Radiation December 2018
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Wised, you twisted my arm. LOL. I thought of you on the first one. These are the more tame ones.
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Love them! I think I need to go looking for these! LOL! Thanks for sharing!
Congrats to everyone that's finished today and yesterday! Woohoo! I'm celebrating and raising my beer to yall. Shhh, no one tell my docs, k?
Wishing everyone continued strength as the next day of RADs arrives and speedy healing and smooth recovery to everyone who's been "freed" from their RADs.
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Thanks, everyone! For some reason I'm having a hard time telling anyone (except hubby and son) in real life that I finished, so support here really helps.
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hello everyone. My radiation started on December 6th and last is on January 21st :
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Congrats Alice!!
I have 4 more treatments.....can't wait to be done. Starting to get pink and sore......sighs....at east didn't happen till the end of things.... The fatigue is awful tho. Have to work tonight but I took all next week off.....
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Dani!
those are fantastic! The first one is my motto from now on.Spoonie, if I had beer, I'd have one with you. (Tommorow, k?)
Alice, oh sweetie.
Hi bubbly, welcome! How are your treatments going?
Ghostie, the fatigue is crushing, isn't it? Also, are you noticing that the last week of treatments goes by slowly?
I'm still fatigued... I started getting really strong zinging pains today at the end of my work day. These were sharper than anything I've experienced since surgery.
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Welcome Bubbly! Hope your treatments are coming along smoothly and that you feel ok.
Dani, thanks for posting. Those are hilarious.
Ghostie, you and I will finish about the same time. My last is next Thursday. Doctor today said that my heavy fatigue was normal and would probably hang around for several more weeks before lifting. Glad you are getting some days off from work to rest up.
Alice, understandable about not telling the world you're done. Maybe people would assume you're perfectly fine and back to normal, when that's likely not going to be right away. Are you going on with hormonal therapy?
Wised, Spoonie, hope you guys are getting through the post-treatment days, where I hear side effects can be more intense than during treatment. Now that just doesn't seem fair! Wishing you healing.
Gentle hugs and good wishes for all here.
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Congrats Alice!!
Welcome Bubbly.
Fatigue hit me hard today. Yesterday was fine. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. It was snowy this morning and I woke up exhausted from stress dreams about teaching and it was the first day I didn't bicycle for treatment.
The session took extra long yesterday, for planned x-rays, and today, to follow up on yesterday. The women who work on me are so lovely though. I was telling them about waking up on the wrong side of the bed and they were funny and supportive.
Heartburn was still bad today, I understand this drug takes a few days to kick in. I'm chewing tums in the mean time.
The worst joint pain starting tamoxifen for me was my ankle hurting when I stepped on it, in a way it hasn't in a really long time. Very painful. It took me a bit to connect the dots. Like, I didn't re-sprain it. I'm wearing the right shoes that have been comfortable for years. WTH? But I took Advil and stayed off it and it didn't last more than a couple of days.
Does anyone else play Pokemon Go, by any chance?
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Congrats Alice and almost congrats Ghostie and egregious!
And Dani LOLOLOL... !! On both the hallmark movies and the "tame" post. :-D
Salamandra - I play Pokemon Go when I walk the pups! I pretend it's for my niece who likes to play on my phone when I come visit, but really it's a nice distraction when I walk. Once you don't need X-Rays the sessions will be much faster. Hoping fatigue and heartburn go down for you.
Welcome Bubbly!
Spoonie, Wised - hope the post treatment time is treating you well. It's been nice the past couple days for me to now have to do that slough of a drive... I have one more day to enjoy it, Monday I'm back to work in the office! :-O I heard we still have to be vigilant in these 2 post-rads weeks as everything is at it's peak with the treatment we've been given. Hope you're well!
Domino having a well-deserved rest after coming with me to treatment every day for 6 weeks!
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Dani, I'm laughing! Think I need that book!
Salamandra, I'm amazed you've been biking to treatment!
I think I didn't get enough water today. Muscles all over my body have been feeling like they're just about to cramp. I finally put it together and drank about a quart in 15 minutes. Feeling better, but of course now I'll be up all night ...
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Hey Gang, been off the thread for a couple days. I see a lot has happened and sooo happy for all of you who finished up! Has anyone had swelling around the collarbone/neck??? So weird. Had the rads nurse look at it and she said it was indeed swollen. She called in the RO to look. He said it was swollen. Neither could offer any explanation for this. I asked if this was lymphodema and he asked me if I had been on the internet!! And advised me to stay off!! Needless to say, I was not impressed with this guy (not my usual RO) t doesn’t hurt so I have decided not to worry about it since they are clearly not concerned. Just wonderIng....
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Cherry, is there another doctor you can call and ask?
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My first treatment starts today after an EKG and a pregnancy test. Wish me luck! Pic is from our bldg's holiday party last night:)
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TGIF BC sisters!
