Starting Radiation February 2020

hi there,

I'm checking in after finishing up last Friday, my celebration was dampened by the loss of my sweet mother in law on Thursday. Certainly not the best stretch of time here.

But, I'm on the mend and am looking forward to staying healthy and getting active again.

My skin did continue to get redder in a few areas for two days after finishing up- under my armpit, my scar and along the bra band area. But that seems to have stopped, still using the Silvadene on those areas.

The rest of the skin is now turning to a tan and I was told to continue with either Aquaphor or the Aveeno.

I'm still exhausted and trying to sleep a lot each night. But I would imagine that the loss of my MIL, radiation and the stress of essentially having everything shut down around us are all contributing.

Hope everyone is staying healthy. Here in RI schools are closed, many businesses and all restaurants and bars are also closed. Everyone is strongly encouraged to stay home and no gathering of more than 25 people.

Crazy times...

Good morning, I wrote a note yesterday and thought I hit submit, but it's not here. Blame it on radiation brain.

RhodyGirl, so happy to hear you are finished, but so saddened to hear of your Mother in Law's passing. I am so sorry.

Rosie24, will you finish up today?

I had #25 yesterday- the last of my regular (four sweeps entire chest wall) and got mapped for my boosts. I have a lovely drawing of a upside down heart (looks like a second grader drawing) around my aerola where my scar is. I've been told that this will be only one blast for the next five days- the end is in sight.

I have a lady that is on the same schedule as me and her skin turned red and itchy within two weeks, then we chatted and I found out that she is getting (what she called) a gel filled pad over her area to help penetrate the radiation. I am assuming that's why her skin has reacted worse than mine.

I am still exhausted most afternoons- I manage to get a walk in right away and get one thing done before I have to take a rest. Our allergy season in AZ is in full swing, so my eyes are very itchy and dry which doesn't help either. I am hoping that my fatigue lets up a bit this coming week.

Sending good thoughts to all and everyone stay safe.

Congratulations Rosie. A sigh of relief. Hope your skin starts healing soon. Thanks for the wonderful idea about the candy. With Easter approaching it’s a nice touch perhaps with a basket.

Glad you guys are getting done! I started today in this crazy uncertain time - hoping I'll get through to April 15 without getting sick or the hospital closing

Congratulations Rosie on competing your treatments!! Now you can heal. I have never heard of those mepilex sheets, that sounds interesting.

I'm one week past treatments and I'm surprised at how quickly my skin is recovering. The formerly tan areas are almost back to normal. I still have one area in my armpit that is raw, but the skin is so thin there just over the tissue expander.

Sounds like a couple more of you will finish up this week too, which is great!

Wishing you all continued treatments during all of this. My last couple of weeks I had a 6 day break, so I asked the RO if that affects the treatment , she told me that for breast cancer a break in treatment doesn't alter the effectiveness of the radiation. So hopefully that reassures you if that unfortunately happens amidst all these closures and delays.
Wishing you all peace and health

Hello everyone, I have been thinking of you all and wanted to check in. I hope you are all able to continue with treatments and are doing well. It’s a crazy time right now and no one needs any more worry. One bit of advice,,, I am now a month post radiation. Keep doing your stretches and I recommend massaging your breast. I didn’t do that for a few days and when I decided to try, it felt like I was removing a bandaid off my chest wall. It wasn’t painful, but uncomfortable. My skin and lumpectomy areas were so tender post treatment that I just left it all alone. So, now I’m making sure to move my breast in several directions to prevent scar tissue attachment. My deeper tissue is still tender, but improving. I’m taking Letrozole and have been happy that I wasn’t experiencing side effects, but this week (week three) I am having so many hot flashes all night long. It might be because I’m enjoying wine and beer during virtual happy hours. Ugh! So today I’ll skip the glass of wine and see. Best of luck to all of you. We are going to make it through all of this

Yay! Congrats

03.29.2020

Hi everyone!

AZNative congratulations on finishing your therapy!

I finished my 6 weeks last Wednesday, and am very happy it's over!

Total 5000 cGy to the whole breast in 25 treatments; and 1000 cGy in 5 treatments to

the surgical site. They also did supraclavical and axillary lymph nodes, but it wasn't on

the write up documents.

Got some itching and peeling now so it's on the mend.

Months from now I will have followups with RO for a Survivorship Meeting; and MO;

SO; and a mammogram.

I'm still taking letrozole since January but think I'm having side effects so might have to

ask for appointment sooner than June or give a call to MO. Rosie24, Moxie32, and

TeriJ, you're taking letrozole also, is there a thread on this board just about this drug?

I want to thank you all for sharing your journeys. It really helped.

Hi PinkBean! So sorry that you haven't heard about followup.

I finished March 25th and have a RO appointment a few months later. Won't get followup mammogram, until autumn. I have followup with oncologist in June, and it concerns me, because I started getting bad side effects from the letrozole that persist. So I quit the medication.

My main doctor intends to do a Televisit for me in a couple of weeks, though. .... I hope you hear from your healthcare providers, soon. Take care.

Rosie24

Saw your post about the Mepilex. I’d like to use it and RO has agreed. I’ve been able to buy 4x7 Mepitel “dressings.” I’m not sure about how to apply what I have or if I’ve gotten the right stuff.

Can you give me some pointers? I have my first full SIM June 5, 2020.

Thanks

Thanks Rosie.

This stuff is new to my RO and me. But I’m 70 years old and trying very hard to save the chest skin for possible Reconstruction. My PS says if it works for me, ALL her patients are gonna use it. :-)

I really want it to work