After Radiation
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(((((HUGS))))) Everybody. I have my 3 yr old grand daughter today (I've been keeping her on Wednesdays and loving it. I've missed her so much since having to give her up full time to a day care because of this damned Breast Cancer journey!) Seems all the energy I have for a 3 year old is 1 day a week but I love it. She is taking her nap right now.
I see my PA for my breast surgeon tomorrow morning. 6 months since I saw them. I love the PA as much as my Dr. so it will be good to talk with her about lingering breast pain, itching, etc. Also we will more then likely be scheduling an Oct. mammo of both the "girls." That will be an anxious time for me, mammos always will be now. I will be a 1 year survivor on Aug. 9 (day of surgery last year).
I am also going to see my husbands podiatrist for these freaky toe nails from the Taxol. I'm scared to death of that appointment. Don't like people messing with my feet and praying she won't remove any toenails. We are going to Maine in 3 weeks to spend 10 days with our daughter and other grandchildren and I don't want to have to do it with sore feet. Won't let her do any surgery until we get back if it has to be done. I can't tell you how much I've missed wearing sandals this summer. Not looking forward to the gas prices but our car amazingly for being full size and a 2004, gets good mileage, still getting 29-32 mpg when on the tollway.
Have a wonderful evening ladies. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow please.
Hugs,
Juanita
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Also wanted to ask if I am being to sensitive about something. This has happened to me 3 times by people who think they are helping and supporting. Tell me what you think and I'll tell you what I think if I can get it to copy/paste:
Cancer is a strange cell.
You can go along for years in remission
and then one day it pops its head up again.
If you ever have it you will never be free of it.
Pray for the day there will be a permanent cure.
A SMALL REQUEST...
93% won't forward, but I'm Sure You Will.
A small request.....Just one line
Dear God,
I pray that You will guide someone to find a cure for cancer in 2011 .
In Jesus Name, Amen
All you are asked to do is keep this circulating.
Even if it's only to one more person.
In memory of anyone you know who has been
struck down by cancer or is still living with it.
A Candle Loses Nothing by Lighting Another Candle.
Please Keep This Candle GoingOK, the pictures didn't seem to transfer but it was a pastoral woodland scene and a lit candle. The first time I got this from a "friend" it sent me into a bad depression because my Oncologist keeps telling me my prognosis is good. I even told him about it and asked him and he was angry at the sentiment and said absolutely cancer can be cured and there is nothing in cancer that once you have it, you are never rid of it. He wouldn't lie to me because I've seen him give bad news to families.How would any of you feel if you got this in the email from someone who was supposed to be your friend/family??? I was furious and wanted to scream at the sender that they were an idiot and knew very little about cancer or the people who have the misfortune to get it.Hugs,Juanita
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WOW---busy little spot we got here...Msphil----17 yrs.cancer free.God bless you.
Sandee-I too switch off bras but am too scared and it still hurts under my arm to think about the underwires.Im just happy I found the genie bras.they work for me.
Mom of 2-Welcome----wishing you pain free days.
Dolphine-take the easy road honey.be kind to yourself.rest,drink lots of water and do check out any pain anywhere.
Crog-I used the aquafor during the rads.made a mess out of everything.switched to Emu oil...great stuff.probably will be using it forever.It works for sore joints,minor sprains,bruises,scars,burns and abrasions.Love it and a little goes a long way...
CHEVY!!!!!SISTA!!!!!missed you.....I hope you went on the I HATE LYMPHODEMA THREAD..When i had the edema and i pressed the swollen spot the inprint stayed too....edema and lymphedema are cousins.hey you know all this stuff!!!!!you sent me all the info.dont you remember????? Go have it checked NOW!!!!!1and come back and let us know how you made out nd DONT DISAPPEAR again.....these sistas need your humor and SO DO I...
Juanita.praying for you for tomorrow.sending you a big hugggggggggggg.I too have to go for my 1st.mammo on the 10th.let us know how you make out.About that email.hmmmmmmm.I think i saw that before but with shit for brains never paid too much attention to those harsh words....need to think about it.
hugggggggggggs to everyone.God bless K
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Juanita I guess I don't think things bother me. Usually when I get all that pass it on stuff I don't even bother to read it I just delete it anyway. I get too many emails to waste my time.
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juanita ,one word -delete.
hope everybody has had a good day, if not hugs all round 0 -
I agree with Sherry and juliet - delete. I delete every pass it on e-mail.
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chabba - Where have you been? Miss seeing you here.
