Anyone getting ready to start Radiation in Fall 2016?
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congratulations Licata. Hooray
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Congrats Licata!
This radiation fatigue they talk about is definitely a thing. I went back to work the day after I finished rads (I spent the weekdays at a hospital in another city and drove home for weekends) and yesterday I hit the wall and had to leave work about 12:30pm and go home to sleep. I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. Feeling ok today but so grateful that it was the last day of work and we don't go back till 16 January.
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Thank you amusing soprano, for all of your information on the mepitel. I think they will become more of a standard soon.
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Congrats Licata and xxyzed for finishing up your radiation. I have finished my first week .. 5 down 28 more to go. Yay!
Miko...I would rather be cautious too.
Amusing....I am not looking forward to the fatigue. After having it so bad during and after chemo I have enjoyed lately feeling some what normal.
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hi Caligirl: my goodness i am tired all the time. I cannot imagine what it is going to be like when i start rads.
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I felt so much better from chemo in week 2 and 3 of radiation. Weeks 4 and 5 I started getting worn out again. Now having just finished I am more tired than after chemo but without the chemo aches and pains. I need to ration out my energy reserves and am currently doing as little as possible to get through the day. I'm hoping this doesn't last too long
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Hi everyone and a very happy holidays to all. Congratulations to Licata and xxyzed for finishing!!! I will be interested to hear how the next few weeks go for you post rad if you care to share.
I am now 5 out of 21-first week done now with 3 days off. I would say the first week was pretty uneventful. Definitely first day freakout because it all was new but after that you fall into a groove. The actual radiation part is just 2 minutes ( I counted) so the visit goes very quickly.
I have been using my lotions/potions and don't see much if any change on the skin. My arm feels a little stiff and a very slight burny feeling in my lungs when I take a very deep breath. Either of those things could have nothing to do with the radiation but I am hypersensitive to any little change now.
The only thing that is different is that I fell sound asleep at 8pm last night which I can't recall happening any time in recent past. Got up for a bit and then right back to sleep for the night. I feel good today and was up and out for a long walk.
And on we go...
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Merry Christmas to all 🎄🎄 hope your all comfortable today and finding some joy ❤️
brigid....I am there with ya sista! Every stiff bone I think is that from radiation?
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Brigid, my last radiation was 3 days ago, and my skin has started healing and looks very close to normal. Most of the brown crusty has sloughed off, except where the boosts were aimed. Yippee!
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Hi all. Still off today from rads. Will finish up my last three this week. Last week the skin on under side of breast broke down completely. It was pretty bad. Open weepy blisters with skin sloughing off and totally disgusting. Then just when I thought I couldn't stand it, almost overnight it seemed to get a bit better. Used the prescription silvadene frequently plus all the other recommended creams. So excited that I'm almost finished.
Hope all had a wonderful holiday and are feeling good and not too fatigued. I think today will be a pajama day for me! Sounds so appealing!
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Bagsharon- I finished rads (28 rounds) on December 7th & had a dentist appointment on December 12th...I was afraid I'd need a release from my oncologist but my dental staff was very welcoming to me when I returned. Sounds like that lady needs to find a hobby. Hope you are doing well...praying your last few rounds come with minimal SEs
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Katjadvm Sorry I didn't reply sooner- holiday travel had me not checking boards. I used the Mepitel as you are (not during treatment but all the rest of the time) and had great results. My RO was very interested in the research after he saw my skin. Hoping yours holds up as well!
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Today was my last treatment. Afterwards, they told me I needed to see the doctor. I protested and said that my doctor is on vacation and he told me I didn't need to see anyone because my skin was holding up so well but they insisted. I ended up sitting in a cold room in my gown for over two hours waiting for the doctor who was covering. At one point I heard somebody in the hallway ringing a bell and people cheering. I lost it and cried like a three year old. To top it off, when the doctor did come in, the only thing she said was that my skin looked great and I just needed to make an appointment in three months. I never did get to ring the bell and I'm going to be working until 8 pm tonight to make up the time I lost.