Congratulations to all who have finished radiation. I hope you will all continue to read and write on this thread. Stay with us to guide and encourage the rest of us.
Alice, you are a real librarian! I am really a retired teacher working part time in a library-and loving it. I do a weekly story time and work in the Children's Room. I look forward to going back to work sometime in January. I can't believe Dani can work a busy, stressful 12 hour shift! I am impressed.
egregious-I love your motto Lube-Hydrate-Vent-Keep Going! That is the best advice.
Cherry-How hard it is not to worry! I hope there will be different doctor to check with today. Be sure to let us know. Don't these docs have any idea how scary this is?! I asked my RO if my shoulder problem was cancer. (Shoulder still a problem, but I keep trying to do my exercises.) She said no because the CT scan I had during my rad simulation indicated my bone structure was good. She also said bone cancer doesn't usually affect joints. I am being treated at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, which is New Hampshire's cancer center. They do Comprehensive Breast Cancer very well and I am fortunate that I don't live too far away. Some of you have very long drives to get to treatment!
Treatments do differ from place to place though. It sounds like some of you are taking hormone therapy while you get radiation. I don't start AI until February- after I finish radiation and get a month off (but I will join the January thread for AI if you start one.) It also sounds like some people have a choice of taking tamoxifen or AI. My MO says I will get AI for 7-10 years and I think that is because I said no to chemo, though I don't know the difference between the two kinds of drugs. AI seems scarier than radiation.
Welcome to Nomaddd, Joy, NewHomes, Highlyblessed, Bubbly and others I may have missed and those who are reading but haven't joined the conversation yet!
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If you guys want me to, I'll start a thread in the hormone section. It'll be for everyone, INCLUDING those who opt out.
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Nomadd_- Best of luck with the first treatment, You can do this!!!!! I felt a little better after getting the first one out of the way. That holiday party looks like a blast, hope you had a good time
Cherry- Do you have a referral to a lymphedema specialist? I had an initial session for measurements and was told if I get ANY symptoms to call her so they could be on top of it. They also gave me exercises to do. Is there another doctor you could ask? Sorry you are having this swelling, I imagine it would be hard not to worry.
How are those that are finished doing? Let us know how those weeks following the end of treatment are.
Pebbles-Awww, Domino looks like he is taking full advantage of extra nap time. Looks a lot like me after work
.LPLlibrarygirl- I am starting my tamoxifen after rads too. Not sure when exactly, I need to call and clarify. All my MO said was start taking it "after radiation" and that he will see me in July. I like the idea of having that month to let my body heal from the rads.
Happy Friday everyone!!
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I’ll be joining you all with the AI after rads. May lay off the forums tho because I want to put this ordeal behind me and act like it’s normal to pop a pill that will increase my current menopause symptoms. ( I stopped getting periods at a young 47!)
Library, I have a major shoulder issue too and I’m really scared of the AI making it worse. Still want to run and work out and possibly join our local bc crew team.
That swelling around my collarbone is down today so hopefully it’s a non issue just weird.
TGIF to All! 💕
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Hi Wised,
Yes please do start a hormone thread, will be nice to compare notes with you all as we move into the next stage of treatment.
Re time between rads and hormones, I will have to have two weeks minimum, maybe three, to let the side effects come and go and regain my equilibrium mentally. Also as part of being older I'm supposed to get the second shingrix shot, need to allow time for that. Totally don't want shingles on top of cancer. Yikes.
Doctor visit yesterday, they reminded me to lubricate the whole upper left quadrant including the entire underarm area almost to my back, and all the way up to my collarbone.
The fatigue is really hitting me this week. After today there will be four more. I can barely move. The doctor said not only is that normal, but I can expect that to be pretty much the entire month of January until it lifts.
Gentle hugs to all here and welcome to the new folks!
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I get my CT done on wed and I start rads on Thursday. Will have 30 rads sessions. I'll be traveling to another country to get my rads done and unfortunately hubby cant join till the weekend so I'll be alone the first two sessions. Should be fine though right? Or is it wiser to postpone rads till he arrives?
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Hi and welcome, Raysal!
Sounds ok to have the first couple sessions on your own. Side effects don't show up until later on in the process. The only thing that might happen early is if you have any problem lying down with your arms up over your head. The first rad can take an hour with all the measuring and marking.
Check in with us after your CT and your first and second sessions, we'll be here!
Lube - Hydrate - Rant - Keep going
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Good afternoon and TGIF! I am now 8/20 and not having any side effects yet. I'm tired, but no more so than normal post chemo and had good stamina this week. I was in all day meetings this week and stayed at a hotel and took a short uber ride to and from radiation rather than driving 20 miles every day in traffic to radiation/work. It was a nice break! My RO does not care about deodorant and I can wear or not wear whatever I want. I switched to Native over the summer, though, so staying with it. I ditched all my Secret.
