Starting Rads in January 2017

snowsogal thank you so much! I'm trying to stay positive at times it's not easy. I can't find any breast cancer information on anyone going through what i'm about to. Orthopedic surgeon suggested i meet and speak to some one who has lost their arm to cancer, probably going to take him up on the offer. Sorry you have to go through this too.

I finished rad towards the end of September 2016 then started hormonal therapy. Things have gone quite well. I did develop lesions after the radiation and tried everything to clear them up as they were quite painful. Finally, in desperation, I tried using Castor Oil and massaging that into the skin where there were lesions. The lesions cleared up in 4 - 5 days. What a miracle!

Thank you. I'm not always so great at keeping up with things but am going to try. I am also on hormonal therapy and was having side effects - bones hurt, no energy, , not sleeping. When I saw the oncology nurse at the beginning of December, she was sooo helpful. She told me to take Aleve PM at night to sleep better and to also take Glucosamine/Chondroitin for the bone pain. I did both and immediately I felt so good. Those two things alone have done more for me than anything else I've tried. Hope it helps someone else too.

JShannon hi! So sorry that you are here but glad to have you! Riley was on my list of names. I was reading a book and the authors name was Riley, watched movie and girls name was Riley etc now you! How awesome! Riley was meant to be her name! Happy Birthday to your husband!

Snowsogal....thank you I was hoping the Jeans Cream was good to use.

DIV....ok Riley is too cute ...that's my granddaughters name too.

JShannon...sounds like you are so blessed by your RO. Green tea is new to me. Happy Birthday to DH

Welcome ... Michele E. & Gramomom...hope we are helpful if there's a need and we appreciate any and all tips for the discomforts of radiation.

I better get some green tea ..hugs

I'll be joining this group too...never belonged to so many things before dx. Finished chemo on the 21st. Met with RO this week, will have the planning scan on the 10th and should start rads the following week. I was upset with RO that he had mentioned that studies showed not much of a difference in outcomes between 20 or 30 treatments....for ladies 20 years older than me. Since I was younger, he's ordering the full 30 (25 whole/5 targeted). Glancing through many posts it looks like most are getting 30 so I'm wondering why he even brought up a shorter road when it might not actually be a standard. And totally down-played the skin issues (will keep an eye and recommend creams as needed). And will not start before 4 weeks after last chemo, and only if I appear healthy enough. And, and, and. So ready to be done with this journey.... Whole journey...and this is only step #3 of 4, hormones are next...

CC2016...Welcome ...sorry your here. I can never figure how so many doctors have so many different opinions? I was told by my BS and RO start lathering up right away so I've used my Jeans cream that they recommended as soon as I could after surgery. I also ordered the Miaderm L last night just in case. Some women apply cream twice a day and some use all kinds of things from green tea to Lindiskin rollers. I am preparing for battle just in case. My surgeon and RO have also made me wait between treatments. I think with chemo or at least in my case they want my resistance level to improve.

Rads #8 today ..... Hugs

ElizabethAM thank you. Sending prayers and hugs your way!

hello everyone, I got 5 sessions done. The cream I was prescribed is Biofine. I noticed a little bit of pinkish skin and my arm pit feels sensitive. I got a urinary tract infection & E. coli this week, I'm taking antibiotics. I had a Lymphatic drainage message, which was great. I feel really overwhelmed with the radiation I haven't been able to do anything around the house, thankfully my husband has been taking care of things. Not much else to share. I'm wishing you all the best and thanks for your posts, I'm learning so much and appreciate the encouraging spirit here.

hello ArtyMom, thankfully I don't have lymphodema. The message was 'ordered' by my MD as a precaution. I get one every week or two. Also a general upper body message. I never got messages before diagnosis. I sure do enjoy them.

Happy New Years ladies 🎉🎉Out with 2016 and in with a happier, healthier 2017 🎉🎉

I am hoping I will join this group. My pathology report arrives tomorrow afternoon. I was suppose to start radiation today but it has been postponed in case I need more chemo...nightmare...anyway I am hoping I will join here instead...

Hi

I'm a newbie here and in a way feeling blessed that my cancer was found when it was still small. I had a lumpectomy and will receive radiation and, then probably Tamoxifen. I had a partial hysterectomy in 2014 so we don't know if I menopausal yet. Since the cancer was on the same size as the LCIS, I understand that I am not fully out of the woods and monitoring will be necessary. No more delaying the mammograms!

Last Tuesday I went for the planning with the radiation technician and will find out this Wednesday if I will get the 16 days (Canadian) or 5 days/5 weeks treatment. At this point, I just want to start already. Fortunately they are very understanding at my job and making time to go to the appointments will not be an issue. I just don't know what to expect. Well, I know what to expect, I just don't know how radiation will affect me and the waiting is killing me. In Paulo Coelho's words: "The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself"

I hope to reply back in a few weeks that I'm done, I burn, I cream, and I'm healing

So many of you are going through what I deem more difficult times than me, not just by being so much younger, but also by the seriousness of the cancer, having small children, teenagers, being the main bread winner, having minimal family support, no family near you or family members that rely on you for their care. My prayers are with you. Stay strong. Stay Positive.

I'm going today for 3/30 treatment and staying off work to see how it goes before I head back, you are ahead of me so you can be my pacer car would love to hear how you do as you head back to work especially as the weeks go on. This whole treatment sure does regiment me with the lotions, exercise, water, and just the worry on how my body will react to Radiation.

I had a mastectomy with immediate silicon implant, it was never suspected that positive margins would come back...so Radiation with implant could be an issue for me. The RO did an IMRT plan and is really focusing the margin area which was my axilla and Rt chest wall area. So we will see.

Happy New Year to all of you....we will get through this together