Radiation October 2018
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Congratulations, Palesa, on finishing your rads! I am so jealous right now. Today I am doing 8/28 plus 6 boosts.
Spoonie, hang in there kiddo. We are all pulling for you. You are going to make it, one day at a time now.
Sidalee, you should work from home for sure. Hoping your throat doesn't get too painful for you. Maybe you should be eating popsicles and ice cream.
Greenharbor, I am over cancer treatments already too. Can not wait to get all this behind us. My husband is over it too even though he doesn't say anything. I know he is tired of talking about it with everyone we see and driving me everyday to my appointments.
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Hi Sidalee,
My MIL had esophagus problems and was able to eat things like soft fruit - canned peaches, applesauce. What about pudding or yogurt? Cooked beans might go down easy to get you protein. Keep us posted.
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Had my 1st radiation tx today. The therapists were super nice, but I must admit it was depressing. I finished chemo a month ago and was just starting to feel “normal” again. Maybe it’s just day one jitters. Will keep up with posts here for your experiences. Best wishes to all
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Thanks CarolAnnie and egregious, I am going to try adding some homemade smoothies with greek yogurt to my diet if it gets much worse. This week should be interesting, I had a little trouble getting my rice down at lunch and I thought that would be easy--too dry I guess, but water is a little tough to swallow too. Fingers crossed that it doesn't get worse.
Good luck to everyone this week, at least we can check these daily treatments off pretty fast!
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Congrats Palesa on being done with rads. Take care of yourself. My RO said radiation SEs are worst 2 weeks after radiation ends.
Spoonie, I have dry flaky skin on my nipple.Radiation nurse mentioned about using a folded silk handkerchief to minimize rubbing. That has helped a lot. I cannot use any cream on the nipple as the cream might get in the way of the mepitel that covers the breast. I do not take off my bra, it just makes my breast sore.
I have 7 more rads to go, last 5 will be boosts.Then on to some more chemo. What fun.
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Hi everyone - thanks so much for the gentle hugs and kind wishes, ya'll put a smile on my face today.
I do have some good news.
After speaking with my team and RO today, two things are now on board.
One, I have an RX for pain, since the tylenol/ibuprofen is no longer keeping the pain at bay and my symptoms will only intensify and continue as the last week and boosts come and goes.
Two, I have a "wrap" going on. My team will do this every day for me after treatments until I'm done. I have to ask tomorrow what the "film" is that forms the base of it, as I've forgotten, but basically they paper-machied me with creams, these films, and gauze. It was like making a lasagna. Basically covering my red rectangle in this cream, then applied layers of this pre-soaked film over it, and then covered it with dry gauze so that it wouldn't soak through the compression bra they put me in. I then put my sports bra over it. After all was said and done, I felt immediate relief! Thank goodness!
They sent me home with supplies, if I need to add to it over night. If not, they said just to remove and clean the area 2 hrs prior to treatment like before.
Thanks to this wrap and new creams I haven't had to take the pain meds, but my RO said it's better to have them on hand if the pain gets too intense. They don't want me miserable! I feel so much better, mentally and physically! My nipple for the first time in a week is calm and not screaming at me. It's a wonder!
Anyway, here's hoping the rest of ya'll had some good news and a renewed burst of mental strength like I have. Hang in there.
Gentle hugs to all...
The cream is AloeVesta (protective ointment 3+ protect) if anyone is interested. I will post the name of the filmy gauze is tomorrow.
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That sounds good Spoonie. I am glad you are doingbetter. Hang in there
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Hi Teenstar,
I've read many posts from people saying the first rad was the hardest, both in terms of time and emotionally. Hope your treatment is going well. Keep us posted.
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Spoonie - "like making a lasagna" - too funny!
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Glad you are getting some relief Spoonie!
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@Teenstar -- You're not alone in having that feeling heading into the room for the first time. I felt "fine" mentally, until I walked in that door and saw the lights, machine, and just was hit with the impact that it's happening. Hang in there. Hopefully mentally it will be less stressful for your next treatments. That's how it happened for me. Now, I'm more stressed about being able to hold my breath to the fullest to keep things running smoothly for everyone, me and the team included! LOL. Sending hugs.
@Egregious -- Lasagna was pretty apt! Glad to make you laugh a bit. Goodness knows we need the laughter and reasons to smile! Technically, the film was the size of noodles and peeled off into three layers each that were then plastered on me. So I guess I can check "make radiation lasagna" off my bucket list! Yay for the little things.
