Radiation recovery
Comments
-
Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful ladies!
0 -
{{{Kate,}}} June will be here before you know it and you can just celebrate Mom's Day then, with your kids (we reschedule holidays all the time in our family
) Did you decide on a procedure for recon? 0 -
Hi Sab, I have not decided on which procedure to do for breast reconstruction. If my radiated breast( the one that had the bad infection) softens and drops some, I might be able to get away with just doing an implant and lifting the other side. I would have to wait up till nine more months to see if that could be done. If not, I would need either tram flap or latissimus flap surgery. Latissimus has less side effects, but with tram flap I would get a tummy tuck. I am not in a hurry for surgery, so I am going to wait awhile before I decide. StephN I use an implant as a prothesis and it does not bother me at all. I am counting the days till my trip to see my children and grandchildren, and it is only 31 more days. I hope everyone has a fabulous mothers day.
0 -
Janis, I am so happy for you.
Happy Mother's Day, everyone!
0 -
I hope you ladies had a nice mother's day. I have been away visiting my daughter and her family. We returned home Saturday for a brunch with our two sons - served at the home of my oldest son. He went through treatment two years ago and is holding strong. He has been there for me so much during surgery and radiation. He is the one who always made sure I wasn't sitting home alone too much. There is light at the end of the long dark tunnel of alcohol and/or drug addiction.
Hugs for you Mom's who love your children through their struggles. Kate you will make the right decision in time. Also, because my husband works most holidays, we often postpone celebrating holidays. I know you will have your own special Mother's Day feelings when you see your family.
My husband is very much improved, thank God. Thanks for caring. GiGi0 -
Hi Gigil, I have missed you. I am so glad that you got to visit with your family, and so very glad that your hubby is feeling better. I am so much looking forward to being with my family in 29 days. Thank you for your support. You have always been there for me. HUGS!!!
0 -
Hi to my sisters in Rads Recovery....
It is so good to read back on the posts I missed and see that some are having those joyful momonts that make life so sweet.
Saturday was my grandson's graduation and besides perfect weather, it was wonderful. He has lived with me since 6 weeks. He has a job interview tomorrow at a med school in the Bronx and I am hopeful.
Then we drove from MA to CT to be with 2 daughters, 4 grandkids, and 1 son.
I could not have asked for a better week end...it was one of those moments for sure. Temporary avatar change to celebrate graduation and the high-tech art sculpture my DGS helped design and install at his college....it actually goes on for tens of feet down a stairway.
Kate, I hope you can be eligible for the best surgical choice with the least amount of recovery. It seems like a long wait. If you are like me, patience is not a strong point. Sorry you are feeling a bit down and lonely. It seems the calendar is driven by holidays and we cannot always have them be "Hallmark perfect".
Janis, loved hearing about your surprise visitors. I am also a geologist, but I am working in education. I've been to Denver many times and lived there too....it's 2nd home for me. If you feel up to it, send me a pm and tell me more about what they do.
StephN - best wishes for an easier time with Aromasin. I am settling in on Femara for now...it's becoming bearable.
This is what happens when I can't get online often....I write too much.....sorry.
Hope everyone is doing well....
Joan0 -
Congrats to you Joan! Good luck to your Grandson with the Med school interview!
I have been trying to spackle and paint this week, and boy am I pooped. Trying to decide if it could possibly still be rads recovery, or if I've just turned lazy!
0 -
SAB....I am wondering the same thing!
0 -
I had a six-month check up with my MO this morning. Isn't it strange how going to that office recalls to mind the days of early diagnosis and treatment? My blood pressure is always elevated when I am there. Anyway, the surprising thing about the visit was that the CBC showed I was anemic. That is odd for me because my iron count is usually very high. The MO said to come back in two weeks for another CBC. Perhaps, anemia is the cause of my fatigue.
0 -
Joan, I am so happy for you. Congratulations on you grandson's graduation.
0 -
Joan Mazel Tov! I am so glad you enjoyed your grandson's graduation, and thank you so much for your support.
0 -
Thanks for the thoughtful good wishes.
My grandson's interview was good; but they want someone who can program and design....he just does web design and animation. Who knows - there could be a connection in there. Good thing is he already has a summer job teaching at a computer camp in NYC. Bad news - he got 2 NYC traffic tickets today. Grrrrr.....but in the big scheme, not really a big problem.
