Radiation recovery
Comments
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Well, I was unable to find a place to stay anywhere DH and I would want to go this week end.... So we will try to be tourists in our own town...not bad if we can pull it off. If the sun comes out, there's the beach, boat, lunch outside....if cloudy there's golf, wine tasting, movies, ice cream...I guess we'll be OK as long as we don't start feeling guilty bout leaving the house undone. And with the money we save not going to a hotel, we'll have more fun.
Thinking of you, Kate....in your pocket - promise I'll be quiet.
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Thanks Sew and Joan for the encouragement.
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Hi Gals, My name is Erin. Im am 45 and was living my life just fine until my husband got laid off from his job. I thoght I might as well hurry up and get a mammogram since I paid for all this insurance and didnt use it. I have stage 0 breast cancer, going for a lummpectomy August 20th, then 6 weeks radiation and 5 yrs of tamoxifien. Very scared and would welcome any adivice from you surviors.
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Hi Erin,
I'm so sorry you've had to join the BC sisterhood, but you've found a really supportive, honest, wonderful bunch of women. You're exactly right, having BC is really scary and an emotional roller coaster. It sounds like you've got a plan of action so at least you know what you've got to get thru. I guess the advice I'd give you is to concentrate on eating right, getting some amount of exercise daily, being very certain to eat lots and lots of protein while in radiation, go ahead and let your DH, friends and family help you out, and vent your feelings here with us....we'll understand. You've got the added stress of hubby being laid off, but try not to let that stress undermine your positive frame of mind. You will get thru this, and a positive outlook will help with that. Good luck, and check in often to let us know how you're doing.0 -
Kate, best wishes for a very good meeting with your MO today. I know it's hard, but now that he can tell you some of the why's, why not's and wherefore's, I think you'll feel more in control and even more confident in your wonderful doctor.
Gigi, so happy Cole's healing is progressing. How about you--with all that's been going on, you must be totally stressed by now, and ready for a summer vacation?
Josie, no wonder they lost those docs--probably they tried to manage them about as brilliantly as they're managing the rest of the staff!
Joan, so sad about your friend and your other friend's daughter. I know you will pass on some of your strength.
Back to you , Kate. I'm already tasting those margaritas. You too?
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Hey there everyone. Truebff so glad you are back. I think about you often as well. Glad you are back to writing. Your book sounds like fun. Being from Minnesota, Lake Superior is our lake too! I would love to read it someday, if you need a fresh set of editing eyes. Yes, we lost mom last November due to complications of a GI surgery, She was 80 and We all thought she would live so much longer. Dad has a blood disorder caused by bone marrow failure. He is missing mom and has lost his will to live. My grandson Cole, who has SMA fell this early summer and broke his femur. It was a bad break, and he had to have surgery. Finally my DH had a mini-stroke about a month ago. Wow, if I took one of those "how high is your stress tests", I think I would be off the scales. I am not complaining. Everyone is doing as well as can be expected. Thank God.
Yesterday my daughter (Cole's mom) stayed for an extra day and she, my sister and I went out for an extended lunch and a stop at ULTA to buy some fresh make up. It was a fun day for all of us. She so needed that! We are going to take a trip after harvest is over.
Joan have fun on your staycation. Do not do any work whatsoever! Just have fun.
Kate hope your bug bite is just that, and healing.
Josie, whoever is running that place is making a mess of things. I have run a few clinics, and I know the value of a good MA. Our MA's were our most versatile, valuable employees. You will always find a good job.
I am off to pick up Dad after his transfusion today. I am on deck for the weekend. His transfusions are coming closer together. Some day they won't do him any good anymore, and might start working against him. We are preparing for it. He is too. He has become such a precious part of my life, and he has really been a source of strength and understanding for me. He continues to do the job he was put on earth to do. I so admire that!
Happy weekend everyone! Hug yor loved ones and have some moments of real joy! We all deserve that!0 -
My appointment with my MO is at 2:45 today. I can't wait to get some answers. Right after my appointment I am going out with Tracy to either Malibu or Manhattan Beach. I am sure I will be dying for a margarita then. Tracy is such a blessing. We have so much fun at happy hours even though she is so much younger than I am. Being with her makes me feel so much more hopeful. I will post when I come home tonight.
