Fall 2015 Rads
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DONE! Just finished 30 days of rads. The black marks outline the area for my boosts so u can see it's a little red there. Otherwise, my skin held up really well. I made sure there was no skin to skin touching, and I cooled my breast with a cool air blow dryer after showering and slept with breast exposed when I could. I used Miadern 4-5 times a day, even in the middle of the night. I didn't want to post my nipple area, but it's good, too. I got the little red dots on day 28. Some people have a bad reaction, but I wanted to share a "not so bad" story.
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Oh thank you Sloan - very encouraging. You look Terrific!!
I copied and saved your routine!
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Sloan congrats on being done. You skin looks like my boost area. Slightly pink. I finished about 5 weeks ago and all I have is a slight tan line under my arm.
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Rainyc- In my avatar I'm wearing a wig from Tony of Beverly (Harlow is the name). My friends had a wig party for me, and I tried on a bunch. My wig wasn't expensive, and I liked it better than some of the real hair qexpensive ones. My hair started growing in 8 weeks after chemo. You asked what I think about wigs... Well, I go hatless at home or wear a soft slouch cap when it's cold. I thought I'd wear more scarves, but the wig is soooo easy and not as "canceresque" as wraps. Just my thoughts.
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I saw the RO today. He says the rash is from the radiation. The nurse thinks it's the glaxal. It is not itchy or sore and just looks like pimples. He says try some glaxal elsewhere and the results will dictate the action to be taken. Put some on my wrist and no response so far. Personally I think it's the glaxal combined with the incredible perspiration/overheating on that side. I've had heat rash before and this looks just like it. I'm glad it's not itchy or open. Onward we go.
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Congratulations Sloan! Wow, your skin looks fantastic. My team thinks that the every other day bolus was really doing a number on my skin. Molliefish, my skin below my foob looks like you describe. Rash looking dark spots with no itchiness.
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Thanks for the welcome ! Had a busy day with radiation followed by consultation with ortho surgeon about my rotator cuff tear. My shoulder has really been hurting and I wanted to get an opinion on surgery or not. Trying a third steroid shot for now. (in a different area). We'll see.
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Congrats, Sloan!!!
If you are itching, go get some steroid cream from a dermatologist. Don't wait. It will make your life so much better. You have to use it sparingly but when you can't sleep because you are itchy, you will be glad you did it. I got one prescription, which did nothing but thankfully I was able to use the samples he gave me of something else and that worked. I just barely had enough without getting a new prescription because my insurance wouldn't cover the other stuff.
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4 more, 4 more!!!! 1 boost and 3 WBR. The techs had a chuckle over my excitement of no more bolus, lol. I am doing so much better today. I can see now what they mean about peaking and then getting better every day.
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Molly50: oh, that lovely "only four more!" Now envisioning a giant clock, sweep second hand ticking down to the end of rads.
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zinny, I went with a synthetic wig and it's starting to finally show some wear and tear but a real hair wig was a little out of my price range since, at the time, the wig was just a backup. I also tried cold caps when I started and my hair lasted all through AC and through 5 rounds of Taxol. I didn't start to REALLY shed hair until probably the 3rd week of taxol. By the 5th week I had to just give up and I cut it short and threw the wig on. I would still recommend cold caps to anyone that asks though. I honestly have no idea why it didn't work for me. Maybe the caps weren't cold enough one week, or it was the addition of the carboplatin, who knows. Ive had friends on the regimen and they still have a ton of hair! Most people don't even realize it's a wig when I see them though!
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Woot, Sloan!!!!!!
Hang in there, Molly!0 -
Congrats Sloan!
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Congratulations Sloan! So nice that you are done!!! And did so well. I have 8 more to go (out of 28). My skin is just starting to get a bit pink. RO said I have done very well so far but that it can go south quickly. I hope not but only 8 more!!!
I am so happy to almost be done with this phase of treatment. But I have to admit - I have been so focused on getting through each stage that now that the end is close, I can't help but wonder/worry if this will really be the end. Will I have a recurrence? I should just focus on the here and now. Sometimes I look back over the last 6 months and feel like it is someone else's life.
For the first time throughout this whole ordeal, I think I may seek a 3D support group. Maybe it will help with my fears. I don't know. Heavy stuff.
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Suzanne- Yes, the fears.... It's only been recently that I have decided to believe that I won't have a recurrence. I was on the fence with fear for a long time, and it didn't help that people in our chemo group were having such a hard time dealing with the "let down" after ending chemo. I have to admit that I had to remove the aug chemo group thread from my favorites because it depressed me too much. Did that talk affect you like it did me? The lumpectomy lounge is a great support group, and so I need to hang out there more. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I hope you to get support wherever you can to deal with that fear because otherwise (as you know) it consumes you. My realization that I want to be done and that I can beat the recurrence fear happened during my boosts. I thought, "I can do this! I'm tougher than this!" Good luck. I'll be thinking about you.
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Suzanne: I could have written your post word for word (except I and major itching by the point you are at).
