After Radiation
Comments
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msjag, do you know what they are recommending instead of SNB? I've heard of something that's like thermagraphy and measures heat, but how are they able to detect micro-mets? (currently found under the microscope?) In my case, the mammogram barely detected my tumor (and I know of other women who found a tumor themselves that the mammogram missed) so...as much as I hate the 3-6% risk of lyphmedema, I would hate to miss a mets or micromets in the nodes....the stakes are so high. FWIW, my rads didn't produce any joint pain (no joints were radiated in the treatment of my breast) Maybe it's chemo related???0
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gosh i missed soooo much in 3 days.just learned about the sleeve and taking long trips...damn.im high up in the mountains and i do have pain under my arm where i had the SN removed.wondering if its being sooo high up.wanna kill my DRS.for not mentioning any of this.....i too do dail massages but yesterday and today i do have some pain...just thought i over did it....
and to think when we started this thread all i was worried about was the parabins in the creams etc.....thanks sistas for the additional info.
yea its the gift that keeps on givin....
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pejkug3, my RO didn't do a mammogram before starting rads. I recently had my 6 week follow up. My RO likes to do a "baseline" mammogram after things settle down after rads (maybe 6 months after) but...looking at the calendar, that came close to my normal annual mammogram, so based on my specific case (grade 1, stage 1, etc) we decided to stick to my annual schedule. My MO said she will request an annual B-MRI for the next few years since my breast tissue is so dense. Since it varies with each patient, I would definitely consult with your docs.
Personally, I don't want to get too many mammograms early-on because the resolution isn't that great. My 0.5 cm tumor was barely caught. My understanding is that B-MRIs have a resolution if 0.2 or 0.3 cm, so if your tumor is smaller than that, you can get scan every day and still not see it. Some women here have reported that mammograms aren't as good at detecting cancer in the scar-tissue area (where a recurrence is most likely to occur).
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mamadog, I bought my sleeve + gauntlet at a medical supply store. They did the fitting and didn't need an Rx. I subbed the paper work to my insurance myself. It was easy; I went to a med supply store that came recommended by fellow cancer patients. As an FYI, I just flew and the flight attendants didn't hassle me about getting up. Mostly I think they want you to avoid lingering by the cockpit...or getting in the way to the drink cart (ha!)0
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Peggy_J - Thanks for the info. My tumor was also 0.5cm. When I had a mammo before I started rads, they kept calling me back for additional views. Yeah, that was a little stressful!! But the radiologist is pretty confident that what he was seeing was scar tissue because is disappeared on additional views.
I did ask about MRI and the radiologist was all for EVERY woman at least having a baseline MRI. But he didn't know my mammo results as such so the RO wouldn't recommend an MRI. I'm 35, my tissue is pretty dense as well. I usually have my mammos at a University hospital but this one was done locally. I'll go for another mammo in January at the University and I will be asking for MRI at that time. Maybe my PCP would recommend it for me...
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I believe some docs are of the belief that rads/chemo take care of the cancer in the nodes, I think that was what some of the new studies or theories were. Not exactly sure. My therapist said they are finally realizing how critical the lymp system is and that disturbing it is major, whether one or 20 modes taken out. I'm just going by what I read on some of the cancer center sites and articles that sometimes appear on here or on web md. I'm sure things will change in the years to come, as they have for us, since the start of cancer treatments!!
I'd check with your docs, don't want to give the impression the sleeve is absolutely necessary for car/plane rides, just going with the advice of my Le therapist!
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pejkug-I had my first follow up mammo 3 months post rads. I have very dense breast and had a b-9 lump 14 years ago. Because of all the scar tissue I had and mammo's don't read scar tissue very well. My mammo's missed my 1.6cm tumor because it was behind the scar tissue. Because of my scar tissue that my breast develops and my dense breast tissue I will have to have yearly mammo's and yearly MRI's for life. With that being said and the high cost of my out of pocket for a yearly MRI and that I developed permanat nerve damage from rads I am going to have a BMX so I can just go with clinical breast exams and get off the roller coaster.
