Radiation recovery
Comments
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Josie123 I had tons of freckles at first. Now after 18 months, I have freckles underneath the treated breast and a couple of very dark freckles still on my nipple. The nipple still gets itchy, and when I am diligent with A&D ointment, it seems to help a lot.
Welcome Redboots and SweetCaroline2. I think you will find lots of information and some very caring people here.
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Good Morning ladies. Welcome SweetCaroline and Redboots.
Kate, never had chemo so no advice there..sorry. If you don't have to work through chemo then I suspect sleeping through the nausea is a good idea!
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MostlySew, thanks for letting me know that it makes me feel better.
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Ok, so now I know I can expect some freckles? Thanks...now at least I know if they show up! A wealth of information here..so comforting cause at least we know what to expect!
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Greetings to Sweet Caroline and Redboots. Sorry you had to join, but this is a great place to get information and suggestions, and hugs as well. Freckles are normal. I am 18 months out of rads and the skin still remains a little discolored. This is normal so no worries about that.
April us 'oldies' on here have a wealth of information. We love to share and are so happy to help. We have been there, done that. When you first begin treatment everything seems so confusing. It gets easier along the way as I am sure you know. We can get very silly on here too, it is allowed.
Where is Bunkie? I really hope all is well and we get to hear the results of her biopsy. Bunkie, come out, come out, wherever you are! Thinking of you Sweets and sending plenty of hugs.
Have a wonderful day everyone. Hugs to all!
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Hi April,
I am so glad you didn't have chemo. I just received a post from another link I am on, and this lady brought me so much hope. She said she worked the whole time when she was on chemo, so she wouldn't have to think about cancer 24/7, and she also said she had few side effects. I pray for few side effects too. xoxo, Kate
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Hi Kate-I'm new to this thread -I'm your "neighbor" in So. Orange Co.! I had chemo, my "cocktail" was specific to breast cancer, so was different than yours. Never experienced even an inkling of nausea. The anti- nausea drugs they use now are good. Emend is a really good one, taken orally. Eating was not a problem and I brought snacks to eat during the infusion. I never reclined in the chairs, I read, did cross word puzzles,used my iPhone or talked. It was not an unpleasant experience for me. My chemo nurses were.friendly, lovely women. The only side effect I had was fatigue. Hope you breeze thru chemo with no problems.
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Kate, why not schedule some time with a chemo nurse a few days before you start your treatments? You can check out the room, ask bunches of questions, and make sure they know how to make you comfortable. That way, you can cruise right in on your start date with all your ducks in a row and no nasty surprises lurking about.
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Kate,
You will be getting pre-meds, so you can ask for anti-nausea meds. I had benadryl and steroids, but you might not need those. My chemo was in a hospital, so it was a suite with tv's. Mine had food for the patients right there, coffee too. I would buy my own tea at the cafeteria. There are usually other patients getting chemo too, all different types. So there are people to talk to if you want. I was like you, didnt want to get comfortable, get out of there quickly. I never sleep there, or take a blanket, but you can if you want to.
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Hi Brookside,
I know you mean well so please don't take this the wrong way. I want total privacy I will not discuss how I am feeling or my diagnosis with any medical person with anyone other than my MO, and my new internist.. So I will say hi to the nurses, and be polite, but I will not discuss anything at all with them. My doctor told me to tell them I won't be discussing how I am feeling or about my medical condition, so please refer all questions to him. The only thing I will ask them about is keeping the room cool. I probably will have problems with that, because other patients will be cold. The facility is fine, and I am sure I can sit straight up in a reclining chair. All I want to do is go for the treatment, pound away on my laptop the entire treatment, and get out as quick as possible. I am one who fights illness by taking control, and forcing myself not to be tired etc. For instance when I have surgery I am up in a heartbeat begging the nurses to let me out of recovery in 10 minutes.Fortunately I will be able to email my MO every night if need be if I have problems. I was just hoping to hear from others who had chemo, and see what their experiences have been like. I know that the type of patient I am is very unusual, so I hope you understand. Again I know you meant well, and I so much appreciate your support. Hugs, Kate
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Thanks to all for the warm welcome! I want to ask if anybody who has had rads has ever had a flare-up of psoriasis on their radiated area? I had the most bizarre wart-like spots about two weeks ago that look just like the lesions I had all over my body twelve years ago that was diagnosed as guttate psoriasis. The dozen or more spots are drying up now, but were kind of tan and about the size of a pencil eraser. I was so surprised to see them that I wanted to immediately see a dermatologist! Since there was a long wait for an appointment I decided to see if the spots would just go away, and it appears they are doing so. Anybody ever heard of such a thing? Thanks for the suggestions on getting my markers checked. I will definitely ask if the tissue can be checked for hormone receptivity. At the time of surgery, I wasn't as knowledgeable as I should have been or I would have requested the tests. Live and learn.