Sloan: I agree that sometimes not coming here to the boards might be a good thing.
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Sloan, mazel tov on being done with rads. Being almost 65, I’m pretty philosophical about what’s next for me, though the odds against recurrence are in my favor if I take an AI. (Of course, my 15-year risk of death from something other than cancer is one-in-three, possibly before even getting a recurrence). I’ve done almost everything in my life I wanted to, except visit Hawaii and Australia/NZ, and have grandkids (and the latter is beyond my control--not gonna guilt-trip DS into getting hitched or knocking someone up, excuse the vulgarity). DS will be well-provided-for if we kick the bucket before we hit 95. The only thing that freaks me out is the possibility of discovering a contralateral tumor at my one-year followup, and getting on the same roller-coaster ride all over again.
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I definitely agree with surrounding oneself with the positive thinking! Thank you @Sloan for that reminder. There is another BC board that I visit and every time I go there, it is all negative stuff.....makes me down in the dumps. I think I need to ditch that site.
I certainly do feel "tougher" than the cancer so I guess I need to hang on to that thought. No one ever knows what is store for them tomorrow. One thing cancer has made me realize is to enjoy the moments in your life. Live in the present. No guarantees for tomorrow and that goes for everyone...not just cancer survivors.
I have done everything possible to treat my cancer and avoid a recurrence. I think at some point you just have to let it go and say it's out of my hands.
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Talked with my MO and RO about the deep pain 7 weeks post finishing rads. Consenses is that it is a late side effect of radiation. I'm trying twice eaily Aleve to reduce inflamation. I don't have any redness or swelling, but this pain is worse than either surgery. Supposed to check in with my docs in a week.
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ElishebaJoy - I had those dark, larger than a freckle like marks, asked twice and they said normal. I think they said they were enlarged pores from the treatment Anyway, I am three weeks post radiation and those are all gone.
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Sloan - Congratulations!!! Bye-bye Rads! ~ ~ Molly....I know the feeling! Yea for 4 more! I am at the 6 more point. I can say that I have a definite tan line and the underside is almost bruised looking....and leathery. The top side, at one angle is broken out in teeny-tiny 'blisters' which are itchy. I knew better than to scratch, but my long fingernails did a tap-dance through clothing to ease the itch until I saw the RO. He told me to use OTC hydro cortisone cream and to apply that first, let dry, and then apply the other cream. It has eased the itch somewhat. I am so anxious to be done and wake up each day thinking of the count-down, full of ambition....and yet, by mid-day I can hardly keep my eyes open. Feel so slack....hate that. Biggest accomplishment today was giving myself a manicure. Big Deal!
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Trvler - did you get itching after the rads? Just today I have itching on my chest in a non-radiated area. However, it is in an area where I put some aloe with lanocaine. I was wondering if I might be allergic to it, but then your post made me wonder if it is related to the rads. Did your doc say you would get itching after the rads? I can't decide whether to put cortisone cream on it or take a benedryl.
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Congratulations, Sloan! Yes, add me to the list of people who can't wait for the end of rads, and who are slightly terrified about the end of rads (she said, trying not to scratch her itchy chest). 14 more treatments for me.
I keep going with Herceptin and maybe Perjeta for a while, but this psychological shift from active treatment to watchful waiting is huge. Yikes.
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I had my 16th rad treatment today. It looks like I have a tan with a little pink area. I am getting freckles underneath and between too. My RO says its normal. Will they go away after completing radiation
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Congratulations Sloan! I was counting down during #24 today (9 more to go).
Suzanne50, I totally understand where you are coming from. I wonder after spending 4 months "doing, doing, doing", going from one step to the next like a robot, how I will react once surgery, treatments, etc are behind me and I have to get back into the "normal". Is it possible to ever really get back what you once had? I tell my husband that I feel like I am two different persons....the one before BC and the one I have become since dx. I try to think positively about the future and try not to spend too much time worrying about possible recurrance, but being a worrier by nature, that is hard. I haven't had an emotional meltdown since starting rads, but I can totally see myself breaking down at the end. Good luck to you!
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elishebaJoy, I see you got the genetic testing you wanted, may I ask you how that came about?
I have higher stage, postive node and I'm not getting any testing, not even the KI67
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Marijen--I have only had the Oncotype DX test done after surgery and the Ki67 done at biopsy. My oncologist said that I didn't have enough risk factors to justify any further genetic tests, although I would have liked to have had it done for my two daughters and sister.
lynn61-Thanks for the information on the dark spots. I won't see my RO until Friday, so at least I know this can be normal for rads. Strange how rads affects in so many different ways.
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Tinydancer, my freckles are nearly gone and my big spots under my foob are nearly gone. Tomorrow my last of three full field treatments start so my poor underarm which is pink with new skin will be getting zapped again but did I mention No bolus??
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Molly50: (teasing) You may have mentioned something about a bolus--are you NOT having one? And are you VERY MUCH looking forward to that?
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Sloan: I didn't have any itching on the non radiated side.
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