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msjag, I think you're right that they are still learning how critical the lymph system is. Years ago, they look out all the lymph nodes, no matter what size/grade the BC tumor was, so the SNB was seen as a big step forward. As an FYI, the status of mets or micromets in the lymph nodes can influence the decision whether or not to do chemo. It was one of three key characters for me. All were "good" and I got to skip chemo with confidence, so I guess it's another one of those medical trade offs.
Sherryc, sorry to hear you're going through this. Yes, the roller coaster can be something else. It's unrelated, but I know someone who keeps having b-9 cysts on her ovaries (and all the check ups, biopsies, etc) and it now considering having them removed, to get off the roller coaster. Good luck with your next step.
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pegkug3, I had a mammo before rads. My RO said it was to insure that all the cancer was gone before starting rads.
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Hi all, hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I have a question and wondered if anyone else had had the same problem. I am 2 mos out of radiation, and just lately I have noticed how tight my chest muscle is , especially when I exercise. I was at the gym on Thursday and tried the lat pull down, just once and on a average to light weight. Well, it felt really wierd to so I stopped, but then Fri night the muscle nearest my armpit start to feel like it was cramping, and then it got worse and worse. It hurts when I take a deep breath and shoots back from the breast to my upper back. Excruciating. I have been taking advil 600 mgs every 6 hours and that seems to be helping. My lumpectomy and reexcision were in late Jan, mid Feb and I had been feeling pretty good so I'm surprised and a little concerned. Thanks for any thoughts!
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Kathy---you should have that checked.takin advil is like putting a bandaid on a cut.You need to find out what the problem is....it could be nothing but its better to be safe then sorry.I wish you the best of luck.hugggggs K0
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kathyob-My pecs were terrible tight after rads. When I went in for my three month followup I spoke to my RO about it. He said that rads really messes with your pecs. He also said for women who don't really work out they don't really notice it but for women who do we notice it. He gave me some stretches to do along with my regular yoga. I finished the end of Jan and I can say my pecs are better. Still tight but not as bad as they were.
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Thanks to you both! It helps to know that others have had this tightness, it is really something! And the pain this weekend..wow. It the gift that keeps on giving!! I will call and get it checked if no better tomorrow. I am disappointed because I was feeling so much like myself again with my energy returning. Just another bump in the road to recovery:)
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Kathy: i have had that since 2 days before rads was finished... excrusiating pain.. doc actually gave me aleve and oxycodone for the pain... I find now, a week after rads, it is worse in the morning... once I take a shower and put my cream on my broken blisters, it doesn't hurt as bad..
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Hi, this is my first posting. You are an incredible group of ladies, and I have gotten such great information from all of you. I just finished rads on Friday, 26 WB/7 Boosts. On my last day of treatment, I met with my RO and he gave me a stretching exercise to start in a few weeks when things settle down. He said that since the muscle on the chest wall is also being radiated, scar tissue will form there and become very tight over the next few months if you don't work at stretching it. The exercise was as simple as standing in a doorway with both your arms stretched out to your sides, elbows at shoulder height, and hands on the door frame. You take a step forward on the side you were radiated on, and with bent knees lean into the step as far as you can and hold for 5-10 seconds. Repeat 10 times in the morning and 10 times in the evening. He also said you could do it in the car while waiting at a stop light. I think it only would work for your right side if you were the driver, or left if you were the passenger, but reach over and place your hand behind the headrest of the seat next to you and lean forward. He had me do it in the office so that I could feel the stretch, and I definitely felt the stretch more on the radiated side. I also took a LE prevention class that was offered through our breast care center and the the LE PT who taught the class talked about wearing a compression sleeve especially on long flights as a preventative. Here is an article that was put out by the National Lymphedema Network regarding air travel that you might find helpful:
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Thanks so much Judy, Once I heal , I am going to start those exercises. I loved the radiation therapists , but my RO always seemed very rushed and was in and out. He never mentioned that this muscle would get so tight or the need to stretch it. I wish he had:) Thanks again!!
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jbadge sounds very similar to the stretching exercise my RO gave me.
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Grammie Esther, how did they explain the pain? Please let me know how you are doing, and if you are getting relief.
