Summer Rads 2016

Jacklin - thank you for the book recommendation! I am going to search for it!

I was almost in tears yesterday trying to explain how bad I have been feeling and RO just brushes it off as anxiety and I should go see my PCP for anxiety meds...oh and to drink more water since it is so hot here. Hello...I drink about 12 glasses a day, I am not dehydrated! I was almost ready to quit, but I did get a day off today I even lost 3 lbs last week and it wasn't just water weight. I just need to keep reminding myself only 8 treatments left!

I also did a little research this morning. I have been wondering why I was never offered the breathing technique since my left breast is being treated. Found out only 30% qualify for this technique. It is based on where your tumor was. Since mine was up close to the nipple, it is far away from my chest wall. I feel better reading that and I needed to share in case anyone else was concerned.

Hope everyone has a wonderful relaxing weekend and stay cool...I think it is extremely hot everywhere right now!

(((Hugs)))

Hello All

Day 21 of 25 regular rads then 8 boosts. Oh my skin is a hollering, but the silver cream is a miracle. yay...

Oh wow, what a week it's been huh?

Amie0215 - this silver cream is also called flamazine. You'll see both names used here and it is a great cream to help with the radiation burn. I found it really helped to keep it in the fridge along with the Lubriderm. The coolness is nice on my skin, which is so incredibly hot, even a week after finishing rads. I think I've peaked now with the blistering (yippee!!), so now look forward to healing.

Carlsoda - don't give up just because your RO doesn't listen. You are your best advocate and you know how you are feeling and what you need. Please check out that book, you may find a recipe there that will help you nutritionally. It's so hard to prepare the food you need to eat when you're feeling so darned tired, I get it. Good for you for keeping yourself hydrated! Whatever you do, don't quit now, otherwise the treatment you've done so far will have been wasted. Keep using whatever cream your RO's prescribed for you. If you can, use aloe from an aloe plant (only) on your skin as well, I found it made a huge difference. Please don't panic about the breathing apparatus, it's just not worth worrying about.

Vlastim - you're almost there, Hang on!! Keep using that flamazine (silver cream), it's great isn't it? You can do this.

Kechla - you enjoy that weekend girl!

Polkadotpurse - you'll know in due time. Perhaps you can get some extra rest before the performance? Would you consider using a wheelchair, if needed? Be sure to keep yourself hydrated and eat well to nourish your body in the meantime. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you in the meantime.

Enjoy the weekend everyone and stay cool.

Went in today and found out that the RO decided to add a boost at then end because my breast is large and he feels I need it to make sure it does what it needs to do. So my new end date went from Aug 12 to Aug 16 (machine was broken one day and then the weekend). That is OK.

Tomorrow we take the kids to GA so they can have fun with relatives and I can come home and focus on this. The skin under my breast is really hot. I held a forehead thermometer to it and it registered 100.9! Silvadene helps and so does the time in the pool. I'm so glad we have the weekend off. I plan on using a lot of cream and just focus on cooling down before Monday and starting up again.

I hope everyone has a good weekend!

Hi ladies. I'm 9 of 30 done. It is going fast. It is nice to hear I'm not the only one getting tired.

Jacklin thanks for the saline soaks idea. No one mentioned it.

I appreciate the various pain relief ideas. Putting my creams in the fridge is excellent. I have to say I am disappointed that none of the staff told me about 4 times a day.

I've had achy points in the area (I'm getting three fields) and by the end of the day I am swelling a little and if I'm in the heat too long I turn red.

I really appreciate reading the sharing of wisdom and ideas thanks. Stay strong ladies

Kansas, I have X-rays taken every 5 treatments and others here are on different schedules. It's to ensure the treatment is where it needs to be. I hate being exposed to so much radiation!

Back to treatment on Monday after a break on Friday....EIGHT left

Thanks for the replies @ Carlsoda & Valstim52. I feel better knowing others are receiving X-rays.

8 to go....woo hoo you got this ---- end strong Carlsoda!!!

Kansas - Yes, I had two "films" every day before my radiation treatment. They said they just want to make sure I was lined up correctly.

Jacklin - Thank you! While I don't like to hear that any of us are experiencing discomfort, it is reassuring to know that my skin reaction is close to what you are experiencing as well. I, too, have noticed a little weepiness under my arm. Propping my arm up on pillows helps.

Carlsoda - You're almost there!

My last boost was Friday and last night I was so close to crying in pain from the open skin above my breast and the soreness of my side of breast and underarm. I felt nauseous and was just so tired of this. I would compare the feeling to my worst day of chemo! Today I will make the saline soak the nurse gave me the recipe for to use on the open areas. Luckily I go back for Herceptin on Tuesday and can address my nurse or someone if it is any worse. I had bought a cabbage but that was no recommend. They do not allow cold capping here either, I had no intention of doing it but asked when I saw no one here doing it. They do provide icing for hands and feet though.

