February 2012 Chemo
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Hi Lumpy, I'm fine about Lumpectomy but my sister just made me think am I doing the right thing. I've been told by the docs if you are going to get Cancer back it makes no difference it will find somewhere to go. She also said at the hospital they do surgery even if you have stage 4 which a lot of hospitals don't.
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Ali
I love when people try to shove their misinformed opinions down your throat. Its your decision, plain and simple. I personally know a lady that was stage 4 and had a lumpectomy, chemo and rads 3 years ago and so far so good.
I'm already back from getting my Herceptin. I think this was a record set today. Checked in at 9:30 am, started infusion at 10:15 and was out of there at 11:10 so not bad at all.
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Hey everybody, Just checking in--enjoyed my four week vacation from treatment, and start radiation on Monday.Ali and Christina, good luck with the lumpectomies.Lumpy, I had trouble with muscle cramping in my hand and arm from the Taxol, for what it's worth....Hope everybody has a great weekend!0
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Hildy, let us know how radiation goes. I have no idea what to expect!
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Ali, I hope you are feeling better tonight, less sore.
MLB - that is awesome to be in and out like that. My place always seems to be running late, and I am usually one of the first appointments of the day. Oh well...
Yes Hildy keep us posted on how radiation goes! If the lumpectomy goes well I will be looking forward to the same.
Thank goodness it is the weekend...I'm just relaxing and recuperating from chemo on Tuesday. So far I'm not feeling too bad, even got a couple of loads of laundry done.
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hildy-thank you for chiming in! it's weird- i researched and i only seem to get the cramps in the evening when i am comfy at home- thank goodness they don't last long! and it's more in my right foot than the left--i will mention it next week at MO before TX...if that's the worst that i get i'm still blessed!i know that neuropathy is serious.my dad is diabetic and has it severely.
along the line of SE's--yesterday, i had some time to study my hands and my fingernails--i can barely see that my nail moons are turning dark pink so i think i am going to have to ramp up the cold factor next friday during tx !!!! the whole nail bed issue -discoloration, losing nails, etc-is the one that scares me about my current tx....
anyhow- this morning i am off to get my bloodwork done for my tx next week- MO wants to know about my WBC...
then to the post office- need stamps and to send our 30 day notice to landlady as well as my 4 pages of complaints (nicely written) by certified mail...
i think i'll pack a few boxes this morning and then not sure ---my allergies and post nasal drip are trying to kickbutt and the coughing gets outta hand....chilly outside for june!
life is good and i am blessed to have you all in mine!
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Good Morning Everyone
My goodness we had alot of rain yesterday. We really needed it but wow!
Lumpy
Re the nail thing. Mine are fine and I did ice each TX. They're growing fine too but I do notice a horizontal line on each nail for each TX! I'm only really seeing it now because they're actually growing. Not complaining because it could be worse. Now if the hair would just catch up.
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Hi, just went shopping and got new dress as DH and I are going for a meal and stop over in hotel next Wednesday. I'm still very sore and both thumb nails have lifted off and the rest are going to follow. It is so weird the whole nail just comes off. I've got tape on them and it doesn't look good. Anyone think of what I can put on the fingers ? I went to the chemist and showed them and the woman nearly fainted thank goodness I didn't take my hat off.
The weather is cold for the weekend lets hope the queen has a good time.0 -
Hello everyone!
Ali - so thankful for you ending treatment - hurrah! And reading you had your port removed also. On to making your other decisions and getting prepared for lumpectomy and AND. Hope everything lines up for you.
Chrisitina - thankful also for you finishing chemo! Whoot!I can relate to wondering if my period will return. I know I'm older but I was fairly regular and wonder if this chemically induced PAUSE will just continue to an end. I hope everything lines up for you as you would like for scheduling your lumpectomy and rads, etc. so that you can get back into the swing of school with a lot of that completed.
faithhopenlove - So excited that your PET scan was clean!! And love to read your encouraging words about your boyfriend who has been and is walking through all of this with you. Sounds like a real Godsend and a keeper!
firstcall - Busy, busy with race organizing and such! Read you on the running thread as well. Any babies in the queue to be delivered soon?
fldreamer - Saw you completed Taxol #8. You are a couple ahead of me. My May was pretty down too ...even with some wonderful events --- took me a couple weeks to realize that I was actually experiencing fatigue and not just my depression kicking in. Feel a hug - you will be done before the end of June, right? I can't imagine all that you are going through with your daughter but know you can only do so much because you HAVE to take care of yourself right now. Sounds like you have a good handle on not enabling her and drawing some lines that will not be crossed.
