Fall 2015 Rads
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Sky; my last boost is on Friday, though I think OxfordLady's ahead by a nose, mainly because she didn't have to stop out for Labor Day. Call it a tie for win, with KBee and LittleBlue to place and show.
Finishing's definitely worthy of celebration, though I'm more inclined to a bottle of champagne than 'ringing the bell' (rads nurses just mentioned that to me today, though I'd heard of it on the boards already) What I'm glad of is that my skin's intact, though I've been doing most everything 'wrong': wearing my usual bras, swimming four times a week, using (gasp) gel antiperspirant with aluminum (though never while I'm actually getting a treatment). We'll see how I do over the week after rads finish.
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Keys-Plez- It's so true that the first week is getting to know the techs and the process.
Today was my 4th rads. I had to walk in and tell them that the sharpie marks were gone. I was so anxious and worried about Mr Snarky saying something about it. Two techs were unbelievably kind, assured me it wasn't a big deal and said that if they have to measure me everyday then that's what they will do. Then Mr Snarky comes in and in all his snarkiness says in an exasperated, annoyed voice "So, what, we're gonna just do the measurements everyday??" I started to explain to Snarky that I tried my best to keep it on and I think the techs could sense my anxiety about it and jumped in and again said its not a big deal, it just may take a couple minutes longer for my treatments. So I feel better about it now. I again offered to retrace it myself but they don't like their patients to do that just in case there is a mistake. So, I will just get remeasured everyday.
Hope everyone had a good day!!
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Sprite: (is exasperated on your behalf) Yes, they can just measure you every day. That's their problem, not yours.
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Spriteb .. Totally agree with queen. You try to be nice and do the best you can, but ultimately THEY are there for YOU. Sounds like your other techs know this guy's a jerk. It's not you. It's him/her. Now some days you might need a jerk ( like my Helga the Hun), but not today. You deserve that. You call the shots. Don't feel guilty or apologize for anything until the next day. Trust me, I've apologized the next day and they've forgotten all about it by then. They know you're under stress. You're not hurting their feelings. They understand more than you think.. This is your journey, not theirs..
A little clarification. I'm at a really small facility. There are 2 techs I see everyday and one RO. I see the RO once a week. That's all I see. So I guess my techs are like my nurses. They are total opposites and the perfect pair, for me. 40+ years experience. I trust them, but it took me a week to come to that conclusion.
Hang in there. Trust you're instincts and be bold.
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CT scan today got 3 tiny little tattoos. They look like pin points. Go in for the radiation simulation next Friday. If all goes well I will start treatments Oct 5.
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When you get whole breast rads do they automatically radiate your underarm/axial/pits?
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court..Good job. You're on your wsy.
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Meme: The nurse practitioner showed me my plan. Actually, I think she was excited about it. When people love what they do they enjoy talking about. I would never have thought to ask. Didn't realize until then that a part of the plan shows a visual representation.
Sprite: so crummy about that tech. I think you should mention it to your doc. This is about you, not them. You are doing your best, my goodness. Stuff like this works me up😡 (former nurse, can't help it - haha) I'll call & complain for you!0 -
Courtleboo: updated your start date. You'll do.
Molliefish: acknowledging your question and hoping someone else will be able to answer your question more specifically. (I wouldn't think so, if there wasn't a positive node....but IDK. What do I know? Mine was strictly in situ.)
Keys: thank you for hanging around to answer our questions.
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Good evening everyone... 1/33 done. Physically today was fine, but I was really emotional. My 22 year old daughter texted me right before my tx to tell me she loved me and that I could do it... that started the tears. We are from California and she is living in Baton Rouge for a year doing an Americorps program. She was able to come home for my surgery in August , but now I won't see her until Christmas. This whole thing has been an emotional roller coaster for my kids and me. Their dad died in 2008 (not of cancer) and the whole cancer thing definitely was not a welcome addition to our family. Mostly, I am able to focus on how grateful I m that it was caught so early, and that is certainly what I focus on with my kids. I'm sure a good night's sleep will help. I appreciate being able to come here.0
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Hello all *shy wave*...I'd like to join the Fall group. I just had my simulation appointment today, and got my little tattoo markings. I'm all set to start on Oct 5th too, looks like I will have 30 visits or so? I'll have to check my appointment sheet again to be sure.
