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Share your story: Your reflections about Mother's Day

Radiation December 2018

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Comments

  • pebblesv
    pebblesv Member Posts: 486
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    purplecat - I'm so glad it helped brighten your day! I totally get the 'I don't want to do this' mode, I totally didn't want to drive in today (my drive is an hour there, an hour back!). Just one step at a time, one more sessions to check off, and you will get through this! Closer and closer to the light at the end of the tunnel...

    I think spoonie's RO said no fish oil and mine said fish oil was fine, so yes, totally true and funny about different treatment centers saying different things. We only find out when we compare notes!

    Fingers crossed for your friend...

  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 1,568
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    Cute names and dogs!

    Diane

  • purplecat
    purplecat Member Posts: 226
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    Thanks, Pebbles! Yes, totally brightened my day! 😊 I’m sitting here with my cat on my lap, and she’s helping cheer me up too I think animals are angels in disguise.

  • Cherryi3
    Cherryi3 Member Posts: 45
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    it was tough going in after the 2 day break. My techs are so nice, I feel bad because my attitude is awful. I think I actually growled when the tech asked me how I was today. Anyone else have short random stabbing pains that come and go? Also some hard swelling along the lumpectomy line. As an added bonus I got to see some pictures they took of me lying on the table. Super sexy

  • ghostie13
    ghostie13 Member Posts: 39
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    Cherry13.....yep, random pain...I call them zingers. Seem to happen at the most ridiculous times. Probably not acceptable to grab ones boob and scream in the grocery store....

    All these sharpie marks and tape are super sexy too.... I hear ya about the attitude, mine pretty much sucks these days.....

  • purplecat
    purplecat Member Posts: 226
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    Cherry, had one while reading your post! Loopy

  • pebblesv
    pebblesv Member Posts: 486
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    Cherry13 - yes on both. I was told it's the nerves in our breast crying out because everything gets moved about with the surgery and then radiation. And that it's nothing to be concerned about and it happens to almost all of us.

    Here is Domino looking very sympathetic to our random stabbing pains. It’s either that or that’s the “I peed on this towel” look, but I’m going to assume it’s to be sympathetic to us

    image

  • purplecat
    purplecat Member Posts: 226
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    thanks, Domino!

  • Cherryi3
    Cherryi3 Member Posts: 45
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    Domino, you are adorable. My dog has a face only a mother could love. Big ugly cherry eye( hence my screen name) and bad underbite. He is celebrating his birthday today with a delicious knee bone. Thanks for the sympathy. I can tell you’re feelin’ my pain.

  • dani444
    dani444 Member Posts: 215
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    egregious, You are almost there! I feel that cancer anger is normal. That is a little of what I was feeling at my work Christmas party. Sorry you were having a rough day last friday. You CAN do this!

    ghostie- I was told no on the deodorant, see my worst fear scenario below. I had ordered the same brand and was trying it out before rads and liked it. But the nurse and the techs said it will increase irritation. So I will follow the rules...Purplecat I am jealous they told you yes!!

    Purplecat- I am sorry about your friend , has she heard anything back. I imagine that made your day so much more stressful, and I hope things are ok with her.

    Cherryi3- You are allowed to have a crappy day, I am sure the techs understand how hard this is on the patients. I get those shooting pains you are talking about. I have gotten them randomly since about a week after surgery. I am still getting the swelling to, mine is along the path where my drain came out. I also have some patchy redness and I am itchy.

    Spoonie- I am so sorry about your cousin, sending hugs right back at you. I hope you are seeing improvement with the compression noodles.

    Salamandra- Holy cow that racoon!!! I cant believ it just walked right in, that sounds like a pretty eventful evening. The picture caught my eye before I read your post and I did a double take.

    I am here to say I made it through my first 12 hour shift since my surgery. It kicked my butt too. We were busy the whole night and even though I wasn't at 100 % I think I did ok. It was kinda nice to have a normal night and be back in the swing of things. I did warn everyone that I was not allowed to wear deodorant one one side, I just kept going in and gently wiping under my arm with an unscented baby wipe :) Lets me just paint a scenario for you, our trauma bays are kept at 82 degrees, so you might be stuck in there for a while if there is a trauma, not to mention the room is crowded with the firemen that brought the patient in plus all of our staff needed to care for the patients. Talk about sweating, luckily none of that last night *knock on wood*. So my recent fear is being smelly at work!!!!

