After Radiation
Comments
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I have been having swelling in my breast since finishing rads 2 1/2 months ago. RO has me on celebrex and ice pacs. It is working slowly. So I overslept this morning and did not ice and by the time I got home from work I was swollen again. urrrrrggggg
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Hi Sherry---gosh you have been havin that swelling for a while now...Is it that much bigger?does it hurt?is it hard? and did the RO say it will go away?
You and I kinda finished the tx.around the same time.I do have one breast larger then the other but i kinda thought thats the new normal.......hmmmmmmmm.
I sure hope someone comes on here with some info for you.Feel better.Ill be sayin a prayer for you.hugggggs K
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I finished my rads 7/9 and my bad boob is bigger than the good one despite two surgeries. It is swollen but the BS said it will resolve. Hate the RO so I go to the BS. I just wonder when it will resolve. I mean I am coming up on my 1 year cancerversary.
GD, I had fatigue off and on for 3-4 months. It is really weird how it just arrives...BAM... and I would have to take a catnap. I am fine now. Not ready to run a marathon but I am pretty much back to normal.
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This is what the Aloe looks like, and in Florida, they just grow out in the yard....Here where it freezes in the Winter, it has to be grown in pots, but can be placed outdoors during the Summer. I have also bought the Aloe Vera drink at Walmart, for anyone that has heart-burn or even ulcers! You can make a smoothie, with your favorite fruits & milk, and add about 1/2 -1cup of juice... It has healed my stomach ulcers, and my BIL's.
And then when you cut it open, you see the "juice/gel" that you rub on your skin.
And Lee! I just got that little cat picture off of the internet somewhere! I just thought it was cute. We have a little Sheltie who THINKS she's a cat, because she "purrs' when I hold her.
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GD and Barbara-I iced down last night and this morning and it has gone back down some. I know it is from rads because my bad boob was smaller going in to rads. Within two weeks of rads I started swelling. It is actually just a little bigger than my good boob but I had a lumpectomy done 14 years ago and now this lumpectomy all on the same boob and both took quit a bit of tissue. Last night it was real achy feeling now that has gone with the ice down. My RO did not indicate how long this would last, but I will see him the end of this month and I am going to ask him.
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grannydukes: I have a similar 100% aloe..I put it on my body at the beginning of treatment. It's as close as you can get to a plant, without risking bacterial complications. I prefer Fruit of the Earth Aloe, as a lotion, though.
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Chevyboy - good idea about using the plant, I've heard that really heals stuff up. So nice of you to add the photos, I think it's a beautiful plant!
Grannydukes - well it's still snowing here in the mountains and it would be hard to have the aloe plant here too. I was surprised to read the aloe you bought said for ingesting...I didn't know you could eat it. Honestly I never looked at the label of mine I used. I had used some I bought at Trader Joes and then some I bought at Rite Aid...I used that for most of rads. Aquafor became necessary and it worked great, but yes very greasy. I found I could put a little on after my skin was better and it wasn't too bad. Thanks for the info on emu oil. I will look for that on amazon. And I forgot I have some udderly smooth samples from my RO I can try...I put them in a safe place and completely forgot about em! Sorry you are still feeling the fatigue. I didn't get that too badly, but have still had some chemo brain...that is def getting better too...then started getting some lymphedema in my breast, but even that is getting better....wow, some day I might be back to some kind of normal - wooo hooo! Just wish this darn snow would stop and that the sun would come out!
Lee - good advice from grannydukes, hang in there and it will be over soon. My RO nurse is a 15 yr BC survivor and she said aloe was the best thing, then I started having some dry skin so she had me start using aquafor...I was just wearing clothing that didn't matter thru rads as everything got greasy and then for the boosts they were using black ink every day that got all over my clothes. What a hassel, but it did fly by. Wishing you an easy time of it.
Sherry - I'm sorry you are still having swelling. I am too, and I really appreciate that you've posted what you are doing for it. I have been asking around and it sounds like from the feedback I've gotten that this is pretty common after rads and lumpectomy. I remember my BS said I would likely get some swelling post rads as I also had SNB and ALND. So much to heal from. Anyway, I'm doing gentle massage, pressing and some gentle stretching every day. From what the other ladies have told me who had this it can take 6 mo to a year to heal up. So fun.
Barbara - Congratulations on your 1 year cancerversary!!! Hurray, so much to celebrate and I wish you many more!!! I'm 3+ mo post rad and also had my 1 yr cancerversary on Mar 29. Looking so forward to getting to #2 and I hope all this boob swelling passes between now and then. Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
Take care everyone and have a great day!