No wonder LTD gives us 2 to 3 months to recover after chemo and rads! I will need it!

Hoping this heatwave stops soon ....I don't mind warm but this heat makes it harder. Off to make my saline soak. Will check back later x

gentle hugs Karen...I hope each day you feel a little better!

Ejmann..I hope sleeping in the recliner helps. I too move around a lot sleeping and prefer to sleep on my "bad" side.

Back at it tomorrow after my 3 day break.3 whole breast left and 5 boosters. I can do this!

Ok. You guys are freaking me out. I begged to my SO just to take them off to avoid radiation therapy. I did the lumpectomy with clear margins so she refused to do the surgery. I think she just doesn't want to mess up her research on clear margins! I freaked out during my simulation even though I was on 3mg of Xanax and somehow ripped out all my tattoos with my bare fingernails. I have PTSD from being burned and being tortured by others. My doctors tell me I won't get burned. I remember my mom having a raw, burned boob and being in agony during radiation therapy 20 years ago. I start to cry and I can't stop. But I don't have much choice- 30- 40 percent of recurrence is not something I can deal with. I haven't slept since they told me I had to do radiation therapy. The RO I thought was nice has turned into someone like the rest of my medical team. She told me that it was my choice not to have the radiation but then told me the statistics were against me and added like a cherry on the top of a sundae- " It doesn't matter whether you do it or not to me, It is no skin off my nose." I feel hurt - I actually thought she cared about me but she is just doing her job. Today (because it is 12:43 am) I start radiation therapy and I have been sick ever since I started this cancer hell. I was better before this started- I started to gain some weight back and I even got my tastebuds back but now I am losing weight and sick again from the stress. I can't take any kind of burn not even a sunburn- they think they may have to hospitalize me. Also, my MO was trying to get me to do the Canadian protocol - I read the protocol and I didn't fit the research. I have a micromet in 1 node and have had chemo which disqualifies me from the protocol. I feel like I am being used as a test animal and I don't like it one bit. Of course I want the shortest period of time doing rads but I want to prevent recurrences, not be harmed by the increased radiation, and feel like I am human not a lab rat.

Grey, there is another thread in here where a RO says it is not a burn, it is that they kill cells so your skin can't regenerate. The actual treatment does not hurt in the least. The machine they use on me does not touch my skin, I do not feel any heat and all I hear are tic tic sounds and then it moves to a new position and then it tic tics again. The "burn" happens over time and some women don't even get that. I am have a very large breast and the tumor was a little off to the side of the 12 O'clock mark so they are really zapping a very large area. It wasn't until last week, around number 15 that I started to feel uncomfortable. Think of a diaper rash and that is what it looks like. It is under my breast where my skin folds over. My mom is a nurse and she had some burn cream which I put on several times over the weekend. It is feeling better today. Now that I'm ahead of it I will just use the cream more often and stay out of the sun.

Oddly enough my aunt got diagnosed about a month after me and she had her lumpectomy but her radiation will be what is called mammosite therapy which is 5 days and is done internally. Given your history, maybe you should ask if you could do that?

I think you should definitely get another opinion. If you can find a RO that makes you feel better about the procedure you might do better. I'm so very sorry you have so much going on.

Thank you for the kind comments all. Yesterday I did many saline soaks of my open skin and it helped a lot. I have a little bit of that now under my breast so will do more soaks today. I am keeping my arm away from my side and letting air circulate around. Last night I took a Tylenol and a sleeping pill and had a great sleep. I am still sore but taking this on as just another bump in the road of life.

Just finished making my saline soaks, noticed my side/underarm area is all opening up now so will do lots of soaks today!

Grey I am really sorry this is triggering so much in you and hope you can find someone trusted to help you through this. it cannot be easy for you and I empathize with your situation. Please remember that I had the Canadian protocol and also had chemo so my reaction may be much different then yours or others. Each person is individual in their reaction

Nice and cloudy, rainy today. We need the rain,,,and the cloudy day doesn't make me feel bad for pampering myself all day! Enjoy your day everyone!

just had my first radiation treatment. It went fine they were running 30 minutes behind. They did an X-ray which didn't come out so they had to redo everything. 30 mins later we were done. I get X-rays next Tuesday too but that will be it for X-rays

KarenC1744, what is the Canadian protocol? I tried a search which included many references, but I didn't quickly see a description so thought it might be easier to simply ask. I'm so sorry that you're having a tough time right now.