Fall 2015 Rads
Comments
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I agree that music helps, though I think Pandora music has a sly sense of humor. I chose 80's music, and on my first day the first song as I was getting positioned was "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", and it was followed up with "Burning Down The House".
Take care,
--Sherri, aka EnigmaticFox
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hi wildflower
What is the canadian protocol? I live in canada so wondering if i am automatically on it?
My rads start in February. Thanks for the info!
Kim
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Hi, Kimmer33,
The most common radiation protocol here in the US involves 5 or 6 weeks of radiation treatments (30+ individual treatments). The Canadian protocol is basically a shorter (3 week) regimen with slightly higher dosages of radiation (measured in grays) given per treatment compared to the longer protocol. However, the total amount of grays is the same as you would get in the longer regimen, they're just administered over a shorter time frame. It's been the standard practice in Canada and the UK for a long time; here (in the US) it still is gaining acceptance. Here are a couple of articles written for laymen (like me) which explain the process and the potential benefits to the patient:
http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/benefits...
http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/shorter-...
http://newsatjama.jama.com/2013/09/20/study-confir...
You can ask your MO if your type of tumor fits the requirements to participate in the regimen. Good luck and smooth sailing with your rads!
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I heard Christmas music on the way to rads today. One of our local stations changes to all Christmas music earlier and earlier every year. Inside the treatment room it's always relaxation music. It's so quick I don't mind.
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They always put on Christmas music right after Halloween on local and satellite radio. I rarely listen to it because the selection is usually awful.
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The Canadian protocol typically gives a total of 40 or 42 grays whereas the more "traditional" 6 week course gives a total of 50 grays (neither includes boosts in those figures... Those are extra in both). The higher daily dose seems to allow the same overall results with less total grays, and thus less toxicity. It is usually used in early stage cancers. It of course varies from doctor to doctor and case by case
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Allison, if you start getting moist desquamation, ask for Silvadene and also Mepilex dressings. Those dressings are crazy expensive, but covered by insurance, and make a huge, huge difference. I had a huge area of moist desquamation and those dressings made it so I could function. It all has healed very nicely
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Ok, I feel like an idiot but what is moist desquamation? I don't think I have it.
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I'm really thankful that so far my skin is up well. I am feeling so nauseated and tired. I'm certain it's rads but I'm seeing my MO on Monday so I will see if he thinks it's anastrozole.
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thanks ladies
I already know what my rads look like, will have 16 treatments, that's it. As a result, hopefully dont burn too badly??Thanks for the clarification, i didnt realize the US amd Canada were so different.
Kim
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good morning everyone. I'm new to the boards. I have had two surgeries. And am waiting on a genetic test to see if I'm high risk for cancer elsewhere in my body. Then thinking of radiation, which I have fought against since the get go. Interesting information. I don't want to be burned or tired 6 months after radiation.
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Nightmareshope - I'm not tired at all, and my skin is holding up just fine. Remember, often when we post things, they are the bad things that we need help with, like burning or itching or whatever. There are good stories, too. I walk 4 miles a day, and this hasn't limited my life at all. You don't have your tumor characteristics posted in your signature, but it sounds like you might be stage 1 or 2 since you alluded to the fact that the cancer has not yet metastasized. I understand that you don't want radiation, but the stats assume that you are doing radiation if you have had a lumpectomy. I believe even the OncotestDX genetic test score assumes lumpectomy+radiation+ meds as standard treatment. So, make sure you talk to your doc about your specific tumor characteristics and stats. Then, decide if you would have any regrets either way. That helped me make my decision. Good luck.
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I have experienced no fatigue at all. I have stepped up my workouts to 6 days a week.
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My fatigue could very well be from the anastrozole or the rads. No idea and overall rads has been fine for me. I would take this over chemo for sure.
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Hi Nightmareshope,
We wanted to welcome you to our community and hope you are finding the forums helpful. Would you let us know a little bit more about what is going on? What treatments do your doctors suggest?
We are all here for you!
Warm wishes the Mods
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Allison, If you look way back, I posted week by week pictures, having of course, no idea of what was to come. I just figured it would give people an idea of what to expect at various weeks. I had no idea I would end up with moist desquamation completely covering my axilla, and some other places too. You'll see pictures if you look back. Basically, the skin turned red, then purplish black then disintegrated and seeped/oozed serous stuff from the open areas. Other areas just turned maroon and peeled (dry desquamation), and they hurt no more than a sunburn. If you have moist desquamation, you'll know it because it is the most painful thing I have ever experienced. Thankfully it healed in a little over a week. Most people do not progress to that, and I am hoping you don't...and hoping no one else does either. I had 2 grays per day over a huge field, and had the bolus used every day, so that kind of set me up for it. I am very glad now that they were so aggressive, but eeek! I did really well both times through chemo, so eventually the other shoe had to drop. It dropped and clobbered me hard during rads!!!!! But......life is back to "normal" now.
