Fall 2015 Rads
Comments
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Hey there Molly -- The Radiacare gel is colorless and clear, so that's why I'm afraid it's actually my skin. Unless the shirt and the gel reacted somehow? I'd put it on really thick too. I have Aquaphor as well, but wouldn't that stick the same way?
I could always go back to the calendula lotion for the weekend I guess...never had this problem with that before...
Thank you for getting back to me on this, I reall appreciate it!!
Take care,
-- Sherri, aka EnigmaticFox
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Ah, good point about how it could be reacting with air. I'll try to take some deep breaths, calm down, and soldier on. Only 5 boosts to go!
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I have 7 treatments behind me and 21 to go. So far no side effects that I have noticed. I was super tired this week but can't be from radiation so early??? I think it is just from life in general. I get up early, work all day, go to radiation, exercise, cook dinner, do housework, drive my kids places.....who wouldn't be tired???!!!!
I am getting to know the people who are in the waiting room while we are all waiting for our treatment. They are all seniors. One lady is going to teach me how to knit. I have always wanted to learn so she said she would show me while we wait. Making lemonade out of lemons.
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EnigmaticFox: another comforting vote for "It's probably whatever you put on your skin". My bras, and one of my nightgowns, got something similar. Unless peeling the cami off HURT, don't worry about it. (Think peeling a bandaid off.)
Suzanne50: hoping you take the fellow waiter up on her offer of knitting lessons. Knitting's gotten me through a lot of cooling my heels in various places.
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Has anyone been through active LE treatment while also doing rads? I had the LE consult last week and will start wrapping my arm and hand next Thursday; rads start Monday. Had the final simulation yesterday. They said it would be 30 to 45 minutes, and instead it was nearly two hours with both arms over my head, not moving. I'm nervous because afterwards, my "bad" arm and hand were more visibly swollen.
On the positive side, I visited my wig shop afterwards to discuss adding clips. My hair is long enough that the double-sided tape doesn't work anymore! Never thought I'd be so excited about something like that. Since it's still only 1/2 inch and my ears resemble our president's (and those of my late father) in their sticky-outness, I'm going to be a wig-wearer for some months to come. Still, progress!
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Hello All -
Looks like I'm starting with sim on Monday, and then first treatment on Tuesday. If the timing is as expected, I will finish one year to the day from my dx - 12/22.
Rainny - I will be seeing the lymphedema PT throughout rads. I don't have LE, but she has been massaging and giving me exercises, which has been a huge help. I'm sure others will chime in who know more about this than I do.
QMC - I didn't know you were a knitter! I am as well, since high school. I recently started a sweater, my first project in a long time. Are you on Ravelry? Suzanne50 - definitely take up the offer of the waiting room pal - knitting is, among other things, a great stress reliever.
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Radiation treatments don't take nearly as long as the sim. Let the techs know the sim caused swelling. If it's an x-ray day and your arms are in an uncomfortable position for too long, let the techs know. We have to advocate for ourselves--they don't know unless we tell them.
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I have noticed the skin mixed with whatever cream/lotion I've been using coming off in my bra as well. Lately I've been using aloe or aquaphor. My nipple looks terrible. Was just mentioning the skin in my bra to my husband last night.
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Could the skin be dead skin cells you’re shedding?
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I have had 13/33 treatments so far. No redness or irritation, just thick, heavy, tender breast, but this could be scar tissue or whatever happens after surgery. RO seems to think I am doing great but suspects that I will get some redness the week of Thanksgiving. I am continuing to put pure aloe from the plant on area twice a day as well as taking aloe supplement. There may not be any such thing as preventative care, but it worked for my aunt, so I am willing to give it a try. Went to the ER Thursday at 3:30 a.m. with what I think was a panic attack (I am a high-anxious person and financial problems and overwork are taking their toll). I had been having chest pains for two days prior and then woke up with the room spinning, nausea and hot/cold feeling. I tried to ignore it, but when it hit again a few minutes later, I was afraid I was having a heart attack and that panicked me even more! Convinced DH that I was dying so he drove me to ER. EKG and blood work were negative for heart issues, so they diagnosed vertigo and shot me up with Ativan and started me on meclizine (for vertigo). I still think it was a genuine panic attack, but who knows? The meclizine makes me tired and since I haven't had any more dizzy spells, I stopped taking it. I told my RO about the ER visit and he thought I might be getting a virus, so he recommended rest and liquids. It's hard to know what might be rads symptoms or just plain anxiety and the meds for it. Ready for some normalcy in my life!!
