Starting Rads in January 2017

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  • warrior6
    warrior6 Member Posts: 18
    edited December 2016

    I've had my tatooing and will start 30 treatments December 28th after the dry run. Beginning to use lotions, Aloe Vera gel, and I bought Miaderm (radiation relief)..kinda expensive but reviews are great and my neighbor who is just finishing rads said its the best. I'm also going to get some calendula spray, also a heads up from my neighbor. Would love to join

    had mastectomy, with immediate implant, thinking would not need Rads...had positive margin in my axilla so need Rads

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  • kellychameleon
    kellychameleon Member Posts: 100
    edited December 2016

    I got a call from the NP at the RO's office yesterday, and after going over my mapping to devise the treatment plan, they determined that my expanders are filled too much. So they won't be able to start rads until some saline is removed. So I had to make an appointment with the plastic surgeon for this Wednesday and then have to go in on Thursday to get marked up again. Ugh, such a pain! It will probably delay the start of rads by a week or so, which in the grand scheme, isn't that big of a deal. Just annoying

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  • Caligirl55
    Caligirl55 Member Posts: 486
    edited December 2016

    PBinKC...Welcome ... My surgery as 11/10 and my rads began this week. Glad yours was caught early.

    Warrior6....Welcome ... This is a great place for us to comfort and encourage each other. I use Jeans Cream recommended by my surgeon and RO. I think I always worry maybe I should try something else??

    kellychameleon ...sorry for that lovely news. It must be frustrating.

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  • NorthBrooklyn
    NorthBrooklyn Member Posts: 12
    edited December 2016

    Hi all,

    I'll be starting radiation in January. I had ACT chemo that finished up end of October and a double MX three weeks ago. I had my initial consultation this week and, assuming I can get my arms up high enough (I have cording in my arm), I'll have planning this coming week. Armpit lymph nodes removed but I have one mammary lymph node in my chest that showed a tiny bit of disease that couldn't be removed by surgery. Five days a week for five weeks.



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  • Wonderwoman78
    Wonderwoman78 Member Posts: 9
    edited December 2016

    Hello everyone,

    I just had my last chemo. I meet my RO Dec. 27 and an I'm hoping to start rads asap. I see some familiar names here. Hallejujah everyone who finished chemo.

    I nervous for rads and eager to hear my trestmenr plan.

    Merry Christmas to you all!

    Charmaine

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  • RitaR551
    RitaR551 Member Posts: 42
    edited December 2016

    just wanted to give a follow up report after my mammogram. I am five weeks post op and the thought of a mammogram was not appealing. I took one of my strong painkillers an hour beforehand. The tech was very good and let me tell her when enough was enough as to compression. It went ok

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  • DiV
    DiV Member Posts: 231
    edited December 2016

    Hi everyone i would like to join this group. I was first dx in june of 2013 had mastectomy with immediate reconstruction then chemo. I was cancer free for 2 1/2 years and foynd out in Sept 2016 the cancer is back in my chest wall. At work one day i thought i tore my rotator cuff finally saw orthopedic in September cuz i can't raise my arm. Orthopedic found mass on mri and he called my oncologist. Tried chemo to shrink tumor and it didn't work. Now comes the grim news. Only way to remove tumor is to amputate my arm due to tumor entwined in brachial plexus nerve. Start radiation (25-33) January 5 and chemo January 9. Drs want to try to shrink tumor and get smooth edges so they get it all out. Even if tumor shrinks they will still have to take my arm.

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  • Karey59
    Karey59 Member Posts: 68
    edited December 2016

    DiV I am so sorry you have to deal with this again it is heartbreaking fo you. I will be starting radiation on jan 3rd so will be starting about the same time.

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  • DiV
    DiV Member Posts: 231
    edited December 2016

    Thanks for responding. Good we can share experiences. Sorry you are going through this as well.

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  • warrior6
    warrior6 Member Posts: 18
    edited December 2016

    I have cording too, seeing a PT and strecthing but also using the Rad Cream...that has made a difference

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  • Caligirl55
    Caligirl55 Member Posts: 486
    edited December 2016

    Merry Christmas 🎄🎄❤️🎄🎄 to all you brave ladies ❤️ Hope you find some peace & joy today 🎄

    NorthB....Welcome to our group hope you can find some comfort with us.

    DIV....Welcome ... I am so sorry about everything you have to deal with. I hope you know we are here for you to love, encourage and pray for you through this battle. I don't at all want to sound like I am minimizing this but to live is my number one goal so I pray you can handle all this and that you have good support. Hugs!

    Love & hugs to all

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  • SuMarie
    SuMarie Member Posts: 37
    edited December 2016

    hello Ladies,

    Welcome to the newcomers. It's really nice to see so many in this group.