Hildy - I see you are going to start rads. Keep us filled in on how it goes, what works for you, etc. My PT who is a LE specialist (prevention, prevention, prevention :-) ) suggested that there is a scar cream, Calendula, that they sell at Target that one of her other patients uses. My biggest concern is that I want to keep running when that comes around - and wonder if that's possible. Will you be going every day for 6 weeks of so?
Jen - The end of the school year always brings everything at once doesn't it ... school projects, concerts, banquets, etc. You pulled of the awards banquet !! Yay for you! Hope you can relax a bit. Has the school year ended for your children?
Lumpynme - I was dancing for you when I read that you got the house! That's such a bright spot with all you've been through. I pray that you have the nicest neighbors in your new abode! I wrote a post the other day and the whole thing disappeared - and since have seen someone else mentioned potassium. Your foot/toe cramps do sound more like charlie horse type cramps then side effect cramps. You mentioned you eat a banana a day. Often if you have a change in activity level and such you can get those types of cramps - and you've definitely been doing a lot of changing with the new job, househunting, etc. Maybe TWO bananas a day :-)
Moonflwr - See that you will be keeping your port. I'm leaning that way when all of this chemo is done in July. We really haven't discussed when to remove it once my infusions are complete, but the thought of taking it out and putting another one in down the road (even with the ease of the surgery) is a reason I might keep it for a bit. Mine is a Power Port, how about yours? Appreciate your sense of humor ;-)
Msbelle -See that you will be keeping your port for a while for Herceptin. Ever thankful for the port and the relief on the veins in my right arm. Still have had my blood draws taken in my arm, but have some wonderful techs in the lab who know me now and get out the baby needle when they see me! Hope that you do not have any unexpected difficult Herceptin SEs.
Myleftboob -Hope you have been able to get your computer probs worked out. Ingenius to hook your laptop up to your regular monitor. Hope your Herceptin treatments are going well with no SEs.
Ymac - Oh my you have been through it with your husband and his tree trimming accident. That was quite a story. Thankful that he did not break any ribs but bruised ones and such can often be as painful I've heard. Hope you are able to get some rest and peace and some TLC soon.
Grit - How did your scans go? As I texted you, the folks on here were definitely fixin' to form a posse and send out a search and rescue team. Sorry it took me extra time to figure out I could track you down on the phone ;-) BX sounds like a good course of action for you if that is what you want and are comfortable with it. So many, many things to navigate. Praying for you friend.
May was an emotional month for me. Mays almost always are ... with the end of school, Mother's Day, my oldest son's birthday, our anniversary, etc. I can get caught up in emotional baggage if I'm not careful. Those things were not actually wearing heavy on my mind so I was having difficulty wrapping my mind around what was going on inside of me after having such an easy ride really with my AC chemo and then our trip and cruise. I think I'd spent perhaps too much time reading some other threads on BCO about Tamoxifen, rads, recurrence, etc. and I was just getting out for a run about once a week - the morning of my chemos. That's not enough exercise for me - physically or mentally and emotionally. My onc and my nurse kept telling me that what I was experiencing was normal and that I hadn't really had this kind of grappling with the whole cancer and at some point, you just have to go through some of it. But ... it didn't make it any easier. Lately I've gone back to reading some of my fb posts from January and February when I'd just had my surgery and was getting ready for chemo and actually reading those and where my spirits were at that time has been an encouragment.
My brows and eyelashes decided to leave in May too -- and even though I knew it was coming, that was way harder - lashes - than the hair. They weren't gone for too long. It really did seem like the newer eyelashes were waiting for the old ones to come out and then they started coming back in all at once. They are all light but the bottom ones are as full as before if not fuller. The top ones are there - white and short - but there. And my HAIR --- the soft fur covering decided to emerge. It's dark and light ... so it will be funny to see the color as it grows. It's like touching the softest fleece or one of those ultra soft stuffed animals. My step-mom commented on how much it grew/filled in in the week that she was here and several folks commented on my hair coming in so I knew it wasn't wishful thinking. I never did get the coconut oil or do the olive oil - time just got away, but I was putting moisturizer on my head daily after showering and I am still doing that with the fuzz. Never did wear my wig or a scarf. Wore a baseball cap to run in and sometimes when I would be in a drafty place.