Good to hear from all of you ladies in your rads adventures!
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vertigo is horrible. too much salt in the diet will bring it on
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My doctor prescribed Dramamine for vertigo balance problem, a little fluid in the ear maybe? It's cheap $5 and it either has meclizine or benedryl in it. Two weeks of a pill once a day and I was fixed.
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In someone with Meniere’s syndrome, an excess of sodium can contribute to a buildup of excess fluid in the semicircular canals in the vestibular system of the inner ear. The hairlike cilia in the canals normally wave within fluid to send signals regarding sound and balance to the brain. Meniere’s patients are often advised to limit sodium, alcohol, caffeine and sugar and also make sure they’re adequately hydrated. (I had “atypical Meniere’s" 11 years ago after flying--“atypical” because I had hearing disturbance, in the form of impaired pitch perception & distortion, without nausea or vertigo). BUT a cold leading to an inner ear infection can do the same thing. This is more likely the culprit if you’re coming down with a virus---but one would usually have other head cold or earache symptoms first. Rest and hydrate and see if that helps. Sometimes if hearing is involved (sudden sensorineural hearing loss) a short course of prednisone (as a Dosepak) is prescribed.
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Finished #20 of 30. No problems. My skin is a little pink. The PA said just make sure your breast tissue doesn't touch skin to skin, so I always put a soft cloth under my treatment breast. I also try to sleep in my back.
I wear my lymphedema sleeve and gauntlet during treatments, do the MLD, and I'm fine.
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Pennsygal: yep, long-term knitter. Long enough that I honestly don't think to mention it any more, as it's so much part of my life! (Today was the monthly breakfast meeting of Local Cancer Support Group...and one member commented "I see you're knitting something--the thread's moving over your fingers. What is it this time?" while another asked "That sweater you're wearing today--is that what you were working on last time you were here?") I keep meaning to get official with Ravelry.
Also updated your start date.
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Hi, everybody! I'm so glad I found this thread! (sorry; hit the horizontal rule twice and I can't undo it)
There was a very long break between my lumpectomy in July and radiation, which started this past week. That time was filled with an amazing amount of medical incompetence. Not the doctors, for the most part. None had any effect on me directly other than to keep getting everything postponed, postponed, postponed!
I started this Wednesday. Our waiting area is tiny, just a bunch of chairs and a small table with magazines like Travel & Leisure. But it's a great hospital, and there are a LOT of support services and information. I lie on my stomach, naked from the waist up, in a mold they made on Monday. It's okay except my left arm hurts and my left hand goes numb. So I'm exercising my arms particularly and doing stretches.
I have some pre-existing problems with fatigue and balance, so it hasn't taken much to make them worse. The treatments are at 1:30 in the afternoon. It was the only time they could offer. I hate doing it in the early afternoon, because I'm pretty wiped out afterwards. Got out my trusty cane and started using it before I needed it. I am so damn tired. To make things a tad more difficult, my sister is visiting. She's a crazy hippie who is convincing our mother that the radiation is going to give me more cancer, wreck my immune system, turn my blood glowing blue, etc.
My skin is slightly irritated. I'm putting Acquaphor on it, and drinking tons of water. I'm already on a diuretic for high blood pressure, so it's already easy for me to become dehydrated.
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Welcome, cuddy! I hear you on the “crazy hippie” thing. (I am a child of the 60s and by no means conservative, but I do prefer to live in the real world, in this century; and if I wear tie-dye it looks like the clown threw up on the fat lady). I have a couple of friends who insist on going to chiropractors for ALL their health care, not just musculoskeletal stuff. (One spent a fortune on powders and elixirs and drastically narrowed her diet when her chiro remarked one day when she walked in “you have systemic candida--I can smell it on you”). They think I am killing myself and wrecking the planet by getting my hair colored with anything but henna, putting anything other than coconut oil or shea butter on my face, wearing any fragrances other than essential oils, and gave myself cancer by wearing antiperspirant and underwire bras (one of them says only going braless is safe, and that the lingerie industry is a male-dominated conspiracy to subjugate women). They think that gluten is poison for everyone. And never mind that I drive a car. They think I am a dupe of the “billion-dollar cancer industry” because I agreed to have radiation and will take an AI instead of herbs. Oy.