  • DeeBB
    DeeBB Member Posts: 71
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    Ghostie13, yes my RO advised aluminum free as well and suggested Crystal, Tom's or Arm and Hammer. I've been using Arm and Hammer unscented and aluminum free, seems to be working pretty good so far. Today was 7 of 22. I'm supposed to be finished January 3rd. I'm thinking instead of celebrating New Years I will be celebrating 01/03/2019. Hang in there ladies!

  • egregious
    egregious Member Posts: 145
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    Hi Dani,

    Thanks for the support. Maybe I just need to be "good and mad" every once in awhile.

    I used to think Lube - Hydrate - Keep going, but I think I'll change that to

    Lube - Hydrate - Vent - Keep going


  • alicebastable
    alicebastable Member Posts: 1,940
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    I've used regular deodorant on weekends, I just make sure I wash it off thoroughly before treatments. I don't wear any during the week because I'm retired and go home straight from rads most days, and since it's cold out, I'm not in perspiration mode. I think the no aluminum deodorant rule has to do with possible interference with the zaps, just like any other metal in the affected area.

    On the break before Tamoxifin - it will be pretty brief, about a week. My last zap is this Thursday, and I go back to see my MO on January 18th. She wants me on them 4 weeks, but it's gonna be a bit less because I won't start until the day after Christmas. I was planning to start a bit earlier, but I don't want to chance unknown scary side effects on a holiday weekend.

    Two to go!

  • wised
    wised Member Posts: 184
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    Im done! Happy dance!

  • DeeBB
    DeeBB Member Posts: 71
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    Wised, congrats! I will do a little happy dance for you too.

  • Newhomes01
    Newhomes01 Member Posts: 1
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    Yes, I will start mine on 12/17 Monday - 20 sessions.  Not sure what to expect

  • egregious
    egregious Member Posts: 145
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    Yay Wised!

    image

  • Spoonie77
    Spoonie77 Member Posts: 532
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    Yay Wised!!! Woot your'e done! Hope you get to go do something nice to celebrate or heck even have a comforting cup of hot cocoa or a glass of wine to mark the occasion.

    Sending good vibes to everyone that is continuing on....at least one less day to go.

    As for me, welp, I fell yesterday on the stupid ice outside my apartment door, down stairs even. I've told management about it for the past 2 weeks and no one did anything and so after many "almosts", I finally fell. That adds a whole bunch of stiffness, soreness, and swelling to my body. Thanks ice. My RADs side of the body is just so angry at me today due to the sudden stress on all the skin/joints/muscles to brace myself when I landed. Uggh. I'm in a horrible frame of mind.

    Oh and I forget who asked, but yeah zingers are not fun, I totes agree. I wonder how long we will be plagued with them? Hopefully under 6 months. A girl can hope.

    Thanks for asking Dani, compression with the "noodles", plus doing my lymphatic drainage therapy at home every day for 20-30 mins seems to be keeping most of the swelling and pain from the Fibrosis and Lymphedema in my boob at bay. Yay for little things. Congrats on your first full night back at work. Glad to hear things went well and that mentally it felt good to be there.

    Hang in there everyone. And thanks Pebbles for the cute Domino pics and your subtext, it always makes me laugh. :)

  • wised
    wised Member Posts: 184
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    thanks everyone!

    Spoonie! Upright is best! Omg dear friend, I feel for you. Slipping and falling on the ice is hazardous under the best of conditions, but you've already been through so much and our coping with so much. Hugs.

    So I spoke with the RO who was there today, mine was on vacation, and told him I was concerned about the lump I have in my breast right above my incision. He looked at it and said it is the rest of the hematoma that I had developed right after surgery. Because I have Factor 13 which is a really difficult to deal with bleeding disorder his suggestion is to do nothing! Any further interventions that I would try would probably just cause further bleeding. So now I look like that I have to boobies, one on top one on the bottom.

  • purplecat
    purplecat Member Posts: 226
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    Yay, Wised! I am thrilled for you!

    Dani, my friend had a biopsy today. Her procedure finished up just about the same time as my treatment today, in the same building, so I was able to find her afterwards and give her a hug and talk for a while. What are the chances we’d be going through such a similar thing so close to the same time that we could meet up in the lobby and go for coffee? She just has to get good results, she just HAS to.


  • pebblesv
    pebblesv Member Posts: 486
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    purplecat - here’s hoping your friend is OK. Oh we all know the stress of this moment! A good friend of mine, same age, has been dealing with a melanoma that came back - we were actually both in surgery the same week! Oddly comforting to be going through this together.