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Hi everyone...I am 4 weeks post rads and except for the color the skin looks okay. I am tired too. My commute to work is 70 miles per day and frankly I am just too tired to keep it up. My job is in billing at Fedex and a night job. It is a high pressure job and you are extremely busy. I am looking for a job closer to home. My aches and pains are mostly where the node was removed and tailbone of all places. Not constant just every now and then. I am seeing my Rad Onc next week. By the way did any of you have the bone scan done and how long did it take? I was required to have one to see the effects of Arimidex on the bones. diane
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edwards - I had the bone density done. Just lay on a table and a machine went over my hip. Piece of cake.0
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Welcome Edwards-glad you finished reads without any skin problems.I sure hope you are still using the cream...Rads do dry out the skin ya know.As for the fatigue....it happens.everyone is different.Are you working now?You have a lot on your plate with your commute and a hight pressure job.Ya gotta rest to heal sista.Drink lots and lots of water and eat lots of protein.And please be real good to yourself.God bless hugggs K0
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Juanita, I don't blame you for being upset by receiving an email like this. Those who sent it to you are incredibly insensitive. I am one who tries to be tactful but if someone I knew ever sent this email to me, I would have to write back to them, or call them or tell them face to face not to send anything like that to me again. I think it's an awful email and I don't think you're being overly sensitive in being offended by it.
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I finished rads 32/32 yesterday so I'm looking forward to being on this After Rads forum. It sure was nice not to go for a trt. today. I'm hoping the burned skin starts healing now. I see my RO in 2 wks.
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Welcome Fitz and congrats on finished rads. Now is the time to start healing and moving on with life. It does get better - it just takes time. I finished rads in Dec and I feel like I am back to my old self.
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Junita.................got that same email many times...................don't let it get to me.............when you do...............the assholes win...........................use the delete button..........works everytime.
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Welcome Fitz and congrats, just rest now,and try not to do to much
And for that email I would just DELETE IT just like duckyb1 said dont let it upset you
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Juanita - I would delete it to and pay no attention to it...
Ladies - i found an awesome PA in my primary's office!!! - she actually spent an hour talking to me about all my SE's with the meds I'm on including Arimidex.... I feel validated that my rib pain and nerve pain are REAL and told me what to do for them. Then told me the headaches are probably from the Arimidex...She said that the pill works to bind all the estrogen and that happens after the first pill... its fast in removing it.. so fooey with the docs that say, "it will take 3 months before the side effect hit"... She also is checking my Vitamin D level to make sure its high enough... She also helped me sort out when to take what pill... I just felt so positive even with the SE's - that it is going to kick cancer's butt and I will be ok...
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gma glad you found someone who took the time to listen, i know that made you feel a lot better. so here's to a good day, hugs
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gmafoley so glad you found the PA. It makes all the difference in the world to have someone that is your advocate for your healthcare.
Fitz33-congrats on finishing and joining us here. Get lots of rest now and ask any questions you like.
We recently had the discussion on after creams. I was told to use a good vitamin E cream for several months following rads. I was at walgreens and decided to purchase vitamin E oil and give it a try. I really like it and it absorbs pretty quickly. So I can put it on when I get out of the shower and by the time I get dressed it has absorbed so it is not messing up my bras. Just thought I'd share that.
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edwards750, the bone density scan is sometimes called a DEXA scan (some people use the phrase "bone scan" to mean a PET/CT scan that checks for possible mets to the bone.). I asked for a DEXA scan pre-surgery/pre-rads cuz I have a rare bone condition. It's a snap. (no radiation either so it's safe) It takes just a few mins. No biggie. BTW, they measure your bone density compared to a healthy young woman (30 yrs old?) so the meaningful results are (a) the comparison for women your age and (b) the rate of bone loss over time. So yes, it makes sense to get a baseline now so you can compare. I've also heard that it makes sense to have your future tests at the same place, so your incremental measures are as close as possible. Just an FYI in case you have the option of going to different places. (BTW, if you have Qs about bone issues, there's a special bone forum below)0
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Thanks for your generous welcomes.
Sherry, what is the name of the Vitamin E oil you found at Walgreens? Thx for the advice.
I started having pain in my radiated breast yesterday and it hasn't subsided. It's strange because it's on the area that wasn't radiated although it was in the field of radiation so it would have gotten some. I've even had to take pain meds for it. I have to also get something called RadX cream and put that all over my skin to help with pain and it's supposed to have some medicine in it. I hope that helps. If not I'll have to call my RO in a couple of days. Rads - it just keep giving.
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Fitz - Rads to keep giving up it is the whole damn disease that just keeps on giving - I am still trying to find the return line almost a year out from surgery.
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Fitz it was the Walgreens brand, I think I paid about $5 for it and it was in the skin care section.
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dolphins... do what is easiest. I am a 5th grade teacher and planning to go back on 8/15. I am nervous and wondering how I'm going to hold up with all 30 5th graders. I just want to be able to take care of myself AND have a job and I'm not sure that is possible.
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I'm in on the group hug again. I'm alive and . . . I think I'm beginning to turn a tiny little corner--two weeks to the day Post-rads! Thank you so much for your love and concern. You're the best.