I would love a hormone group where we all start the same time. I'm planned for Lupron/Femara. Also heard it is harder but more effective. But I am also following an AI group where folks say they are doing well. Chemo already put me into early menopause so feel like I'm already dealing with the side effects and no one knows if they will wan or stay or what. I get that.
Congrats Alice, Ghostie, Pebbles, and egregious and everyone else who is done or almost done!
Raysal, you'll be fine. I have gone every day by myself, except one day when my dad insisted on going to see the place. He was also my chemo buddy, so it made him feel better. But I've been fine and its a lot quicker to get in and out by myself.
It's not fun, but a good environment where I am. Yesterday all of the much older folks were discussing favorite jello shot flavors and planning (I thought I heard) to bring them in next week, that made me laugh. I didn't know they were still a thing!
Have a great weekend all.
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So, did anyone experience nausea from radiation? It is slight and I actually just took a leftover compazine from chemo. I don’t know if it is the radiation or something else. Pounding water too.
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Tigerlily -- Yes. Nausea. I had it for the first 2 weeks. Bad. I have nausea to begin with due to other chronic conditions, however RADs pushed it up about a zillion notches. Taking my RX med helped tremendously. I'd usually take it about 45 mins before RADs and then I didn't really notice it thereafter. Hope that helps. You're not alone or crazy! LOL!
Wised - I would totally follow along with the AI thread if you all start one.
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Jello shots are ALWAYS a thing, lol.
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OMG how did I miss Jello-shots being discussed!!!!
Yes they are ALWAYS a thing! Rack em' up!
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Wised - count me IN for the hormone therapy thread and thanks for offering to start it! I'm supposed to start tamoxifen in January.
PurpleCat - hope you eventually got a good night's sleep lol.
Cherryi3 - it's probably not likely since you had no positive nodes, but your question made me think of my situation where I'm pretty fine except some marks on one area closer to my collarbone/neck where I didn't realize they were radiating that far up. When they saw the marks, I found out, isn't that nice, they said they treated that area because I had positive nodes so they were being extra cautious to get the nodes all around just in case. Maybe just check to see whether they are radiating that area for you or not? Unlikely since you have no positive nodes, but worth checking.
Nomadd - glad you continue to enjoy the good life while going through treatment! We all should! I'll be at my sister's holiday party this weekend.
Tigerlily - glad you have no side effects so far. I had minimal side effects, one blister, two scratches mentioned above, no burn, just tanned skin - entirely possible to skate through this just fine. Here's hoping you do!
lplibrarygirl - I did not to chemo and my tamoxifen plan is 5 years, not 7 to 10. Maybe get a second opinion?
egregious - lube-hydrate-rant is definitely the next level of slather-rinse-repeat lol
raysal - welcome! I also did a full 30 sessions and came through it just fine. You're call on the hubby - the sessions are not intimidating at all, very quick. The first one will take a little longer as they do X-rays, after that much faster.
spoonie - hoping the weekend is relaxing and stress free for you after everything you've been through. Sending hugs, lots of them!
Dani - let's keep one another posted on the tamoxifen journey too! Pic below for you of Domino giving me a quizzical look for the forums thread posted pic of Domino LOL. Oh she's a girl pup!
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Tigerlily- yes to nausea, just for the first couple days. Diarrhea too. Good times!
So I’m 10 down, 10 to go. The park where I run is on the way home from rads and yesterday it was a blistering 50 degrees here, so I stopped for a run on my way home. Could only do a slow 1 mile. Got home and felt pretty bad so let’s hope we get back to winter so I lose the temptation. (I dont stop on the way to rads because of the whole natural deodorant thing. I’m sure the techs would thank me for that!
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Pebbles - I actually did sleep pretty well, surprisingly! Must have been a lot more dehydrated than I realized, because my body seemed to just soak up all the water without needing to get rid of any at 3 AM.
Wised, I'm in for the tamoxifen thread too.
Enjoy the weekend reprieve, everyone!
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Hi everyone. Here's the link to the new topic. Go ahead and jump in. I tried to make it as broad as possible so everyone is welcome.
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He there, thanks for starting the thread Wised! How are you doing?
Pebbles, absolutely, and I like the look of domino, I think it is more of a " I know I am internet famous" look!!!
Cherryi- HALF WAY!!!!!! You got this lady!!! Hey and great job on the mile, hopefully you rested up well after that. I am now using the natural deodorant too, even thought my center gave me a hard no. shhhhh, I am sure my coworkers and patients appreciate it.
Tigerlily, I am with Spoonie and Wised, jello shots are always a thing. But maybe that puts me in with the older crowd:) Sure would make rads a little more tolerable! Couple of jello shots while changing, then one for the road (just grab an uber to and from).
Raysal, Welcome, I think you will do great for the first two. The set up does take time as others have shared. Holding those arms above your head might be uncomfortable but the other sessions go much quicker. I will be sending you good thoughts and prayers for calm as you begin. Ask any questions you have along the way, glad you could join us!
I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend break, and those that are finished are continuing to heal.
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