Anyone getting ready to start Radiation in Fall 2016?
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hi there: hope u feel better real soon - fatigue is so hard to deal with. I will start rads in Dec and trying to plan for this to happen to me as well. I am a diabetic as well and it seems i am always fighting fatigue. Plan to combat this with exercise. I started this in earnest before i was diagnosed to help with fatigue and it helps. I am hoping it will do the same when i start rads. Good luck to you - keep up the fight
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Hi ladies hoping this post finds everyone well! I finished 15/28 let the downward spiral begin. I've been using the special cream the docs gave me, use my coconut oil in the am, and have introduced aloe juice to the mix. This may help those with itching. I bought aloe juice (it was about $10) from the health food store and put it in the fridge, I pour some juice on a washcloth and lay it on my radiated skin....the coolness feels wonderful and gets rid of any irritation. I repeat this process as necessary.
I wear big tshirts at home and Bought a few larger shirts to wear to work, i accessorize with scarves or cardigans. I also bought some camis that didn't have a shelf bra attached those certainly help keep me from getting irritated. Have a great weekend and here's to a strong upcoming week
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Seraphima, I've had 7 of 25 now and today I was exhausted.. think part of it was all the running around I did yesterday too, but it's the pits to be so tired all you want to do is go back to bed
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I am highly recommended to have radiation therapy to my chest wall and lymph nodes. I'm not sure what to do. I had triple negative infiltrating ductile carcinoma stage 3c grade 3 with lymph node involvement. I went through chemo and a bilateral mastectomy with tissue expander placement. I showed a pathological complete response. My RO said it is to be sure there is nothing left and it is because of my lymph nodes originally being positive.
I am only 33 and don't want to go through this again. But I live 85 miles away and it will be December before I would start. Winter means a lot of snow here usually. So I kind of dread that. Any one have a similar choice? I am not sure if I should go for it or not...
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Rayna, that is a tough choice because the time commitment is huge. Not for the treatment, that's 5 minutes a day. But three hours a day for 30 days. I would ask what the percentages were for recurrence with and without rads, and then decide if you want to play the odds. I would also ask if the chemo wouldn't have worked in the lymph nodes. I have lymph node involvement, and it scares me, and I don't feel secure with anything
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Licata
My surgeon took 14 lymph nodes out during my mastectomy, 5 showed "treatment response" meaning they were scarred from the chemo. They tested negative in pathology now. One was for sure positive as I felt a lump there and it was biopsies. So I guess the thought is that even though it seems to be gone, there could be cells that they don't see that could eventually turn into a tumor.
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I had no lymph node involvement and the Dr still wanted me to have radiation because before chemo and surgery on the MRI she says 5 of my lymph nodes lit up. The surgery was done and the sentinel node tested negative and another lymph node in my armpit tested negative before surgery. I have had 16 chemo treatments, double mastectomy, and now have finished 28 radiation treatments to my whole left breast and lymph node area under my arm. Was it necessary? The radiation oncologist and the breast surgeon thought it was. So I took their advice. I am 59 years old. I had to travel 50 miles one way each day. I am thankful it was not winter but I started September 14 and finished October 26 this year. I'm so glad it is over now. My reconstruction is planned for next year in the fall. My diagnosis was Stage II B with no lymph node, no metatasis. I had a 4 cm tumor that responded to chemo. Pathology after surgery showed it was reduced to 1.2 cm. But my tumor was all the way to my chest wall and in my nipple too. My plastic surgeon said no to tissue expanders because radiation is bad for them. I pray you can make a wise decision. It is hard. Bless you!
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IamKopy2:
I am finished with 28 of 28 radiation treatments. My doctor did not give me any special cream (Silvadene) until I was severely burnt. It really hurt those last 9 treatments but I made it through. I tried every cream and lotion I could find. I did the coconut oil and shea butter, aloe vera, calendula cream, cetaphil, aquaphor, Miaderm and others. Finally, the Sivadene helped. But the best thing I found to help the burn was after two weeks of Silvadene, I tried Rodan & Fields Soothe 2 & 3. It was a miracle help for the redness, the burn, the itch, the peeling, the pain! After two weeks of it, I am healing. I highly recommend it although it is extremely expensive.My skin has returned to normal feeling skin that looks more of a dark brown tan instead of an angry red.
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Hi all. I have 7 more to go. RO said it isn't practical to do boosts as my tumor areas cover a large area, so it would essentially be more whole breast rads. So, I'll finish before Thanksgiving, whooohee. My skin is burned and rough and painful but I'll manage. I use aloe, neosporine, and an olive oil & lemon mix dh made. I put a very soft piece of cloth under my breast, then a cami, then a soft surgical bra over the cami. Then my actual clothes! I work in an old building and it's really hot right now (heat is either on or off!) so I do all of the above but sleeveless! Crazy but it's working well enough. This is the last leg, whatever will I do with all my extra time & energy when I get it back?