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Jbadge----welcome...a newbe with sooo much info.thank you sooo much...I too did exercise right from the beg.soo i did not have much pain in the chest....but i worry all the time.this crap can rear its ugly head years later....movement is supposed to be the key to life....even if you are in pain.damn.
wishing everyone a pain free day.hugggggs K
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grannydukes, I moved so much yesterday that today I have soooo much pain, I can't move at all! I don't it's supposed to work this way....ouchie....
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Gma, My blisters just opened and I am peeling underneath, I called the RO office and the nurse said use Neosporin ointment. I just don't want indfection and I will not use the prescription that has parabens in it! How are you doing?Jbadge, Welcome, thanks for sharing, guess I better start stretching before I start getting stiff.0
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stage 1 at the end of rads when I was so raw they had me use neosporin as well.
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Sagina---i think you did too much.everything in moderation....and dont forget the weather is for shit these days...everywhere....
Gma---i too was offered a script with parabins...i went nuts....so my RO told me to use either calendula gel or emu oil and it worked.i only peeled no blisters....
keep stretchin sistas.this is the gift that keeps on givin...hugggggs K
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We are so hot here you could melt your shoes on the sidewalk! Literally! My yard looks like cows have been grazing on hay - on top of 100 degree weather since April???? no rain to measure!
I helped move a sofa yesterday, it wasn't really heavy but I tricked myself into thinking I was feeling good so I must be good? It was soooo stupid and it won't happen again, ever! I'm the one that needs help moving today.
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well the tiredness hit this week big time, ,my family thought it was also for the first time in months ,no ca related appointments so time to process it all might factor in too , i started the gym before rads, so they gave me me upper body exercises to help, skin is peeling but so far unboken!
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the fatigue from the rads can last a short or long time..i still get the fatigue not too often but i do get it and i finished the rads in Feb.if you are tired its your body telling you to either rest or sleep.both are healing....be good to yourself.your body went to hell and back.and then some...huggggggs K0
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thanks grannydukes, i have been resting , didn't work this weekend because of it but feel better today though! hope your having a good day and staying cool! at least in fl there's plenty of ac!
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Julie your body needs sleep to heal so take naps.
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Wow! I don't know where to start after reading a couple of comments in regards to life after radiation. I was diagnosed 7/2009. 8 surgeries/procedures later including radiation therapy I was burned so badly that I had to take off work for an additional month and wear nothing from the waist up. I used all the creams, etc., but it didn't help me escape the damage of radiation. After radiation I had the Pet scan in Feb 2010, and all was good. Last week I had my second pet scan in which I selected over a yearly chest xray my oncologist recommended just to be sure nothing was surfacing. My results were normal with the exception of pleural thickening of the right lung. Not sure what this means long term. For some reason I thought that the lung repairs its own tissue but my doctor said no. She didn't seem all that concerned over the pleural thickening. I'm currently not having any symptoms. It takes a couple of years to get some type of normacy to your life after breast cancer. I had right breast recontruction to include latisamus flap surgery after radition and 3-4 months of physical therapy to fully use my arm. I had radition with temporary implants which had to be replaced a couple of times in the right breast that had the radiation treatments. It was a long process to recovery but just be patient and just be thankful that you're here another day and you made it another day. Focus on something positive to look forward to after you're done. For me it was having smaller breast and choosing the size I wanted to be. I held on to that and it kept me going inspite of the many challenges and disappointments over expander replacements, 2, and having to start all over. Just pray and keep going. During my times, I read the bible from the beginning to the end and starting all over again to read from the beginning. At night I would wake, I would pull out my nook and just read until I was sleepy again. Hang in there sister, your reward is waiting for you around the corner. That's a promise. As for what deoderants to use after radiation, I switched to an organic brand from Swanson's vitamins. Its pretty good with no chemicals, etc.
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when i first started this thread it was about life after rads.it was an eyeopener for most of us.i was just worried about deoderant,shampoo etc.BUT as this thread progressed we found out there is much more to after rads....and it suks.we will get past this...and we are gonna beat this damn thing....all of us....one sista at a time....God bless huggggggggs K0
