Fall 2015 Rads
Comments
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good morning - am in the winter rads discussion group, but got a lot of my helpful info here prior to start of treatment, and have continued to follow.
Following 8 of 20 treatments, I am noticing that in addition to colour change, I am also seeing an obvious enlargement of the entire breast and nipple on the treated side. I read that this could be expected, but just wanted to inquire for those of you who have completed treatment - how long until size normalizes? (Assuming it does!)
Wishing you all a healthy, happy 2016 ahead 🎉
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good morning - am in the winter rads discussion group, but got a lot of my helpful info here prior to start of treatment, and continue to follow.
Following 8 of 20 treatments, I am noticing that in addition to colour change, I am also seeing a significant enlargement of the breast/nipple on the treated side - I am misshapen
I read that this could be expected, but was wondering to those of you who have completed treatment, how long until size normalizes? (Assuming it does!)Wishing you all a happy, healthy 2016 ahead
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I just comleted my RADS and will have a follow up w/BS -Oncologist and will start an AI soon. My concerns are not the slightly red breast I have...it is doing okay. Some slight itchyness...but that is all. My question or concerns are-this is a second breast cancer and different from 2007 on rb. This on lb is a new cancer DCIS as before, but estrogen, prog. (-). My reasearch online has indicated that for woman=post menopausal and for (+) breast cancer tamoxophen is good. I took that for 5 yrs. in '07 w/first DCIS. Now--I do not understand why I would take an AI--since it doesn't seem it would be okay w/ (-) condition...on my lb w/this new- second DCIS. Any comments or clarification would be appreciated. Happy New Year..caroljean316
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Hi Caroljean - I don't have any words of wisdom for you - but wanted to congratulate you on completing rads! And wish you good luck. I would be so very dismayed to have the experience of bc in the right breast, taking tamoxifin for 5 years, hoping 'the shoe doesn't drop' and then discovering a new strain of cancer in the other breast. My wish for you is a good, informed attitude as you venture into 2016. Bless you.
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Thanks everyone for your good wishes. I am healing, but oh, so slowly. And probably not helped by all the holiday rushing around, especially the 8 hours in the car two days ago while driving my elderly mother from Boston to NJ in terrible weather. Well, DH drove since I was--and am--popping codeine, but it was a long day in the car.
I think that some of the burns are healing, i.e. on my shoulders and to some extent under arms. The front of my chest is still a seething mass of red and soreness. Still oozing yellow gunk in many places. Went in today and saw the RO's nurse, who thinks I'm healing too slowly. She recommended silvadene only, i.e. no more aquaphor except in the areas that are clearly healed. Meanwhile, the nurse in the wound care center said I'm mostly healed. I think not. She didn't speak much English and didn't really listen to what I had to say, so I just let her dress the wounds and picked up some more medical dressings, though she wasn't as forthcoming with them as some of the other nurses. And to be fair, most of the wound care center staff were occupied with a woman who'd fainted while in treatment and needed their help more than I. The two really superb nurses in the center weren't to be seen.
This has been a long haul. I think it was worse just because I didn't expect the extreme reaction, i.e., sailed through chemo without too terrible SEs and surgery recovery also wasn't too bad. They said at the beginning that they were giving me a lot of rads, but I didn't process what that would really mean and so wasn't emotionally prepared. And the RO and her staff also admit that they can't predict who will have the worst reactions, even though they know who is getting the higher doses. So, crossing my fingers that by the time I go back on Monday there will be more healing. If not, I'm not leaving 'til I see the RO herself and get some suggestions. (Her nurse is wonderful, and I trust her completely, so when she sounded cautious today, I knew she'd be vigilant in getting the doctor to take a look if need be.)
Meanwhile, Pennsygal, I loved your photo of the Amish hats. In NYC, there are no Amish to be seen, but I often share the waiting room with ultra-orthodox Jews, i.e. Hasidim. The other day, I rode in the elevator with a Hasidic family and a young Muslim couple--she in full burka. With the women of either sort, there is no way to know who is being treated, as their hair is covered.
Thanks once again for your support, and a happy and healthy new year to all!