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Hi waiting for the next step,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me.I picked up 2 anti nausea meds from my pharmacy yesterday, although my first treatment is April29. I hardly ever watch tv so if they have them I will just use my laptop the whole time of my treatment. Mine will have food, but I am a very fussy eater. What kind of food did your hospital supply? Does it make you feel better to eat during the treatment? I prefer to eat when I come home, but if it is more beneficial to eat during treatment I will bring my own food. I will do the same as you I will never recline in their chairs I just want to sit up and play with my laptop. I prefer not to talk to any medical people there or the other patients. My doctor told me it is fine not to discuss anything about how I feel or my diagnosis with any medical staff there. Luckily I can email him if I am not feeling well or having a problem. I am not sure which anti nausea meds my doctor prescribed. Two prescriptions and both drugs have long names. They are definitely not benadryl or steroids. Did your anti nausea meds help you so you just about never feel nausea. Thanks so much hugs, Kate
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Kate,
That's fine if you don't want to talk to nurses or patients, you have all of the control. I would say almost everyone is using a laptop, tablet or a phone. I see some patients recline, sleep. I know myself I didn't want to do that there. When I was doing chemo, I rested when I got home. You can eat or bring your own food, up to you. They had the standard hospital stuff, bagel, cream cheese, juice, water. Lunch was a sandwich. Mostly I didnt eat, I would buy my own tea in a larger cup to last awhile. My anti-nausea med was Emend. This was for the A/C combo. You may not need that. Will you be gettin a port? Everywhere is different, there is a good chance it won't be as bad as you imagine. But good for you for trying to prepare ahead.
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Hi Redboots,
Glad to have you join us.....it means you're done or almost there! I've not heard specifically about psoriasis recurring during rads but I wouldn't be at all surprised. This treatment is rough on your skin, and it breaks down on some of us. I had some fairly large brownish spots (those freckles from rads changed all the time) but they didn't look like warts. I'd think if they're going away that's good....and I'd also recommend you lavishly use your creams. So, are you done with rads? And is psoriasis at all related to stress? Anyway, good luck and stay around and hang with us....0 -
Kate, you know there are some great threads around here all about chemo, they might be very helpful with your planning. Hugs....
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Hi waiting for the next step,
Thanks so much for the info. My right breast was the one with cancer, and I had 4 lymph nodes removed. Up till now my doctor has refused to let me have a blood test on my right arm or even take blood pressure on my right arm. I don't have veins left on my left arm. I had a port once and didn't like it because i have tight fitting clothes, and the port was cumbersome with clothes. He is going to relent and let me start out using my right arm. That probably won't last long, because I have bad, moveable, collapseable veins, so eventually I will be forced to get a port. Glad to know that I don't have to eat during chemo, coffee will be fine, and I'll eat when I come home. My two anti nausea meds are ondansetron, and prochlorperazine. Have you or anyone else reading this post heard of them? Did Emend work for you? Were you nauseous often? I so hope you are doing well now. Hugs, Kaye
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Hi all, thank you for your comments. First to address psoriasis: the docs do believe stress can bring it on. Twelve years ago I was having many issues in my relationship with DH. I was also having break-through depression, even though I was on medication. But that is a whole other story..... Anyway, it could be that the stress of my two recent surgeries and the whole BC roller coaster has caused more stress than I care to admit. I think I am coping well, but maybe I am in denial and the realization has not hit me yet? Well, at least the warty things are going away. I am using RadiaDerm two-step lubrication and have been since the very first treatment. I slather on the first step as soon as I get off the table after my rad treatment each day and then wrap my chest in saran wrap to keep the gel from soaking into my clothes. Then twice or three times during the day I use the cream to moisturize the area. My skin is holding up well, except my dog ear and underarm area is pink. Nothing hurts, and no open sores or weeping areas. I will be done with my 28 rads at the end of this week!!!!!! Seems like I get nothing done except driving to and from the doctors and the hospital. But hopefully those nasty cancer cells have been eliminated......
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Hi Sew,
I forgot all about that. Thanks so much for reminding me. I will check them out. Hugs, Kate
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Redboots, Welcome. Sorry you have to be here. It is easier to fight bc if you have information, so don't be shy...there is a lot of good information on this site for newly diagnosed people. ER/PR status will affect some of the decisions that you make about your health in the future. Schedule a talk with your MO, and have your questions ready.
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Hey Kate, I'm sure you'll do it your way, and with style
. Finally got to see dd the elder. She's very busy at school, and doing well. I got a tour of the printmaking shop, met some of her friends at school and saw her new house. I took her shopping in Berkeley for groceries...what an AMAZING store, Berkeley Bowl. Then out to dinner in Chinatown. Nice afternoon. She is making us t-shirts for our first 5k in June...I am running with my 2 girls. I'm worried about what the shirts will say...she has an unusual sense of humor.