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GirlFriday - sorry I bumped into your post! Thanks for the info!
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Beanius thanks for the input
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beanius: it was a short post from me...you didn't bump!
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Could I just ask you gals a question? AFTER your rads, have any of you been on the HT or Als? Have any of you had bad experiences and are not taking anything now? And if not, what are you doing? I know Oncologists think we NEED some sort of further preventive treatment... Also I didn't have chemo either.
Thanks....
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Ok let me try to understand...the big boob is normal right?i was huge during the rads but most of the swelling went down.i guess it all doesnt.well thats great.how the hell are we supposed to buy bras.not that im gonna buy any right now....everyday this damn boob changes or am i dreamin.
what about the pain?tightness?does anyone get that????
Barb...you usually have great answers..help...lol.GOOD LUCK ON THE 24TH.
thanks everyone for all the great info and friendships we are growing.im hopin by the time this thread gets on a good roll the sistas who finish rads will join us and perhaps together we can finish this final stage.AND YES IT BETTER BE THE END.
and you miss chevy...would you mind sending me a few branches of that beautiful aloe plant?????its only a stones throw from you to me.im a good catcher.ha
God bless everyone.huggggggggs K
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Grannydukes-I had the tightness fullness feel from the swelling. The celebrex and ice pacs are taking care of those feelings. Still swollen but feels better. I also have a burning sensation that goes from my SNB scar and radiates down into my breast behind my nipple. I also get stabbing pains behind my nipple. My BS says this is not unusual but she would not consider it normal either. She has me on a medication for chronic pain that is workings. Still having some intermittent burning but it is much better. The only problem is she says when I stop taking these drugs the pain will return because it is nerve damage caused by both lumpectomy and rads. I finished rads the end of Jan 2011
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Sherry---I finished the tx.the first week of feb.so we are kinda on the same page.
Im sending you a big huggggggggggggg and a prayer for you to be all better.
God bless.K
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chevy---you should ask your Dr.about DIM.As you know im not taking anything after the rads.But im takin the DIM.
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Thanks Grannydukes--Did you get my message on one of these boards about the new line of Facial products by neutrogena. It does not have parabens and is called Neutrogena Naturals. I bought some at Walmart. It is cleaners, scrubs etc. I knew that you were interested in finding things with no parabens.
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Yes, I AM also taking the DIM-plus....Was I supposed to ask first? So on your question about your bras? Just buy two of them....One a B cup, and one a D cup....and then cut them apart & sew those pieces together! See? I fixed your problem!
Okay, here comes the Aloe leaves! Honest, if you can't find a Walmart, or a plant store in your whole State, then I will send you some leaves! Sheesh!..... Hugs....xoxoxoxoxoxo
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I, too, have stabbing pains in my radiated breast that grab me and take my breath away!. I was told this is common and to be expected that the interior is healing. I also had shingles and some of this might be from that pain. For some folks there is permanent damage to the nerve endings and some pain will always be noticed. I find I still have some swelling and my underam /armpit area is very tender too. I have used pain meds but have not used ice and will try that.
My last radiation was 9th February, ladies, does this ever end??? I still have fatigue and find it difficult to do most "normal" things in my day. Need a nap almost every afternoon and then difficulty sleeping! SHEESH!!!!
take good care, and just breathe. . .
Teklya
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Teklya my fatigue is gone but I the Tamox has my sleeping really messed up. I was taking Lunesta but decided a couple of nights ago to try without. I was better but still not great. So last night I tried 3mg of Melatonin and it seemed to work for me so I am trying it again tonight.
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I had a similar problem with the operated/radiated breast being fuller than pre-treatment and fuller than the healthy breast. Before BC they were the same size. I thought the difference was pretty noticeable, especially in a t-shirt. I am now about 2 years post treatment and I would say in the past two or three months the treated breast has gotten back down to normal in fullness. I have mammograms coming up next week and I am a little worried as it seems to me that "mammogramming" has caused the treated breast to swell each time since this all began. I mentioned that to my oncologist and she looked at me like I was nuts
We'll see what happens as I am feeling pretty much normal these days and back to wearing clingy tops that I had avoided due to the asymmetry. It just occurred to me... I hope the shrinking does not continue so soon I will be complaining that the treated side is smaller!
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Wow, pj, I hope my breast gets back to normal eventually. At almost a year, it is a half cup size bigger (and I am a D).
