Anyone getting ready to start Radiation in Fall 2016?
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Thank you for all of the congrats!! I had a great day!! They let my daughter watch my treatment, she thought it was pretty cool and said it looked like they were playing a video game lol. I rang the bell, I got a "graduation" certificate, a miniature bell with a really nice saying on it, and my nurse gave me a bracelet that she makes all of her patients.
Frill, we have been through all of this together!! You will be finished before you know it! And you look gorgeous!!
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LifeAloft - Congrats! Sounds like a great last day!
17/~20. Last day of breath holding! Next boosts will be much easier. Still don't know how many boosts left (2-4). Skin warm and reddish, but no peeling.
Keep cool!
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Hope everyone is doing well today. It's Friday!
One of the tips on these threads is to do saline soaks (1 quart boiled water + 2 tsp salt, let it cool, take clean wash cloth - soak & ring out - place over radiated area as needed). I can't do that because my marked lines would smear too much. Instead I spray a saline solution all over. Just enough to cover. Too much will drip. Let it dry before applying lotion.
I use magnesium oil (diluted) because that's what I've been using to supplement magnesium. My skin feels much better today than yesterday.
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25 of 33 today. Last day of full treatment. Now it will be underarm and whole breast I believe till #28 and then boosts. My youngest daughter (18) was able to go in and see my set up and then watch the video and techs do their stuff during my zaps. She commented how interesting the process and how precise the fields are. The techs showed her what was blocked (my heart, etc.). I am glad she was able to see the whole process (before my treatment is reduced from now till end)
Happy Friday ladies ~ hope you all get a lot of rest over the weekend.
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Happy Friday!! Beautiful here in Illinois and you can tell that it is autumn. Today was day #7 of 16 for the full breast, and four more boosts. Completely different experience this week. I was actually energized after the treatments, but I forced myself to come home and rest. I got a calendula salve that I am using on my breast, per my doctor's instructions. The health food store ordered it for me. Last Friday was day #2, and I was really concerned that I had nausea and felt "off." Completely different this week. I am getting some stuff done around the house, and some beading done, but only minimal. Watching some college volleyball games on the tv and keeping my spirits up!!
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I am done, done, DONE! I went in and the ladies at the front desk congratulated me on my last day, everyone in the waiting room smiled. There is always music playing in the linear accelerator rooms, but at the end of my treatment, they played Pomp & Circumstance. 😄 Then they said "woo Hoo"! Over the microphone. They came in and hugged me and said I was now a rad grad! 😄
So glad to be finished, took a nap this afternoon
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LoveMyVizsla - Congratulations! That nap must have felt good.
One Day More! 18/19 done. Finally, no more breath holding!
Have a great and restful weekend!
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Thank you all for your responses. For those who have to do breath hold, how many times do you have to hold your breath? Does it get easier after the first few sessions? I'mvery nervous about this. Just had the simulation yesterday. It's good reading about your experiences.
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Hi everybody. I'll be joining you soon. My sim should be scheduled in the next few weeks. I'm not sure how many treatments I'll get yet or if I will have to do breath holding. You all give me hope that this can be done. Thanks
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LoveMyVizsla Congrats!!!
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Hi all, I had the sim on Friday and was surprised to feel so negative about everything. It started off OK, with friendly techs, even though they were about 12 years old. But then.... I was really put off by someone entering the room and working on my body without saying her name and who she was and what she was doing....all while my head was turned so I couldn't see her. Then at the end of the appt I was handed a sheet with all my appts, at times I cannot come! I had been told I would be consulted first. I felt very insignificant! Then the marks mostly wore off, some onto my bra just on the drive home. I think they used washable marker. I had to trace over them as best I could. I'm not feeling terribly confident and I start on Monday (they did change my time.)
Grrrrr. This is the last active treatment for me. I've done chemo and surgery. Maybe I'm just "done" with the whole stinkin' trip.
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LovemyVisla this is for you...Congratulations! So happy for you, one day I'll be joining you
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Terri - Different methods are used in breath holding, and the number of X-rays/treatments differ as well. I seem to be at the higher end at always over 5 times that I needed to hold my breath. During regular treatments and some boosts, I held my breath before each X-ray and treatment. The X-ray was quick, and the treatment took longer. Practice holding your breath for 30 secs. Before a treatment, I would take a few breaths until I felt ready. Then I would empty my lungs before taking a deep breath. It does get easier. It's OK if you can't hold it as long as needed. Once you're ready, you'll take another deep breath to complete the treatment.
reflect - I was wondering just yesterday where the old rad techs were. I did feel uncomfortable if I saw someone new. Usually they introduced themselves or someone else did. Once there were 2 people in the room who hadn't introduced themselves, so I asked one of my techs. One person was a doctor, and he was showing the machine to the other person. They left as I got ready to get on the table. I'm at a teaching hospital, so I'm not surprised when trainees appear. For the marked lines, I always wore a tank or T-shirt that I don't mind getting stained. I try to let everything dry after applying lotion before getting dressed. I get the impatience. Rads will be the last active treatment for me, too. Reconstruction will wait until next year.