SAB, now that I'm 9 months out from surgery and 5 months out from rads, I am much more aware of the tightening, scar tissue, and weakness in my surgery side. I have trouble lifting my arm for a long time. I especially notice it when I dry my hair with a hand-held dryer. I get so easily fatigued, and I lose patience with what used to be simple tasks. I could not imagine painting or spackling. Take it slow!
Elizabeth, it is difficult to pin down causes of fatigue. I think most of us are feeling it though. Are you on A.I. meds? I cannot remember...some days I doze off at my desk and others am fine. I cannot figure it out.0 -
Joan, Yes, I have been taking arimidex since October. I thinks AI's really do contribute to fatigue. My Mo suggested that I take them at night instead of the morning to see if I will experience less fatigue that way.
0 -
Hey y'all! I was about to crawl in bed and realized it had been a few days since I visited with my sisters here! I had to come check in with you!
Kate, thanks for the rec on the prosthesis. I might try it eventually. Especially now with some of my summer dresses being a little more low cut.
I'm with y'all on the fatigue thing. I know if I would exercise more I would probably build my energy back up. But it's a two-sided coin. I exercise and my muscles and joints loosen up for an hour or so and then the rest of the day, they are horrible! Dang these AIs! I don't regret my hysterectomy, truly I don't think there was another choice for me, but the side effects are really just no fun. At some point, if I ever get this all figured out, I'm planning a series of articles on how to manage menopause with no HRT. I've done tons of research and most of the articles say, oh, if it gets too bad, there's always HRT. And that's just not that helpful!
This week my three year old niece shared her lovely cold with me.
She's a baby doll, but I ended up at the urgent care doc-in-a-box place with bronchitis. The up-side is that the shot they gave me to help me breathe also helped with the aches and pains, so I'm going to ride the wave of relief as long as it lasts! I've also had a house full of teenagers this week. The kids are winding down their school year. The seniors had their last exam today so the boys were all at my house celebrating this afternoon. My daughter and her friends were all upstairs having a "study" group which sounded suspiciously like a party. Good times!
May is more than half over. Do we have any cancerversaries coming up? Mine's not until July, but I'm going to probably have to have another biopsy. I have a little sore growing in my incision line. I'm thinking it's a skin issue--I've had lots of little itchies since radiation. But since it's in that danger zone, I have to go see the surgeon next week. I'll keep y'all posted.
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
0 -
Steph-I'll celebrate with you in July. My dx was in June (on my birthday) but I had the surgery on July 12th. I hope your bronchitis isn't too uncomfortable, and that your sore turns out to be nothing- benign or something irritating the scar line. Our skin certainly has been through a lot this year...may you be sent home needing nothing more than a nice ointment and a bandaid as a fix!
I mostly love the energy that teens bring, especially this time of year. When I get irritated I remind myself how quickly they'll be off to college, and try to enjoy the moment.
Well that darn Murphy has struck again. I just finished the spackle and the painting and I decided to use the extra paint to touch up around the house. Though I walked through the house 27 times I realized that I had missed a big spot...right after washing and putting my brushes away. Sigh.
0 -
Hi Sab,
Don't ya just hate when that Murphy shows up? I'm impressed that you've been able to do,the sparkling and painting.....good job.
Hi Steph,
I do hope you're feeling better, but the silver lining of being pain free, at least for awhile, is good! Sorry to hear about the biopsy looming. I was scheduled for that too, but they determined via the mammo and ultrasound that the lumps and bumps and strange areas in this poor breast are all.....my new norm.....or something like that. Here's hoping yours is too. I'll join you and Sab for a July cancerversary. My surgery was July 7.
I haven't checked in in awhile also. Overall I'm feeling better, although the weight loss isn't happening right now. But I am keeping the 8 pounds off, so that's good. I have started having some sort of muscle fatigue, I guess like yours Steph. It hits when I least expect it, and once it does I can barely walk across the room. Lasts the entire day. Not the same as radiation fatigue as with that I could sit down for 20 minutes and then feel fine. I'm still trying to exercise, but it is hit and miss. Interesting SE to deal with from the Arimidex I will say. Better than not taking it though......