May did have some other bright spots - our 25th wedding anniversary was on the 16th (we celebrated when we went on the cruise in April and I am thinking that maybe we can have an open house or party around Thanksgiving or Christmas when much of my 'stuff' might be done). My youngest son's graduation from high school was a week ago today. They hold the graduation at Northwestern University in the arena because there are so many graduates - I think it was 1230 this year. You wait a LONG time to get to the T's. LOL. My step-mom came up for a week and helped me so much. She has such a calm, peaceful demeanor and we can just 'be' together and it helps tremendously. So we had a party/open house that day and really everyone else did most of the work and I did what I could do. My oldest son (22) was able to come home for Ryan's graduation. He flew in from Colorado (thanks to husband's frequent flier miles) so I could hug on him for just under 48 hours and we had a little birthday celebration too for him while he was here.
Well that's me getting caught up and checking in!
Hugs!!!!
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diane; thank you for your wonderful post and the sharing of your may---the relationship with your stepmom is to envy and the time with your sons!!!!! we can get caught up in the emotions....and our bodies and minds do need to have a let down sometimes...
i can so much relate about the brows and lashes- that was way harder for me! my brows are pretty much back- unruly and straight but filling in well- my lashes are quite short still but there! my hair-well- the top is coming in but the back and sides are just really not so much! i am noticing that it is straighter than ever before and goes in diff firections on it's own- i think there will be some patches of grey but i'm ok with that as i had honest grey strands before! i earned them all so i don't care! even if it came in all grey and stayed that way....
i agree (dr margo!!!!) that my cramping isn't neuropathy- i have changed shoes recently tho too! an extra banana everyday wouldn't be good but maybe i'll start eating bigger ones!
i have to say that i felt such a relief today when i sent that letter to my landlady....the end is coming! and my future landlady and i are meeting monday nite after work so that i can eye up the place a bit better without sweetie tagging along and being the poo that he was--i am a very visual person and want to size up some rooms and window/door placements for furniture etc..also need to decide which bedroom we'll sleep in and plan out my flower purchases!!!!
we had what they call in Hawaii pineapple showers today- bright sunshine and rain!
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Nail issues! I haven't iced mine. I have discoloration (red, brown or white) on six out of ten of them. Toenails are fine. No signs of lifting as of yet, but the ones that are turning white are worrying me.
Ali what kind of dress did you get? What sort of things are going on for the diamond jubilee? I have been watching coverage of it on and off from across the pond here.
dltnhm - sounds like you had a very blessed May.
Happy anniversary! And congratulations on your son graduating. Thanks for sharing about getting your hair back. It gives me encouragement! Oh how I miss hair. I have been blessed, so far I still have about 1/3-1/2 of my eyebrows, about 1/2 of my upper eyelashes and about 1/4 of my lower lashes.I'm having all my normal post-chemo symptoms. The most annoying is that water tastes bad, but I am so thirsty. I'm drinking a lot of juice and I'll probably pay for that later with tummy issues. My port has felt sore yesterday and today, but it is not hot or red or anything, so I'm not sure what is going on with it. Last night after I showered I noticed a little hole with a little bit of slightly tinged yellow fluid leaking out. I put a bandaid on it with neosporin. Today the hole is gone. I sure hope it's not getting infected.
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dltnhm- I was reading through your post and the one thing kept popping out in my head.. How does she remember that all?! I would have had to make notes on everyone in order to do that! Congrats on the anniversary and the graduation! I understand what you say.. this month has been hardest on me emotionally. I think while going through chemo it was like, I cant do anymore than I am right now. But now that I am done, I worry about the upcoming surgery (A LOT), I worry that its spread or reoccurance and how will they catch it in time. Plus I am tired of going to the dr. I have gone every week since Jan. if not for an appt , then for herceptin treatment. Sorry if it sounds as if I am whining(which ironically I just yelled at my son to STOP doing) but just trying to figure out how to get back to the higher spirits I was earlier in the treatment, or maybe this is just our time to heal and get there?
School is out for the kids! Both kids brought home A's and B's, my son got outstanding attendance award and my daughter.. what can I say I am so proud of her. She got 2 big awards this year. One voted on by her classmates for most caring, and the other is teacher nominated for one student from each class. Her class which is the High ability class, half 3rd graders and half 4th graders, she won Oustanding Citizenship award. I told her thats the most important award she can get because it says she is a good person on the inside and outside to everyone.
lol she cried on the last day of school.. she has for the past 4 years because she will miss her teacher and in this case also because the 4th graders move on to a different school next year.I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far. Relaxing, and without any issues with SE's or family lol
hugs!