I slept so good last night for the first time in weeks. My breast pain didn't wake me up once.
This wrap is just the best. I hardly feel my breast pain or swelling now. I haven't even had to take my pain pills yet. I'm just over the moon! Wish they would have told me about this before. It feels heavenly cool and is such a change from my past 3 weeks. I'd recommend this to anyone who's struggling.Wishing you all a bit of relief and smooth treatments!
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@egregious and @spoonie Thanks for the words of encouragement! Today was so much better. I was in and out way faster. The breath holds are daunting but I got thru it.
Wishing everyone well today and beyond.
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My RO confirmed today what someone else said - that the skin SEs will get worse over the two weeks AFTER the rad treatments are completed. She recommends continuing the creams, etc. for a full 4 weeks after to help the skin recover. 2/7 boosts done! The boosts are so fast I'm in and out in 15 mins! Here's hoping everyone's SEs are getting better!
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spoonie77 ~ I have been using the Domeboro soaks three time a day and it helped with the itching and it is OTC. The hydrocortisone didn’t give me much relief.
Congrats Palesa2018!!! What did you do to celebrate? Other than not going into radiation the next day☺️
15 down 13 to go....
Hang in there all you fellowwarriors!
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@teenstar - I'm glad things were a bit better today. Hope it continues.
@cc738nj - Fingers crossed for you on the last 5 of your boosts! Good luck! Keep us posted on how yours go and what your'e planning to do to celebrate? I'm a bit worried with my boosts, as I asked the RO on Mon what the difference would be from boosts vs the normal tx I'd been having. I knew the size of the area tx was smaller. But for me (not sure if its same for standard) the strength of grays dose is the same, just on the smaller rectangle of the Lumpectomy surrounding tissue site (4"x4" approx) which is something I did not know. I just assumed it would be lesser strength I guess given the smaller area. Knowing this, and how my skin already is, I'm hoping it finds the strength to hold up. Wishing you and your skin the same!
@sunshine-LA - Thanks for the tip on Domeboro soaks. I'm glad it's brought you some relief! I'll pick some up to have on hand if the Benadryl stops helping.
I did say I'd post what the strips of "lasagna" were called when I found out today -- low and behold, nothing too fancy after all, just "oil emulsified" non-adherent sterile strips. But these babies combined with that Aloe Vesta have sure been my "paper-mache" miracle! My breast and nipple are still swollen, red, and not happy to look at - but hey the pain is SO much better, I know I can make it (mentally at least!) through the last reg RADs and my boosts!
Good luck everyone - it seems like the home stretch is around the corner for many of us. Hang in there! Soft hugs to all.... ((((BCO Fam))))
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HI all,
I have 5 "normal" treatments left this week and 10 boosts next week. I go twice a day for radiation. I am soooo done going to the hospital 2x/day or more if I have doctor's appointments during the day. I have some pretty good fatigue going on as well.
I got some numbing cream at my last visit - it only sort of helps; and because of getting the clavicle nodes zapped; I also get the sore throat as well... I am drinking more of the Greek Yogurt protein shakes (my 5 year old wanted to try them the other day - he liked it and is now stealing them any chance he gets..)
Thanks for all the support here...it's helped.
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To all you ladies about to have radiation, I'll tell you my experience. It was a piece of cake! 25 treatments, my only complaint was sun burn like burn, esp around collarbone. I was told to use Miaderm cream, and it worked very well! My bra strap rubbed, so got convertible sports type bra, went strapless, or one strap. That's it! Oh my arm and hand used to go numb from the position during treatments. I had no fatigue or nausea. I would go right from radiation to the gym!😃 Hope all your treatments go as well!
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Today was the last of the whole breast radiation. 5 boosts remaining.
Yesterday was the first day that I felt the fatigue and they were right, it comes out of nowhere. I picked up my kid from school, came home and it felt as if I had woken up at 3 am at night. You know how you feel when you wake up in the middle of the night for a drink of water. Slept for 2 hours straight. Kid was busy with her story books, thank goodness.
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Anybody else feeling tired from their rads? I feel like a total wimp right now after 10 treatments I am so stinking tired! I don't know if it's the stress of these extra long days and dreading doing this until November 29th or the rads. My RO and RN said the fatigue comes at the end. So I am worrying it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. On a better note, my breast is only slightly pink.
