TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP
Comments
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I figured it out - when you look at yourself, you can't see them. I checked me and I have none showing.
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Hi, suepen,
now I understand!
greetings
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Hi suepen - how are you doing? Is it starting to cool off some there?
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I think you guys want to click on "my home" in the navigation bar above0
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Hi Omaz - yes, it's finally getting a bit cooler. Wet and cold at the moment - I love it!!! I've been trying to get back in to work mode but after having a cold/flu and a sore back and a 5 day long weekend it's hard. I'm only on part time at the moment but need to ramp it up quickly to get back to my full pay to be able to pay for the trip. At least I've said goodbye to doctors for the time being. I'm due to have a mammo about now but told the bs I'm not doing it until later in the year - I've had enough.
Sue
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Hi Lago - yes, that's it - I just had a look. Hope you are well.
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Leisa: Do you have mets as your signature states? If so, I would definitely do the Herceptin!
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Hi everyone RO onc is saying yes to rads for me. will not radiate the remaining lymph nodes since mine were negative but will concentrate on the chest wall, which is where my larger tumor was sitting. Made determination based on the combined size of all three tumors.Adding up all the tumors and they came up with 5cm. Will start in 2 weeks, get mapped next week, willl need to go every day for 5 1/2 weeks approx 33 treatments.I asked about my survival rate if I chose to skip the rads and he said 30% chance of recurrence, 5% with rads. DH having a cow over me driving and 2hr round trip every day for 5 weeks, says hes gonna park our camper up there for me, Ha Ha
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carberry - That is a long drive. Books on CD to help with the trip??0
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carberry isn't there a place closer you can get the radiation treatments? Granted I had a job for 3.5 years where I drove 100 miles a day round trip. If no snow, rain or traffic it took an hour one way. Not as bad as you think. Bring good music to play in your car. It was the best job I ever had too.0
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Carberry,
Not sure when I will start Rads, but I think the same week as you.
I will be getting expanded during the first few weeks of Rads...that's kinda...freaky. But we'll see how it goes...
Hope we can help each other through this part of the journey!
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I am not worried about the drive cause not working what else do I have to do. My DH is concerned about the gas prices, i say just a sm price for my life!
Tonlee, yup we will get through this together. For some odd reason I got really weepy after consult yesterday and I dont have a clue why it effected me that way, since I have been through so much to this point. Maybe hormones? RO wanted me six weeks out of surgery so will get mapped next week then start the following week. the technician was explaining the tatooing and was so unsympahetic about sticking needles in my boob "dont worry it is no big deal" Well maybe it would be a big deal if it was his gonads! I cried all the way home. Aynway went to bc seminar given by rad Dr. friend and was trying like hell to get him to work on getting services for bc patients closer to home in our local hosp where he works. O f course he says money is the reason. Did discover we have a new BS who will work with a PS from next town over.. thats a good step for our small hosp, and we already have the med onc in town so all we need is the rads and we would have the whole team
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TonLee - did you have your consult for cording yet?0
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Carberry, I think it's normal to be upset after meeting with the RO. By this point in treatment it feels like I am "beating" cancer...then you meet with the RO and it's as if none of the chemo/surgery/pain has gone before...it has the same intensity as the original diagnosis.
Omaz, not yet. I was referred but haven't received a call from someone in my HMO about it yet. I'll call this week and check on it. I think because of Easter they're a little behind....
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If anyone starting rads is interested I had pretty good luck with the skin care products that I used and am happy to share.
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Yes Omaz, please do share.
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Omaz yes please share, the onc dept gave me samples of aquafor and said to use toms deodorant, but that was it. Said I shouldnt need anything till towards the end. i am worried about swimming since we have a pool that I love (chlorine may be a problem) and a boat and we a re constantly in the water and sun, all new stuff for me to think about. Just when I thought I was getting some of my former life back.
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Carberry,
One of the other ladies told me to start the skin care routine right away, even a few days before Rads start...she said your skin will "seem like" it doesn't need it, but to be gentle and nourish it because in the end, you'll be glad you did. She used Emu oil.
