Radiation recovery
Comments
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Janis, so sorry for your loss.
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Janis - so sorry for your loss. God speed Dolly.....
Vivre: could you please give me more info on the chinese methods and the oils. Seems like a good natural healing for the breast and the sternum. I suffer from costocondritis from my fibromyalgia and would love to know how to ease some of my discomfort. I have not started my rads yet but feel that I may have some flareups from it.
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Thanks everyone for all the sweet words over losing Dolly. Wasn't she the prettiest thing? She had such a sweet face. She will be dearly missed.
No great news from either the BS or the MO. Both agree I have LE. Problem is, the BS wanted me to start therapy ASAP. The MO however is still concerned about the redness. Believes it has something to do with the blood vessels not flowing properly in the breast (another lovely rads SE). So now they want me to take this med....some mild blood thinner to see if that clears up all the redness and soreness. I take it for a month, go back and then they will get going on the LE therapy.
Just a bad day today. Thanks for listening everyone.
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Hi Janis,
I'm so sorry about Dolly...Llamas are such wonderful friends. She had a great life, and went quickly, so that's good. There are two who live up,the street from us that the people use for back packing. One of them love to give my husband those "Llama" kisses. What a day for you....I'm so sorry you're having to go thru yet another ordeal. Perhaps you could look up the more simple lymphadema massage techniques on-line and gently do them while taking your new med. They really are very gentle techniques and I'm sure you'd know if you're causing more redness or not.
Good luck, and keep your chin up. You keep paving the way for us, which is a hard thing to do.0 -
MostlySew, thanks so much for being here for me and understanding. Dolly Llama will laways hold such a special place in my heart. We made sure she and Fernando went to a wonderful home so at least I am comforted knowing her last time on this earth she was happy and loved by her new owners.
I can't do any massage right now. My MO is insistant that I wear a sports bra for the next several weeks and let this new medicine work. Hoping that it does. i got back Feb. 17th and if this problem is finally cleared up only then does she want me to have the special therapy. It is strange this kind. It is bad in my underarm, parly down the side of the breast and of course the breast itself is very heavy. This kind does not affect the arm. My BS did tell me I will have to wear compression bras but that will be discussed when I start therapy.
I have had good days, almost all days since diagnosis. Today was a rare tough one for me. Losing Dolly just let all those pent up emotions fall out. I was a wreck earlier but had to pull it together to go see the MO. Sharing my story helps and I sure appreciate all the love and support.
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Janis I am very sorry about your loss. If anyone is contemplating getting breast lifts be aware that this is quite painful. Yesterday I felt ok, and today I am totally miserable. After this type of surgery you have to wear a bra 24/7 for at least 3 weeks. and that is what is killing me. Anything touching these incisions is very bothersome. It's so good to have a place to vent. OUCH, OUCH, and OUCH once again!.
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True BFF- If you put your blog in your signature we can all check it out.
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Janis so sorry about Dolly. You are allowed a cry or two - or three or four! You don't always have to be strong!
Kate sorry you are so sore! Every day is one day closer to pain free days!0 -
Janis - sorry about Dolly - hugs
truebff - yes, please send me a link to your blog, I would enjoy reading it - and thanks for the exercises.
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Janis, I never knew llamas had such expressive faces. Dolly looks like she had tons of personality. So sorry.
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Llamas have beautiful faces and long long eyelashes. Dolly was very expressive!
So now I have LE for sure in the breast.....both my BS and MO agree. Still I have this skin issue which they think is a vascular problem from rads. So now I am taking meds for that for two months. Have to take it with Vitamin E. Did I post this already? I had such a bad day yesterday. Sorry if this is a rerun!
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Janis- Thinking of you sweetie.
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Kate- Hope that your pain and soreness go away soon. Hugs.
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Thank you Mamav and Ceeztheday. I had so much trouble sleeping last night, but this morning I am a little better. My doctor does not want to take out the stitches till next Tuesday, but some of the stitches need to be trimmed. I am thinking that could be part of my problem. I am calling my surgeon this morning to see if I can come in, and have her trim some of the edges.
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kingjr-My Chinese doc had a wonderful massage therapist. She would work her fingers in and around the ribs and sternum, massaging them and breaking up the tissue for about 20 minutes. It really hurt while she did it, but it worked because I could breathe better when I left. As you know, costalcondritis restricts breathing because the chest muscles cannot expand freely due to inflammation. And inflammation is related to cancer, so it is important to cut get rid of inflammation. This wonderful PT also was able to pinpoint exactly where my nodes were removed when I told her I still had underarm pain. She massaged this knot out as well. The ultrasound was applied to both areas to further break up the inflammation. I did all this right after I finished rads and that is why I think I never got any LE. Plus I did yoga and rebounding, which moves the lymph. We get LE because the lymph gets stuck, so to speak.
I also never had any fatigue during rads because I walked everyday. This is the single most important thing one should do, and my onc even had studies that proved that those who exercise during treatments have fewer side effects. In fact, my onc was amazed at how I looked. I would actually park on the upper level of the parking garage at the hospital and run up and down the stairs before and after treatment. It was the only way I got through it because I was always in tears, or close to it, the minute I walked into the rads unit. The whole thing had me so freaked out, I only got through it by working it out physically. It was my only little FU cancer routine.
