Fall 2015 Rads
Comments
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4 weeks post rads and my treated area is still warm. Skin is finally looking really, really soft and kind of tan.
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Sandy: I am curious to know why your doc says no gauntlet and sleeve while flying? I had 2 nodes removed and I was told to get them. I have an appointment tomorrow.
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Treatment 12 of 20 completed today; generally doing well with some colour changes, inflammation, minor itch & tenderness. Biggest item of late has been some rib and tissue tenderness (feels like 'bruising') all along the treated side from mid breast downwards. Had check appt with RO yesterday and discussed above with reply of 'some women do get rib pain' and recommendation to find a super compression type support bra (found 5 stops later at a big sports store) to wear 24/7. My new exercise is taking that off and on 3x/day - it's a straight jacket, and I am Harry Houdini! Fingers crossed my skin holds out with that
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Cardinal, how long are you supposed to wear the compression bra? My skin would not tolerate anything tight around week 5.
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Trvler, Dr. Feldman may not be representative of most doctors--but seeing as how his specialty is LE, he has published extensively on it (and he is considered the top LE specialist in the Chicago area--not just by the 2015 Castle Connolly peer-review survey reported in this month's Chicago Magazine, but by several doctors I consulted outside the NorthShore system), I tend to believe his advice regarding compression garments over the recommendations of my surgeon's nurse-practitioner, who made those recommendations before I even had surgery--not knowing whether I'd have SNLB or ALND, nor how many nodes would be removed and from where. He is not a fan of gauntlets because they don't come far enough up the fingers and can lead to sort of a tourniquet effect. He prefers gloves, which cover all knuckles, instead--for his patients who have LE.
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molly50 - RO made a general recommendation for the bra (no time instruction)in response to the exam and discussion yesterday re the inflammation/side pain noted. After a full day of wearing it, I'm already wondering how long I will endure. It may be the lesser of 2 evils; above symptoms are better, but already feeling rubbing problems, especially scar.
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Pennysgal, congratulations on finishing rads! And what a beautiful cake. I hope it was delicious!
ChiSandy, you and I have gotten similar advice on our LE. I'm 7/8ths of the way through a course with a LE therapist, and I have to say that her suggestions have helped an awful lot. As soon as my skin can tolerate it (still healing, still healing), I'm going to wrap for a few more days and then get fitted for a sleeve. I've been wearing a custom glove all through the rads adventure, but it will be good to get back on track with the arm.
Cardinal, I have rib tenderness, but no way could I have worn anything tight in the last month. I've been in a surgical bra to hold the dressings on and it is just barely tolerable.
Thanks for all your good wishes, and I hope everyone is doing well!
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Cardinal - this maybe has been suggested before. How about wearing a soft cotton camisole under your bra? That's what I did during and after, and it helped a LOT.
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cuddy- will go get a cami tomorrow to wear under the new bras I bought 2 days ago to try to deal with the terrible skin issues of rads...it was going great and now not so much. Most of breast and underarm are purple with black spots and lines of VERY irritated skin just WAITING to open.
Using the ointments, lying under the stupid ceiling fan and now, DH is calling about getting a cooling cloth. I really have handled all SE's pretty well...mind over matter, rest, hydration, meds, all of the above if needed since diagnosis....but, today, today is NOT a good one and man am I in a bad mood about it all. Hoping the cooling cloth will cool off more than the fried skin- haha. 1 reg and 7 boosts to go.....oh my!,
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HH, the boosts will be a relief. Hang in there you are nearly ringing that bell. Btw a cooling cloth was very soothing on the days my skin got really bad.
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Thanks, Molly- DH found a cooling cloth at Dicks and will pick one up tomorrow morning...hoping I can get a better outlook tomorrow...every day is a day of our life and I want every one to be good or great...working on it.
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HappyHammer, it's perfectly reasonable to be in a bad mood! Are you in pain? I was, and it took my RO and her awesome nurse to say hey, Ibuprofen isn't going to cut it, and I should stop trying to be a hero! Once I started on tylenol with codeine, my outlook improved.
That helped, together with lots of silvadene for the places where it did open.
Sorry you're having a hard time. But it's not an attitude problem on your part, I promise. It's a very tough--and fortunately finite--side effect. Hang in.
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HappyHammer, good luck! I used the camis during and after rads. Really helped!
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thanks for the cami suggestion Cuddy - sounds helpful; will try
HappyHammer - really hoping today is a better day for you
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Thanks for the pep talk, y'all!