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Hi Redboots.....I think you're coping really well! Geesh girl, if you've only gotten 1 outbreak and that one is healing after you've been on the BC roller coaster all this time you're doing just great! I had two attacks of inflamed nerve endings during rads, which I haven't had since high school and that was a nerve/run down sort of thing. So....just get thru this week and then you can truly let the healing begin. By the way, I think your Saran Wrap technique is quite creative. Glad it's winter though...lol. Anyway, we're rooting for you and remember to up your protein and water intake this week. Soon you'll be all done!
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Hi Sab,
So great that you got to see, and had so much fun with your eldest dd. I am sure the t---shirt sayings will be fun. Enjoy!
Please let me know when you find out about attorney's. Hugs, kate
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Hi Redboots -- regarding psoriasis ... I developed a few eczema / psoriasis patches on my chest a little over a year ago (pre-BC diagnosis). When I started rads, I was concerned about how they would react. My RO said that often eczema and psoriasis clears up with rads. Sure enough the patch on the radiated side did. So there's a good chance that your spots that got "awaken" by rads will just as easily clear up ... I sure hope so! Best of luck!
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Hey Sab,
Glad you got your trip in to see your daughter. It's nice to put a vision of home and friends around our kids, isn't it. I was wondering just how many miles you hiked this weekend, but guess you logged mostly car miles. I too am curious about what saying ends up on your t-shirts. I bet it's great....and since she will be one of the people wearing it, how bad/crazy could it be?0 -
Almost done!!I officially have 6 boosts left.Just wondering if anyone had a change in taste buds or anything like that towards the end of Rads.I usually don't eat much microwave popcorn especially if it's movie theater butter but lately like tonight it seemed kind of bland.Usually it's much too salty for me.I thought it was just this particular box of popcorn but maybe it's me.I thought that only happened during chemo not Rads.Thank God I never had Chemo.
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Hi Josie,
I did not have a change in taste buds towards the end of rads. You probably just had a bad box of popcorn lol. So glad you are almost finished with rads. Only 6 sessions left YEAH. Congrats! Hugs, Kate
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Hmmmm..good question Josie. Now that you mention it, I'm actually eating quite a bit more salt, and it tastes great. My sodium levels are low for some reason, but they probably have been for years. I think several times during rads I didn't feel,like eating much (unusual for me) and also know that at the same time I was able to eat considerably more calories than normal ( salty nuts being a favorite) and didn't gain weight (then). So, I wouldn't be surprised that taste buds might change.
And congrats on being just about done...you and Redboots can collectively let out a huge sigh of relief! Was the movie any good?0 -
Well Sew, let's put it this way. The last time I took dd to the dollar store she used a collander and a pitcher to make a Darth Vader costume. Since you asked, I did get some hiking in this weekend. Dh and I go early in the morning. 4 miles on Friday (just on our rural street) then 9.5 miles on Saturday morning and 5.5 miles on Sunday (steep!) I buy the big bottles of ibuprofen lol!
Kate, I missed a call from my db this morning...maybe he has a suggestion. If so I will pm you.
Josie and Redboots, home stretch!
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Hi sab,
OMG that is so funny about your dd. So glad you were able to do your hiking. OMG how wonderful is that. I am so jealous that you are so motivated to do this. Unfortunately I am lazy about exercise. If you talk to your db, and he has a suggestion please let me know when I come back from Chicago. I am leaving early Wednesday morning, and I will be home late Sunday evening. I am so excited, and I plan on having a blast Hugs, kate
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I just have to tell my bc sisters about a story that touched my heart today. First of all let me tell you that I have been married three times. Once when I was 19, and he is the father of my children. We got divorced when I was 29. Then I got remarried when I was 34, and my husband died when I was 37, and now I am separated from my 3rd husband after 19 years.
Today would have been my wedding anniversary with my first husband. He was a wonderful husband, and father. I was too young and stupid to know I had a good man, and I filed for divorce. Biggest mistake of my life. He remarried after a few years, and his wife died of brain cancer 4 years ago.
I talked to my son tonight, and asked him if he told his father about my illness, and he said he did, and that his dad felt very bad about it.
Another story I need to mention is that we had a big wedding, and received many telegrams, and lots of envelopes with money. So on our first night as man and wife, we decided to open out telegrams and other envelopes before we made love. So we opened the first telegram and it said "Be happy go lucky kiss my Rosie your Joshka." We laughed about that telegram for at least a half hour and didn't know who it was from. Finally it dawned on me. My aunt by marriage had a mother who barely spoke a word of English, and it was from her. Rosie was her granddaughter Rosanne. So while we were married we always joked about that telegram. I never really told anyone about it, and never mentioned it to my kids.
About an hour after I got off the phone with my son he called me and said who is Joshka. I said OMG you must have just communicated with your father. I told my son who Joshka was, and he said my father knew you would remember. I cried tears of joy when I got off the phone with my son. It felt so good to hear thar his father still cares about me, and now I feel my ex husband's support too. I was only 17 when we met and he was only 18. I got engaged when I was 18. We shared our youth together, and had so many good times. I hope I didn't bore you with this story. I felt so touched I wanted to share it. Hugs, Kate
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