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jen...whine away! i have!
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lumpy - hey those shoes definitely could be the culprit. We have moved more than some in our marriage and I have always wanted to spend more time looking over the places and envisioning where furniture will be placed, what will fit, etc. Men! They like to kick tires. Send him off to a car dealership :-)
christina - nails ... kinda like my lashes and brows, I didn't have any nail issues until after my AC. But I have toenails issues that started preTaxol. My one big toenail was half dead months before all of this - probably from a grueling run in the Fall. During the break between AC and T, I developed some purple discoloration under almost the entire right big toenail andjust the inside edge and bottom of my left big toenail. The right one is definitely going to eventually go ... but I just trim it down and keep it there. As long as it's clean and not growing anything funky underneath, I prefer it to stay in place as long as possible. My fingernails are fine. I never iced. Go figure. Luck of the draw, I guess. Water never bothered me on AC, but doesn't hold the same 'taste' on Taxol. I prefer something now with taste too but know I am adding on ounces and probably pounds with empty calories so I've got to stop this sooner than later ;-)
jen - LOL ... well you know my secret. I did have to take notes. I wrote a really long post yesterday where I was trying to catch up with everyone and kinda going back and forth between pages, posts and writing and then LOST the entire thing. This time, I went back and actually wrote myself little notes before trying to write it here. I've been pretty good about reading everyone's posts but cannot always keep it all straight. I honestly believe I have some chemo brain going on right now so there's no way I could have kept that all straight in my head without notes ;-) What sweet accomplishments for your children! How encouraging for you as a parent too! Whine, whine, whine away .... that's what I say.
I'm so thankful this community is sticking together ... not just for me. I think I might be the LAST one to complete plannned chemo .... my last Taxol will be July 11th. And even though some folks did chemo before lumpectomy or mx and others, like me, started chemo after mx, and although we all weren't taking the same chemo drugs, and even if we were, sometimes not the same doseage or strength or regimen, we still have so much to learn from one another and share on this journey. And I know we're so much more than a chemo thread.
FLYING - total aside. Husband was in New Mexico for business since Th and was to fly home today and get in late tonight. He was on a plane sitting on the tarmac and because of problems in Denver (where he would have changed planes) they were going to delay takeoff for 45 minutes and have them sit there (with no air and baking in the 90+ degree temps). Then they decided to pull them off the plane so they could cool off, so everyone deplaned. After the delay, they reboarded. Next he texts me ... "we were taking off and the pilot hit the breaks and touched back down and we're going back to the gate. No explanation as yet. Nervous fliers around me." Yikes!!! He flies a lot .. but this is a first for him. They were having mechanics look at the plane - yeah ... but he was like most - not really desiring to get back on THAT plane today. So, he's still in the airport working out his way home which will happen tomorrow not today. He actually has seats for flights for tomorrow just has to get through the line. Never a dull moment.
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Not kidding you ... I barely hit the send button on the above message and my husband called.
The mechanics worked on the plane all this time and my husband and about 15 others are on the plane again and are going to take off. He is joking about me hearing about him on the news later tonight. He said he was talking to the pilot and told him "If you're still willing to fly this then I guess I can still take this flight too." Then he tells me that the insurance is all paid up.
Whatever am I to do with this man?
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Dltnham, I am amazed and in awe of your memory, you got everyone right! LOL. I am also keeping my fingers crossed for your hubby on the flight! And, yes, my port is a power port, so they do blood draws from it. The only thing they don't do is the nuclear med stuff for the MUGA, so it won't get contaminated with radiation. Also, I will need it for Herceptin into next Feb. But I plan on keeping it as long as I can. Since I can't compete with you on the completness of answering everyone, I am just going to wish EVERYONE a wonderful weekend! One other note, we do have a wonderful group of people here who care deeply about one another. A very bright spot in my life, just to know We are here for each other, a true blessing. Much love to all!
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Jen I am right with you, it was better to fret about feeling yucky from chemo, than be done with chemo and fret about good or bad surgery results. I am really stressed about it too. Although I am not tired of seeing the doctor. I moved my weekly herceptin appointment to Thursday so now it'll be a little over a week before I see the doctor, and I'm stressing over every little thing. I guess I've gotten a little too dependent on my onc and his team. Don't ask me how to feel in high spirits - I don't think I'll be there again until after I have good surgery results back. I feel like I'm back at the beginning of this process, with the waiting and worrying for test results. On a happier note, you must be so proud of your kiddos! Very impressive. I hope you can all do something to celebrate as a family.
dltnhm - omg chemo until July! I think you are the last one except for gritgirl (I don't think she has an end date set). That seems far but it's really just over a month. I hope your husband's flight went well and that he is home safe now.