Hope you're all doing well!
Take care,
--Sherri, aka EnigmaticFox
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10 more. Just 10 more. Just. 10. More. I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.
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EnigmaticFox: Welcome to the group. I'll add you to the list. (and hoping things go as smoothly for you physically as it did for me)
KTbird: I can just bet you were emotional. I teared up after the sim, after my first appointment and about one in three after that.
Littleblue: (in sympathy) with you there. Hopefully the rollercoaster will be slowing down for you as it is for me.
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Your armpit is not necessarily in the field. A small part of mine was, but only because the angle of the beam hit there. Parts of you will get rads only because they angle the beam in because it can't go straight down. My left breast was getting rads but a small part of my inner right breast got hit in one of the angles.
I was very emotional on my first day. It was just all so real. After a week, it just all became routine. What caught me off guard was I was emotional my last couple of days. I had become really attached to my techs and it was hard to say goodbye
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Mollie - I'm having whole Breast radiation and they are not radiating my nodes....that I know of.
Ktbird - sending hugs. What a sweet daughter. I had my 4th out of 33 today so we should be done the same week.
Hi enigmaticfox! Welcome!!
I was laying on the table today as they were rolling me a cm this way and back a half cm that way and thinking how precise everything has to be. It's so hard to not have any control and just lay there, not moving, putting all of my trust in these strangers.
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Welcome everyone to this great group of hot women.
Little blue, I am right there with you. I shudder every day when they grab that big bolus and lay it on me. Today is my doctor day and the nurse was concerned because my blood pressure was 152/98. I don't think they get it that the environment there is a bit stressful. My BP tonight at work: 112/76. Ready to be done with all of this!!!!!
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molliefish: I have right-side DCIS and am in the prone (facedown) position and not having nodes/armpits radiated. Because my left breast is above the table (and carefully pulled out of the way each time so none of it dangles down the opening) it is not being radiated either. But I don't know how much of an area they radiate for those with nodes which are positive (for non-DCIS).
Friday they had to reposition me 3 times to get me lined up correctly. Monday and Tuesday I lined up correctly the first time. I don't know what was wrong on Friday. But I learned on Tuesday's visit with the RadOnc that my breast is swollen, despite my response that it is not. So maybe Friday, after 5 consecutive treatments, it was extra swollen with edema, I don't know. Obviously it is not massively swollen or I would not be so unaware.
Looking in the mirror I can barely notice some darker color, and some pinpoint red dots. Yesterday I noticed some slight itching for the first time. But no pain or any other issues with the breast.
Friday the fatigue set in. And nausea reared its head again. I had nausea the prior weekend and attributed it to something from the grandkids. Now I think it is from the rads although they say not. I am in the prone position, and the table painfully pushes on my sternum and lower ribs, and they said perhaps that triggers the nausea. But it did not start until Friday, after 4 days of treatment, just like the prior week. I did discover that drinking PeptoBismal stopped the pain instantly. I take Prilosec every day for other GERD reasons, so I was surprised the Pepto worked so quickly.
I am still hiking every day but I was really dragging yesterday with the fatigue. I don't sleep any additional time (6.5 hours per night typically) but I feel lethargic. Sunday I bounced back and did a lot of yard work, including climbing a ladder and sawing branches off of a tree, but the RadOnc said I will find the "weekend break" on Sundays and Mondays to go away over time and the fatigue to become more constant. I finish radiation a week from Thursday but I am not sure when the fatigue will subside ? Is that one of the side effects which could go on for many weeks or months, or might it end shortly after radiation ?
Good luck ladies !
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Goofyfoot: It was that third week (last week for me) that the fatigue really landed on me. I've been working out, but that's pretty much all I've managed to do other than go to rads and pet the cats in a desultory way....and that only because they insert themselves under my hands when they feel the need for attention. Dishes pile up on the counter, laundry remains not only unfolded but wilting in the drier, flowerbeds unweeded. This week, my husband has been strictly abjured to not even bother asking me what I want for dinner, but just put food in front of me.
Not so much nausea for me--I'm in the supine position--but an extreme disinterest in food/loss of appetite. Maybe stress for me, but as someone with mild GERD, I can well imagine that just the pressure of lying on your stomach on a hard surface would trigger reflux, and with it nausea. But my skin's doing well enough, with only a couple of sore spots where my bra rubs. No skin breaks, though.
