Summer Rads 2016

More X-rays today...that is 2 days in a row. She said something shifted. It is a bit unnerving when the tech comes back into the room half way through treatment to remeasure and you can hear the machine making its typical noises

First RAD in the bag, can honestly say it was more overwhelming than I expected. Maybe because they had to do X-rays & they tell me after I'm laying down and I'mall strapped up that they were going to put a wet towel over my breast for 1/2 the treatment and then they remove it for the other half of treatment 😳‼️ My brain immediately went in circles trying to see if I recalled anyone mentioning this process on here, so I think that's when panic set in as I didn't have any information & the RO didn't tell me about last week.

Jacklin- thank you! Tomorrow I am going to try to sing a song and see if I can take my mind off of the little monitor I have to look at (I too wear the snorkeling device (great name by the way LOL) as my tumor was also on the left side. I felt like the nose clip was too tight but I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to move, & since it was my 1st day I didn't feel comfortable at all with anything so wasn't sure if that's how it should feel. I am going to speak up tomorrow for sure!

27 more to go! Hope the nose clip is the worst part 😊

Allie

Carlsoda - I get 2 X-rays every day, one at the start for the lymph nodes and then another X-ray before the whole-breast radiation. Sometimes, if the positioning isn't right, I get more than those 2 X-rays - each time they make an adjustment to my physical position, they take another X-ray. That X-ray has to line up with the simulation before the actual radiation takes place.

Allie, be sure you ask the technicians what the wet towel is about, you have a right to know and should ask. What's the monitor you have to look at about? Is that to help you with holding your breath? Glad I could help with the singing of a song suggestion. Wouldn't it be nice if the nose clip is the worst thing about the whole treatment? What I find annoying is right after the technicians get me all set up, I have this mysterious itch that makes its presence known. Like, behind my left ear, or my nose - seriously? Now? If I move, they have to start all over to set me up so I don't, but I can hardly wait till the rads is finished so that I scratch that itch! Or, maybe I'm the only one who experiences that. On a more serious note Allie, you will feel more comfortable as you complete more treatments but I would encourage you to ask any and all questions. The nose clip is very snug and sometimes they don't quite position it correctly (and then it can be a little painful) so I do adjust it before they start, but they always ask to make sure it's ok. Hope rads #2 goes more smoothly and let me know what song you sing, ok?

Nose clip is to hold your breath if you are not able to do it on your own. They gave me a choice of the snorkle gear, or testing me doing the breath hold. The gear gave me anxiety so I'm 15/33 done as of today and the breath hold works for me.

Glad I was given a choice.

Ask all questions you have the right. I ask about everything.

6 down, 21 to go! So far no issues, but the nurses told me I'm more likely to have problems because of my size (but hah, my 46 Ds seem so small after the breast reduction! I'm slathering up my treated ta-ta with Miaderm, My Girls cream, and calendula oil several times a day, so we'll see how it goes. Any of you larger ladies have any experiences to share?

So far, I love rads compared to chemo- 10 minutes and I'm back to my day! My hair is coming back, my energy level is normal, life is good!

Carlsoda- I was told I'd have x-rays every week.

Jacklin- thanks today I had a zillion questions LOL & I felt more comparable, the RO said the wet towel mimics real skin and therefore it makes the radiation go deeper since I have expanders. Called bolus 😬, which I have seen mentioned in other post but the method may be different. Can you believe I couldn't think of ANY song!! Finally the only song that came to mind was row row row ur boat LOL! 🚣🏽 The monitor is to watch the breathing range. You are so right something always wants to itch, I too will not move bcz I don't want to have them start again.

Valstim52- I'm so glad you were given the option.I can't believe my hospital didn't give me the choice. It may be their practice bcz I hv a friend that I met in chemo who is also doing this method and didn't get the option. The snorkeling gear is making me so uncomfortable I prefer to hold my breath on my own. Tomorrow I will ask if that's an option!

Today wasn't that bad I am sure this gets easier as it progresses. It's just not routine right now so I'm still a little off.

hi girls 10 down 23 to go no issues so far. I just read that you have to hold ur breath?? Why? Its new for me they never asked anything like this from me they just want me to relax and stay still. On the sim they measured the belly movement while breathing that was all. The tattoo was painful for me too but so far I am well. Just went back to the Gym after 6 months chemo it feels soooo goood

Hey there Allie, nice song!! I was thinking of you yesterday when I had my rads, wondering what you were singing . I also get a bolus but mine is like a thick layer of gelatine/rubber. If you're getting a bolus to the skin, you may find that you get a rash/blisters on your chest around #20. Just keep doing the saline soaks and I also add aloe from my aloe plant (and let it dry) before putting on the flammazine. Are you allowed to do the breath-hold? I know it's an option at my cancer centre, but I am able to use the snorkel-gear and find it helps me stay focussed. I also find that when I'm home, I got shirt-less so that my skin can breathe as much as possible, this also prevent any friction from my clothing.

