Radiation April 2019
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MissouriCatLady Thank you for the suggestion,I will buy Calendula cream before I start my radiation maybe in May.
Sunocean--I am happy for you,rash I resolved.
RosieRed--- I am glad it went well for you.
Cindr and Jesse --Good luck on your 1st treatment.
I will start mine after I see my ONCOLOGIST on 04/19/19, really very scared but better than no treatment.
Janet
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Had my first RADS today- 14 more to go!!! Yippee!! On my way to being finished with this part of the journey. It really wasn't bad, the technicians were great and made me feel very comfortable. A little freaky when they all left the room though and left me there with that big machine!
Hang in there strong ladies, we can get through this!!
Love to all of you ❤️
Cindr XXOO
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one down 32 to go. My affected arm is still stiff and it took longer first appointment more measurements and checking so in uncomfortable position for too long but much shorter from now on.
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Rad 2 - went by quickly. Saw the RO and we are 95% sure that I will not do the 5 boosts at the end of my treatment because I had previous issues with my scar not healing properly from the mastectomy. They told me that they need to do a blood count tomorrow. I hate needles. You’d think I’d be more brave since going through chemo, but nope!
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Hi all,
I meet my RO for the first time tomorrow, and have been reading up on radiation therapy. My MO strongly recommends against proton therapy for the breast (not exactly sure why except maybe it's not yet a proven strategy for the breast?), and I'll ask the RO about that. But what really interested me was that last year the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) changed their recommended whole breast irradiation (WBI) therapy schedule to the hypofractionated schedule from the "conventional fractionation" scheme. Per my lay eyes, this looks like the three-week course some earlier posts have mentioned is now the generally recommended duration rather than the longer, up to 6 week one. Here's the link to that new guideline: https://www.astro.org/Patient-Care-and-Research/Clinical-Practice-Statements/ASTRO-39;s-guideline-on-whole-breast-irradiation
Of course the decision as to what schedule is best for any given patient depends entirely on the unique combination of factors present in that patient's situation, but if the shorter schedule is deemed safe and effective for me, I'll take it!
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Benji69
I'm on the 33 treatment regiment and finished 17/33 today. I still feel it is hard to see the end of the tunnel.
I've had little skin reaction and I'm using a prescription cream twice a day and green tea spray as often as I can. I add a moisturizing cream and natural aloe too. Don't wait to treat your skin since the reaction to the radiation is two weeks delayed.
They will do measurements often during your treatment but the first day is the longest. I listen to an audiobook using Bluetooth headphones which are a great distraction to that huge machine being so close.
Keep us posted on your progress.
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Like a torture scene and the monsters are holding a manhole cover just above your face threatening to burn off your skin complete with creepy sound effects. It’s only a movie and magic cream will keep you safe. We have the same fun plan. I’ve only had two (2)! and I can see the pink outline. I have very old, very sensitive skin. I did pretty well with everything so far and I’ll survive this. Fellow sufferers are so helpful
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I had pretty serious skin SEs by the end but (1) they were not painful, just itchy and annoying, and (2) my skin healed completely after about 10 days post rads. (Basically it became like a horrible sunburn with peeling and was a little weepy.)
The lag time between rads and burning means it will get a little worse the week after you stop. After 7 mos of treatment I was really eager to "hit the ground running" after rads, but instead I hit my bed sleeping for that whole first week after rads. Now I am back on my feet, healed and normal but still needing good solid sleeps.
There is a medication you can get for post rads healing, called Pentoxifylline. Taken with vitamin E, it apparently helps avoid fibrosis. Ask your MO. Mine gave it to me right near the end of rads.
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My first appointment is at 2:30 pm today. I feel like a freak experiment and I’m not completely convinced this is necessary, but I haven’t found enough science to support that argument. So here we go ..
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In my TNBC, even after pCR, rates of recurrence are 10% lower with rads... YMMV.
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Hi Freebee
I am also not convinced about RADIATION,my ONCO'S PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT did not go for radiation (he had LYMPHOMA) and he has been doing well.
I will decide after my appointment with my MO.
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Rad 3 - rad techs were super fast today. In and out in no time. Got my blood draw and my results are already on MyChart. All looks good.
Tomorrow I have a job interview and I’m nervous. I currently work part-time with flexible days and hours, but no other benefits. This new position would be full-time with lots of benefits, but no flexibility.
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Freebee
From what I understand since you had a lumpectomy radiation and hormone blocking medication is indicated with hormone receptor positive cancer. If you had a mastectomy you probably would only need hormone blocking medication.
I was only looking at medication until they found one node involved so I have the full 3 step treatment.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts gals. All done for today and going braless for the first time since puberty. Hope I don’t trip over myself. One down and19 to go.
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hahahaha!! You still have your sense of humor!
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I am halfway through my treatment of 3 weeks plus a 4 day boost on the incision location. I am lathering on the Miaderm, and spreading it well beyond my breast to my chest, underarms and neck. Strangely my neuropathy in my hands seems worse than under chemo. I used to have slight numbness in my fingers and tips, but now my entire hands are feeling a bit numb now.
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Welcome, Christibcs! We're so glad you've found our community, and hope you find this to be a place of support as you continue with your treatment. We know the side effects can be difficult to manage - you might find some helpful information here: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/70/topics/829567?page=1. And definitely check in with your rads doc on the numbness you mentioned, just to make sure all is well!
The Mods
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Hi guys,
I'm starting soon! But maybe not until May. I need to get my reconstruct in real quick before radiation. So that's 3 weeks or a month right there. So I guess I'm starting say May 10th or May 17th maybe. Everybody probably starts on a Monday? Is my first question. They are mapping the breast in the meantime. Anyone else here have metaPlastic the subtype of TNBC?