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Cardinal--I finished 33 treatments on Dec. 15th of just the breast area. The treated breast never got really larger, per se, but it did seem to get "hard" in the surgery site. Not sure if this is scar tissue or not, but maybe somebody who experienced "bigger" might chime in soon with their advice. Hope all goes well for you!
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Rainny - No Hasidim here, but the Amish in the waiting room were speaking platzdeutsch, which sounds just like Yiddish.
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Cardinal, I completed treatment in September and I also had some noticeable enlargement and heaviness. My MO said it was lymphedema that it's very common after a lumpectomy, Axillary dissection, and radiation. She sent me to a lymphedema specialist who has taught me some massage techniques and some kinesio taping. I've been wearing a sleeve for preventive reasons. I was advised to wear a compression bra or a very supportive sports bra. Spanx like garments also work well. Underwire bras may restrict the lymph vessels and make the LE worse. The LE has improved a little. My LE therapist lectured me on the importance of good posture during this time of healing from radiation
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Hi all, as my rad schedule starts Jan 4, yipes Monday, I had just joined up with winter rads, but wanted to say to all of you that you have been truly helpful and inspirational while I have been waffling and prepping for rads.
Trvler, [fellow diep-er] glad your boob is doing well so far, and thanks for the tips. PS My formerly straight hair is slowly changing from grey poodle curly einstein mania to [now dyed blonde streaky] and only gently wavy and as long as my middle finger...., with lots of positive feedback. When I come out of the shower, I only towel dry, run a big comb, then air dry with random finger styling with lots of goop. No blowing it dry! I expect it might straighten more.
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phoebe: glad we could be of help!
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thank you for the input ElishebaJoy and PJay - I will ask RO about possible LE when I have my weekly check with him on Tuesday - also my halfway through rads mark
and finally! overdue initial consult with MO on Friday to determine possible further treatment. Onward ho!0 -
Ok friends....looking for any advice about possibly using Spanx type camis for dealing with rads issues...having itching and feel like more support for the bad girl helps with discomfort....and the nipple on the bad girl doesn't deal well with rubbing or chafing. Reg bras and my current sports bras are chafing and hitting all of the wrong places under my arm. Just trying to figure out something that might help...halfway thru- only tanned/pink with some very itchy places....
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PJay- just saw your post about Spanx type undergarments...what was your experience and did your doc approve? Want to use these while I am finishing rads...seems like they would help..
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Happyhammer- I was completely finished with rads when my MO recommended Spanx to deal with lymphedema in my breast. The LE is hopefully temporary due to the rads, but My MO recommended these type of garments to provide compression. They actually feel pretty good, better than a bra. I don't know if getting the spanx on would be uncomfortable during rad treatment, but if tight feels good then it may work for you. Good luck
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I discovered that the size 20 Amoena shelf-bra camis fit better when I step into them rather than pull them over my head--and they feel comfier too. So no need to go up to a 22 or 24. I sleep at night in front-closing Playtex soft-cup bras in a 44DD (even though I’m really a 38 I), or the Leading Lady stretch-knit front-close leisure bras in 40 F/G/H. The latter do tend to bind a bit, but the dart at the center of the cup going up to my nipple is leaving less of an indentation these days. Sometimes I leave the cami on overnight instead of a PJ top over a sleep bra.
The Spanx I have are the ones with cutouts for bras. (A cami, bodysuit/tummy/thigh trimmer, and slip). No way I can squeeze into a Spanx cami without the cutout.
I was one of those who did get enlargement after radiation. Before rads, I did develop a large enough seroma in the tumor cavity that despite having a chunk removed the size of a Double Stuf Oreo, left my lumpectomy breast the same size and shape it was pre-op. But just the first two radiation treatments (remember, I had the higher-dose short partial-breast protocol) caused the seroma to enlarge and by the end of rads it was obvious that my breast was now fuller on the outside than before--with definite hardening. My RO, PCP, and BS’ nurse all say it’s still just a radiated seroma, but I am seeing an LE specialist this Tuesday about it. I’d originally booked the appt. when I began experiencing twinges of soreness and a palpable knot (not a “cord”) on the inside of my forearm when outstretched--especially when rotated clockwise. That’s gone away, but I want to set my mind at ease anyway. He wants to see my sleeve, gauntlet and whatever bras and compression I’m using on my breast. I’m afraid he’s going to tell me to lose the underwire bras, and with my size breasts that is going to leave me few if any alternatives. No way I can let them just hang, and nothing else will adequately support them. I’ve been to two breast cancer-specific lingerie boutiques in the Chicago area. The one where I got the Amoena camis, Second Act, has no bras larger than DD (and few of those, only for mastectomy patients), so the camis were my only option. And Schwartz’ is staffed by extremely elderly ladies who tried to tell me I’m really just a 42DDD and that “nobody is an H or I cup, the expensive lingerie boutiques measure everybody too big in the cup and too small in the band.” Of course--because with rare exceptions--the stiff scratchy Elila 40G Sherman tank they crammed me into--they carry nothing bigger than DDD. (And though the girls are mostly contained in a 42DDD, the band rides up in the back and the center gapes).
