Fall 2015 Rads
Comments
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Horsegirl I finished today and they gave me a paper with expectations and instructions. One of the things it said is that the radiation will continue to affect the area radiated for the next 2 weeks and then I should start to feel better. I have been feeling the zinger aches since this weekend. I have found cortesone helps with the rash.
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Hi Everyone -
We got me moved over to Salt Lake City and checked into the Hope Lodge yesterday. When I met the RO a couple weeks ago he told me I would be getting 25 doses - so that's what we planned. Imagine my surprise today when we showed up for the simulation and tatoos - he told me he only wanted to give me 15 now - and no boosts! I had such a good response to chemo, and a clear path report - so there was even some discussion about whether I even needed rads - so it actually makes sense to me that I don't need the whole enchilada. My first one is this Thursday the 19th - which means I should actually be done and home before Thanksgiving. Yeah!!!! I have learned so much from all of you that I have my aquaphor, vitamin e, emu oil and mepilex dressings all ready. Oh yeah, a cooling towel too. Good to be prepared!
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The Miaderm and emu oil have been claimed. Best wishes to all
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Georgia: fifteen zaps instead of twenty-five? How absolutely wonderful! (response to previous treatments, not having to stay away from home for as long as you'd originally thought....and not having to have so many radiation treatments.)
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Great news, Georgia! Darumama how very nice of you!
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Did your RO go over the percentages with you if you did or didn't do rads? Mine did not and I am a little bothered that she didn't give me the choice but just dictated this is what I'm doing. My MO was so great at giving me ask the numbers and the research. I felt more comfortable.
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Espanola, from what I have been told, having a lumpectomy guarantees that you will have to have radiation. I think its only after mastectomy that there is a possibility that you wont need them
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And lymph node removal disqualifies for accelerated radiation.
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My RO went over so much I can't remember what the percentages were but I am one of the lucky ones who has rads following mastectomy. It was because of my two positive nodes and my LVI. I am okay with it because on my oncotype was on the low end and I was able to skip chemo.
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Is it true you only can have radiation once?
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I'm done. 27 rads with 7 boosts. So anticlimactic, even with ringing the bell. The staff was way more excited than me! No certificate which is just fine! One nurse read a poem that is engraved on the Bell. Cute.
All in all it was pretty easy for me. I've come out of this a bit red on the boob, nipple and areola are pealing and still sensitive to the touch. My seatbelt sucks!! My underarm is peeling and discolored. And when I say peeling, its nothing like a sunburn peel. I don't even see the skin flaking off. Just pink spots among the dark brown areas.
Good luck to all of you who are still in treatment or are starting. Hope it goes as easy as mine did!!
On to the tamoxifin adventure. Yay.
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Congratulations, Mira!
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Marijen, Yes you cannot radiate an area that has already had radiation.
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Congratulations, Mira!
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Congratulations, Mira!
Marijen, good luck with your surgery.
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Congrats Mira!
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Congrats brutersmom and mira!
Had my first boost today. Wasn't too terrible. Nurse looked at my skin and told me she was glad I'm almost done. She didn't think my skin would hold up much longer. Here I was thinking I was doing good, but apparently the skin in my armpit (which had been uncomfortable for a few days) was very thin that is why it has darkened. I hope my skin stays good, only 4 more days and done!
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Woohoo, congratulations Mira!
Take care,
--Sherri, aka EnigmaticFox
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I am starting my first "real" treatment tomorrow after today's dry run. I was wondering if it made any difference to any of you who are going through (or are all finished with) treatments as to when you showered: the night before (mine are morning treatments) or the morning of? I was told just to use Dove soap and not to have the water too hot or let it hit directly on breast, as well as all the other advice (no deodorant, pat dry, etc), but wondered if the time of day or night for showering affected how the skin reacts.
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ElishebaJoy
I was told that I should shower at least 2 hours before the treatment or wait till after. The same instructions were give for use of creams and ointments. I only turned pink but everyone is different.
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I didn't notice any difference. First half of my rads were in the morning and the second half were late afternoon. A lot of the advice will come naturally later on. When your skin gets sensitive you'll have no desire to rub it, let water hit it directly, etc. good practice to start now though. Biggest thing is just to remember to put nothing on your skin four hours before rads. I used Lra deodorant. Had to order it. My RO looked it over and said it was fine to use (non-metallic). It's actually made with rads in mind. They have a website, but I ordered from Amazon. Good luck starting.