Bunkie I hope you are feeling better. Josie I hope you are feeling more serene. Joan being tourists in a beach town sounds like fun too
Erin welcome,but sorry you have to join our group. My advice is to think positive. Thank God it's stage 0, but I understand that can be a bitch too. A lumpectomy is scary, but done as an outpatient, and your breast should look ok too. For me radiation was a breeze. I had redness and a little bit of itching, but no other issues. Many of the ladies had fatigue, but I am hyper and did not feel fatigue at all. My advice for radiation is to moisturize, moisturize and moisturize. Good luck You will get through this and this too shall pass
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P.S. welcome Erin. You will get through this. Your path parameters sound hopeful, under the circumstances. Get that surgery and be rid of those nasty "c" cells quickly and efficiently. You have better times ahead. There will even be a time when you wake up and bc won't be the first thing on your mind anymore. Hang in there girl! As my DIL says "Flight Like a Girl", she is a two year survivor as well. She is only 44!
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GiGi, Wow, what an ordeal you and your family have been through! So many healing thoughts and love your way!
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Welcome Erin. I wish you an uneventful and successful treatment.
Joan, thank you so much for thinking of me my friend. I did need to read just those very words and I did (I confess) get a little emotional reading them. Enjoy your staycation, sometimes they can be the best of all.
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Welcome Erin - I am so sorry you are here but this is a great group. You said you have stage 0. I had that too and mine was DCIS but still cancer is cancer. I went through a lot less than some here but have never felt that my pain was viewed any less than theirs. The lumpectomy will be the most worry some and it will be OK. I had to have 2 lumpectomies so you will do fine. Every experience is different. Hang in there and check in. Keep us posted and we are all here for you.
Ladies thanks to you all for the well wishes. I woke up today and was feeling a little better. This is day 4 and I have actually been able to move around a bit. So I am thinking if I do not push it I can get a little stronger and not have to go back up. It makes me happy that I did not cave in and rush back to my normal dose like I always did in the past. I have to go back and read posts to see what you have all been up to.
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Way to go Bunkie, your warrior coat is working strong! You can beat this stuff...
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We are going out for late happy hour tonight thank God. I need a drink about now.
My MO does not want me to postpone the 2 months of chemo so I am stuck with it. 7 more treatments to go I hope I will still have hair left on my head. Thank God I am getting more extensions Aug. 21, but I am at breaking point about how thin it is. i told doc if it gets much worse I will cancel chemo.
He had an initial conversation with my 2nd opinion urologist and he thinks the risks of surgery outweigh the rewards. This depresses me, because one doctor says have the surgery and the other one says not to have it. Two of the risks are surgery itself and pain. I don't give a darn about that. The only thing that will be aggravating for me are catheters for a couple of weeks. My regurlar urologist thinks reducing the bulk of cancer in my body is best and I agree. I think keeping a 4cm bladder tumor in my body is a bigger risk. My MO tends to agree with the doctor that says not to have the surgery. He said I should only have the surgery if I have symptoms like pelvic pain or bleeding. The second opinion doctor is saying no surgery without examining me yet or knowing my personality. Maybe he thinks an old lady who looks sickly is coming to his office. Wrong I look younger than my years and I look healthy as a horse. I am hoping that after we discuss it he will change his mind. If not I will get a third opinion or just tell doc that I am going to agree with my regular urologist and have the surgery.
Lets start my pocket party now. I have the wine
Bunkie so glad you are feeling better
Tracy is picking me up in 30 minutes and I am ready for a minimum of 3 margaritas.
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Hello,
I am relatively new to the website. I have been diagnosed with DCIS and scheduled for lumpectomy on Sept. 3 with radiation to follow. Kind of scared of the whole process and just trying to stay focused on one thing at a time. How did you cope with any side effects from radiation? The worst I have heard of are fatigue and red skin/dry skin. Are there certain lotions you would recommend to help with your skin?0 -
Kate, I do think they treat women of a certain age differently. I always tried to present myself in a youthful light when I went in, and I think once the new doc meets you he may tweak his recommendation.