    DiV, my heart goes out to you. I'm so sorry you have to face this. Thank you for sharing because it puts things into perspective for me. How are you feeling? Are you devastated? My thoughts and prayers are with you.

    Tomorrow is my first radiation. After reading the post here I'm wondering if it might not be a trail run. At any rate I'm prepared for it taking longer then I'd want, so I'm going to be patient.

    I finished 12 rounds of taxol last Tuesday and I haven't had many serious side effects. But this week I've felt so weak and had a few days with nausea, stomach issues etc. The neuropathy is terrible. The oncologist warned me that the last few weeks would be like that. Feeling so awful this week makes me second guess my decision to starts rads ASAP. But the decision is already made.

    You're right Caligirl55,to live is our main goal. Sending warm comforting thoughts to you all.

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  • DiV
    DiV Member Posts: 231
    edited December 2016

    SuMarie hi thanks for replying. When all this started i thought i hurt myself at work. I'm a machinist and was pushing on pulling setting up machine and i thought i pulled a muscle or tore my rotator cuff cuz i could only raise my arm so far and scapula was winged out. When i finally went to orthopedic and got mri that's how i found out my cancer was back and it was in axillary node and grew out of node and attached to chest wall and entwined in the brachial plexus nerve. Never in a million years would i have thought that recurrent breast cancer would affect my arm and range of motion. Never would have thought that i'd have to have arm amputated either. I am a Taurus (stubborn and bullheaded). I'm coming to grips with what has to be done and i know it will be hard but will get through it. For all cancer patients when something doesn't feel right get it checked out cause you just never know. Stick with your treatment plan your almost at the end! Yes taxol and neuropathy is common had the same thing. Be strong and hang in there. Keep us posted on how your doing. Prayers and hugs. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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  • SuMarie
    SuMarie Member Posts: 37
    edited December 2016

    DiV, thanks for the encouragement. You are such an amazing person. I feel like I'm in shock for you. You have a great attitude and it's a blessing to have you here.


    --- about my first day of radiation: there was a lot of information to take it. I was given slippers a robe and my control card; to bring in each day. I met the staff. The actually radiation it was painful because I had to stay in the same position for 30 minutes, although they said that was just for the first time. They drew 3 X's on my chest and put some tape over them and told me not to wash them off, they would use them tmrw. I was given a prescription for biafine, which I got. They said to use it 3 times a day, but forgot to ask where I had got radiated. I'll have to do that tomorrow. Then I'll know where to put the cream. The nurse said that we'll be seeing each other every day and she'd answer any questions I have and they deal with any and all side effects. I think my hospital is excellent. Even so I really feel shattered. The pregabalina I take for neuropathy didn't seem to help much today, so I've been in a lot of pain. I plan on getting a goods nights sleep and have a better more positive attitude tomorrow. A fight attitude. Today I feel like a shell of the person I was before cancer.
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  • DiV
    DiV Member Posts: 231
    edited December 2016

    SuMarie so sorry to hear about the pain from neuropathy. My doctor had me on gabepentine and that helped me. When i went for radiation simulation it only took about 20 minutes and they gave me tatoo's 1 in middle of chest and 1 on each side. Tatoo's are used to line me up on table every time. Radiologist says i'll be in and out in 15 minutes. For the first 6 chemo treatments i will have to take my IV cart with me and get radiation then back to chemo room to finish chemo. My radiologist told me to use Aquaphor for a cheap cream (will stain clothes) or Miaderm L (has lanocaine in it). Bought both this way right after radiation i will use the Miaderm then use Aquaphor when i'm at home. Miaderm is expensive but she said its really good. Yes have to keep a good attitude. Hope you get a good nights sleep and feel better tomorrow. Let us know how it went. Keep fighting! Prayers and hugs!

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  • Caligirl55
    Caligirl55 Member Posts: 486
    edited December 2016

    SuMarie...wow I don't get slippers but my gown could wrap around both of us it's so big. The tech said the taped on X will be there through my whole rads treatment. The NP said to lather on the creams all over effected breast and behind since back will have dryness where radiation goes through ... I can't reach my back so DH at night puts some directly where it would go through where my X is.

    My aunt bought thin shoulder pads to slip in her bra when breast was tender or just greasy from lathering it up. I plan to look for some at the fabric store.

    Tomorrow I start my second week of radiation.

