no real SE's from Femara and I've been on it for over 6 weeks. So every case is different and your MO will evaluate your overall condition, other treatments, etc. and decide.

One good bit of advice from MO - eating healthy, exercising and sleeping well are as effective as any of these individual, medically-delivered anti-cancer treatments. Don't forget to look after YOU!

^^ ^^ Thanks my bay area friend..

My treatment was canceled today because the machine was down I still have 28 more to go and just want them finished, no delays!!

I just found out I am going to have to have BMX. They thought it was DCIS but my lumpectomy pathology came back with 2 spots of invasive cancer. One spot is 11mm and the other is 4.5mm and they were not next to each other. Every slide had DCIS on it.

The HER2 status is still pending.

Now I wonder if I will still have to have radiation if both breasts are gone?

Tsoebbin- After sx you'll have final path report which will give more details than you have now. I was on the border with 4 cm tumour and no MRI node involvement seen. After sx it was 7 cm and micromets in SN #1 which became yes for rads. I have tissue expanders on both sides because I want recon. I know there are folks who chose no recon who are getting rads. Thing is cells could have been left behind in the skin areas regardless of clear margins and mxs. I would seek a second opinon after sx once you have your #s.

igay1ord- They gave me incentive spirometer since I tend to breathe shallow or not at all. My bp was always on the low side. But man, I never had so much pain in my life, well maybe tied to a kidney stone! Here's to both of us breathing well again!

Hi All!

I finished 7/30 today! Starting to pink up. Feels like a sunburn not too bad. Worst is under the arm so using soft cloth to prevent the skin on skin. Also using the aquafor and aloe per Dr. fingers crossed no big issues.

Grazy, Bjsmiller,Lovestofly, I will be interested to see your medication experiences. I am still on the fence about them. I will have further discussion with my MO in July.

Artista sounds like you've had a rough time. Glad you are back at it lucky number 7!

Shine on all!

iammags, interesting about the boosts knocking your socks off. I haven't looked into them at all yet - I've been a take it as it comes kinda gal throughout the last few months (not my usual M.O.) and figured I'd enquire about the boosts closer to the end of my regular treatments. I sort of like that you're ahead of me so I can skulk along behind you and gather intel. I have my weekly appointment with my RO tomorrow, so maybe I'll chat with her about the boosts! Perhaps June will be a low-key month, hmmm; hadn't planned on that.

Grazy not sure that it was the boost, per se. My RO says they are less "strong" than the others. I think that the fatigue SE that I'm feeling somehow just was off the hook today. Plus, it's 90 degrees here today. Arrrgggh.

I had 7 of 30 today as well. Just a little skin breakdown so far. I started running a low-grade fever that's about 100 now. My sinuses are cranked up and I'm achy. Had my last Taxol almost 2 weeks ago and herceptin last Thursday. Not sure what's going on but it's early bedtime tonight.

Iammags, Artista - I missed the comment about the 90 degree weather - wow! I've been to San Francisco twice, both times in July, and I don't think it got above 70!

Deaconlady, hope you feel better tomorrow after a good night's sleep!

PlanB58 - hope your skin doesn't get too much worse!

I was hauling around heavy iron urns today - painting them and then planting with some flowers, so I'm pooped. It's our long weekend coming up (Queen Victoria Day, Monday) and traditionally our time to plant flowers for the summer, so I'm trying to do some work every day this week so that, come the holiday weekend, I can just relax with my husband and girls, and enjoy a three-day respite from rads while swinging in the hammock with a glass of wine in my hand. Well, my husband will be doing yard work and I'll be watching...

#10 for me tomorrow - luckily for me, I'm almost half way through.

LG - I almost had a t-shirt made today with #RadiateTHIS across the chest, lol! Just to wear to treatments, of course!! Or sleep in. Maybe I'd better just put it in my signature line. Okay, I've inundated this board with enough posts tonight. Goodnight

Grazy, would DEFINITELY be fun to wear to rads!!!! Wish I would have had one lol!!!!

hi all,

First time poster, long time lurker! I'm on day 11/33 radiation treatment and I have a question:. Why do I need to get weekly chest x-rays? The techs say it's to check the position of my bones, to make sure everything is still lined up. Do my bones move that much week to week? I'm asking because there was a problem capturing the image today on the computer, so after the first 5 failed attempts, the girls had to get a supervisor to reboot the computer, then x-ray me again 2 more times. So I got a total of 7 chest x-rays today, 5 of which were useless. I know the amount of radiation is nothing compared to my treatments, I'm just annoyed to have to get anything extra ..... especially when it's unnecessary!!! 😠

Fremont is in the east bay, We are part of the tri-cities of Union City, Hayward and us with Milpitas next "door" down before you hit San Jose. SF would be perfect for me to live there as I love the city and the temps and all, but the rents are unreal. Well they are unreal here.... $1775 for a 1 bdr 1 bath 630 sq ft---and it's the cheapest around!