Bunkie, I'm so proud of how strong you are being. Hang tight, and I hope it gets easier quickly.
Hobbesla, Welcome. Sorry you have to be here, but rest assured this is a great group of ladies. Radiation is different for everyone, some of us had fatigue some did not, skin issues vary widely, etc. We usually tell others (and each other) to drink lots of fluids, eat extra protein (what is it Sew? about 80 grams a day?) use pure aloe after treatment and moisturize constantly. We all had our favorite moisturizers. I liked calendula, some emu oil, etc. Ask your ro, they may even have some good samples for you. Finally, try to rest when your body tells you to do so. Keep us posted!
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Erin and Hobbesla welcome and I'm so sorry your lives have been suddenly turned upside down by the "C" word.
You have found the most supportive and loving group to be in .You will learn a lot from these ladies.
I also had DCIS diagnosed in Jan.I had to have 2 lumpectomy and then radiation.We will try to answer any questions you have.
Kate have a drink for me tonight.
Gigil, enjoy your weekend and thanks for the kind words.
Bunkie I'm so proud of you.
I having haven't had an appetite all day They had cake for the doctor that was leaving and we passed around cards to sign for the file girl and one of our MAs whose last day was today. The MA chose to leave and has a better job.But poor Lori.She is still in Shock.She has a husband who owns a construction company.So she was the sole carrier of the health insurance for her family.They ladies in the file room bought Lori a cake.Someone bought donuts and bagels this morning.I had a long John but didn't eat the half bagel .Then my boss bought pizza for lunch I only ate 1 piece and had a piece of cake but didn't really feel like I enjoyed it.Not sure what's up with the appetite.I always love to eat.Hope I'm not coming down with something.I had to force myself to eat dinner but ate a few bites and didn't want it.I think it's the stress.0 -
Hi, sorry I've been quiet but I've been trying to keep up with reading everything and I've just finished catching up. We were in VT for a few days with my mom and now we're in Quebec City for an actual vacation. My itching has been pretty bad. It starts as a normal but insistent itch, but then it gets more zinger-like with pins and needles and it honestly hurts. I really appreciate the comments from a couple of you that this represents healing. That sounds right to me, but I wish it would heal already and give me a break! My breast is also sore, heavy, swollen, and sensitive, with little bumps around the perimeter of the radiation zone. If I were home, I'd be calling my RO for some insight. I did try my mom's prescription 2.5% hydrocort (my RO for some reason doesn't recommend it, just plugs aloe) and another anti-itch Rx of my mom's and neither helped as much as the aloe plus compression. I've realized that when I scratch, a worse itch will follow 20 seconds later unless I press my hand down on the place I just scratched. I also found it really matters what shirt I wear. The other day I wore a woven shirt with no give, and by the end of the day I was really sore. I changed into a soft stretchy shirt (like you GiGiL) and it helped a ton. I may be premenstrual right now, which could be exacerbating the sensitivity. I am staying calm, just treating the symptoms and mellowing out until we get home for good on 8/20 (this trip, home Wednesday for one day, then getaway weekend with my husband for our anniversary).
Hobbesla4 and Erin, sorry if what I wrote above about my unhappy boob is daunting. It's really just a blip. Like Kate I actually found radiation really manageable, and the surgery was too. I had never been under a general anesthetic before and I was nervous about that--turned out it was a breeze for me. I am so far, knock wood, having no real trouble with hormonal therapy either. I am 49 and I am a runner; I was pretty healthy coming into this. Since I didn't need chemo, did a minor surgery, and fared well with radiation, to my relief the physical side of breast cancer has not been that arduous, actually. Emotionally, buckle up. I did best by staying as freakishly positive as I could (which is out of character for me!), blabbing constantly to everyone on Facebook and here and all over town, getting a different driver every day to radiation to keep it interesting, and exercising as much as I could. And taking Ambien to get me through those mind-racing nights. I went down to half-time at work which was just about right (I am very lucky to have good insurance and an extremely supportive workplace--I know that's definitely not true for everyone). There are breaks, too. I had a couple of weeks before surgery, over a month between surgery and radiation, another month-plus before Tamoxifen started. Even with all these positive things in my favor, I have definitely had my breakdowns and low moments. I live in a tiny town with no support group, far from all the support services at the cancer centers I've used, so this online group has really been important to me. These are lovely people. Many have other health problems and most of us have really complicated lives, including some hard family troubles that you'll pick up if you keep reading. But there's so much love and support on this discussion board, it's like a power plant! Sorry for your diagnosis, but welcome to a great resource.
