Starting Radiation August 2017

Today was much better and faster. Yesterday's boost prep time was lengthy but now that I'm all mapped out and marked up, it went smooth.

For those of you who've finished, is the redness fading, how long does it take?

well,

Reddishness is fading reaally slllowwly. It looks like redness will stay w me a few more wks. RO told me 4 wks. I have a follow up on Oct 13 (exact 30 days from completion)

I keep plastering aloe gel. I say whatever you have been doing during radiation continue for a while at least until reddiishness is gone. Dang it I am spending too much money on this BC thing. I have to orrder more aloe gel. It feels a lot better but healing curve is a lot slower than I would like.

Ran around again for Drs appointment, Target for Dr Teals Epsom Salt( $1 cheaper per bag, picked up about 14 bags) Staples and BC support group.

Dang it Hurricane Maria stay the bleep away from FL and any eastern states.

Mimi

moisturization exfoliation arthritis and minor neuropathy. I take daily scrub w it. i use two diff formulas. Crazy but it worked for me bc it saved me from pain due to 8 DD chemos. I have baby bottom skin.

P.S. I am auditioning for Dr Teals Epsom Salt commercial.

If you'll forgive me being too lazy to look through 16 pages of posts, when did your fatigue start? Today was #8, my half-way point. Once my coffee buzz wore off, I felt whipped. I'd finally recovered enough from my reduction to tackle a couple of long delayed tasks this past week so was disappointed to feel so exhausted.

The skin on the underside of my breast & my upper chest are pinkish, but nothing alarming. As the post-surgical swelling in my non-cancer breast has diminished, my surgical breast is definitely larger than the right one. I have to wear a shaped / padded bra now so not a big deal, but I wonder if I might have lymphedema there and not just in that arm and hand?

Hang in there, ladies! (I don't think we have any gentlemen in the group.)

Lyn

me..radiation and surgery 2 weeks ago

They say 3 weeks

Hormone estrogen blocker after

I go for the MRI and whatever else they do next Tues.

Blessings to you.

Illimae and VLH: The redness starts to really go away about two weeks after the end of radiation. My breast was swollen from surgery and even more from radiation. I have noticed the swelling in my breast is really down now. It started about 3 weeks out. I'm starting to actually see the size reduction from my lumpectomy and see that it's a lot smaller without my bra but not too noticeable with a bra. I had my last radiation on August 23 and have had almost two weeks of tamoxifen without side effects.

Thanks Shocked, good to know, I had also been wondering about the firmness of my breast and underarm related to radiation and lumpectomy with ALND, you provided answers to both

that's tough elootz. I feel the same way and had a similar situation. It's made me afraid of them and I dread appointments. First I was misdiagnosed with DCIS and was told it was very small and I wouldn't need much. Then I didn't have clear margins and they found a lot more with surgery and I was going to need more rads. Then everything was cancelled because they sent my slides to IU and it was LCIS not DCIS. They don't do anything for LCIS. Then a month later I was told I had a rare aggressive cancer called PLCIS with a small area of invasion and the radiation was back on. It's been crazy. But radiation is done and I hope all the cancer is gone. It has killed all the women on my Dad's side of the family so they told me I will probably get cancer again.

Hello;

I am humbled to read about your individual journeys. Courage is marked by your words. Had I not gone through SOME of what many of you had, I would not have previously understood.

The take-back from my experience is that health care providers forget to be present with each individual they meet. I too am a health care provider and my current situation has taught me empathy I could never know without my personal experience. I think it is good to REMIND them some how. I had words with my RO and techs about ways to make the terrible experience more tolerable. Please remember, radiation is something you need to do on a daily basis for several weeks, not just once, and telling you to just bear it is not okay.

First, if you feel uncomfortable at your initial mapping, they CAN change things up to make it more comfortable! All modifications should be done at the initial mapping and carried out consistently after. They tell you, at your initial visit that all subsequent visits will be shorter, but that is not true! it is harder to fix it later. These are smart people who can fix it and one size does not fit all.

As an example, when I went for a MRI, I told them I could not stay on my belly without rib padding, as the procedure lasted for 20-minutes. They added padding and I finished without misery. My sister, who is thinner than me, was refused this modification and she teared her way through. This is not right.

You are going through a tremendous ordeal, and if possible, you should be offered all modifications as is possible, whether it is convenient or not.

Best to you all.

I am ckecking my rad scar almost incessantly. Really slooower than I would like. I thought things going to get slower for me to focus on rad burn healing but no.

Today's prize was being told lump on my elbow is benign which just to be cut, scrape, bandage and sling for about two wks. I started almost giggling when PA told me about the procedure. That was the best news by medical personnel this year. Let's cut it out !! I have important things lined up before and after. Actually I had a prize yesterday too which was finding gynosurgeon who would do it laparascopically. Waiting for ultrasound to rule 😈it out before the hyst.

Mimi

last rad was done Sep 14. I am getting colonoscopy with upper endoscopy and elbow surgery before hyst, i think I am looking at late Oct but no later than Nov 10th absolute latest. Time frame wise everything is on schedule even though Hurricane Irma delayed me by a week because I had to cancel and reschdule some appointments

Yes, I am a glutton for punishments

Castigame!!!😁

Mimi

thank you Dodgersgirl.

I wish you beautiful Spring 2018 then

Mimi

elootz

I emphathize but you can do it! It truly is emotional and its hard for anyone who hasnt experienced this to understand i remember going back to chemo dept a few weeks after I was done, to bring the nurses a gift.. and as I approached the door , I was overwhelmed with emotion and couldnt stop crying..

also 3a isnt so bad ... as LuminalA is a slower growing tumor, mine is stage 2 luminal B which spreads faster and I remember being freaked out by that

I returned yesterday from evacuating from Irma (fl keys)

Only to get last minute call as I stepped off plane they threw out my mold! So I had to go today to get another simulation.. mind you I live an hour and half away

So now im waiting to hear when I will restart.. very frustrating ..have 8 more to go and hoping they dont change up my plan

Reba.. wishing you the best.. way to be proactive!

Mamaoz

Rebamacfan123: I have a book on the best foods to eat to keep cancer dormant and red wine is listed as a very good source. You'll have to switch to red, but drink away!

PS: They say 1-2 drinks per day for woman, otherwise it's unhealthy and makes things worse.

Hi ladies - I don't post here often, but I've been following this thread since the beginning. I finished rads today and I'm so grateful to be done so I can let my body start healing. I did really well up until the last week or so when my bright red/tanned skin started peeling under my armpit. It is so painful and rubbing any kind of lotion on it burns. Has anyone had this and did you find anything that gave you some relief?