My skin is less red. Some areas look unaffected, and other areas look slightly tanned.
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Reflect,
I understand your negative feelings. I don't think it is particularly easy going through any of the treatment modalities. I am face down the entire time, squishing my abdomen. But you know what, I am in the routine now, and I see others coming in much worse off than I am. It gives some perspective. There will be all types of techs coming in and out of your room, to make sure you are properly aligned and the radiation is directed to the correct place. I don't know the names of my techs, because they change every day. What does not change? The exact precision of what they do and how they do it. It is not always comfortable, not always convenient, but I am checking the days off of my calendar one day at a time. I think that is all we can do, check off one day at a time. Some people at the end of rads even miss the routine of doing something active to fight their battle with bc. Will I miss mine? Probably not. But I will appreciate all the time and care that I was given through this journey.
One tip that I have to feel more in control is the figure out something in your wardrobe to wear, that opens in the front. I wear my own tops while getting radiation delivered. I have not had to wear the hospital gowns. I am also a person that recycles and reuses "stuff" so it fits with my motto of reduce, reuse and recycle. Some hospitals even allow nice fluffy robes to be worn. I have a vision for my radiation treatment: to be myself, to be creative, to be funny and to be full of life. They are helping me with the last part - full of life. These treatments help prevent the bc from returning. I think once you get into the swing, you are going to be fine and feel like a pro. You have been through the hard stuff, this is your last step. You are going to be great!!!
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imkopy2, I love that! Although I have to say, now that I am finished, chemo was so much worse than rads. And for me personally, taxol was harder than AC, for a couple of reasons.
The markers they used on me weed a purple permanent sharpie to circle my tattoos, and a green dry erase washable marker. I need to see if hairspray will remove the purple from a white cami I wore one day without thinking. They re-drew the purple circles around my tattoos every day. The green one they used when they drew the radiation fields on my skin and was meant to come off easily.
For those of you worried about breath holding. I had to exhale and hold it out, which I think is much harder than inhaling and holding it. Give it a try. I had to hold it out for 15 seconds, then take a breath, blow it out and hold for five three times, then repeat on the other field. Didn't have to worry about it during my boosts.
This will all be a memory for everyone who hasn't finished yet. Hang in there.
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Terri17
I have 4 breath holds. The longest one is 20 seconds. I use the breathing device. I have a button I hold in one hand and push it down when I take a deep breath, then the snorkel device in my mouth has a negative air pressure so once I take a deep enough breath it pushes back pressure so you can't take a breath. U also wear nose clip. If you can't keep holding you just open your mouth wider from the snorkel breath. This stops the radiation. So then they have to restart that shot. It sounds hard but really it is very easy. Oh plus there is a monitor when you take a breath it shows your breath climbing a mountain so you know how much further to take the deep breath.
Hope this helps calm your fears.
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SerenitySTAT I am glad you are doing so well. I have to do the rads, I know. Hope I do as well as you. I started anastrozole already and that is going just fine. I will also have reconstruction, probably in the summer as it's easier to take time off (I teach.) I think I've just gotten fed up with dealing with this, and realizing that it will never be "over"--although I hope it gets a lot easier. I would like some days of not thinking about cancer.
Michelle_in_cornland, thanks for the kind words and the tip about wearing my own clothes. I'll look around. I think that will make a difference. I was responding to the depersonalization going on--like I was a piece of meat they were doing stuff to. I need to not feel like that. I am not as confident in their skills as I would like to be. One doctor came in a one point (he did introduce himself) very briefly to check their work. He wasn't my doctor though. This is a different hospital than where I had my surgery done, which was incredibly professional and respectful. Maybe my MO can reassure me.
LoveMyVizsla, OH, the marker I traced over was green! So maybe it was supposed to come off. lol. There are two spots marked and covered with plastic--they must be the only ones they need.
