Fall 2015 Rads
Comments
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Good luck to those starting rads today! (Three on this list, but we're not the only ones.)
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Took two full doses of Benedryl yesterday. Didn't seem to help the itching much but I slept a lot. I am going to see my doctor today and maybe she can help. If not, I might consult my dermatologist. I am going to go nuts if I can't get some relief and I have 11 more to go.
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I meet with the RO next Tuesday the 17th. and will have my SIM then. I'm not sure when I actually start rads, but I am really very nervous and upset about it. I see all of you that are having pain and itching and burns and Ii am just so scared. I was originally scheduled this week, but they called and asked me if they could push it out a week because they are getting a new machine and the RO wanted me to be treated with the new machine. I hope that is a good thing!
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Creative: This sounds crazy but try not to worry. Other than the itching, I am fine. lol. I am having no fatigue, pain or burning. I think my itching is outside of the range of normal.
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Creative, I'm 13 of 33 and doing well so far. I am very careful to lotion up during the day, use my cooling towel in the evening and use aquaphor at bedtime. So far that's working for me. I think most do fine and hopefully you will too.
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Also Creative it's a good sign that you are starting with a new machine. Did they say what it is?
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Try not to stress creative. I've just had 14 of 19.
My biggest complaint is my nipple hurts, kinda like when it got irritated from breast feeding. But it isn't awful and hasn't required any meds. Other than that just a bit pink, my incisions are a little more twingey than it had been, and I'm a bit more tired than usual--but my schedule has been crazy too so not sure how much is rads and how much is life.
For reference I ran a 10k yesterday and beat my goal pace. So definitely not debilitated.
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PJ: I'm on #5 of 33 and my breast feels heavy already. My RO told me it would swell because 1-28 are the entire breast radiation.
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Outrunning, you rock star! Even feeling exhausted, you knocked it out of the park.
Creative Vintage, lots of people don't have the bad side effects in the pictures - I am just back from #8 of 28, and honestly, I question if the machine is even working because there is no difference at all between the sides. That being said, I am doing the tissue sparing longer cycle so that I heal better when I have my mastectomy/recon, so they are being gentle with me, and predict my s/e to show upon another week, but they are expected to be mild. The actual rad treatment is like getting a fancy Xray with a bit of noise like an MRI machine - mine treats three lymph node areas and the whole breast and takes 5 minutes. I read all of this stuff and got all stressed and spent a bunch of money buying creams on Amazon…and then when I went for my sim, they gave me very specific instructions to use only water based unscented creams like the Aveeno one, to avoid anything with petrolatum, and that there was no evidence that Aloe made any difference…so, I suggest not worrying/preparing too much in advance!
Itchers ( thankfully no one's name!) Benadryl is only one of many antihistamines. It is the quickest acting, which is why people chose it first, but causes way more sleepiness than all of the new "2nd/3rd generation" ones. Ask your doctor/pharmacist/NP for the non drowsy alternatives - some are OTC and some are prescription - some people have mentioned Atarax ( prescription) which is usually very effective, there are a bunch of others like Reactine which work, too.
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Thanks, Rinny. I am going to call my dermatologist. I think the RO is out of her league on this one.
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Trvler, I hope you find relief from the itching soon!
Bluedog, it sounds like it wasn't shingles after all? Hoping that you're feeling better!
Creative, welcome to the group! I was also worried when I started, but it's good to have a crew of virtual friends to cheer you on through it. I've had some bad luck with my treatments, but the end of the tunnel is in sight -- only 2 regular treatments and 5 boosts to go!
StefLove, ThePrincess, and TinyDancer, 1 treatment down, and 1 step closer to being done!
Had treatment #23 of my 25+5 today, and I think I'm starting to get the fatigue now. Last Friday I just zonked out around 6:30 PM and slept for 2 hours, which is really unusual for me as I'm a terrible napper.
It feels just like the kind of tired you get, when you get a bad sunburn -- which makes sense, really. I'm also very pink all along the chest wall/mastectomy scar through to the axillary area. Some discomfort, a tiny bit of itching, but still tolerable. Happy to have Wednesday off this week for Veterans Day!Take care,
--Sherri, aka EnigmaticFox
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Allison, I hope they can give you a steroid or something to help. Itching can drive you mad! I hope you get relief.
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PJay, I am getting #6 of 16 today--my breast is enlarged and somewhat tender, though the skin itself isn't. They're doing it as 3 daily beams aimed at the tumor cavity from different angles, and because it is a shorter protocol, each zap is more powerful than what's administered for whole-breast rads. (Counting my blessings that I'm not getting the true APBI of 2 zap sessions a day for 5 days--I hear that can be pretty rough skin-wise). That's probably why the swelling set in so soon--but my RO says the positioning X-rays show a very large seroma in that breast anyway, which was likely “percolating" for quite a while. There's no swelling in the arm or axilla--just scarring beneath the SNB incision and a bit of a seroma behind that. So I doubt it's lymphedema. (However, I did buy the sleeve & gauntlet, as I will be flying transatlantically in Dec.). From what I've read, seromas can resorb as quickly as one month (as did my husband's from his hernia surgery) or last as long as a year. I wouldn't worry unless you notice signs of infection (such as redness and heat) and/or swelling around your trunk.