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My treatments are first thing in the morning too. I applied the Aquaphor they gave me twice a day, after my treatment and again before bed from the very first treatment. Now towards the end 3 times a day. I showered in the morning, lukewarm water and only let the water run over my breast from behind. This way I felt it helped wash away any Aquaphor that was still on my skin from the night before. Also I was more comfortable showering right before treatment since I could not use deodorant under the treatment arm. I did not use any soap on the treatment area and did not rub the area in any way. My skin in sensitive and I am very fair skinned. I am having my last regular treatment treatment ,#28 tomorrow before my 5 boosts, 33 in all. My skin has held up, very red but no breaks or blisters so far. I hate the sticky feeling of the Aquaphor and I know there are other creams but since my skin was doing well I did not want to chance changing it up. I still wore my bra in the beginning but bought a bra extender from Joanne Fabrics so that it was nice and loose. The last two weeks I have not wore a bra at all as I found it too irritating. I wore a tank top usually with a button up shirt. I had to wear all my tank tops backwards so that you would not see my markings as some were high up. While at home I found the most comfortable thing this last two weeks is just wearing my husbands white cotton t-shirts. I took Advil for the inflammation but of course check with your doctor. I only felt fatigued the last two weeks and at the most moderate. Everyone is different and reacts differently. I wish you the best of luck. In the beginning it seems like it will never end, but after the first two weeks it started flying by. It will be behind you before you know it.
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I used Bio-Freeze for my knees (before getting them replaced), and my husband and son use it for, respectively, knee and back. Have to take a look at the bottle, but I don't recall lidocaine being among the ingredients--it's basically menthol. Interestingly, I can't take menthol cough drops--I find them extremely drying, causing me to cough and sometimes triggering an asthma attack. Menthol is plant-derived (from mint) and as such is sometimes an allergen--what you experienced, Marijen, was an acute allergic reaction which might have become anaphylaxis had you not caught it in time.
Last week at my MO's office, I ran into my ex-office-manager (I retired a few yrs. ago from her husband's law office). A bit of a coincidence, as we also have the same PCP (at a different hospital system, no less). She had her lumpectomy 2 yrs. ago, at age 78. Because of her advanced age, she had no radiation, just letrozole--from which she had no side effects. (My RO said that if I were 70, he’d have recommended against RT for me too).
I have my sim session (and perhaps mini-tats) this coming Thurs. and start the first of my 16 APBI treatments on Monday. I have laid in a supply of aloe and calendula creams (no-alcohol), as well as alcohol-free lidocaine gel which I probably won't need and a couple of moist cooling burn pads. (CVS didn't have the blue combo aloe-lidocaine version, just the green alcohol-based one). Also Tom's deodorant (calendula, no aluminum) for the armpit on the treatment side (can still use antiperspirant on the other 'pit), cornstarch and a soft velour powder puff. Wonder if I should go to the garden center and buy an aloe plant--no chance of any irritating additives. RO says that the treated area isn't touched by the underwire from a bra and I should wear whatever I find most comfy. But I do have a few Amoena shelf-bra camis if I don't feel like messing with front or rear hooks. The “girls" will probably hang a little low in them, so I will probably throw on some front-close blouses for appearance's sake. Since my sessions are in midafternoon, it's up to me as to when I shower. But friends who've been through this advise I should “aloe up" as soon as I get dressed after each treatment and again at bedtime.
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Thank you for the information, Ladies! Off to shower (2 hours in advance of first treatment)!
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Good luck, Elisheba!
For what it's worth, I was told the other day that I can use any deodorant I wish, i.e. they're no longer recommending against brands with aluminum.
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Thank you, brutersmom, fitchr. ChiSandy, for your thoughtful responses.
Rainny: huh. interesting about the 'any deodorant you choose'. I'll have to ask my RO about that when I see him next; for me, it was 'anything I chose, as long as it a) wasn't during the actual treatment and b) wasn't irritating me personally.
As for showering, my rads were at 2, and I'd usually go to the Y at midday, so ended up showering within about an hour of rads. I don't recall that mine said anything one way or the other, but when in doubt: follow your oncologists' instructions!
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I get up, put on cream (right now Calendula, which does have alcohol in it?) and go work out. Come home, shower and go to treatment 2 hours later. Cream after. Cream at bedtime. I feel like the biggest problem area is going to be my chest. I have always had sensitive skin there. I am on number 10 today. My tech said #10 is when people often start to have noticeable issues.
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I am noticeably pink especially on my scar area. I am alternating between aquaphor at bed, calendula in the morning and uddderly smooth in the afternoon. I can't decide what I like better. Aquaphor is disgusting but covers really well.
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I really didn't need deodorant past maybe treatment 6? I didn't have an issue until my very last day of treatment ( boost only so my armpit had healed) Good thing I had some Toms in my bag!
I used aloe (fruit of the vine from amazon) in the morning, miaderm after treatment and aquaphor at night for the whole 6 weeks and my skin held up pretty well. Miaderm is expensive but I only went through one tube and I actually loved the smell of it and it was very soothing. Aquaphor is gross but I felt like it was great for night time. My RO said he doesn't see much difference between aloe and aquaphor so I think you just have to watch and see what works for you.
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I'm on day 8 of radiation, and I seem to have tingling/itching everywhere. It's not just breast and chest, but knees, chin, arms. It's like I'm having a mild itchy allergic reaction all over. Is this possible?
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