Tek, wow! You and I started around the same time but I didn't need chemo so rads for you was way more recent. The fatigue does go away...slowly. It was 2 months at least where I didn't have to do a power nap (this from a chick who could NOT take a nap unless I was dead tired from no sleep and the nap ended up being 2-3 hours). I learned power naps from rads. Can't do them any more.
Chevy, add grape seed extract to your supplements, too. They are doing a clinical trial at City of Hope in CA for 'older' women using this after the AI's. I am using it INSTEAD. Along with other anti-estrogen stuff like myomin, turmeric, and AHCC. I also use DIM.
Sherry, went out and bought some Neutrogena stuff to try. Thanks.
Beanius, congrats on your cancerversary! I am not quite there yet and am getting the scanxiety stuff from time to time now, which will increase in intensity soon.
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Okay Barb! I'll look that up! Is it another pill, or how is it sold.... And the myomin, turmeric and AHCC? Is this a combined supplement or separate pills? Thanks for the info!
I also take Calcium, Glucosamine, VitD3, CoQ10, a Multi-vitamin, and Fish oil/Omega3, besides the Dim/plus...Yes, I stopped the Tamoxifen, so I'm not going to take any other meds.
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Beanus I missed your cancerversay CONGRATS!
Barbara yours is coming up soon! I purchased the facial cleanser and I like it. I will have to try some of the other products as well.
I am scheduled for my first mammo since diag on the 18th and not looking forward to it since my bad boob has given me such trouble. Never really minded the mammo's before but I think this will be different. Not really anxious about it because my tumor never showed on any of my mammo's over the last 14 years, although I did have some calcifications that looked bad the last time so I guess I could worry that they have changed. OK I really don't need to talk myself into worrying do I????
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2 more boosts and then I'm done...
Just found out I have shingles....OUCH! OUCH! OUCH!
I'm beat down....I'm bummed....I'm tired, and I hurt.....It can only get better, right???
God bless!!!
Tori0 -
Tori...I'm so sorry!!!!!! I can understand about you feeling "beat down!" Just Wow! I have heard those can be the worst! Just lots of (((((hugs)))))....0
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Chevy the grapeseed extract is a pill and the others are separate supplements.
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Okay thanks Barb...I ordered the Turmeric and AHCC online, & I can get the Grapeseed and Myamin at Whole Foods I think....I'll check the prices...
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Torigirl so sorry about the shingles I hear they are miserable to have and to have it at the end of rads. urrrrrrgggghhhhh
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I also tried aquaphor and ruin a lot of shirts. i found emu oil at the vitamin shoppe and gnc, it was great, if i only found it sooner!! i finished rads in jan. and i am still using emu oil, i figure it cant hurt, what i did notice is the scar on the side that was rad. is a lot lighter that the other side, never thought to put emu oil on both, i am now maybe it will help that scar too.
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WOW..im off for 1 day and sooo much goin on.
Sherry-thanks for the neutrogena.Im lookin for shampoo and conditioner and couldnt find it.any ideas?Now i see in the baby shampoo im using there are sulfates in it.UGH>
Tekla-I did have nerve damage for about a yr.after the shingles but it did go away.That is the worst pain.I hope its gone by now.
Tory---damn,damn.damn again....i sent you a PM.I hope you got some good pain killers.
Barb---as always I can always count on you for all the vitamin info.thanks for sharing...
Pegs-I think ill be using emu oil forever.
I saw on the natural girls that Nutivia organic,extra virgin unrefined,cold pressed coconut oil is wonderful for the face.I started using it a few weeks ago and my skin is glowing.The pharm.told me to take a spoonfull for my stomach.im doin it.its real sweet.I love it.As a cleanser im using Huggies baby wipes until i can get to wallmart to get the other products.
and last of all CHEVY----im gonna look for the aloe plant.ha...just send me a few leaves to hold me over.ok???
luv my sistas.keep the posts and info comin.God bless all of us.WE ARE GONNA WIN THIS BATTLE.YES WE WILL.hugggggggggggs K ps.congrats beanius.gosh i cant remember everyone.im trying.xoxoxo
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This is what the Aloe looks like, and in Florida, they just grow out in the yard....Here where it freezes in the Winter, it has to be grown in pots, but can be placed outdoors during the Summer. I have also bought the Aloe Vera drink at Walmart, for anyone that has heart-burn or even ulcers! You can make a smoothie, with your favorite fruits & milk, and add about 1/2 -1cup of juice... It has healed my stomach ulcers, and my BIL's.