I have so much to say to the rest of you, but I'm going to keep it simple for now. Bunkie, I am so encouraged for you that you felt better today! I hope you've turned that corner for good and you're on your way to taking charge of this problem.
Kate, I am so sorry that your doctor wants you to do more chemo and gave you a sobering report about the surgery. It's so important to pin down exactly why he is not sold on surgery for you. Is he saying the tumor would be dormant anyway thanks to the chemo, so you might as well not go through the complicated surgical process? In any case, it's a bit soon for him to talk about that, since you haven't met with the second urologist yet. I hope you are charging through mutiple margaritas right now and can put all this out of your head for a while and have some fun.
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Kate - enjoy Happy Hour:))) I'll get the next pitcher!
Sorry that your appointment was unsettling...I understand the risk of surgery with the neo bladder...hubby received excellent care, but 4 days after surgery he developed fever rigors and crashed...never been so scared in my life..rushed to ICU. He was in a coma for 6 weeks did not know if he would make it...a nightmare, but he fought and I brought him home 3 months after the procedure ugh! Had 3 infusions a day at home for 6 weeks...lost 50 # ...so TPN...did not know that home nurse means they train the spouse...wore me out...and he is still weak. Hard because he's 6'5" so everyone assumes big and tall and muscles, but then shingles, hernia, gallbladder...it's been a rough 2 years this Sep.
So risks are real...kicked my big tall hunk...
You are the girlie girl princess warrior! Your chemo is kicking c along with your warrior spirit...you will make the right...ok where is my drink... Bartender!
(((Hugs)))
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Run Free, good to hear from you, the travels sound good and getting better.....I just looked at the time frame of your treatments, and I'm sure those are those blasted healing itching and pains. Some of my pains were so sharp they took my breath away.I never did find anything that actually worked to stop them because they are really deep inside or so it felt to me. You might try some Calendula cream if you've got some. I loved both the Aloe and the Calendula.
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RunFree, to me it sounds as though you might have mastitis. If it is an infection, your vacation will be much improved by an antibiotic, and you'll have the joy of having personally researched the Canadian ER system.
Josie, I sure hope you find another job soon--yesterday sounds absolutely awful. What briliant mind decided to lay off the file girl with such timing that there would be a party for both a doctor going on to bigger and better things, and a traumatized benefits-providing, laid off, unskilled worker? How could anyone have an appetite at such a "celebration?" They don't deserve you, or her, or the escaping doctor, of, for that matter, anyone!
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Kate, sounds like both good and bad news, and thank goodness for margaritas! I know you're not a fan of chemo (Who is?), but isn't it wonderful that you're one of the lucky ones for whom it's kicking butt and shrinking those stinking invaders every single day! Of course, you'll hate, hate, hate it, but once you're done, you'll be so glad you could and you did. Princess warrior power!
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Hello ladies. I had an excisional biopsy in June which revealed DCIS at the age of 43 (turned 44 in July). My MO wanted me to go for genetic counseling/testing before any treatment decisions were made and I am glad to say it came back "no mutations detected". On to radiation treatment I go & I will start Tamoxifen once radiation is complete. It feels much better having a treatment plan...limbo sucks
. I have my first consultation with the RO next week.You are an amazing group of people. I have gained a lot of knowledge and strength from reading through this thread.
To those of you facing lumpectomy, it's not to bad but give yourself time to heal. Listen to your body and don't feel bad about needing rest.