Lovemyfamily - 3 of my 4 tattoos didn't hurt, it was the one near my breastbone, in the middle of my chest, that hurt like crazy! It didn't last long thankfully.

jenniferjo- making new friends in the waiting room is great, isn't it? I find that the women with breast cancer quickly make eye contact and suddenly there's a group of us chatting away. This is how I found a woman who lives 5 minutes away from me, in the next town over so now I have a new friend. We'll be keeping in touch after I finish rads today. Yup, it's my last day, yippee!!

Daisy - the breath hold is for when your cancer is in the left breast. When you inhale (and hold your breath), it pushes your heart towards your feet and out of the way of the radiation beam so that you give minimal radiation exposure to your heart. If your cancer is in your right breast, you won't have to do the snorkel/breath hold.

Frances, I also have this cough and issues with heartburn, big time. I was also told it had nothing to do with rads, maybe I was eating too spicy (not), too much coffee (not) etc. I found that the women here were a wealth of information and so just left it at that. For sure it is pause for concern......

Have a great day everyone, my hubby and I are off to celebrate the last day of rads with a nice dinner tonight. I have 4 weeks off until I start round 2 of chemo, sigh.

Frances and Jacklin - ask if the rads are hitting your lungs at all. I asked to see the mapping yesterday at my first rad appt, and I saw in order to fully get the chest wall the radiation is sort of "skimming" my lung. The RO said it could some coughing but it will go away. However as a result it will create scar tissue on the lung. He said no long term effects of breathing or anything. What irritates me is that I had to ASK about the mapping, nobody told me about the lungs. Of course my concern was about the heart since I'm receiving rads on my left breast. They didn't recommend the breathing technique either, but according to the mapping the angles of radiation aren't close to the heart. I'm going to ask my regular MO about it.

Meantime, I only had two rad appointment, and I feel heartburn and a burning inside my mouth similar to what I experienced during AC. I'm only two into the 28! I'm going to call them about it.

Thanks Carlsoda, good to know I'm not the only one. At least they told you about it, here they didn't even allude to it.

I called and asked about the sore mouth, throat, heartburn thing. They said no way it has to do with radiation. I am not entirely convinced, after seeing this board here, so I called my MO's office at DFCI and left a message. It happens right after the appointment. I know I'm a nag but I feel like I'm being patronized by the RO.

Fightergirl, I hate to say it, but I tend to trust some the the very intelligent women in these forums more than some in the medical community. It makes me angry as well that we often have to be the ones to ASK. If we don't know about the research or experiences, we don't know what to ask. It really makes me need/want to research everything possible to my bc. Even though I haven't started rads yet, this thread has helped me so much know what needs to be asked, discussed and decided. And how many of the ROs and techs have actually gone through what you are going through?

Thanks to all on this thread who are helping even those of us prep for rads. I'll hopefully be starting soon (if I ever get that darn onco results back!)

Well, still not feeling well. Very tired, forcing myself to eat and had a bad headache this morning. Last weekend I didn't feel very well either. I wonder if it's rad related or something else (seriously could I catch a virus two weekend in a row?) My husband thinks it is time now to cut back on work, but work is a good distraction! 12 left....2 & 1/2 weeks

Elaine, it's tough parenting while going through bc, especially when they are school-age and on summer break... I have to bite my tongue sometimes to avoid saying "bad mommy" things that would land my beautiful DDS on the therapist's couch for years. What I think: I'm dealing w bc and you can't water the plants (or, pick up your toys, or put your dirty clothes in the laundry room, etc.)? What I say, repeatedly, until it happens, "Please water the garden." Mine are 5 and 10. Yours?

I feel for you ladies with young kids. My first go round my kids were 3,5 and 8. They had no clue why mommy was tired. Or daddy was sad. It was horrible.

Now they are taking me to treatment, cleaning , cooking and are the best support I could have ever wished for. I do hate they are facing this with me again.

My first treatment was July 5. I have 34 total to do. I'm having Proton therapy and my doctor gave me Miaderm for skin irritation. So far I'm doing good, but I'm getting tired.

Is anyone else getting worn down from treatment?