Winter 2015-16 RADS

1957-2057, My RO prescribed Trental and Vit. E. I did PT and OT for range of motion, swelling, and muscle tightness and pain. It helped a little. The Trental an E took away the swelling and over half of the muscle problems. I'm getting fat grafting to the breast tomorrow. Our breast stem cells were lost and damaged during rads. The stem cells in fat help bring the breast environment back to a more normal state. After radiation the cell turnover process and the cell response to injury is out of balance. This is why fibrosis occurres. To much scar tissues is being made and there is nothing to tell the cells to stop. The cells do not have the right signals to know when to stop. New stem cells will restore some of the lost signaling and return the balance to the different phases of cell turnover. The Trental is a vasiodilator which changes the shape of the red blood cells making them smaller. This way they can get into smaller blood vessels bringing oxygen to the damaged area and healing. Radiation damaged out blood vessels too.

Tell me again why breast conserving therapy is so great?

Just checking in. Had my 1 year Mammogram this week, all clear!!!!!! 1 year cancer free, whoot whoot!!!!!

I did the therapy as well Kate - it really made a difference for me

Hope everyone is doing well - would love to hear how you are doing

Helen

Just joining this group...finished 30 rounds of radiation on May 11th. My radiated side is becoming more painful/tighter it seems...especially behind my armpit/lower shoulder blade and tenderness along side ribs.

Anyone else experience these kind of symptoms several months after treatment completed? Of course, prob to be expected given all the treatment.....mastectomy, full ALND and radiation! Phew!!!

Janet

Hi everyone
I'm sorry for the pain in the chest and loss of mobility in the arm. I too have had that. Stretching does the best job for relief. I'm going to a cancer yoga class weekly now it helps.
I had my seven month follow up this week. All ok will have first bilateral Mamogram in Dec. So far so good. The estrogen blocker pills make my legs ache and had to switch to a new one. I hope it does the trick. I don't want to feel like I'm 80 yet.
A big shout out to all of you who helped me through this. I am sending you good vibes today. Katie your hair looks fantastic.
E

KateB79- always enjoyed your input as we went through rads....how are you foing?  Just wanted to check in.

HappyHammer, I'm doing well, physically. The PT really helped. The other day at the gym I did barbell bench presses for the first time since diagnosis!

Onward and upward.

How are you feeling?

Mary, I'm so sorry to hear about the two grandmas. I still miss my mom and mother-in-law after many years. Congrats on losing the 23 pounds and completing the 5K's! That is really great!

I'm dismayed that you are still having so many side effects from chemo. Are you taking any supplements to help with the neuropathy? I still have some fatigue from my chemo, but I only ended in August. My radiated breast is still huge compared to the normal one. I question whether it will ever shrink like "they" claim.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Hi Mary,

So sorry to hear about your double loss! That's quite a blow for you and your family. Congratulations on your weight loss. I'm on Anastrozole and was having so much fatigue with it, I wanted a nap by 3 pm every day! When I complained to my MO about it, she blew me off. I had fat grafting to heal some of the radiation damage in August, I took a five week break from Anastrozole and haven't had the fatigue since. The nurse practitioner at my MO's office said that sometimes after a break the symptoms subside. I've been back on it since September 1, so far, so good! It has been one hell of a year and I think a small part of my fatigue may have been stress related, but I also believe most of it was due to the medication. Good luck

-Suzanne

I found this post after looking for a possible answer to my pain that is right below my left breast where a bra would be.  I am two years out from radiation. I also had to lymph nodes removed that were cancer free. I had stage 1 cancer.  The pain started about the time I had an esophageal problem that caused bloat and pain.  It has since been resolved but the pain is still there. I feel it mostly when I where a bra or lay down.  When I lay down it is like the area is stretched and gets painful.  I am not sure it is the bone because I have what seems like a swollen ridge of fat or muscle.  I have asked my docs and they do not seem concerned. Has anyone had this? Is it a result of the radiation which was on my left breast?

Thanks for any perspective.    

Just checking in to see how everyone that went through treatment when I did is fairing. I hope you are all doing well. I just had my 3 year mammogram and got an all clear. I still am seeing my oncologist every 6 months now. I take arimidex.

Last year at this time I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer so I had surgery to remove it, one parathyroid and 15 lymph nodes. They found papillary cancer in 5 lymph nodes so in February this year I had to do radioactive iodine treatment. The worse part of that was living in my bedroom for 5 days. I am happy to say I am doing well, minor complaints but nothing I can't live with. I may have the energy of a slug but I am happy to get through every day. Take care all and please post how you are all doing, I feel connected to you still.

Helen

Kbutler,

Glad you are doing so well. I still see my oncologist every 6 months and surgeon once a year.

Helen