At my exit interview yesterday, the nurse mentioned that fatigue may continue for "ten days to two weeks" before starting to abate, as I didn't have chemo.
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I dont post much on this page but I wanted share this. I completed my first half marathon since being diagnosed with BC. I have done a handful of 5ks but this was my longest race. I started Rads on 8/25 and have 28 total treatments. I wanted to share this with everyone to say we can do it. No matter what. I also finish Chemo on August 5th!
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AJbenefield: thank you for the words of hope. Ran a half-marathon? You're a better woman than I!
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AH, Awesome! I did a half during chemo (alternated running and walking miles), and have been training for one in October. I am hoping my skin holds up ok to do it. I keep my arm way out to the side and know I look ridiculous, but at least it gets me out there to exercise
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I didn't have any issues with my arms rubbing against my skin. Even in my tank top and running vest. I didnt get to run thru most of Chemo due to my PS not clearing me during my fills. I was cleared to run in mid july. It was the greatest news...I have lots of races planned but the big one is Feb of 2017... 26.2 with Donna Marathon to end Breast Cancer!
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AJ/Kbeee: just out of curiosity, how much [running/exercise] were you doing before rads? Before treatment started (this time)?
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AH and KB, amazing!! congrats AH! KB, glad to hear you're still training through everything. I have a half Nov 7th that I registered for before all of this BC crud started. Hopefully the race is before I start rads (still don't have a definite date yet) and I've just been planning on walking most of it and jogging in parts. I've just felt so run down on AC + T that whenever I did try to run I couldn't make it 800m without needing to stop. I've been walking though so hopefully that helps, and my friends said they'll walk with me too.
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StefLove: how long before you finish chemo? Not sure what the suggested interval is between chemo and rads, but maybe some of the other ladies here can help. But definitely mention it to your RO.
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I was running alot before all this happened. I had plans to run 6 half marathons this year...I only got 2 in
But that just means I can get them all done next year. I run 3 days a week and do strength training 3 days a week and yoga on my rest day.0 -
AJ: (teasing, even a bit affectionately) So you too did have a reduction in activity level during treatment? (more seriously) But rescheduling for next year the half-marathons you'd planned on for this year sounds like a good plan.
I ended up planting two dormant bare-root roses just after I was diagnosed, as a reassurance to myself that I will be here to see them in maturity.
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queen, I finish chemo Friday! However I have to wait 3 weeks and then have another lumpectomy, and then probably 3 weeks after that to start rads. So with my calculation that puts me around Nov 9th. I meet with both my Oncologist and surgeon next week to discuss next steps and timeline. I've already met with the RO a few months ago just as a meet and greet so will need to touch base with him again soon too.
aj, ditto for me too in regards to being really active. I cut down my races to 1 or 2 half marathons a year but was doing crossfit 5x a week before all this crud. I've only been able to head to the gym lately like once every two or three weeks or so. I get tired and exhausted just from the warmup! I do go to the theme parks a lot though with friends (I live in Orlando) and I make sure to walk as much as possible. A few weeks ago I hit 8 or 9 miles in one half day and felt really good so I was happy. Stupid stupid chemo/cancer. Ugh. You're amazing!
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I was diagnosed in the winter, so I only got out to walk/run on days when it was above freezing. During chemo, I walked 4-6 miles per day and when I felt good enough to run a mile, I'd run a mile or 2. Understand here that I am using the term "run" loosely. If it is faster than a walk, it is a run. There sometimes may be little difference between my run and walk. I did not care during chemo if I walked the whole thing. I was actually very freeing to not care at all about time. The October marathon is about 9 days post rads, so I may be at my worst. If I do not have too many open areas, I will try to do it. Right now, I have 18/30 done and my axilla is purple/black and angry. It is not peeling or blistered yet, but they said to expect that at or just after #20. I also am registered for one in November,so I plan to that one too. I just plan to run some, walk some, and have fun. It takes my mind off hte situation at hand and gives me a goal to look forward to besides just my next treatment.
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Because of my LVI and two positive nodes I was told that I would have radiation all the way up my neck to get all of my nodes.
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