Radiation December 2018
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Good afternoon everyone! Well, today is exactly 2 weeks post radiation and my breast does look a lot better. Still have some swelling and it is peeling right now. I've noticed the last few day my breast still has some weird shooting pains but right in front of my underarm (which is what was more sore after lymph node biopsy) is quite stiff and sore. I never really had a lot of fatigue, thank goodness but these pains are a little bothersome. I'm sure the breast is still re cooperating from everything but still makes me worry a little bit.
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DeeBB, I have had some shooting pains and twinges too, and not all of them are at the incision site, where I would expect them to be. They've been all over the breast. I hope it's normal. I have also had the under arm pain similar to what I had after the sentinel node surgery. It's not nearly as bad, and I'm not nearly as stiff as I was then, but it's a bit discouraging and annoying for it to be coming back. I guess it’s just a long healing process.
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Ladies - it's normal, and the good news is that another 2-3 weeks and it should settle down. Wised and I and some others had the exact same thing you are experiencing - shooting pains after radiation! But I definitely don't have them now the way I did 2 weeks post-rads, unless I've just gotten so used to them that I don't notice when it happens.
Good news is we all experience this. Weird that no one tells you about it before you start, nor is it listed in rads side effects when you Google search. But it happens, it's perfectly normal it seems as it's happened to all of us, an oncology masseuse told me that was very common because we've been doing so much to our breast (from the lumpectomy to the radiation etc.) that it's just the nerves crying out. And nothing to be concerned about.
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Hi Guys, I'm two weeks post rads too and feel almost entirely back to normal. The shooters are almost all gone but I still have this weird discomfort run through it whenever I feel a chill. I must say that cosmetically speaking I have a very good result with both the incision site and the discolored skin. Can you believe it? It's starting to feel like this bad dream is ending. Hope my onc doesn't want to look at it tomorrow. BS already gave my unaffectedone a big once over last week. Man, she's rough.
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Thanks PepplesV, that does make me feel better. Have an appointment with the MO next week. Hope everyone is doing well and wish everyone good thoughts, hugs and fast healing
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Hey all, just wanted to say a quick hello. I'm just over two weeks out and amazed and at how good everything looks. Most of the discoloration and all of the swelling is gone. And my scar which was dark during rads is almost unnoticeable. I felt really good for a couple of weeks and felt off all week. Kind of irritated, unhappy, stressed about work....despite getting a new car (hooray!) and a fantastic AFC game (life long Patriots fan). I don't think it can possible be the hormone therapy yet. Perhaps just tired and fighting something off. I'm off on my first plane trip since August tomorrow so hoping the change of scenery helps.
Thanks for the congratulations. CONGRATS do those who are now done, and almost congrats to those who are almost done. You'll get there!
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Tigerlily- so glad your skin is healing well! Sorry you are having a tough week. I hope your trip helps a bit. Congrats on the new car😁. Glad you checked in.
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Het T, Glad your skin’s coming around. Not surprised you’re feeling a little off. Just saw my MO. He said post rads ick could linger for a month. Hope your trip helps you lose the funk
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Hey Tigerlily31, just wanted to drop a note to say you're not alone in feeling off. It's been 8 days out of rads for me, I also got a new car, starting a new job, got even a new puppy, yet I have the blues.. I am allowing my feelings to oscillate and reminding to be kind to myself whatever my feelings are.
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I got side effects starting day 1 with Femara....so could be a combination of things....
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Hi and hugs to my cohort!!
I made it through my first week back at work. It was SOO hard. But by the end of the week I did feel the fatigue dropping, and I'm optimistic that it'll be almost all gone by the end of this coming week. Which is a testing week, hallelujah!
For example, on Saturday, I did not have to do even a single thing, yet I did not one, not two, but THREE THINGS! Whoah!
I'm finding the cold sunny temperatures in NYC kind of invigorating actually, I think it's reminding me of childhood or something. Not looking forward to the rain that's coming tomorrow.