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HappyHammer, I'm not sure I'd go with something tighter as you go into the home stretch with rads. I was happy in a Coobie bra until about 3/4 of the way in, when my skin started breaking down badly. But you might not have such an extreme reaction. I think anything tighter would have been really uncomfortable, though. For itching, Sarna, an OTC product, has been helpful.
Saw the RO's nurse today, and we agreed that things have turned the corner. She says it will be another 2-3 weeks before it's all healed, and I'm still using the antibiotic cream and dressing the areas where the skin is badly broken down. But the underarms are healing, and main thing is it hasn't gotten worse. I'm only taking codeine at bedtime and probably will give that up within a day or two. And I seem to be getting by on just a few ibuprofen during the day rather than alternating that with tylenol every couple of hours. Whew!
Anyway, I hope this will be helpful to anyone who does get a bad rads reaction; it's been two weeks and a day since things got really bad, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
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So happy things are improving for you, Rain!
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rainnyc, so glad you are rounding the corner! I agree with you that something tight would not have agreed with my tender, red skin. I had to go looser and looser as time went on. At the end I could not tolerate anything but a very light cami.
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Rain, so glad to hear you've turned the corner!
Octogirl
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You gals are right! Rain...so glad I didn't go with more compression. have 2 areas now that are very angry and purple. Headed to see what kind of loose, no wire "something". for the next few weeks. Thinking it may get a bit worse before getting better. Thanks for the advice!
Glad you are doing better!
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ChiSandy- hope your apt goes well! Please keep us posted.
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Appt. went well. After measurements & testing (incl. water displacement), the doc says I have very mild intermittent LE in my right arm and that the seroma in my breast is just a seroma. He approves of my wearing bras (even underwires), and says my instincts to wear a bra for sleep were spot-on. Interestingly, he doesn’t advocate prescribing compression garments for patients who had only 4 nodes taken in SNLB; he also doesn’t advocate using compression sleeves & gautlets when flying. He did prescribe a partial glove after I reported mild finger swelling during the flight (and that I probably won’t need to use it if I play my cards right). Medicare usually doesn’t cover compression garments, but he says that after I file evidence of a formal Medicare denial BCBS will. He did tell me to stick to my diet and lose more weight if I can, at least till the letrozole kicks in. I also have 3 wks of 2x/weekly LE OT scheduled, where I will be taught LE & posture exercises as well as MLD self-massage techniques. (He didn’t want to max out my Medicare benefits this early in the year). There is an electro-impedence test to check for occult extra fluid in the tissues, but the equipment was over in the main hospital bldg. and Medicare doesn’t cover it.
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Well, Sandy, sounds like the apt went as well as it could! Getting the 6 LE OT sessions sounds like a great plan. As for the bras...sounds like you can get back to the ones you liked/used before all of this?
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Already been wearing my underwire bras for awhile now; problem is that the seroma has gotten so big it’s skewing my cleavage left and crowding the good boob. Might have to pop for a couple of size K cup bras and pad the left side.
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Last treatment today! My DD ordered this cake in celebration!!
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Congratulations to you, pennysgal! What a sweet thing your daughter did for the last day of rads!
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Congrsts on finishing! Awesome cake
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Congrats on finishing, Pennysgal!! Love the cake.
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Another "congratulations on finishing, and what a wonderful cake!"
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Congrats to you, Pennysgirl! Love the cake, too!
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