Spring 2016 Rads

Jill - so glad you are finally healing!

Trish - Congrats on finishing rads. Now on to the healing!

I'm taking a trip to CA tomorrow to see my mom, but my husband and I just booked a trip to Myrtle Beach in October. We used to have a home there and miss the beach, the golf and our friends. Really looking forward to it

Finally sat down and read back through the posts -

Valstim, I hope you're feeling better now; it's a little while ago you had the problems that ended with a hospital visit, but I just wondered how you're doing.

Ingerp, I realized when you were talking about the diaper rash cream that the Glaxal Base cream my RO recommended at the end of treatment was a little like the cream I used on my babies' bottoms back in the day - very thick and soothing. Might be good to use on my neck, chest and knees, haha, as I continue to age Have you recovered fully now from rads, the wedding, pig roast? Did you feel a bit of a let down when it was all over? The day after we got back from QC, I totally crashed - it was just a one day thing, thank goodness.

Carlsoda - hope your treatments are going well Are you two-thirds of the way through now?

Katzpjays - a trip to California to see your mom sounds lovely - in what part of CA does she live? We've been fortunate to visit the San Francisco area twice plus the surrounding area including Palo Alto, Big Sur, Carmel, etc, and then southern California two years ago (took in in the US Open Surfing) and did all the touristy things from Hollywood to Malibu - it was fun. My girls just can't understand why we don't live there!! They're definitely southern CA girls at heart but they'll have to settle for southern Ontario for a while longer while they finish up their education Nice that you have your getaway to Myrtle to look forward to as well. My brother and his wife have visited that area a few times and really it - I can understand why you'd miss it!

ejmann - a Disney cruise is sure something amazing to look forward to. You'll be very pampered, I'm sure! I've never been on a cruise, but everyone I know who has enjoys them very much.

Trish - CONGRATULATIONS on finishing today!! Hope we see a picture of you celebrating So nice that you have an upcoming business trip to Mexico after you enjoy a relaxing getaway with your husband! to celebrate the end of this portion of treatment. You deserve some fun!

Hootowl - I hope you can go back to QC again sometime, too! That was my fourth trip over a 20 year span but I think I've now seen and experienced pretty much everything I wanted to - that'll be it for me now. PEI is next on my list. We bought a lovely painting on our last day to commemorate our 25th anniversary - I'll always remember the pretty houses with red roofs out in the countryside now. We had a three hour bus trip from Quebec City along the St. Lawrence River to Baie-Sainte-Catherine where we went whale watching one day and that was a first for us, to experience the beautiful Quebec landscape like that - that is what our painting captures.

Cathytoo - thanks for the toast back to me - I loved the picture In answer to your question about acne... on your face? I had red bumps on a small section of my chest which developed during the days following radiation, but nothing elsewhere on my skin.

Congratulations to the rest of you finishing up with your Spring Rads - Looks like this board is pretty much finished now and the Summer board is in full swing! I'll be shifting back over to the Lumpectomy Lounge and checking out the AI boards for the most part now (I'm on Arimidex). I'll also be starting my Zometa infusions next month (twice a year) so will need to seek out others who will also be going that route. All the best to everyone - have a wonderful day. I really enjoyed all the support everyone gave each other over the last few months.

Carlsoda, yay on halfway, you've got this! Keep up the excercise, it definitely helps,

I'm officially done!! Don't have any champagne, so substituting a Michelob. Here's me celebrating. Then I'll be going home to crash early tonight, lol!

Trish Cheers! Congratulations on finishing rads the smile says it all!


Positive thoughts for those still finishing up


I love hearing all the plans for trips after or between treatments. Let's live our lives!!! Please post pics of your adventures they always make me smile.


As our group finishes I hope to see you on other boards. I also have started on the lumpectomy board as well as the daily exercise and T train boards.

Cheers to those just finished and more to those with a few left to go.

I think everyone closely involved with the big wedding/pig roast weekend was emotionally drained for like a week following. And I was just telling someone I feel like maybe my bit of fatigue is finally pretty much gone--was still sleeping nine hours at night and sometimes napping til a few days ago. Today happens to be exactly one month from my last rads. Seems like a reasonable timeline to me. :-)

Hugs to all. I'll stop in now and then and I do follow a few of the other boards, but I do like that this is not on my mind much any more. I mentioned my husband and WDW--I'm alreadly planning an October 2017 trip there for my 60th and he sounds willing to tag along for at least a long weekend. I told him I promise not to make that part to Disney-y--we'll probably focus on the Food & Wine Festival and I'll get all my Mickey-type yayas out before he gets there. Win win.

Thank you! I'm 3 days post rads & doing good. Still tired & nipple is peeling. Otherwise no problems. Trying to decide if I should go ahead & start tamoxifen tomorrow. Told my MO I'd start after rads. Have a follow up with MO August 26.

Hope you have a relaxing weekend!

Jill, so glad you are finally healing! Glad to know that you arent having any se from the tamoxifen. I officially started this morning.

I'm going to spend the day relaxing. Hope you all have a relaxing weekend

Just got back from Mexico last night. It was a great trip with way too much food! I'm scared to step on the scales tomorrow. Kept my rash guard shirt on the entire time and my chest looks like it never even made it to Mexico. The break seemed to do my skin good too. It was really irritated with an acne type rash that itched like crazy. Nothing even close right now. Back to rads tomorrow to start #20 of #33. Congrats tbalding! Truffles should be close if not done by now? The pic below is of me and my hubby enjoying Mexico! I hope everyone is doing well!

Cbowle, great photo! Glad you were able to take a break. The last treatments should go fast.

Other than being tired, my skin is healing. Started tomoxifen yesterday. So far no issues.

Have a good week all

Beautiful pic CBowle...glad you were able to take some time away and enjoy. Cathytoo...MiaDerm cream has been my savior as well. I am on 23 of 33 and doing well on the skin but lather this on several times a day!

Tomorrow will be three weeks since I finished radiation, and I'm doing great! The whole area is a bit pinker than the rest of me, and a couple areas are still peeling (like after a sunburn) and my nipple is still slightly swollen. None of it would be noticeable to someone that didn't know, and I am back in underwire bras!

Good luck to everybody still in radiation and coming up to finishing!

Yay Jill, great news!

I have 11 more treatments and now starting to get sore (besides tired!!) but I am almost done. Was boosters easier on skin than whole breast?

Cbowie, you guys are so cute

Carlsoda--boosters are quicker and only affect the targeted area so the non-boost area should peak in a week or so and then start to get better. I know some women thought their boost area ended up worse than the rest of the breast but I didn't notice a difference.

And Miaderm was one of 5-6 creams I used. The skin got pretty ugly but I never did peel or anything. FWIW--I bought one tube before starting rads and never did need a second one.

Thanks all! Went back yesterday after my week break and they were so pleased to see I kept my word and used sunscreen as well as the rash guard the entire time in Mexico. I hated to step on the scales because I knew I had lived it up in Mexico. I gained 3 lbs in a week! Yikes! They told me that my appointment next Monday would be a bit longer since they have to get me ready for my boosts. Not exactly sure what that means unless they have to create new molds only for the surgical area??? The last 6 of my 33 are supposed to be boosts and I am thrilled to be on the down slope of rads.  

tbalding - Wow! They didn't waste on time on getting you started on Tamoxifen! I'm not sure whether to hope there is a break or it will be immeadiate for me. Keep us posted on side effects. I'm defintely curious to see how it works out for you.

tbalding: good luck with the tamoxifen, I'm next after rads My friend who took tamox for 5 years said its pretty well tolerated...hope she is right!