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B"H
Hi everyone! I came here to celebrate that today I finished 25 RAD treatments and tomorrow start 8 boosts. The techinician that marked me for the boosts said "lets celebrate!" and removed the tape I had in several spots for the regular RADS I was having until today. She made me feel SO good, like she "understood". I haven't told anyone else of this "monumental" stage in the treatment, because the last thing I need to hear is more "You just had to do radiation, that's nothing..." or ""You didn't have to lose your hair? So you're fine.." etc.... I am at once very very happy and very grateful to have reached this stage of treatment.... I am also experiencing since the very beginning heavy fatigue which appears any time it feels like during the day and yet still can't really sleep.... and thinking about the MRI I am scheduled to do the first of January... concerned that I have been told the fatigue could go on for quite a while... and still soooooooooo happy I reached this day! So I came here, because YOU understand... thank you my precious BCO sisters!
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congratulations thereis 😍 I am so happy for you huggz and kisse
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Congrats to you guys finishing up rads. So excited or you. I am only about half way done. I am tired all the time too - yesterday was a couch potato day, all i did was watch TV and cuddle with my cats and dog. It felt great. Today I have a little more energy.
Hubby was gone all week and this was the first time I was alone in the house to fend for myself. I was super anxious before he left, not knowing how I would do alone since diagnosed in May. I did great! My mom helped me through the first few days then I gained some more of my confidence back. I never had a problem with him leaving before, but then again, this is the only time I had cancer!
That silver lining of the end is in sight! Keep going, we got this, we are stronger than cancer and the treatments. May a hummingbird make you smile today!
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Congrats thereis!
That's definitely worth celebrating. People don't understand - they think if you don't have chemo then you really haven't been through anything. They just have NO idea!0 -
Congratulations thereisnodespair, I'm 7 of 25, 18 more to go... I was exhausted yesterday, but a little less tired today.. You'll get through the boosts too..
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JuneBug Thank you so much for your input! I have been looking for people who have had 28 treatments just to compare. Its funny how your PS said no to TE because of rads and mine along with another warrior sister also has them...very strange. I wish you luck on your reconstruction and hope I can finish strong.
Rayna- Honey I am so sorry and I feel for you! I can share what my MO shared with me when I asked about rads. She explained if I was older (Im 45) then she wouldn't recommend it (I was Stage IIB and had clear margins with node involment) however given my age since I was young she highly recommended it because it took my chance for recurrence from 10% to 2%....I sucked it up and Im halfway through. I realize that 85 miles is a long way to go, is it possible you can do radiation at a hospital that is closer to you? If not, is there maybe a train that is close by you could take? Just thinking of options....I will say a prayer for you!
Congrats to everyone just finishing up with treatment...celebrate life
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thereisnode… woohoo *happy dance* you're so close to the finish line! I don't know how you deal with those kinds of insensitive comments. I'd probably slap them upside the head lol. I'm so happy that you didn't have to go through chemo on top of all of this. Rads is no walk in the park and no one should ever underestimate fatigue. I didn't have it too bad during rads, but it was 24/7 during chemo. I just wanted to tell you that you do bounce back very quickly after rads. My skin looks perfect and it's only been 2 weeks since my last rads and while the first week back to work was rough and I had a terrible habit of falling asleep in the middle of conversations when I got home from work, I am now 100% back to my normal self. I finally sleep well through the night again and no longer have any fatigue. I've kept my protein levels the same as during rads and still drink Propel fitness water every day. It really does help. Oddly, I am still losing about a pound a week. Dr. said that could go on for months. Here's hoping!
One thing that I found helped the most with fatigue was simply walking (3.5 mph) for an hour a day 5 days a week. Don't ask me why, but the days i worked out I felt much better than the days i didn't.
Sabrina
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Junebug...I am currently deciding whether to have TEs then radiation, then recon or do DIEP first then rads. Seems you did DIEP first, did your recon hold up well after rads
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B"H
Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I knew I came to the right place - thank you miko and BoobsBgone and AmazingSoprano and IHGJAnn49 and Imkopy2 and s1d1c1u1 and everyone!!! So grateful - it ,ade everything seem real and omtimistic with you all happy for me!
And for all the women here - really when i began the RADS I didn't even allow myself to dream about the day I would start my "count down". Thanks to you all!
In our hospital the policy is NO cream or oil whatsoever, they claim none of it helps and some of it hinders the treatment, so they say to use nothing.... I freaked out in the beginning because everyone here was talking about using tons of soothing and healing creams ... the only thing I used was a bit of sifted cornstartch... thank G-d my skin has held up, it is as someone described here and "angry red" but not really sore or worse.... but now I would love advice from you all and how to take care of my skin AFTERWARDS - how much cream, how to calm the color etc.ANd if anyone knows - how to get rid of the markie map on my chest?????