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Well I'm late to the party, but I started rads today. Whole breast and lymph nodes. Seems like a lot considering I had BMX and ALND. I am not looking forward to the skin burns.
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CarolAnnieLumpLump, I am on #12 and am so tired in the evenings, I don’t feel like myself. Can’t even concentrate to read a book anymore.
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3/33 tomorrow. Already feeling sunburn sensation and itching. Not looking forward to his journey:(.
I ordered a radiant wrap that i could wear from home and don’t have to change into their hospital gown everyday. This way I don’t have to worry about what to wear everyday and don’t have to change into and out of their gowns that they don’t wash everyday. Lol.
I want this to be so over with. I actually want to go back to work and try to have some what of normal life.
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Super tired over here too. I'm still going for my morning walk everyday and trying not to cut them short, but I drag about half the way. I haven't cooked dinner all week and I'm in bed the second the kids are.
18/25 today so I'm excited to see the light at the end of the rads tunnel, just hoping my skin continues to hold up, expander doesn't collapse and my throat doesn't get worse. Compared to chemo it's still not that bad so far. Hang in there ladies, it will be behind us soon.
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Frog, thanks for sharing that your fatigue came on so suddenly. I'll look out for that... I haven't felt a huge hit of fatigue yet (I'm at 13/20) but that's not to say I haven't felt tired and worn out by the end of the day, since I haven't stopped doing anything else I would normally be doing, and things are ramped up even more than usual these days. When it rains it pours.
That said, I have been a lot more physically active than normal during these period of time. Who knows, maybe that helps. I've been walking between the hospital and my office every day and in total I get at least 1-1.5 hours of active time in a day during the week. I'm so grateful that I'm close enough to walk, and also that I'm not having to do this during the winter because I think this would suck so much extra if I had to deal with snowstorms and the corresponding hassle too.
Brave - I'm shocked to hear they don't wash the gowns after each use at your hospital! What is up with that?! Glad to hear you've found a solution though!
XOXOXO to everyone, hang in there, before you know it this will all be a blurry memory. #STAYSTRONG
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Hey everyone - wish I had good news, alas not so much.
I'm a complete mess. Phys & mentally.
I was super excited that they gave me pain meds and the "lasagna" wrap earlier this week....now it's not helping at all. Woke up yesterday to find that some of my skin had just disappeared over night, leaving open sores around my nipple (esp right on the bottom areola) and they hurt ALL THE TIME. It appears that more skin on the underside of the breast is in the process of leaving the building too, as it were. Yikes. At least I don't have blisters I guess.
I've had symptoms since Day One and my team has done everything to stay ahead of the worst of it and be proactive but it seems like there's not much we can do at this point but grin and bear it. It's my final week. Gotta say the last of my txs & my boosts next week are gonna feel like utter hell. I cry at the drop of a hat, can't sleep, though exhausted beyond words....like I said I'm a complete mess. I have to fight the tears driving up to RADS. Knowing that it's going to get worse for me before it gets better is hard to deal with. Even though txs stop Wed next week, RO reminds me that at least a week out or more this will all continue to pile on. Uggggh. Gotta stay on top of it as best as I can. Trying.
Send me some extra hugs and good vibes my friends, I could sure use them. LOL crying as I write this actually....it's just so much to handle....this coming from a lifetime Spoonie of chronic pain and invisible illness. I can carry a ton on these shoulders of mine, but alas I'm done. Stick a fork in me.
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Hi Spoonie,
I'm so sorry to read that you are in crisis now. I pray for you to get relief.
And I send you all my good vibes.0 -
Spoonie, you are a warrior woman! This pic is for you. Don't lose heart, you are almost there! GIRL POWER!!
(((((gentle hugs))))))))
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I'm so sorry Spoonie
Sending you lots of hugs, thoughts and prayers. I can only imagine how exhausted and stressed you must be. It is really hard to hear that SE's will continue or even get worse for a time after treatment ends.I feel like my SE's sort of wax and wane and some days are better than others, I hope that ends up being the case for you and today is just a bad day. It's almost the weekend break again, thank goodness.
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Spoonie hang in there! You’re stronger than you think. The pain sounds awful - we are with you.
Sleep deprivation makes us less able to cope. Can you try something to help you get a little sleep?
Sending you healing vibes
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BIG ol' hug for Spoonie. You can do this.
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