I am Vegas bound ladies! I am meeting several gals from my Sept 2013 chemo crew from here. This will be our second get together; we gathered there last fall too. I'm running the Rock and Roll half marathon. There is life after chemo and rads!
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I am so glad you are past that. I did see your pictures. I have no open skin or peeling, just what almost look like hives. It doesn't hurt much, just a little under my arm. It is definitely one specific field that is giving me grief, because I can see the line perfectly. I tried to ask the tech but her english isn't very good and I don't think she understood my question. I wanted to know if the field was the one where the bolus was.
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Enjoy Vegas! Love to the 2013 women!
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Have fun in Vegas, Karen! Tvlr, talk to your RO. My rash was red bumps on my chest wall that became itchy. She prescribed a steroid cream.
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That's what I got. But my RO was clueless. I went to the dermatologist. The trouble is, I am only supposed to use it 2 times a day. I get up, workout and then shower before rads so I can only put in on in the am and right after rads. So I am still itchy at night. But since I took today off, I put it on after I worked out and I will put it on again before bed so hopefully I will sleep better tonight. The last two nights we have had 50 mile an hour wind gusts and it is hard to sleep because it is so noisy.
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So how many treatments do people have remaining? I have 7. I am counting the minutes, not just the days. At the current schedule, I will be done the day before Thanksgiving.
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10 down, 6 to go. No fatigue yet (except sorta tired today because I had to get up early to accompany DH for his followup lung CT scan--we'll know Mon. whether it's just a granuloma or if it's grown). Pains, sensitivity in the breast (feels like it did when I was pregnant or before my periods) but not on the skin. Skin is pinker, but intact---no irritation yet. My breast seroma is large, but I still fit into my 38J and some 38I bras--underwires are fine. But that seroma was there before the rads anyway. The rad onc room at Evanston Hospital plays “adult rock" (John Mayer, Clapton, Boz Scaggs, etc) via what is probably SiriusXM. I'd prefer the Little Steven's Underground Garage station, but the older patients might not appreciate that.
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Ok so starting yesterday, my back/shoulder is HURTING. Pretty much where they point the machine I guess? And my neck on that side. Yesterday was only #4! Anyone else have pain? The skin is ok, it's the muscles that are angry?
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I will be 18 down today with 12 WBR and 3 boosts to go! The princess, it could be your position on the table. Mention it to your techs.
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ThePrincess: yes, I also had shoulder/back/neck pain, which I suspect derived from the position in which I was lying. Now, six weeks after finishing, I've some stiffness in the pectoral muscle still.
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Theprincess yes I had shoulder pain. It was one of the few things that the RO said was from the Rads. Apparent Radiation therpy can tighten the muscle under the arm and the pectoral muscle. Quite uncomfortable. I did range of motion exercises reaching over my head, out to the side, and to the back stretching those muscles. I quickly felt relief from the pain. I am 3 weeks out from radiation and I still need to keep exercising and stretching them or the tighten right up.
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I haven't noticed this but I am working out and doing a lot of stretching so maybe that's why.
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Hoping for some advice...I'm pretty red now and the skin is irritated. So tonight I put on the Radiacare gel they'd given me and put on my cotton shirt...which got really stuck to me! I ended up peeling it off gently, but there's a thin white film on the inside of the dark colored shirt that I'm afraid may actually be my skin.
How can I treat my skin with the thick gel without getting stuck? :-(
Any tips or tricks would be much appreciated!
A bit freaked out,
--Sherri, aka EnigmaticFox
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EF, I use this cotton camis over the gel or lotions. It is possible that white layer is just the lotion. Do you have aquaphor or something you can put on thick?
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Last night I put Aquaphor on and then calendula cream. The combination (in that sequence) produced a thick white film that came off on the inside of my sleep bra. But my skin’s intact. What looks clear in the tube or jar can turn opaque as it reacts with air. I wouldn’t worry that it’s actual skin unless and until you’re noticing moist problems such as blistering and oozing when there’s nothing on your skin.
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