So, has anyone heard from Janis since her surgery procedure on her neck Monday? Hope you're doing well Janis and that you finally get a respit from all these medical issues...
Be well, everyone0 -
Steph N sorry you need to have another biopsy. I will join all who are having a july caniversary. The first of my two lumpectomies was July 8.
0 -
StephN, I hope you get good news from your surgeon. Sending hugs to you.
0 -
Thanks for all the support. I'm having trouble getting an appt. The other surgeon in the clinic is out on maternity leave, so mine is very busy. I'll call on Tuesday if I don't hear from them on Monday. I'm really not freaking out about it. I think I'm resigned to the fact that everything is going to have to be checked from here on out.
On a different note, has anyone had their hair color change? I have dark brown hair by nature, I suppose...it's been a long time since I've seen my natural color. Anyway, when I colored my hair the last couple of times, I actually went lighter than ever and it keeps turning out black! I don't know if it's hormones or what, but it's kind of hilarious, actually. Good thing I'm not that into it!
0 -
Hello everyone! I was just reading this and realized how long it has been since I have written. I am really having issues with fatigue and concentration lately. It is about to make me crazy. Yesterday I was down all day with neck pain and total fatigue. I had been busy Monday doing some heavy duty cleaning and apparently paid for it.
Elizabeth......Thanks for the Mother's Day wishes. I had such a wonderful, abeit far too short visit. Nonetheless, I will take what I can get. It was just wonderful to have them here and spend some quality time together.
Joan....Adam and Jen work for different oil companies. Both are drilling for oil. Adam is project manager with a huge amount of responsibility. He has to work the budget, decide where and how to drill, and be availabe 24/7 when his wells are being drilled. Jenifer has less management responsibility, but also has to monitor her wells and complete surveys every 30 feet. It was interesting as they both had active wells when they were here and were on their laptops much of the time. They wpould both get surveys and have to do their thing High math....nothing I could comprehend! Adam's current well is in Montana, Jen's is in Texas. Joan they live in Conifer in a beautiful home I have never seen. We just cannot afford a drive to Colorado. My DH cannot even visit their home as he has serious breathing issues...emphysema and COPD. Their house is at 9,400 feet. The reason we had to move here is because he was having terrivble problems breathing in Cheyenne. That was just over 6,000 feet. His doctor told him to move to a lower elevation or go on oxygen. Here we are......:( By the way, big congratulations on your grandson's graduation! That is sure happy news.
Steph.....I hear you about the fatigue. It is so unpredictable. I have one good day and get a lot done around here. The next day I am so tired I can barely move. I hate this and do wonder how much is from the Arimidex? It feels like I need to accept the "new me" at least for now. I hope that your biopsy goes well. Let us know when it is so we can whip up some goodies for your pocket party!
Kate, hope all is well in your world. Your trip is getting closer, are you packing yet?
SAB.........our surgery dates were just one day apart. I had mine on July 11th. I think there will be a ton of us coming up on our one year mark very soon. PARTY!!!!
Sew.....So sweet of you to ask about me. With my new fog brain I thought I had posted. My procedure was no fun, just a test as they injected numbing medicine into the joint between C-5 and C-6. They did it under x-ray guidance. The doctor told me that the joint was badly damaged....arthritis probably. What they do is inject the med and hope that you get relief right away. I did not. The doctor knew how bad I felt...this was one test I did not want to fail. It did not help. She told me this is just the first test and there are many more things they can try. I am so tired of it all. I don't want any more tests. Still I don't want to live with this chronic pain. I swear it is making me nuts. I go back to see the orthopedic surgeon on June 5th.
GiGil...........How is everything going? Is your husband doing okay? I am so happy your son has done so well. He sounds wonderful being there for you through everything. Sounds like your Mother's Day was perfect...well deserved!
I am going to try harder to be here more often. FOCUS. LOL! I really miss my sistas!
Love and hugs all around,
Janis
0 -
hi my name is Elaine & I'm through with radiation, but no one warned me what was to follow! sleeping too much difficulty breathing, thought I was dying. Incredible pain in breast area, trying a support group at the hospital.who else went thru thewse things?