Yay for new cars and new puppies! (I kind of joined that club by getting a new bicycle part way through radiation
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Hi. I think this is my first post rads problem. I’m on my third day of anastrazole. Finished rads on NY eve. Had pain in affected breast all night long! I’m talking nonstop shooters bad enough to make me reach for my post surgery meds. Now a screaming headache. I’m one who has breezed through everything else. Any ideas what’s going on here? There’s no visible signs of anything amiss
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Cherryi- How are you feeling now? has your pain gotten any better? Dang you were sailing through, and I am so sorry your breast is angry. Maybe some nerves trying to heal?
Salamandra- Way to go on the first week back.
I finished today!!!!!! I posted in the January group about my healing progress. I wanted to pop in here with my Christmas rads peeps and say thank you all for being so supportive and encouraging. You made a difference and I appreciate you all.
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Hey Dani -- CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!
YOU DID IT!!!!!
Cherry, come join us in the thread Starting/Declining Hormone Therapy Nov/Dec/Jan in the Hormonal Therapy section. You'll see a lot of familiar faces and get some answers about AI treatment. I did have a lot of pain in my third week post-rads. Now one month out things are pretty good. Hope you are feeling better soon. --egr
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Whooo Dani!!!!
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Dani, hooray! I will go on over to the hormone group. I guess the pain was a one night deal because it’s fine now. The concerning part was the severity of the pain. Usually I get random shooters here and there but these were constant for hours. Much worse than any pain from the surgery.
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CONGRATS DANI ON FINISHINF RADS!!!
And see you in the hormone therapy group Cherry! Glad it’s better now.
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Thanks for the congrats, I really appreciate it!!!!
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Yay!! so glad you're done Dani
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Congrats Dani!!!
Thanks all for the support. Trip went well though it was tiring. A colleague past away this week - 53 - and it is just really sad. He was in the hospital for a month after becoming septic. I saw him in December and am not sure of what led to it. A good reminder to live life. So I am an packing for a work trip to Honolulu. My husband is coming since he surfs. Really looking forward to being in the ocean. Rash guards are packed!
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I had a follow-up appointment with my BS earlier this week. She said the twinges can continue for years for some women. It's just tissue and nerves finding new homes and trying to settle in.
Man, I thought 2018 would be it, over and done. Then January turned into follow-ups with every damn doctor, even a dentist, for five total PLUS a CT scan. And now I'm scheduled for stuff in March, April, and May. I don't trust February; I just know someone is going to claim it and not let me have a free month. It's like cow bingo, where the cows crap all over the field to fill up the playing card.
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Cow bingo! I needed a laugh, thanks! But I do hope that nothing comes up for you in February.
I am 4 weeks out from my last treatment and am very pleased at how well my skin has recovered. I have hopes the color will be back to normal within a couple more weeks. It’s close enough that it probably wouldn’t be noticeable from across the room. But the shape keeps changing. It’s almost as if I have more swelling now than I did during treatment. They’re the same size again, and the upper outer quadrant looks puffy to me. The lump was at 12:00 and the scar is right along the top edge of the areola, so the swelling seems weird. I have a follow-up with the surgeon this week, and I’m going to ask about it. It almost has to be from surgery, radiation, scar tissue, missing lymph nodes, and all the healing that’s still going on, not a new cancer, but I’m nervous about it.0 -
Hi purplecat - don’t be nervous, the swelling is almost certainly from radiation. I had it too and the radiologist said it was the rads and it’s gone down now, which is a little bit too bad because my breast was perkier with the swelling lol.
Alicebastab - how crazy with the follow ups, I can understand wanting to be done with all the appts and scans for a bit. Fingers crossed Feb. stays clear for you and June onwards too.
Tigerlily - so sorry to hear re: your colleague. It does show how every moment is precious and we are all worrying about the forever but may be best to feel as good as we can in the now, even with everything we are fighting. ENJOY HAWAII!!!
Husband and I are here enjoying freshly groomed pups and off to see ‘Hello Dolly’ tonight. I’m pretty fully recovered from rads, skin is good, breast is actually soft again for the first time since surgery and before with the lump. That’s the best part. Have decided no reconstruction for me, husband still loves me even with the slight indent at my scar and I would like to avoid more surgeries if I can.