I wish you all well and I am sending you all good thoughts and prayers. Thank you for being here!!
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2tails welcome and I'm sorry you have found yourself in the same boat as the rest of us.
Brookside, thanks for the comments and encouragement.0 -
Sew, you are probably spot on, as these zingers have been getting stronger and taking my breath away too. Unfortunately I didn't bring my calendula cream on the trip, just aloe. But Brookside, the mastitis idea is a new and smart one and I just looked it up. Apparently some women do get mastitis after radiation, and others just from hormonal changes. I don't think I've had a fever, but we don't have a thermometer with us. I'll keep up with ibuprofen, watch for fever (maybe buy a thermometer), and try warm compresses, lots of fluid, and rest, for a little longer, since it's Saturday anyway. But I'll sample Canadian medicine if I feel worse by Monday. Man, what a bureaucratic bother that would be. And mastitis would be diagnosed by mammogram, ouch. We will be home by mid-afternoon on Wednesday and not leaving again until Friday, so I will probably call my RO and/or PCP in that window if I don't blow the whistle by Monday but I'm still not all better. I did notice today that the skin below the breast is getting uglier--more red, raw, bumpy, lots of little burst capillaries. My daughter and I were trying on sweaters in a store and she gasped a bit when she saw it. Since that irritation is not on the breast itself, I suppose that argues for the ordinary post-radiation theory instead of mastitis. Or maybe it could be both. Anyway thanks to both of you for your good thoughts and support.
Cindy, that is a crazy story about your husband's scary ride after his bladder surgery, plus all the other stuff. So many people on this forum just seem to be getting tested over and over and over.
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RunFree, I know you know there's an RO on call this weekend, just watching the phone, waiting to hear your ring-y ding-y.
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Cindy, Wow, that sounds like a tough recovery for dh. You really are a warrior, and I give you lots of credit for keeping up your positive spirit throughout.
Runfree, if they have Whole Foods or something like it nearby they might carry some good hoeopathic creams. I hope it's nothing serious.
Hello 2tails. Welcome, and thank you for the kind words.
Josie, what a truly difficult emotional day. I am always surprised at how insensitive employers can be. I hope that you can make the best of it until you find somewhere that you love.
Up with bone pain several times last night...first time since the Tamoxifen. Hopefully it's just a pesky side effect. Anyone else experiencing this?
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Sab, I didn't know Tamoxifen had bone pain as SE.....Yuck. Hope Tylenol or Ibuprofin or something works on them for you. I'm on an AI and don't get them...knock on wood.....
Cindy, good heavens you and DH went thru lots and lots and lots for that surgery. A coma for so long.....then recovery on top of that. And now you've got him dancing, that is so great. You deserve an extra margarita and tango lessons for getting both of you thru the last two years........
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Sab, I so hope you are right and thatr my second opinion doctor will tweak his recommendation.
Runfree I am sorry you are not feeling well
Cindy so sorry your hubby had to go through hell. None of my doctors want me to have what your hubby had full bladder removal with a neo bladder. In my case they are only talking about partial bladder removal or no surgery at all. I hope you enjoy the margaritas guac and chips I have for you toinight
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I may not have seen all your data Katehudson11 but are you losing hair d/t radiation or chemo? If it is chemo then forget hair extensions because all mine started falling out at 14 days in to chemo. I had long red hair too. I lived in Fl them so a wig was too hot. I just tied pretty scarves and kept up w/nice earings to match my work clothes, before long a bunch of coworkers were bringing me more scarves. I had a small bladder nodule removed by the urologist about 2 years ago and he said it was not the type to spread behond the bladder. I am getting ready to start RADS for a new nodule near the collar bone. Have meduim length hair and decided to quit coloring as my arm pain is pretty bad.( I used henna successfully) and go au natural... I never did get curls either. Straighter than straight still.
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MGrammy sorry you are going through so much. My hair has thinned from chemo but I am taking cisplaitin and Gem and those are not the chemo's that cause complete hair loss. My hair is thinner, but looks better with extensions. I have a large bladder tumor that has spread beyond the bladder, but I am responding well to chemo. Good luck to you
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