0 -
Hi Lillian, welcome to the group. I hope you can come here and feel comfortable. I also hope we who are further beyond treatment can help you figure out what to expect next. I know it is a confusing and frustrating time for you. Everyone has different experience with radation. I personally never had trouble breathing, although I did have two separate attacks of pleurisy that were directly related to my radiation. Fortunately I just had the two events during rads and never anything since. As far as recovery....it is different for everyone of course. The further out you are, the better you will begin to feel. The breast pain takes some time but you should see a bit of improvement every day. Is the support group helping at all? It sounds like a good idea to go if you are able to really express your feelings and share your experience with others who understand. Please come here as often as you need. We love to add new friends, and are happy to help. As I said we all have different experiences in recovery, but of course share a common bond. Hopefully you can always get someone to respond and help answer questions and common experiences. Most of us are many months past rads, so are past that worst part. It does get better, I promise! Keep in touch and let us know how your progress is going. We are all here to hold hands and cheer one another along.
Hugs!
Janis
0 -
Hi Lillian,
Welcome, and congrats on getting thru rads! Now it's time to rest, recuperate and get back on your feet, as Janis said. I've had a few episodes of breathing difficulties, usually feels like I've just smoked 3 packs of cigarettes, or I'm trying to breathe mud! Doesn't last longer than a day though. As for the breast pain, we all get different levels of that, but it should get better for you. Some of those sharp pains were enough to make me cry out loud. I did finally take an Ativan (tranquilizer) once as the pain was so severe, and strangely enough the pain stopped and never was that severe again. Go figure.
Are you eating enough protein? That's really important right now, and if you can manage even a short easy walk each day it also may help. Remember that your body has been thru some really tough times, and it needs time to recover.....that does mean sleep and protein and, my favorite.....Treats! Glad you've joined us, hope we can help
Janis.....so glad to read your newsy update. I was becoming worried. I'm so sorry this latest "test" (great euphemism for difficult procedure, by the way) didn't solve the pain issues but am glad they've got more ideas up their sleeves. I'm with you by the way on this muscle fatigue issue. I never know when it's going to hit, but I'm still glad I can take the Arimidex.
Have a great evening everyone...0 -
Hi ladies. Just popping in to say hi. This new format is a little hard to follow, especially if I am on my iPad. Hope everyone is doing well. Welcome Lillian. Glad you are done with your rads. It took me a good month to get back to normal after rads. I had skin issues, shooting pain, skin pain, fatigue and my thyroid went out of whack. My white blood count and vitamin D levels were also low. It has now been 8 months, and I am feeling quite well. I am still having some pain occasionally in the ribs on my radiated side, and I get a little fluid build up in the tissues over the bottom two ribs. It doesn't last however, and it doesn't keep me from doing anything I want to do. Hope you feel better every day. I would bet you will.
Hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day weekend - the official beginning of summer. Cheers to a great summer!0 -
P.S. Janis, my hubby is much improved. Thanks for asking.
0 -
Hello!
I completed radiation in March. My skin tolerated it pretty well (I swear by My Girls!) and my energy is back. I just noticed last week that all of my radiated skin doesn't sweat. I don't recall hearing of this before. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, did it change?
Thanks so much! I hope everyone is well.
Denise
0 -
I noticed that about my skin too at first. Now, it is starting to prespire again. I think the sweat glands under the arms and near the breast get damaged from radiation. It takes awhile for it all to get back to normal. I have read a year. I switched to Tom's deodorant, and I am finding that I now have to refresh it halfway through the day. Things are slowly getting back to normal.
0 -
I've just completed radiation to both sides on May 9th. Skin mostly did ok, but during the last week of treatment, I developed a hive like reaction and nipples took a beating. All healing up nicely now, even the boost site. Slight flaking and dry skin, but I keep up with the 2x daily Wellskin lotion. Slight tan is visible, and scar sites slightly improved. The hair under my armpits that was in the rad field is missing.
I feel more or less normal, very little fatigue issues, but those I put down to my recent subarachnoid hemorrhage, not the cancer treatment, although I can't be sure.0 -
I've notice that the hair under my arm does not grow anymore. I am 2 months post rads. I don't sweat either. But I am more tired then I was during the treatment and I still have slight pain (like sore muscles) and swelling.
Congrats Chickenpant...... on completing treatment.
0