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Thanks, Pebbles. It's so reassuring to have other women at similar stages who will just compare notes. It's just a bit unsettling, because after all this time, with the skin looking almost back to normal, NOW I get swelling? On the other hand, I started working with a LiveStrong personal trainer last week too, trying to get back in shape, and it may be that the exercises have caused or aggravated some fluid build-up in the breast. It's the quadrant closest to the missing lymph nodes, so that would make some sense. It's a good time for my follow-up appointment, that's for certain!
Thanks for the puppy photos - they always make me smile!
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Hi Purple, just wanted to jump in here to let you know that I also experienced some lumping, swelling and fluid build up within a day of returning to workout. Best advice would be to stop until it goes back down and start again very light and slowly. It’s great that you’re working out
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Thanks, Cherry - that's reassuring, although I'm sorry it happened to you too! My 3-month checkup with the surgeon/oncologist was scheduled for today, but got postponed until 2 weeks from now because the office closed due to weather, along with most of the rest of the Midwest, it seems, so now I have 2 more weeks before I can ask all those questions. I already realized the 5-pound weights the trainer assigned me are probably too much, but they're the lightest available at this gym. Fortunately I have some one- and two-pounders at home so can adjust that part of the workout a bit. Onward, I guess ... including shoveling a bit of snow while wearing my precautionary lymphedema sleeve!
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purplecat- I am in the deep freeze too! We don’t have any snow though. Be safe shoveling. That stinks you had to reschedule. I have some new lumpiness that I am going to bring up to my BS. Sorry if you have shared this before but can you tell me a bit more about your lymphedema sleeve? Are you doing the free program at the YMCA for cancer survivors? I found one near me but it doesn’t work with my schedule. I am off to PT for measurements. Hope my car starts in this freeze
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Hi Dani - I asked for a referral to the lymphedema clinic after my surgery, not because anyone expected me to have problems with just 3 nodes missing but because I was anxious and wanted to be as proactive as possible. They saw no signs of trouble, but said it would be better to get a sleeve now and have it on hand to wear preventatively on airplanes and in heavy lifting situations than to develop a problem some day two layovers from home and then have to wait for an appointment. I had to be measured for proper fit, but the brand is Juzo. I don't have a glove, just a sleeve, but if things do become problematic I can get one of those ordered too.
I'm on the waiting list for LiveStrong, but in the process of checking them out I learned that they YMCA gives a really good discount to my employer, so I ended up getting a membership. I requested personal training sessions, and because I'd listed breast cancer/missing nodes under "special considerations" they assigned me to one of the PTs who works with LiveStrong. I'm starting out with a super-easy weight lifting program, and have been told to wear the sleeve every single time. I'm good with that. I thought I'd feel really conspicuous at the gym with the sleeve on, but this particular YMCA works closely with a rehabilitative facility in the area, so I'm definitely not the only one there obviously recovering from something. Bummer that LiveStrong doesn't work with your schedule! It sounds great.
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purplecat- thank you for that information. I too worry about lymphedema. I had 3 nodes removed as well then the rads. My measurements were within normal limits today but I shared with my PT the tightness I felt in my hand last night at the end of my shift. It was better this morning so it may just be part of the healing process. She said she is on the fence for me needing a sleeve. I will have another follow up and keep a close eye on things. I worry about recognizing early signs and I worry that I will overthink symptoms that are normal for healing.
That’s great you are getting a discount! It sounds like you have found the perfect trainer! I will actually take myself to yoga one of these days. My fatigue has returned and I am struggling with the blahs lately. I know it would help me to get there, just gotta muster the motivation 😁.
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Dani, I totally hear you about overthinking normal symptoms! I've been doing that since radiation ended. Well, most of my life, to be honest. In this case I think it's better to be a little overreactive about normal symptoms. Lymphedema does not sound fun. When I was measured a week or so ago there was a 3% difference in arm size, which falls within a normal range, but I certainly don't want it to get worse.
I hear you on the blahs and fatigue too, and am hoping to take a yoga class too. Kind of frustrating that two days after I got signed up at this great YMCA with a zillion classes of all sorts and a personal trainer who practically specializes in cancer treatment, my entire state basically shut down due to the winter weather event of the century! The facility has been closed a couple times, is closed tomorrow, and even if it was open I probably wouldn't try to drive there because the roads are still awful. Patience, patience ...
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