Thanks s1d1c1u1 for your encouragement. I also needed to hear that advice about the walking - I am really too fatigued at this point... but I am working hard and making it clear to myself when I finish RADS to go back to daily hiking - I kept waiting to lose some weight (lucky you!!!) during the RADS but I overate and I really have to lose some of this!!! I think one of the SE for the AL I started to take for me is being hungry lots of the time, and since I have to take that for at least 10 years I better figure out a way to watch what I am eating and to walk more....
Rayna - I read what Imkopy2 explained - I will just add that I am a lot older than her and also am Stage II2 with clean margins and node involvement and I was sent to do RADS. Whatever you decide - wishing you all the best!!!!!
THANKS TO YOU ALL !!!
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thereisnodespair, You are Welcome... and on the creams... my RO keeps me supplied with 100% Aloe, which I am to use 3 times a day, they gave me emu oil, but it got gritty so they give me Aquaphor, I'm just using the aloe for now.. it's helped
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Just finished #5/37 and am just doing fine. No reactions whatsoever. Saw the RO today also and he said next week he'd give me some samples to try. Already have a few here at home, but not needed yet. Biggest reaction seems to be to the AI Arimidex which I also started last week. No joint pain which I expected, but short bouts with queasiness and not much appetite. Certainly could be worse! RO said it should even out once my body becomes accustomed to the new hormone level.
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congrats Dara.
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Dara, I just finished 8 of 25.. and the hot flashes have settled down... get tired, but i've been running around a lot too so that could be part of that... you'll do fine..
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just finished 14/25 today and so excited. yesterday I felt ambitious and went shopping for new clothes since I lost so much during chemo. I hit the jackpot, now I have a wardrobe that fits. plus new slippers, sheets and comforter!
Today I saw the RO and he said my skin looks good, nothing wrong (yet) and we are trying to keep it that way. Also saw the lymphodema therapist this morning and she says to keep up with the stretching and massage to help avoid lymphodema! on it.
wishing you all a great day! nap when you want to.
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congrats Boobs: Hooray 14/25 over halfway there yahooooo
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How great BBG! It's so great to be able to check off those milestones. Now you'll be on the last half!
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Yay for being halfway BBG! And yay for the new wardrobe, you will feel like a million bucks
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Hi Ladies! Theresnodespair, I have no time for people's senseless and insensitive comments! I dare anyone of them to walk 20 feet in my shoes and see how they do. People like that have no clue what its like for us, regardless if you have chemo, rads only, a combo of the two, have been down this road before and are on your second journey at the end of the day its not just the treatment. Its the total package, BC takes everything feminine, tries your patience and let us not forget the emotional toll it has on people who are typically nurturing others in life. I have a few choice words for 'those people' but my mother always told me if I had nothing nice to say then not to say anything....pause, silence.....crickets chirping....
I agree with Sabrina doing some walking definitely helps, even if I dint have the time to exercise I make it a point to park a little farther in the lot so I can get some extra steps in my day. I also drink propel, I bought the packets and drink one a day, if I notice Im extra tired I drink 2 and I notice the difference. As for skin treatment, try what the RO recommends because Im beginning to think all of the differences might be because of the machine they use. Right now my skin looks and feels pretty good, I love my coconut oil, I use this cream they gave which has vitamins, A, E, D, and aloe (not too greasy) they also gave me aquaphor which is much like a lighter version of Vaseline.
SAbrina Im happy to hear your healing well, one day I hope to be in your shoes.
BBB- congrats on the new wardrobe!
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just back from my node marking procedure. The radioactive dye was little sore like a bee sting on the nipple. But since it contained numbing meds, it was ok after a few seconds. Dr. marked 2 nodes so I guess they will come out tomorrow. No wires were placed
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I'm 21/25 today and my skin is really hurting. I was using aloe (which felt good) and the nurse told me it doesn't help moisturize the skin so recommended aquaphor for the dry cracking area on my clavicle and silvadene (sp) cream for under my arm where the skin is moist and breaking down. Please check with a nurse about aloe alone IHGJAnn, you might want to add in another cream. My skin was fine until ? a week ago, now it really hurts. Also I have pink sunburn look on my back behind affected breast--tech said yes, could be from rads (has to be!). Anyone else burning through the body> How strange.
My goal is to finish these before Thanksgiving, and not have to take a break!
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had my 8th radiation today, 22 more to go, I am feeling very tired if I sit to watch tv I fall asleep, the treated area is feeling sensitive and a little itchy, not bad so far. The miaderm is helpin
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