    Wised - congrats!! I’m done too today! Woot woot!! I think maybe that lump might disperse once there’s more time to heal? I had a seroma that made my breast feel hard and it’s gone now. Hope it works out that way for you too.

    Spoonie - oh dear! Sending you healing vibes! You hang in there too! Sympathetic Domino pic with tongue out posted below for you and others still going through this where it’s OK to have the tongue out BLEH moments.

    Happy Domino pic first though because I’m done with rads today!! Not going to miss the drive. I almost don’t know what I’m going to do with the extra 2-3 hours I’m getting back in my day. Actually I totally know, I will enjoy them!!

    Newhomes and others who haven’t started or are mid-way through - lotion lots, hydrate lots and stay positive. I made it through OK, skin more tanned then red, a blister and a couple ‘radiation burns’ (in an area I didn’t realize they were hitting otherwise prob could have avoided getting them as everywhere else I lotioned is really good) but all in all pretty OK so far. Miaderm, aloe vera, aquaphor we’re all part of my lotion routine.

    Today’s pics of Domino!

    Celebrating paw-mommy being done with treatment:

    image

    Tongue out to empathize with anyone having side effects (and reaction to that darn ice for spoonie):

    image


  • ghostie13
    ghostie13 Member Posts: 39
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    Congrats to those finished with rads! I have 6 more treatments to go. Certainly will not miss the 80 mile drive (one way)......

    But today I won't mind it.....meeting my oldest grand daughter for lunch and a couple hours of book shopping before my appointment. We do this a couple times a year. I'm super excited, we always have a good time and the book store is maybe the only place I don't mind the crowds this time of year.....


  • LPLlibrarygirl
    LPLlibrarygirl Member Posts: 82
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    Hello all,

    I am so grateful I have found this site. I saw an ad on television for it! I love reading posts and wrote my first one on another thread so I thought it was time to say hello to all of you December Rads. Today will be day 8 (out of 20) of radiation for me. So far, so good on radiation, not so good with shoulder issues though. I am getting some PT which hasn't seemed to help yet and take 1000mg of Tylenol each day before treatment so I am able to lift my arm. I had two surgeries and wonder if my arm was twisted or stretched uncomfortably to cause this problem. The PT thinks it's a rotator cuff injury. I have exercises to do, but they are so painful that I can't do them without Tylenol, and even then I can't do much. The radiation techs have told me that others are having the same trouble and they are very kind and understanding.

    I have friends who meet me at the hospital to walk the halls with me before or after treatments so I get some exercise. I am enjoying their encouragement and company. I only work part-time but have taken November and December off from work. We'll see what happens for January. I can't imagine how hard it must be for those of you doing radiation and working. I would be too tired, I'm afraid.

    I started this journey thinking it was just a little bump in the road. I had a small tumor that I expected would be removed and followed up with radiation. Then I had surgery and the surgeon said clear margins, but a week later pathology came back saying margins were not clear. So there was a second surgery and somewhere in all that they realized the tumor was almost 4cm. The oncotype DX came back at 29 saying I would be a good candidate for chemo, but I said no. My MO supported that decision as long as I take AI for 7-10 years. I hope I can do it! Now I am awaiting genetic testing results and worrying about the implications of that for my brother, his children, my children, my grandchildren...and possible more surgery for me.Some days it just feels like it doesn't end. I don't want to have to make any more decisions and want my old life back!

    Keeping you all in my prayers (if it's okay to say that) and wishing you all the best.

  • Joytxs
    Joytxs Member Posts: 9
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    Wised, congratulations on finishing rads! I know you must be relieved.

    My first of 33 treatments start today. Scared and full of anxiety.

    Newhomes01, I'll be right there with you. The ladies here have shared their experience and more info than the RO and R coordinator, but I'll find out more at 3pm today.

    Good vibes to all of you getting treatment today.

  • salamandra
    salamandra Member Posts: 736
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    Yay Wised and Pebbles!

    Pebbles, that Domino picture... So precious.

    Welcome Librarygirl! That sounds so sure stressful.

    One full week for me. Is anyone else having terrible heartburn? I always used to have a little silent reflux, I'd take an acid reducer a day and be fine. But the last week! It's been bad... I took one last night and my stomach woke me up before my alarm did :(

    I'm waiting to see a nurse at the clinic now, after my rads appointment. So tired of TVs in waiting rooms. Why?!?