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Bagsharon, Congratulations on Finishing! I expected something more at the end too and I got a hug, but no bell.. But we're in the We're Done section now... and we can cheer the ones still going through theirs or just beginning this craziness.. (((Hugs)))
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Had my meeting with oncologist today and my onco score is 25. Dr. felt if I had chemo vs radiation the risk for recurrence would be the same. So, I opted for radiation. This would mean I can continue to work and not have to retire. So, I will work for a few more years. I want to keep busy and not have to worry about this bc. Dr. also started me on Femara. He indicated that if it didn't work out we could switch to tamoxifen. So, forward and onward. Met with my radiologist and had temporary marks made ( I will be in the prone position) Then on the 5th of January I will have permanent tats and treatment will start. 33 scheduled zaps
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Miko...I will have 33 too. Hopefully it moves along well for us
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Tomorrow is the day!!! Can't wait. Doing fine now on the boosts. Skin is just really red where the boosts hit but the other affected skin is all but completely healed already. It does seem to get better almost over night. And you'll be surprised to see how fast it does seem to go, at least mine did. I think it helped for me to have a very early appt so I still had the rest of the day. The little group of women I saw each day were so friendly and nice. Today one of them brought me a little box of Sees candy to celebrate my ending of radiation. The techs said the the early morning patients always seemed to be very friendly and chatty. It made the time go by so quickly. And I really got to know one of the techs and we shared so much about our lives. It certainly made it seem like it wasn't a medical appointment! Yesterday she was so excited because a new boyfriend she had talked about proposed and she couldn't wait to show me her ring. She's about 50 and it is a second relationship. It was just so nice because I really felt like a "real" person with her.
Hang in there those just starting the rads process. We really can all do this!
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HI CALIGIRL. Yes we will prevail together 👍
CONGRATULATIONS DARA........ yay all done 👏🏻👏🏻
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Miko, my onc score was 24 and I had no chemo either.. don't regret it.. just happy it's all over.
Dara.. Congratulations!! Tomorrow will go so fast.. then you can join our Cheering section for those just starting and still going through it..
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Hi IGH: tyty for sharing I have no second thoughts now. Like Caligirl we will all persevere.
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Forgot to mention my oncologist and radiologist have not heard of Mepitel oh well, will try to cope since they will not recommend it at this time
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Miko, would you like the links to the trials and the report in the Green Journal to show them?
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Meg: I have been trying to get my radiation oncology group interested in using the Mepitel bandages. No go. At least the RO I spoke to today knew about them and said that it would be unlikely for them to recommend due to their expense. At least I am able to use them. Did you have any issues with irritation to your skin associated with daily removal of the bandage for therapy?
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It makes me angry that saving money is more important to some hospitals than sparing women from some really nasty and painful side effects. I bet if it were men with prostates suffering through these se's, it would be a different story
![:\](https://community.breastcancer.org/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
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I didn't have issues on irritation following removal. It does seem like one of the hangups here in the U.S. is the insurance/cost issue. Insurance won't cover them unless you have open skin (according to my RO.) So thats just great- wait until its too late then they are covered by insurance.
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Meg: I ordered mine off of Amazon. It was the cheapest I could find them. I am going to see if my brother who owns a compression bandage store may be able to order them for me.
AmusSoparno: I am equally frustrated. I find the radiation stint equally as disturbing as the chemo lounge, where they offered us junk food and no one felt that nutrition was important. I will keep reminding them about the bandages each time I see the RO's and hope that anyone that comes across this thread will ask for them as well. Words have power.
Is anyone having boosts intermittently in their treatment. I have one every 3 visits. Seems a little odd.
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hi everyone,
My radiation has been going well, however today is last day for a bit. I have an endoscopy tomorrow, and my current insurance ends the 31st. Haven't received new stuff so going to business office to find out what to do. I have treatments scheduled thru end of Jan. ..wish me luck
Pam.
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bagsharon, so glad you have finished. I am angry on your behalf howmiserable they made your last day, that sucks.
I finished rads 1 week ago, and I did get to ring the bell. I have had a miserable time with moist desquamation this past week, but it started getting much better yesterday, so now I am feeling more than I did last week that rads is really over. Time to go check out the hormone therapy threads, I guess!
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Rang the bell (or hit the gong!) And that's a wrap for me! Now I can join the group supporting all who are still in the process?
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Amusing...you can bet if it were a man suffering he would recommended anything and everything.
Katjadum....I will have my boosts at the end.
Pam...good luck ..sorry you have to add that worry to your battle.
Miskatonic...Yay for being done & starting to heal
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