November rad girls check in here!!

I just met with my rads onc today also for the first time.  I will be starting rads next week.  Good luck and let's keep in touch.

Melissa

I checked in with my rad dr. this week and she spent 2 hours explaining all the procedures to me...gave me an appointment for Nov. 13 to have the sim, CT scan and then said we'd probably start the txs the next week.  She explained that my cancer was on the left side, right in front of my heart so the AC had probably already done damage to my heart.  She  said we needed to give the heart as much time to heal as we could bc the rads would definitely do damage to it when we started them bc of how close to the chest wall they have to get.  Okay, I thought that meant that I'd have 3 or 4 weeks off...no tx!!!! Yay!!!  Then they called with an appt. for lymphodema clinic next week (she said I'm high risk for it bc SNB, chemo and rads so it's a preventative).  Then they called to say that bc I'm in a clinical trial we have to start rads within 21 days of finishing chemo so they have to move the sim to Oct 31 and rads have to start before the 8th.  What happened to giving my heart as much time to heal as we could????  Is this safe or not?  There goes my 3 - 4 weeks off!  It' so hard to work full time while going through this stuff.

Anyway, welcome to the boards!  Jump on and hang on tight as we enter this roller coaster of treatments!

All aboard!!!!

Debbi

Hey Clessie!  You aren't too far from me.  I live in Frankfort, which is about 1/2 way between Lafayette and Indy.  Have you tried tanning beds or the internet to find the aqua gel?  My rads dr called in a script for some kind of a cream for me but I haven't picked it up yet.  I'll get in there sometime this week-end.  I'll keep my eyes open for the aqua gel.  Do you know anyone who lives in Florida or Cali?  Maybe someone from a warmer state would have better luck.  It's not like we've had much sunshine around Indiana lately!

Debbi

Hi Connie!

My dr explained to me that it was bc my bc was so close to my chest wall that no matter how she did it, because of my chest rising and falling when I breathe, the heart would be affected.  Lucky me! 

Terry and Melissa ~ You go girls!  Let us know how rads go.  I'll send good vibes and prayers your way on Monday!

Debbi

Well ladies I guess I'll be joining the November club. I have my first appt with the rads onc on Tuesday. Mine is more preventive than treatment I believe since it was DCIS and they said they got clear margins. Good luck to all of us. Clessie I live in Southern Calif so if I see what you are talking about or here about it at my appt I'll let you know.

Hi Gals,

Another member for November...my first posting, actually, but this place has been a gift for the last 7 months.  I start rads on Monday the 29th - my 50th birthday!!! I'm 3 weeks post op for R mastectomy, finished neo-adjuvant chemo in September.  Just ordered my Sween Cream from WalMart this weekend (heard Aquaphor was really messy). My rads onc recommends plain 100%
Aloe Vera gel...guess I'll buy that next.  All this & Femara too!  Whooppee.

DX 4/13/07, IDC, >6+cm, StageIIIa, Grade2,4nodes,ER/PR+, HER2+

Hello to all of you!

I am going for my planning session for radiation on Halloween.  I, of course, have been worried about this phase of my treatment.  I had a lumpectomy on 9/12/07, clear margins, SLN with no sign of cancer in the lymph nodes (and I know how lucky I am!). 

I have developed what I think is a staph infection from the injections of radioactive isotope before the surgery.  I have seen two surgeons, one dermatologist, an oncologist, and a radiation oncologist - and none of them had a clue about what this red area above my nipple is!  Finally I was lucky enough to hook up with a lactation specialist who took one look and said she thought it was staph.  Now my surgeon has prescribed Keflex and it does seem to be turning it around.

Has this happened to anyone else?  Is it safe to have radiation while taking antibiotics?  My lactation specialist friend said I should not have radiation until the infection is absolutely gone.

Thanks for listening.

Kim

Thanks Gals for keeping an eye out on my aqua gel, I wonder if the aquaphor is kinds the same thing, they showed me the bottle in the onc. office so maybe if all else fails they can order it for me, hate the thought of sticky gel on me all day and nite for the next 7 wks. but better than suffering burns I reckon or help tp soothe them if I get burned.

My radiation will be on the left side too and they assured me it would not effect my heart but have to go for a bone density tomorrow has they said radiation can cause osteo., has anyone heard that it can make your ribs brittle and be careful of falls for awhile after rads?

Ggma yes we are almost neighbors, have been to Frankfort many yrs. ago, its about 35-40 miles away, maybe not even that far.

I am going to check tanning places tomorrow and my husbands aide (my husband is paralyzed from a stroke) was going out of town shopping this week-end so he was too look for me, pray he found some.

Well Ladies I`m cooking now.......or will be soon....lol

I called my cancer center and asked about the gel, they said I could go with aquaphor or 100% aloe vera and that Walmart keeps it on hand all year, so ran out there and got the 100% aloe vera, tried it out on my hand and it doesn`t seem to be sticky or too gooey, so think it will work OK, stocked up so won`t have to amke a trip anytime soon, still waiting on that call to come in and get started, like how long does it take to get a treatment plan, ready to get this show on the road and over with.

Hello ladies,I also had my simulation this morning...not as bad as I expected.

I was very anxious about the whole thing (ativan helped).The techs were great.I have a dry run on Wen. and the real deal starts on Thurs.So I guess this show is finally on the road...hoping to be all done by Christmas.

Linda sorry you have to wait for real empty nest experience,MY youngest is now in grad school.I remember being so sad at first with the house being so quite,but it didn't take long to get use to it. I love it when they come home for a visit and I love it when they go. But the best part was remembering why I married their father,We just have a great time together.He has been my rock thu this .

Just keep in mind when this is all over you have allot to look forward to!

Hey girls!  I love a good club, and this one is as good as any!  I started rads last week, but here in Germany, they don't do tattoos, so it's only marker.  My marker wore off over the weekend after already having two tx, so I had to start over again yesterday.  So, tacking on another few appointments to my tx schedule.  Now I just need to master the powder technique to keep these marks on!  Apparently, if you powder these things 8-10 times daily, they magically stay on!

I look forward to hearing how you deal with any sores.  Also, anyone dealing with swollen arm from lymph node removal?  I had surgery in April, but now my arm is getting really bad.  I have been lifting and such, which I really shouldn't do too much of, but I need to get into shape!

Any ideas? 

Hi everyone,

This list is awesome!  I'm so glad to have Sisters out there who understand.

I will be going for my first appointment November 12.  Not sure what to expect, i.e. simulation, dry run etc., what the tatoos will be like, etc.

Someone mentioned osteoporisis as a se - I already have that - any more information from any of you about this warning from your dr's

Trying to decide what creams to go with and trying to prepare mentally.

Whoablaze, I would suggest you go back to your dr for your arm swelling and do some research about lympodema.  There are things you can do to manage it.  There is a discussion here on this web site also.

Hi all

I get my first tx on thursday.  I have plenty of aloe vera, the aquaphor and ordered some sween cream.  I plan on doing all I can. I will take a bottle of aloe vera with me to the dr, my hubby was joking about me putting it on in my car.  He said it might look funny rubbing my boob inside my shirt. 

Anyway, the drive for me is 160 miles round trip for 33 days.  Hoping the time passes and I get used to the drive. I will be by myself sometimes and will have someone with me other times.  Hubby said he will start taking me all the time if fatigue sets in. 

Oh, I remember when my boys graduated and left. They are twins, so it was all at once. I sat in their rooms and cried and had a hard time getting over it.  I am fine now, but it took about 6 months before I got used to it.