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henna is carcinogenic. try nettle tea. will darken hair naturally
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Welcome cuddyclothes! Wow that is a long time between treatment. Glad you joined us.
My axilla is red everything else is dark pink. So far so good. I am just thankful for the weekend.
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Welcome Cuddyclothes! I like your screen name. It might be interesting to see us with our blood glowing blue, come to think. It seems there are at least a few of us starting about now. I'm sorry you got a dud time; is there any chance that they would move it around for you as slots open up?
Yesterday, I read this whole thread, first to last. So helpful. I really appreciate all of your experiences, suggestions, and photos. Bought a couple of extra tank tops and stocked the kitchen so I don't need to be running out for things. Not looking forward, but very much looking forward to having it done!
Good luck to all!
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Has anyone experienced redness right after rads on part of both breasts (literally when I'm getting up from table) on the cleavage part of both breasts up to my collarbone? At first the techs thought it was an allergic reaction to the gown so now I'm wearing my own shirt and still get it. It goes away 30-45 minutes after. Really strange, it's not itchy or anything. They suspect it's from anxiety perhaps.
For those of you who were told to stretch, what stretching are you doing? I think I need to start to help my shoulders and side.
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Welcome, Cuddy. 1:30 is my time, too. I picked that time because I wanted to be able to workout in the morning to keep my fatigue at bay.
ChiSandy: Ugh on your friends. I am so sick of people telling me they know what causes cancer. EVERYONE seems to think they do. I can't imagine having all my friends thinking everything I was doing was the cause. I would tell them to shut the F up, but that's just me. I just politely tell them I am not changing my diet, or stopping using deodorant or any of the other things they are sure are killing me. Funny they know but science doesn't. It's like when I worked for a pension consulting firm and everyone and their brother had a stock tip. After a while you realize they don't know any more than you do.
I am really struggling with the itching. I was hoping taking Friday off would help but it doesn't seem to have. I was going to take this coming Friday off but I am kind of figuring why bother? Could it be worse? I don't know. They also keep pointing out they are open next Sunday. Maybe I will skip Friday and go Sunday. I can then be done the Tuesday before TG instead of the Wed. If I don't skip Friday, I could be done on the Monday. I guess I will see how much more miserable I am Thursday and decide then.
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did anyone go back to aluminum based deordorant when they were done? I hated the other stuff, and as soon as I finished I went back to the "good stuff" only I'm wondering if I should have and forgot to ask RO
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Tresjoli: I am still using aluminum free. I found a great brand I really like Schmidt's deodorant.
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Tresjoli, I asked my RO and the nurse about this, and they actually say they no longer tell people to avoid aluminum based deodorant during rads.
For what it's worth....
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Espanola, my PT has me do several exercises and stretches for the affected arm (actually both sides -- she feels it's good to make sure you stretch and exercise both sides equally):
- Shoulder shrugs
- Shoulder rolls
- Standing facing a wall or closed door, hold both arms out in front of you straightened so that your fingertips touch the wall/door, then gently "walk" your fingers as far up as you can. Hold the position for several breaths and just feel the stretch (shouldn't hurt), then slowly "walk" back down
- Then turn 90 degrees so that your arm is straight out to your side with fingertips touching the wall/door, and "walk" your fingers up the wall/door again (inching closer to the wall/door as you go). Hold the farthest position you can manage for several breaths to feel the stretch and relax into it, then "walk" your fingers back down again
Those are the ones I like the best.
Take care,--Sherri, aka EnigmaticFox0 -
I have been doing a lot of stretching and I was wondering if it was helping.
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Trvler, I've been in PT before and it's amazing - a little goes a long way, especially if it's routine.
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Espanola - I get red on the breast and sternum right after treatment, too, for about 45 min. The doc said it's a normal response to a heat treatment. Otherwise, my breast is barely pink. I'm starting to see the outline of the treatment area as it turns pinkish. I'm on #20 of 30.
Cuddyclothes- As other people start leaving the radiation program, time slots will become available. I changed to a 3:30 slot, and I love it. I get everything done in the morning including exercise and prepping dinner.
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Espanola, the redness might simply be a positional thing--circulatory, due to lying flat on your back.
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