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dlt
I didn't realize that you still had TX into July! Your hubby cracks me up with is somewhat warped sense of humor LOL!! I trust he made it home ok?
I know what you all mean about being more emotional even after TX which is weird for me because the chemo part was the scariest to me. In reflecting on everything I think what gets to me the most is the fact that this ride so far has taken up almost every waking moment for the last 6 months. While I am really grateful for alot of things with my personal DX and TX, time is something you can't get back and that gets to me. To the people in my life that seem to think TX is over and everything is supposed to return to normal, I don't know that it ever does really and I don't think anyone really gets it unless they've been there done that.
Because of this I am so staying on this thread because you all get it where no one else does.
I hope everyone is enjoying there weekend. Its been a rainy one here but we needed it.
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It's rain here and the queen is getting wet. My eldest daughter went and saw the queen go by.
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Ali
I was watching a bit of the floatilla on TV. The Queen looks amazing! I guess it's going to be quite a summer with the Jubilee and the Summer Olympics in England.
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i have to agree that people do not get it-they cannot comprehend the time we have lost-waiting or sleeping or fretting or being sick or just freaking sitting around doing nothing(that's the one that bothers me most cuz i could have worked thru much of my "stuff")....they cannot comprehend that we still have to take some form of tx -even just the tamoxifen or followup testing etc...that we have to always be conscious of possible LE or cancer returning etc....we will always be different from before- yet i think we will all -at least in this group-be stronger better people for it!i find myself coming here everyday taht i turn on my home computer...even if i don't post....
side note- in 1994 i was fortunate to get to london with a group of Girl Scouts and adults and one of our hilites was the official changing of the guard!( and the torment that the 17 girls tried to put upon the guards!!! ) we lined up about 300 yards away from the Palace and it was spectacular!
i've spent the morning chilling out with the dog and the cat in my lap- did manage to pack about 8 boxes and will do some more later while i have laundry going...i am so anxious to "make a home" fo rus as opposed to this "place" that we are in.... i ordered a new tag for the dog yesterday and some address labels...since i can't take any boxes over til the 16th i seem to be putting off the packing but a little at a time and i'm ok..strained my left arm a tad today so i have to watch my limits!i'm trying to pack everything in small boxes!!!what i am afraid that i will end up doing is taking all of the lil stuff over before and then having to be miserable here waiting for my crew to move the big stuff- i'll want to start sleeping over there right away and that won't happen til the 24th....which is only one week later!!!!
i've had to sit on the tarmack in the heat with no a/c etc so it's lucky they got to disembark! hopefully he is home safely now!
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MLB - yes I understand what you are saying...I can't imagine life being "normal" again...I feel very blessed that my dx and tx have not been worse but this has definitely been the hardest 5-6 months of my life, a very dark time. I think it'll be a long time before the dust settles...not sure how else to describe it.
ali - how cool to see the queen!!! I bet your daughter was thrilled! It must be so neat to live amongst royalty!
lumpy - moving is NOT fun but I am so happy for you! You have waited so long for this!
I thought I was going to escape tummy issues but nope, they just came a day or so later than during past treatments. Oooh my stomach hurts...but it's getting better. I have to take the cat to the vet this afternoon; hopefully I'll be feeling a little better by then.
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Hi everyone,
Haven't been on in awhile. So busy at work. It took awhile to catch up but I'm glad everyone is doing o.k. Especially gritgirl! it was like reading a suspense novel as I read through the threads. Glad your o.k. MY LAST CHEMO IS TOMMORROW! I meet with the RO on Friday and next month I go in for the TE exchange. I was concerned about surgery before rads but this is the protocol at Sloan. I have learned so much and recieved so much support from this site. I'm glad we will all continue to post after chemo. Life will go on, but in a diffrent way. I know I will always worry every time I get a strange pain or am due for a test but I do see life as more precious than before. I am stressing less over the small stuff and enjoying and appreciating family and friends. A little humor: my dh spotted a hair on my chin that he had to pull out with his fingers (ouch!!). WTF- no eyelashes, eyebrows or hair where the sun doesnt shine, but I need to look like a walrus with hairs on my chin!