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Hello, I had my tattoo marks 2 weeks ago and I'm just waiting for a date to start rads. No-one mentioned breath-holding to me when they were doing the set-up. Does that mean I won't have to, or will they just tell me at the time?
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reflect - It does get easier mentally while the discomfort increases. I really hoped to find a reason not to do rads, but my husband and I concluded that I needed to do it. So I'm doing what I can to minimize the side effects and discomfort (replenish minerals, use salt spray/lotion, keep underarm dry, stretch, eat protein/prunes/gelatin). My skin is doing well, but the daily trips to the hospital have made my sciatica worse - Yuk! I'm delaying returning to work to rehab myself. Are you back at work? Glad hormone therapy is going well. I haven't started any yet. I see my MO next week. It will be nice not to think about cancer so much. The physical changes make it hard. The blue and red lines on my body look like a subway map!
AmusingSoprano - They should have told you during your sim, but you can always ask. Not everyone having treatments on the left side need the breath hold.
Good luck to those starting this week!
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LoveMyVisla - so glad you are done. I start next week with my Sim on monday. expecting the worst and hoping for the best.
so many great suggestions, I think I will wear my own clothes too, see if that makes me feel more like me!
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Hi all. I'm finally surfacing after my last chemo last Monday. I think I just slept about 20 hours a day for the last four days. I found I couldn't even hold up my cell phone! I have my initial rads planning and consult on Oct 26 so will find out my final plan and schedule then. My MO said I am still scheduled for 30 sessions (I had hoped by doing chemo it might reduce the number of sessions needed.) I've been reading all your posts, and offer congrats to those finishing up! Each stage we check off is such an accomplishment! Am hoping DH and I can get in a little get away before the daily grind of rads. This thread seems to have had better results with skin issues than the summer one did! So glad, I was pretty apprehensive while stalking that thread before I knew I'd need chemo. Thanks in advance for all your info and support!
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Quick question... When I saw my RO, I was told of all the effects of the Radiation treatment. One of the items was a 10% decrease in lung capacity? Has anyone else been told this would happen?
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Oh my, I wasn't told that. Maybe it has to do with where the radiation field has to be for your tumor. Mine told me that it will probably hit part of my lung and perhaps cause a thickening that will show up on future chest xrays
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Elizabeth, I was told there would be a small amount of lung scarring, which I guess equates to diminished capacity.
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I can not remember if my RO told me about heart and/or lung scarring. I know I asked him, but sometimes the posts on this website mix into what I ask and get answered. So, I feel like he said minimal, but that could have been on the reading I've done on here.
Today is my birthday! I am SO glad that it is a rad free day! That is the best gift of today (not having to get ready for the hospital and drive to and from in traffic). 8 more treatments left. Boy am I counting them down. My main rad tech is amused how vocal I am about the count down and loving my Fridays lol. Otherwise, she thinks I'm quiet. I am all business. I just want to get in there and out. No wasting time with chatting in my mind
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DaraB - Congrats on finishing chemo! I recommend taking weekly pics of your hair to confirm that it is growing, but not fast enough. I hope your RO gives you a smaller number of treatments. My MO thought 5 wks, but RO said about 4 wks.
ayr1016 - Happy Birthday! Enjoy your day off. 🎂
Elizabeth - I was told of possible lung damage and to let them know of any coughing or shortness of breath.
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Lung scarring: it depends upon which position you receive your rads tx in - on your back or prone. I am in the prone position with no rays going near heart, lungs, or other breast. If your RO has to get the beam near the chest wall, you may suffer from some lung irritation. Once per week your RO should go over results with you, so that you can see exactly where the tx is targeted. I think that lung involvement is rare these days as they know so much more about radiation to healthy tissue.
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Michelle, is the decision of on back or prone because of the rad center, the position of the tumor, or choice? Your's sounds much better, especially with all the breath holding etc. My tumor was smack dab in the center of my left breast.
Happy Birthday Ayr! Hope the day was great!
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Hi Everyone... I start my rads Nov. 2nd... I had them wait an extra week so my new insurance would start first... My RO said there may be some scarring on the top of my lungs... I already have chronic bronchitis, but was told my lung capacity was above normal so maybe won't matter much... I'm praying for and expecting to go right through with little or No SEs. I already started Arimidex a few days ago and maybe a little joint pain.. my knee is stiff and sore a lot anyway, so unless it hurts more then usual, not going to worry about it
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I have my first RO appt this Tuesday. Any advice on questions I should ask or any tips about products I should have on hand? I ordered the miaderm skin lotion and soap.
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