I had a less-than-satisfying appointment with my RO's nurse and resident on Tues. (RO is out of town.) First of all, I had asked for a referral to a wound care clinic. They said I'd have to come in first and let them see me. When they examined me, they said I was not running a fever, had no infection, so didn't need to go to a wound care specialist (probably didn't want any other health care providers to see how badly messed up I am). The Bored Resident (the one who usually yawns but was texting on Tues.) said, "There's a spectrum of reactions to radiation, and you're within the normal range." I said, holding up my red, raw, oozing armpit in front of him so he had to put aside his Blackberry, "Are you saying that this kind of reaction to axillary radiation is NORMAL?!?" He hedged, "It's on the outer edge of the Bell Curve." Indeed.
They flatly refused me an Ativan prescription--said it was too addictive and too sedative. First of all, how could I become addicted since they count every pill? The day I had to have an MRI/CT scan/bone scan/first appointment with oncologists I had a prescription for one pill. ONE PILL. And that's how I knew it was the only thing that could help calm me. I NEED sedation. I'm out of my mind with the burning, and they denied me meds. Painkillers just make me loopy/nauseous/headachy. They said I'd have to come in the next day to meet with the "Pain Management Doctor" to "find an alternative"--that in radiation oncology the protocol is not to prescribe many meds. There was no way I was about to get dressed again (a major feat) and sit in a waiting room again to have another doctor deny what I know my body needs. In my opinion, this was inhumane.
But anyway, to get to the happier part of the story, I was given a new skin care regimen that is a royal pain and involves putting a fancy messy dressing on my underarm area and beyond (the burn has spread a bit further to include the back of my arm and the front of my chest). I have to stretch out my arm over my head and stretch the skin of my underarm (that's the part that's killing me) and leave this on for two hour intervals, 4 times a day, which is basically my entire day. I've been out of it, just doing this and moaning and groaning since Tues. But, today for the first time, I am having less nasty discharge! My underarm still looks horrible, still feels horrible, but for the first time, I feel as if there's a tiny bit of healing.
I know that my situation is just one of many situations. We've all been through hell, are going through hell. Thanks for helping to pull back the clouds so I can see a hint of blue sky. XOXO
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Wow Maybe: ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))). I still say your RO is a jerk... Mine gave me ativan in a blink of an eye... AND they gave me 10 not 1!!! I still have them in my med cabinet incase I need them... Wishing you healing vibes your way...0
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My RO is wonderful, though she is a self-described medication minimalist. Even so, when she saw my underarm a week ago (and it's worse now), she said, "That must hurt! Do you need a prescription for pain meds?" And gave me a script. It's just that the pain meds make me feel lousy, and I'm not taking them, so this week I asked for Ativan. The nurse and resident acted as if I were as if I were asking for heroin or as if I were not obviously experiencing a painful burn.
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Take that back then .... The nurse and the resident are JERKs! Tell her when she comes back...
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Yeah, I've had doctors act like I'm asking for herion instead of ativan, too. I take mine to help me sleep at night, 1 mg. If I took it thru the day it would all I would do is sleep. But I love how it helps my anxiety, at least overnight I get a break from that feeling. It always amazes me that there are some people who are addictive types, who manage to get all these different addictive meds so easily. I've rarely had to take medicine so my gosh, if I'm asking the doctor to perscribe something, I really need it.
Maybe484, do you have a primary care physician you can go to who would perscribe ativan? Hope your arm will continue to heal and that your doctors treat you with a little more tlc.
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Maybe I was also going to suggest a family doctor for you to go to and also if you have a dermatologist that could get you into the wound care clinic. After rads I was still having a rash and itching. RO said I had been in the sun when I had not. Just happened I was going to the dermatologist and showed it to him. He said radiation rash can come and go for a very long time. Simple things such as a different fiber in the fabric you are wearing can cause a flair up. He gave me an ointment and prescribed in in 6 smaller tubes on purpose and told me to keep one at work and at home, in my purse and anywhere else I might need to have it. I told him the RO had given me the same thing in a lesser dose and he said what the RO had given me was worthless. He also said the OTC hydrocoriosone that they give you during radiation is also worthless. He basically said that all the things they told me to do for skin care during radiation was worthless, except the creams were good to use but he does not understand why RO's are not more aggressive in helping their patients when the skin starts breaking down. Wish I had thought to go to my dermatologist during radiation I think he would have helped me through it alot better than the RO as far as the skin care went.
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Just info here. If you want a free subscription to CURE magazine all you have to do is go to their website curetoday.com and sign up for your free subscription. I found it at my MO's office as they always have copies laying around and decided to get my own. They have good articles. MY RO office did not have these and neither did my first MO, makes me wonder if they did not want me to be educated?
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