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dipad! Last chemo is tomorrow - that's great!!! So happy for you!!!
lol @ hair comment! I was just wondering today, why do I still have hair on my toes!?! Haven't had to deal with facial hair since all this started - that stinks!
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Christina - My question is - if I have a total of 28 eyebrows, why do 4 of them have to be in a place where I would normally pull them? I have a few new hairs popping through on my head. But I only know this because I am obsessed. I don't think anyone else would know.
Congrats dipad!
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dipad
Yay for last chemo TX!!!! I just plucked a chin hair too like 2 minutes ago LOL! As for the fuzz on my head, well its just fuzz right now. I'm taking pics every week and posting to an album I made on Photobucket so I can remind myself that it's growing. At some point I'll share but there's not much to report at this time.
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Moonflower (He made it home on Sunday) & MLB - warped sense of humor is right. He made it to Denver on Saturday night and home Sunday afternoon. Said everyone applauded and cheered when the plane touched down in Denver. Being the Dad that he is, he rented a car (I think with points) and drove to our son's and texted him from outside, "You hungry?" They ended up going and getting a midnight snack :-) And United did have a hotel room for him because of the mechanical difficulty and missed connection.
Christina et al, Yes Chemo through July 11th. I had the DD AC starting Feb. 22 over 8 weeks, a 3 week break in April, and now I'm about to go past the halfway mark on the 12 weekly Taxols as part of a trial.
I'm thankful that I received them weekly. But it's been hitting me hard lately to know that I'm in that trial but in the control group. So if the Herceptin actually makes a difference for low postive patients in terms of low to no recurrence and survivability,they'll be comparing it to those like me that don't get it. I really don't want to be one of those statistics that prove the study works because that means I'll be gone. With surgery out of the way so long ago (January) and chemo rounding the bend to the end ... I have a lot of thoughts about this whole IIIA and lymphovascular invasion. And I'm tired of reading about Tamoxifen and my chemically induced pause wondering if estrogen depletion (which is actually helping me with the cancer since I am ER+) will mess up my bones, my body, and continue to wreak havoc on my libido. Yes ... I'm definitely in a down place right now.
Okay .... on a bright note I've been running and today I ran over 5.08 in 63 minutes. I was just about on my regular "keep agoin' pace" which thrilled me. And then I walked another 90 minutes at a good clip.
Dipad - most excellent news for your final treatment tomorrow! Hurrah!!!
I used my husband's other electric razor on the clipper setting to 'remove' some of the white fuzz all over my face ... I didn't actually SHAVE the skin or anything.
lumpynme - I bet you were a hoot as a Girl Scout leader/parent/chaperone?? I can only imagine that perhaps you were right in there with those girls trying to get those guards to respond/react.
ali - how special for your daughter.
Hugs all around! I'm thinking I might need to text Susan again. I'll let you know.
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dipad, congrats! Last chemo is something to celebrate.
Dltnhm, I had a fair amount of lymphovascular invasion as well. Its one of the reasons I'm having radiation, even though I had a mastectomy. It kind of bums me out that I read some place that grade one and two tumors with low ki-67 numbers don't tend to respond to chemo. I figure with the LVI I am probably at higher risk of having some traveling cells, but then it looks like they might not respond as well. Best not to think about it.
So for those who are heading to rads next, I just had the first of 25 treatments today. In and out in 25 minutes, tops. For what it's worth, here was my experience--cross-posting from the June rads thread, so apologies for the redundancy. They have you lie down, arms above heads, and carefully position you so that you are right where you need to be to get the radiation on the right spot. The radiation technicians then leave the room and speak to you through mics. They had me take a very deep breath and hold it for each radiation burst, the thinking being that it pushes your heart out of the field of radiation. I also have a piece of this gel-like material draped over my mastectomy scar. It tricks the radiation beam into thinking its skin, which makes it so that the rads hit the scar itself rather than underneath it. I think they called it a bolus.
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Dipad, yay for last tx! Mine is Thursday, can't wait to get this over. I have to get my TE replaced next. Will talk to the ps after I meet with the mo on Thursday. Dltnham, I am amazed that you are almost back on your time for your run! That is incredible. MLB, I think I'll take your idea of snapping pics of the hair growth intervals. Might be interesting. Right now I look like Mr Fuzzy still. Much love to all.
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dipad- Congratulations on your final treatment. A great milestone
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