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  • SuMarie
    SuMarie Member Posts: 37
    edited December 2016
    Caligirl55, hi, that was very helpful about the creams. I'm going to ask about it today. So after your first week, how is your skin doing? Do you have any other side effects?
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  • Caligirl55
    Caligirl55 Member Posts: 486
    edited December 2016

    SuMarie...so far just some light pink clorig where you can tell X marks the spot. Good luck

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  • Fight2016
    Fight2016 Member Posts: 2
    edited December 2016

    I finished 30 Rad treatments on 11/8/16. Just thought I would share my experience. Things went very well until mid way through treatment. At that point the fatigue was awful. It didn't matter how much sleep I got I was still so fatigued. It's getting much better now almost back to my normal energy level. As for the topical creams I was so fortunate my treatment center gave me all of the creams. There are 2 that I found to work the best. Calendula Cream was the best for the sunburn and minor burns. The last 5 treatments were the worst. Those were the boast treatments where the radiation is directed at the tumor bed. I had several burns the size of a dime where the skin pealed and were open wounds. AKA as skin break down. Again my RO gave my SSD Cream (silver sulfadiazine cream) this was the best. The burns dried out and began to heal in 2 days. I didn't have much luck with the Aloa or the Aquaphor. Found Aquaphor to be so oily and messy and not much pain relief. Calendula worked so much better.I hope this will help as you begin this process.

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  • ArtyMom
    ArtyMom Member Posts: 71
    edited December 2016

    First radiation session done, no problem, got cream to use, bought aveeno soap, got some ambien to help with my tamoxifen related insomnia!!!!, and my husband made dinner!!! NO worries here!!!! How are you!!


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  • JShannon
    JShannon Member Posts: 14
    edited December 2016

    See my RO tomorrow for consult. Very emotional tonight reading all of your posts. Same kind of feelings as when I was diagnosed and was waiting on surgery. Caligirl I remember you from the Lumpectomy thread. Thankful to have you all to share the journey.


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  • SuMarie
    SuMarie Member Posts: 37
    edited December 2016

    hello everyone,

    Caligirl55, thanks for the update. Sounds good.

    Fight2016, thanks for sharing. I'm sorry you had to go through that! My MO & RO told me I would need 25 treatments but when I start yesterday the nurse told me there would be 35; the last 10 being the bursts. I want to talk to my RO about this and do some investigating. Did they explain to you why the last 5 burst treatments were necessary? I'm glad your feeling better.

    JShannon, I can relate to what you're feeling. Hope your consultation goes well.

    I had my second thoughts and treatment today, it went a lot faster and it wasn't as emotional for me.

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  • Caligirl55
    Caligirl55 Member Posts: 486
    edited December 2016

    Fight2016... Thank you for sharing. As I've said my RO has suggested Jeans Cream. Where do you get the Calendula?

    ArtMom...yay one down!

    JShannon...welcome ...these emotions just hit with each new phase I've found and sometimes with no rhyme or reason!

    SuMarie... Sometimes it feels like one person says one thing then the next says just the opposite. The NP said not to use any lotions before radiation ...then RO said I could use creams up to one hour before radiation.

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  • DiV
    DiV Member Posts: 231
    edited December 2016

    Hi ladies! Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, been visiting friends and family and playing with my puppy my boyfriend got me for Christmas. Also been shopping looking for jogging outfits, figure jogging clothes would be alot easier for me after my surgery until i learn how to do buttons with one arm. Glad radiation treatment is going well for you. I've read good things about Miaderm L on this site for radiation treatment. Miaderm L has calendula and lidocaine (for pain) in it. I ordered some from Amazon.

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  • Caligirl55
    Caligirl55 Member Posts: 486
    edited December 2016

    DIV... I bet that puppy is fun...you will have to share a picture. I think I need to order some Miaderm L

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  • DiV
    DiV Member Posts: 231
    edited December 2016

    Caligirl55 This is Riley! Yes she's alot of fun and a good distraction.

    image

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  • warrior6
    warrior6 Member Posts: 18
    edited December 2016

    I purchased both Miaderm and MiadermL from http://shop.miaderm.com What was great is a representative called right after, reviewed how to use, also reviewed that I had purchased enough for 30 treatments..plus the week before start and the 2 weeks after completion. she reviewed the miadermL which will help with pain toward the end and what to watch for. anyway I start tomorrow

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  • DiV
    DiV Member Posts: 231
    edited December 2016

    Warrior6. I did alot of research on miaderm before I ordered it. I start radiation January 5. Let us know how you like it.

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  • snowsogal
    snowsogal Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2016

    Caligal:

    I used JEANS CREAM and my skin held up marvelously. I put it on one week before rads to condition my skin.

    The RO told me that the boost is given, because that is generally where a reoccurrence may begin

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  • snowsogal
    snowsogal Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2016

    Hi Div:

    I can not fathom what you must be going through. My heart breaks for you having to face this again, and having to loose your arm.

    Try to keep strong and positive. This forum will help you not feel so alone


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