Took 1/2 Ativan and 1/2 Benedryl last night- slept like a baby- duh, right? Better mindset today and have already taken 1/2 Benedryl...heading to rads and will take other half when I get home. Getting cooling cloth today and will talk w RO or nurse about something for pain. Itching and pain are not good combo. After today- 7 boosts to go.
Everyone- enjoy the weekend off from rads and again, thanks for being so positive and helpful!
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I decided to avoid the YMCA while going through radiation therapy. Once everything was healed good I headed back. A woman in my water aerobics class had just started getting radiation and asked me what she should expect. I started off by saying everyone is different. We both have light coloring. I had 16 strong treatments and she was getting 30 treatments. I told her to just keep the aloe up and aquafor. This woman continued to be in the pool everyday for at least an hour then would get in the hot tub for 15 minutes. It was amazing! After her last treatment she moved so I have no idea how she is doing now. Everyone is different. I just couldn't imagine going into a public pool and hot tub, but maybe I worry needlessly.
I still have nausea and fatigue. Almost flu like but no fever. One minute I am having hot flashes, the next chills. Very hard to get motivated. My husband has been very helpful and understanding thank goodness! This can't last forever though, I hope.
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Wow, I can't imagine the chlorine on sensitive sore skin
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Thanks for the well wishes all. We finished the last of the cake last night.
Soft cami or tank under bra is working well. I'm having good luck with Hanes Comfort Flex bras.
Tamoxifen on Monday for me. MO on Wednesday. Oh, the fabulous post-treatment life!
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Yes, isn't it wonderful to be done with active treatment....sigh. :Let me/us know how you do with tamoxifen.
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Hi Fall Rad ladies,
I am starting 6 weeks of rads next week. I have been visualizing a beach vacation since this journey has begun...... feet in the sand, waves crashing in the distance..... Do you think I will feel up to a beach vacation right after rads are done? The end of rads lines up with spring break perfectly. Thanks in advance!
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To start: I do so hope you have the chance to take the beach vacation!
That said: Possibly, but I'd have a few concerns. For starters, we're often required to limit sun exposure to the irradiated area for some time after we've finished treatment. Easy enough to wear a beach coverup, though. But perhaps more importantly, you won't know now how you'll react to the treatment.
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I'm all healed up and I have a follow up with my rads onc next week. Will start aquatics class at my gym tomorrow morning. Skin is still itchy. I've switched to using Eucerin to keep my skin moisturized. It's not greasy like the Aquaphor and I still have one small area near my lumpectomy scar that is very dry. The good thing about the radiation is that my scars look way better now with fresh new skin!
Saw onc yesterday and I'm now on team tamoxifen. I have a work trip to Orlando the first week in February. I've added a couple of extra days for myself to relax before the conference starts. I don't want experience weird side effects away from home so I will start Feb 15.
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OneBadBoob: what a relief to be healing well! And taking a couple of extra days to relax sounds like a grand idea.
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OneBadBoob- that's a great idea about taking a few extra days...ENJOY- you deserve it!
Tessio- love the visualization you are doing. Agree with Queenmom though, can you make reservations but cancel if needed? I am only saying that because- I am right at end of 6 weeks of rads- finish Tuesday- YAY!
However, skin is really irritated and I am cross and tired
Would want a week or two to heal before going out of town. However, many people have reported almost no issues- hard to tell how you will do. Am hoping you breeze through it but...0 -
Tessio, You may want to wait a week or 2 afterwards in case you have open wounds. Either way, you'll need to avoid sun exposure to the radiated area, but if you have open wounds, pools, ocean, etc would also be out. I do like your idea of having something really fun waiting for you once you're done though!
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Enjoy your trip One bad boob!
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I'm DONE!!! Rang that bell today. Crazy to think that I'm completely done. Not really sure what my mind thinks.
Re: sun and vacation... I'm heading to Aruba at the end of February and I asked my RO nurse about it. She just said slather on some sunscreen, cover up when I can, but don't be too psycho about it. I can go in the water in just a bathingsuit don't need to wear a mumu everywhere
Enjoy your trip One bad boob! I live in Orlando and the weather has been a little chilly for our tastes but it's beautiful this time of year!
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Congratulations Steflove!
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Congratulations Steflove! A trip to Aruba sounds like a lovely idea! And yes, a "I'm glad I'm done with that....now what?" sort of crestfallen feeling isn't unusual after finishing rads.
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Congrats on finishing Steflove!
I'm done, too! Just got home from last rads treatment. I was kind of emotional last night and today about it. The folks at the clinic have been so kind and helpful- plus, have seen them so often, haha. Taking lunch to them tomorrow to say, "Thank you."
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