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Fall 2015 Rads

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Comments

  • ElishebaJoy
    ElishebaJoy Member Posts: 54
    edited October 2015

    Thanks for the info, littlebluef... Good to know that fatigue was not too bad for you. Good idea about the tattoo!

  • queenmomcat
    queenmomcat Member Posts: 2,020
    edited October 2015

    You're on the list for October 19, if you start later easy enough to tweak it. And glad.....no, not that you're here! but rather that you could come straight here from surgery.

  • marijen
    marijen Member Posts: 2,181
    edited June 2016

    i'll let you know how it fits Keyes, it will be here Friday. Would be nice not to have hooks in the back we'll see. Ordered one or two sizes up like you said.

  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 391
    edited October 2015

    CONGRATS squirrel and horsegirl! Yayyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!

  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 391
    edited October 2015

    Ok so today my boost area started bleeding, but the rest looks better. Wal mart camis, abd bandages, and bag balm, since I ran out of aquaphor. Hopefully I don't turn into a cow, but I figure if it's good for chapped udders, it's good for chapped udders.

  • 513mgv
    513mgv Member Posts: 54
    edited October 2015

    Hi everyone I will be joining your group. I have my first visit with radiology oncologists tomorrow. I am stage 4 and have several Mets to spine and sacrum.I will be getting 10-15 treatment s to to lower back, hopefully this will help the pain in my left hip and thigh. Any tips will be greatly appreciated.

    Marilyn

  • queenmomcat
    queenmomcat Member Posts: 2,020
    edited October 2015

    513Mgy: you're on the list and welcome to the group. Hoping we can help, or at least provide sympathy and support! Chronic hip pain's a right bleep, isn't it? (bog-standard deteriorating spine in my case, not cancer mets)

  • princesstina
    princesstina Member Posts: 129
    edited October 2015

    StefLove! November 9, that's my day too! I just got it scheduled yesterday!

    Hi Ladies! I'm up for 25 whole breast/clavicle then 5 boosts to the lump area.

    Feeling very nervous seeing these pictures

  • queenmomcat
    queenmomcat Member Posts: 2,020
    edited October 2015

    Princess: I've put you on...yeah, November's approaching fast, isn't it? (I feel like I've lost a season to this, and I got off with minimal medical intervention, as such things go....)

  • courtleboo
    courtleboo Member Posts: 27
    edited October 2015

    Congrats Horsegirl & Skysquirrel!!

  • princesstina
    princesstina Member Posts: 129
    edited October 2015

    Thanks QueenMom!


  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 391
    edited October 2015

    Yup, its good for chapped udders...

  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 695
    edited October 2015

    Littleblue, I have only had a little area of bleeding; rest has just been yellowish serous goo. You should probably report bleeding.

    Mine is quite a bit better than yesterday, though a few new areas of "breast" are opening up. I do think I am turning the corner; axilla is 85% healed so I feel human again!!!!! As promised, weekly pictures. This is 1 week post rads. Lots of healing yesterday to today.... Mepilex wound dressings are amazing!!!!!!!

    image

    image

    The dark areas on my "breast" will likely open up soon given how the other similar areas progressed. These are not too sore though. Notice the huge areas of healing behind the open area on axilla..... Yahooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

  • Keys-Plez
    Keys-Plez Member Posts: 190
    edited October 2015

    Princess.....My pictures are posted in this thread at https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/70/topic/834004?page=20

    Also look at GoofyFoot on page 19. Many of us fared quite well.

    You don't really know how your body will react until you get there. I had 28 sessions. Try not to worry too much until you need to.

  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 461
    edited October 2015

    Thanks for the update, Kbeee.

  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 391
    edited October 2015

    Kbee! Yay for healing! Actually, it stopped bleeding and dried out after last night. I look exactly like you. I smeared Bag Balm all over, which has sulfer in it. Most of the yellow goo has dried. In the non-boost area, its covered in new skin! Just the boost area is messed up now, and I can bandage that...

    On a totally different note, did you have nipple reconstruction? I can't believe how natural recon looks. Now I'm considering it in a few years...

  • trvler
    trvler Member Posts: 931
    edited October 2015

    So I am schedule for 28. I have no idea about boosts or even what those are. They were never mentioned. I only see the doctor on Mondays.

  • princesstina
    princesstina Member Posts: 129
    edited October 2015

    Thanks Keyz-Plez!

  • queenmomcat
    queenmomcat Member Posts: 2,020
    edited October 2015

    Tvler: thanks for letting me/us know how many you're getting. Mainly that's for anyone who wants a quick way to gauge where you are in treatment. As for boosts, the short and extremely non-technical answer is: they're a more focused version of exactly the same radiation zaps you got in the previous X number of treatments, concentrating more precisely where the cancer is. Or rather, WAS! Mine were at the end--I think that's common but not an absolute given. Just ask your RO, if the thought occurs to you.

  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 391
    edited October 2015

    Boosts are a different kind of radiation. Electrons rather than protons? And they use them on the area where cancer is most likely to come back- generally your scar/tumor bed area. It gives the radiation a "boost"- extra punch, in the area you need it most. From reading here, it looks like 5 of those is about average. I'm sure not everyone gets them..

  • marijen
    marijen Member Posts: 2,181
    edited June 2016

    Keys-plez, aren't big sores under the arms painful? How did you manage the discomfort until healing?

  • marijen
    marijen Member Posts: 2,181
    edited June 2016

    Kbee, great reconstruction. That's so encouraging. But why radiation after reconstruction? I'm missing something...

  • queenmomcat
    queenmomcat Member Posts: 2,020
    edited October 2015

    Thank you for the correction, littleblue! My rads team didn't mention anything that I recall about a different type of radiation--it felt pretty much the same to me.

  • trvler
    trvler Member Posts: 931
    edited October 2015

    I am curious. Did most of you see the doctor the first time or at every treatment or once a week or what? My doctor wasn't there today. She will see me every Monday. I don't know. It kind of bugged me.

  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 391
    edited October 2015

    QMC, Sorry! I wasn't trying to correct you! We must have cross posted. Just repeating what my head Rad Tech taught me...

  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 695
    edited October 2015

    Marijen, because thid isvgorvsvrecurrence. I live how my reconstruction turned. Hoping it is still ok after this heals!!!!!!!

    Allison, I saw my RO weekly. What that consisted of is him coming in and asking if I had questions. He only looked at my skin at my sim, my boost sim, and the last day. His nurse did lol at my son, take vitals, and ask questions. RO did follow up on any concerns mentioned to nurse

  • marijen
    marijen Member Posts: 2,181
    edited June 2016

    Ok I see 3 dx. That's what I am afraid of! How was your lymph node surgery? What tissue do they use for reconstruction? Fat from your tummy? : )

  • Molly50
    Molly50 Member Posts: 3,008
    edited October 2015

    KBeee, what type of recon did you have? Very nice job!

  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 695
    edited October 2015

    my lymph node surgery was done the same time as reexcision (when they did the surgical biopsy, it looked like scar tissue, so they needed to go back and make sure margins were clear and take more). Recovery was not bad. Drains were a pain. I have implant reconstruction; looks better when my arms are down; they were raised in that picture. My PS is fabulous and made sure things looked great even after taking out a bunch after reconstruction

  • Molly50
    Molly50 Member Posts: 3,008
    edited October 2015

    Your PS did a fabulous job. Hopefully you won't have any post radiation problems.

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