I'm banking on radiation. I have a long history of loving the sun. Not to excess but as a healing agent. So that is what I will be visualizing. CHEMO made me so damn sick I couldn't think straight much less imagine dragons in my blood eating the cancer or whatever my plan was. Could barely feed or bath myself. Neurological side effects. The worst ever yuck hated it.
So banking on the radiation for medically aided healing and site specific cancer cell destruction. With visualization! Awesome.
Any tips? I felt my first ONCO wanted a longer radiation plan. I had heard 4 to 6 weeks. Now I'm hearing 3 weeks from ONCO number two. Why would that be I wonder? I guess I will have to ask. Any thoughts?
Maybe there's a reason she's not telling me which is not ok. Maybe it's like, well it says right here in your file you used chewing tobacco so I thought less radiation is better. And I'm like no I did not use chewing tobacco. That's disgusting. I chewed nicotine gum for like a week once to support a friend, and so I checked the yes box to oral tobacco by accident. You shouldn't ask newly or frightened to be be soon diagnosed people these questions. Get that off my file, no jokes guys.
Or maybe it's because I fired my last ONCO for giving me too intense a chemo schedule out the gate with absolutely NO warning to me or discussion of that it was going to be an ass kicker and I wouldn't be able to work.
IDK. anyway. Radiation yay!
Fracking signing off for the night. Hey soon I won't need a night light I'll be my own big nightlight right? Cause I'll glow in the dark? Too soon? Not even funny I know.
OK. It's just like a twenty minute tanning bed type experience I hope right. Do I wear sunscreen? My family will kill me if I flunk radiation. so I have to nail this.
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Fritzmylove - thanks for starting this. I have been doing my research, but just like the "starting chemo in October 2018" group, I have learned more from these post than anywhere else. I am facing 35 treatments, get sunburned walking across my yard without sunscreen, and have suffered with skin toxicity through out chemo. I am holding on to the hope that rads cannot be as bad as chemo.
Annie
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Annie, I fear we have been tricked into thinking radiation will be a walk in the park after chemo. Chemo wasn’t as bad as I expected , surgery recovery was slower than I expected and radiation is just full of surprises after just 3 of 33.
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Thought on length of rads: my understanding is that you get the same cumulative dose but it's more/lower dose or fewer/higher dose. I had lengthy rads (5.5 weeks/ 28) because it was whole breast + nodes, and my RO wanted it to be gentler on the nodes. I would ask if this might be so in your case.
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Rad #4 - All went well. In and out of the cancer center in less than a half hour. My RO only recommends using 100% pure aloe. After reading a lot of messages here at BCO, I have also been using Miaderm. I'm a tiny bit pink, but that's it. 24 rads to go...
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I tried out the aloe and Miaderm ahead of time. Using lots of aloe. I found a higher rated and less expensive one but I’m sticking with what I have after reading what happened to “Sunocean” . A good reminder to me not to experiment too much at this time. Finally have appointment with PT specializing in lymphoma tomorrow. I’ve been stretching and almost have ROM but still very stiff and sore and since radiation is supposed to be a contributing factor I am trying to stay ahead of it
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Hi Freebee...
how did your radiation go? Everything I have redesrched states that rads is
a must after lumpectomy . Searing
to oblivion any leftover cancer cells is
needed re: to avoid recurrence.
Femara on the otherhand, scares the
heck oughta me. I might bail on
this post rad medicine.
by the way, were you offered partial
radiation?0 -
I had radiation #6 today.
So far it's going good. I know it's still early and effects usually show up 2nd or 3rd week so we shall see. I sometimes get a mild sun burn feeling but nothing too bad. I have very sensitive skin and the Miaderm and My Girls cream have been working great. I'm continuing to do daily stretches as well.
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Hi Gals, 2/20 today. Treatment was short and the ROs were very kind. My boob is feeling very warm and a bit sore. Already feeling the effects, but I suppose it could be worse. I was slow to recover from surgery and still have a bit of a hematoma left over. I wonder if that has anything to do with the sensitivity.
Sending all good vibes. No morelaser beams for the day.
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Cassie, I have no idea what kind of rads I am getting. I assume full w 4 targeted boosts total centigrades around 5K. After rads I’ll be on Tamoxifen for 10 years give or take. No other post-rads meds.
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I have my mapping today. Hopefully will start my rads in a week or so. As soon as I find out my schedule, my husband and I can plan a vacation for our family. Hopefully somewhere warm where we don’t have to do anything other than have fun with the kids
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Hi Sunocean....I am on #3 of 33 whole breast rad treatments. I am interested....what do you eat to get 60 gms of protein daily?
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I had my first appointment with the RO on Wednesday. Impressed the resident with my knowledge of terms like "hypofractionated" and "conventional" therapy. And though she may change her mind if something unexpected shows up during my setup appointment next week, the RO says I'll be doing the "hypofractionated" schedule, 16 sessions with 4 boosts. (At least that what my consent form says.) So only 4 weeks. Yay! The docs confirmed that this schedule is the same as the "Candadian protocol" - or rather, it is based on the outcomes of the Canadian studies which looked at fewer sessions with slightly higher dosages. This research quite clearly showed that this schedule and dosaging was at least as safe and effective as the conventional schedule and dosage for most patients and even had better cosmetic results. Of course, each patient has unique circumstances which may mean the longer course of treatment is best for them.
The docs also advised that radiation can include the following short-term side effects: fatigue, skin irritation, recurrence of the "cording" I've had since surgery, skin discoloration, and all the familiar ones. It also may have the following long-term SEs some of which I hadn't heard of before: scarring inside the breast which may feel hard; shrunken (or shriveled) size of the affected breast (but maybe not shriveled enough to want reduction of the unaffected breast; and of course everyone's favorite, more cancer, but only in 10 or 15 years.
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