  • purplecat
    purplecat Member Posts: 226
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    So happy for you, Pebbles! I hope you and that adorable dog are celebrating in a special way today!

    Have fun shopping, ghostie! Grandchildren make everything better, or so I'm told. I bet she's as excited as you are!

    Welcome, Librarygirl, although I am sorry you have to be here. You've had quite a ride.

    Good luck today, Joy. You can do this. The unknown is always frightening, but you'll get into a routine and it will start to feel familiar, if not normal.

    Salamander, I've had some weird stomach stuff since this thing started in September. For a while it was a constant low-grade nausea, which cleared up, but I do get heartburn pretty easily. I think it's all the stress. Some other physical anxiety symptoms I've experienced in the past have been coming back too. I’d be more worried if I had lost my appetite or was losing weight.




  • salamandra
    salamandra Member Posts: 736
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    The nurse said that heartburn is pretty common from the radiation, something about irritation, and especially if there are pre-existing issues. The doctor sent in prescription strength Prilosec for me. I hope that'll help because the gaviscon and zantac and tums are definitely not doing much

  • wised
    wised Member Posts: 184
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    Ghostie, have fun with your granddaughter!

    Pebbles, your pics are making me crave want a little dog! 💓

    Library girl, I hope your shoulder issues clear up soon! You've already been through so much. Hugs to you, sister.

    Salamandra, Ive never had issues with heartburn until now. Idk of what I am experiencing is from rads or Anastrazole, but I don't like it. I'm actually a little tender on top of my belly, the spot that feeds into it. Like purple cat, I haven't lost weight or my appetite...

    Heartto all of you!


  • alicebastable
    alicebastable Member Posts: 1,940
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    Librarygirl, I also had shoulder issues due to three surgeries before radiation - lumpectomy in July, re-excision in August, and nephrectomy in September. They were all on the left, so my right arm probably got yanked out of the way with all the IVs in it. Plus, I had my second pneumonia shot before rads, and that really aggravated the whole upper arm. The first few weeks of radiation I was a whimpering mess because of both issues. One of the techs said the stretching overhead might be good for it. Either she was right, or time helped, but now I have most of my range of motion back and no real pain - just some weird little zings and weakness at times that are diminishing. Oh, I'm an old library girl, too; I worked in historical research libraries before I retired. Light work might help your shoulder loosen up.

    🎶One day more!🎶

  • dani444
    dani444 Member Posts: 215
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    Pebbles and Wised- Happy day!!!! Congrats on finishing. I am so happy for you guys. Definitely doing a happy dance for youHappy. Sending good vibes for continued healing. Wised, I hope the hematoma dissipates soon.

    Newhomes01, Welcome to the thread, I wish you the best for your start of treatments on monday. I was super nervous for the first treatment but the appointments go pretty quickly after that first set up. You will rock this, and we are here for you. I like new thinking from egregious "Lube- Hydrate- Vent- Keep going"!

    Spoonie, Dang it I am so sorry you had a fall. That sounds frustrating after you had brought it up to management and they didn't d anything. I guess its time to get out the middle fingers again!!! I am glad to hear the therapy is helping with the fibrosis and lymphedema, you deserve some relief for sure. Gentle hugs and I hope the stiffness from the fall resolves quickly.

    Purplecat, I am glad you were able to find your friend and give her some support. I am sure that made a difference for her. That really is crazy on the timing, you were meant to be there for her.

    Ghostie, 6 more!!! That's awesome, and man thats a long drive. Have fun with your shopping trip today.

    LPLlibrarygirl, nice to meet you :) I hate that you are dealing with shoulder issues on top of everything else. Super cool that your friends meet up for a walk, that is a great idea! I feel you on wanting your old life back, I think I have said that more in the last couple weeks. I don't want to find a "new normal" but we will get there and this part of our process will be in the past. I see we share an ILC diagnosis. My tumor was measured differently on all three of my imaging, at first it was 2cm, but after some diligence from the tumor board they decided it was 4.7 prior to surgery and needed a MX. They did a good job, it turned out to be 4.8, that ILC is a sneaky little monster. I am sending you good vibes and healing prayers, I hope you get good news with your genetic testing.

    Joy- Thinking of you as you start your treatments today, let us know how it went.

    Pebbles, The TV in the waiting room of my center is forever on Hallmark channel, drives me crazy.

    Hope everyone has a great day!

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