Everything I read says to “avoid tight clothing, especially tight bras." Well, “Thelma & Louise" (especially now “Louise") are big enough that any bra I wear, even the few stretchy cotton ones that just about fit, will leave indentations. I will ask my RO when I see him sometime this week what if anything I can do. No way can I go braless, not even for sleep--the jiggling hurts more than when I'm wearing a bra. And the built-in-“shelf" camis I bought after surgery are now small enough to fit like binders--perhaps they'll leave no marks on the breast itself but the elastic certainly will bind in the crease beneath. But as long as this seroma isn't going to burst, I can live with it. I suspect that once it resorbs and is possibly replaced with scar tissue, “Louise" will be smaller than she was pre-surgery.
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Oh, boy. 47 pages already!
I haven't posted before on this thread, but I just started my rads yesterday (Nov 9th). Will have a total of 30,with the last 5 being a booster week. Looks like others are very similar. My end date will be around Dec 18th, so just before Christmas.
I'm in Australia, so it's spring here (it was 34/95 degrees here on Monday!) but I'm from Milwaukee originally, so I know it's fall.
I was only given pure sorbolene creme to combat any reaction (with others in the war chest that they can give me later if necessary).
Anyway, I will look back and see what others are doing.
I wish it weren't swimming season right now!0 -
Bra trauma fix! Right after my lumpectomy, when my newly regenerated nipple nerves made it feel like fire when anything touched them, I bought some of those silicone nipple protecters for those who go braless. I have just tucked them into the line where my sports bra leaves a mark, and I am hopeful that they will be the magical cushion I need!
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Ok - just got back from first rads - no problems, they just had to check measurements. They didn't do any drawing or use a bolus (which I think ends up easier on your skin).
Good luck ladies!
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Just completed treatment #6! So far so good. Was able to take a short flight up to my hometown for a wedding over the weekend and danced for a long time with no problems/irritations. Wish I could have stayed longer but that darn rads schedule sure puts a damper on that kind of thing! Anyone else getting Wednesday off of rads for Veterans Day in the US? I also noticed I get Thanksgiving and the Friday after off as well.
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You guys are all so wonderful to share your experiences and cheerlead for those of us just beginning the rad journey. AM meeting with the local group of RO's tomorrow and the one upstate on Thursday to see what they suggest for my plan. AM still itching like mad from the LUMP so just cannot think about more of that or worse! It is interesting how dif docs suggest dif ways to deal with the SE's...petroleum based products/not pet based....aloe/no don't do it, etc, etc....guess it is like the BC journey itself...lots of twists and turns. It is so nice to know you guys are on the other side of the computer. Healing mercies to you all!
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i have just two more to go out of 33! No pain no itchung, just the slightest bit pink. But oh am I tired!!!
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AusUSA: welcome to the group....want me to put you on the list? (and yes. It is fall. I don't care if it's in the 'really quite hot' range. Though in fairness, I expect there are more than a few people who've come the other way and are now whimpering at the raw damp sleet.)
HappyHammer: a definite comfort to think of the lovely people just on the other side of our computer screens. Just hearing the differences between the oncologists' lists of do/avoid has rather left me a bit.....raised eyebrows about the whole process though I got lucky with an RO who took the attitude "We won't worry about that until you seem about to develop skin breaks."
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Thanks, Queenmomcat, for reminding me to not live in the future...I can get there in a skinny minute and know better...just makes me crazy anxious and then what? May not even happen...gotta' live in the moment! thank you for starting this thread!
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I'm really, really tired. It's like I came out of the treatment room unable to carry my own weight. I have some itchy bumps so I saw the nurse. She tried to tell me it's not in the Radiation field but it is. Anyway she said to alternate hydrocortisone and Benedryl cream.
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Pjay, just wanted to second what Sloan said about Lymphedema. My RO sends all her patients to a Physical therapist specializing in Lymphedema as a precautionary step. I learned what to look for, and how to clear the lymph system myself. I went to my appointment just today! The PT definitely said a swollen breast could be a sign, and that you want to act quickly, so I would consider making an appointment.
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Weird question - did rads give anyone an upset stomach??? I can't believe it'd be a side effect of breast rads, but I don't feel sick like it's a virus or anything either? The whole fam had the same food for dinner too and they are all fine?
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I did. I had dizziness after the first couple of treatments. The first RO I saw said that it was possible and suggested Ibuprofen before my treatment. Another RO gave me a hard time when he saw it on my chart. Not for Radiation . I developed nausea around week 3 of my rads. I described it more as a food aversion. I was hungry and I could eat but looking in the fridge or at food made my stomach queasy. What I thought was interesting was that was nausea was listed as a side effect on my discharge and follow up instructions. And could possibly continue for several weeks after treatment. There are some posts here where people have said it is a listed side effect by their RO's.
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I wish it was just nausea! ;-) this is an unacceptable side effect, it was worse than having perjeta!!
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Princess, how long have you had it? When did you start?
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Just last night!
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I have a queasy stomach but no vomiting. I hope you feel better, princess.
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Princess (and anyone who comes after): yes a thousand times yes--queasiness was mentioned by several people earlier in this thread, and I'm sure it's come up elsewhere. Keeping hydrated helped me a bit. Was there anything else that worked for others?
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