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Here is my list of things for rads (my appt was first thing in the morning):
Aloe Vera 100% Gel 6 oz Gel by Fruit of the Earth (applied directly after treatment)
Miaderm (applied 2-4 hours later)
Faulding Essentials Vitamin E Cream 75g (from Australia) (applied 4-6 hours later)
100% Pure Emu Oil (4oz) by Progressive Emu (applied 6-10pm)
Aquaphor Healing Ointment by Eucerin (Walgreens or CVS) (applied before bed)
(Rub the Aquaphor ointment vigorously between your palms to soften it up before applying)
Basis Sensitive Skin Bar (Walgreens or CVS) (used for washing before treatment, rinse well, protecting breast from direct shower spray)
I wore a very soft lightweight cotton tank top from Target each day under my bra. If you have 'saggy' breasts wrap the tank top all the way over and under the breasts so there is no skin on skin contact where the breast ‘hangs down'. the tank should also came all the way up to the base of the armpit area. I also bought a bra that was larger and looser than normal.
I used a VERY generous amount of lotion/oil/cream, smeared and gooped it all over the breast, underneath and under the armpit all the way to the back. Especially made sure the nipple area was well coated. The cotton tank top absorbed the extra so it didn't get on my bra.
I would also suggest taking a picture of your fields when they draw on you so you know where to goop and make sure you cover all the areas.
Hope that is helpful!
PS I am still using the Emu oil -- very nice product
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Wow Omaz,
I didn't realize it was going to be so labor intensive. Thank you though...I've saved all of it and will start collecting the materials this week.
Did you "burn" at all? Blister? How does your skin look? Where exactly did you get Rads?
Thanks!
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TonLee - My skin became pink. Light pink at first then darker. No blisters, no broken skin, no itchyness. My skin did good. Now about 2 months after rads it is very very slightly tanner than other breast. I had the whole breast and they did the underarm side area and included then SNB site but not axilla itself. Ask to see you plan. My SE from rads was the LE/cording.0
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Another thing I forgot about...the exit area. the rads exit on your back. I had a slight burning itchy area back ther...remember to out cream there too.
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It is good to know if you have an exit area on your back. I had 'tangential fields' and so didn't have an exit area. I specifically asked about that.
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I am re-reading my above post. I graduated college...I swear. I either need glasses or typing lessons!!
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Thank you for the step-by-step, it will be helpful to get all the right stuff ahead of time. I have heard lots about the emu oil. Dr. said he was staying away from my armpit,lymph nodes since most were taken and were neg, so hopefully this will cut down on the arm problems. There was some question here wether rads increased the LE and he said it did. H ewas unsure about radiating the nodes in upper clavicle neck area, was gonna check with colleagues and let me know. Anyone here have that area radiated?
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I had it all radiated, but I had 8 nodes!!
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Gee,
I'm having it all radiated as well....hope to save a little skin...but not holding my breath.
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I had the breast area and supra-clavicle area radiated. I had a little bit of darkening of those skin areas, but no peeling, no skin problems, and no pain. I had a very easy time with it. I had 33 rounds over 6.5 weeks. And honestly, I didn't use any cream of any kind on that area at all.
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that's great to hear saralmom - I probably went totally overboard with the creams and potions but will never know what would have happened without them. With them I did ok too. It's amazing how different the docs are on what they recommend for skin care. On our Jan 2011 rads thread it seemed like everyone had a different recommendation. My doc only suggested miaderm.0
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Just wondering if anyone else has had to deal with this particular problem...Melasma. I've developed really bad dark spotting on both cheeks that has gotten dramatically worse since starting chemo. From the reading I've done I'm assuming that this was brought on by the sudden shift in hormones when I stopped birth control at the time of my diagnosis and that maybe it's getting even worse because of whatever chemo is doing to my hormones i.e. stopping my periods? It looks terrible and is noticeable i.e. people have asked me about it:( Just what I didn't need was another physical reminder of all of this...Now I'm bald, gaining weight even though I don't eat and I'm becoming speckled... Has anyone had melasma and if so, what worked to get rid of it?
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