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Vivre- Can you tell me what "rebounding" is?
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rebounding is trampoline (small personal one for exercise) jumping
it's supposed to be very good for health benefits beyond exercise
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vivre: what great info for me. I am going to try this....now to find a pt/massage therapist that can do this for me. you had also mentioned an oil treatment in one of your posts. What was that again?
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((((Janis))))
Hope you are doing as well as possible.
Just because rads are done, it doesn't seem to mean that things are better. I have to be in the hospital in 7 hours....for heart catheterization. I am first in, and hope to go home. If not, I'll deal with it tomorrow.
Hugs and prayers for all tonight.Joan811
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Joan811, Good luck tomorrow. You will have a lot of friends with you in spirit.
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Joan- Will be thinking of you. Hugs.
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Joan811,
Good luck tomorrow, we'll all be sending good, quick healing vibes to speed you thru this. Hopefully your angina will immediately disappear and you can get on to the healing part of BC. Be sure to take it easy, as you're only just finished rads and sleep and rest are important and your body has been ghru a lot. Hugs0 -
Joan811 I hope all goes well.
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Joan I will be thinking of you today. Many healing hugs headed right at you. Sounds like you have a cheering corwd here already. Much luck to you.
Kate, I hope you are feeling better. It takes time I know!
I am thinking of all you great ladies ...so many of you have helped ease my pain lately and it is so appreciated. I feel good today. Hugs to all!
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So now I have a new symptom, wondering if it can be from rads. When I exercise so that I am breathing heavily (like walking up a steep hill), I get a pain which I can only describe as feeling like its part of my lung. Even though I have not felt this sensation in years, you know how you feel when you really exerted yourself and your sides hurt because you are out of breath? Well, that's the sensation I have, but it is not in my sides, it is up close to my breast. My RO appt. is in april, will mention it to him then, but wondering if any of you have experienced something similar.
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SAB-Rebounding is indeed a mini trampoline. It is the absolute best exercise ever (I was a PE teacher, so I have done it all). The forces of gravity as you bounce help to open and close the little valves in the lymphatic vessels. This is the only way lymph moves, when we move. This system does not have a pump like the heart and if we do not move, all the toxins in the lumph just sit there. Eventually the nodes will swell, and then our limbs will swell. So keep it moving ladies! I tried several brands but really like the Needak. I started out with a really cheap model from the sporting goods store but it was really clanky. The needak bounces really nice and is quiet. It is not cheap, but worth every penny because it is fun so I use it all the time. I also do yoga balances on it and stomach crunches.
Kingjr-Are you talking about coconut oil or castor oil? I use coconut oil regularly as it is non toxic, and it is great to take with for a massage because some of the oils they use are full of nasty stuff. The castor oil treatment will help to draw out toxins. I take a damp cloth and put it in the micro few secs. to get it warm, then I pour castor oil on it. Place this over the inflammed area and put plastic wrap over it and sit for about an hour. You can also add a heating pad, or do it in a sauna which I now do since I sauna everyday. The cloth can be reused. Just put it in a zip lock bag. You can google castor oil compresses for more info.
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Joan, Hope everything went well and your are resting comfortably.
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Joan, what caused this for you? is it from the bc or rads? I am thinking about you and hope all goes smooth and well.
Pat, wonder if this is the tightening that can happen after rad? Or part of the fatigue too? Please keep us informed.
SAB, If you go with the castor oil, do NOT put it in the microwave -it's flamable- also don't put used cloths (with cator oil) in your clothes dryer. I hear it is really good for getting toxins out. I plan to try it too.
Vivre, thanks for the info on rebounders as I am interested, but don't want to spend money on the wrong equipment or too much money. I wonder if there are gyms that have these? I'd like to hear more about coconut oil?
I used to LOVE pure, unscented coco butter when I was pregnant and never had a single stretch mark. But most of what I find these days is mixed with other stuff or scented and I can't stand smelly stuff.
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Janis, I'm so glad you feel better today! That always makes everything seem brighter, doesn't it?
Joan811....we're all cheering you on to a speedy recovery and no more angina, rest and heal (the rad mantra)
Pat01, yes, I think that pain is from the rads. They do end up radiating a part of the lung (a small part, but some none-the-less) and I think you're now exercising it. I believe it will heal/regenerate itself and also think the exercise is good. Just remember NOT to overdo it. That's always my downfall....overdoing it. And it seems so easy to get going too hard for the level of recovery I'm at. Then my body finds creative ways of letting me know I'm being a bit too strenuous. Like constant sharp nerve pains In the breast (the newest creative reminder of my body), but I've also experienced lung "fullness" and the sideach feelings. They always subside/disappear if I remember to also allow recovery time (usually just 10 to 20 minutes of relaxing). Good luck....0 -
Whoops, Pat, I think I posted you in another thread so I'll post it here too:
Pat,
Here is a link to a pdf of the U of Mich Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center's surgical book.
www.cancer.med.umich.edu/files/breast-surgery-handbook09.pdf
Skip ahead and pages 50-60 will give you the post surgical posture/strengthening/stretching exercises you asked about. They are boring but they only take 5 minutes to do once daily, so you can do them during 2-3 commercial breaks while watching tv easily. I have found that they keep me from tightening up - which rads seems to still be doing to me. So I do these once a day about 5 x a week just to help stay stretched out.
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