Radiation April 2019
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Hello Compatriats!
I hope everyone is doing well. Stay strong! I am at 11/20 today (16 full & 4 boosts). My chest is feels quite bruised and is red red red, but skin is intact thank goodness. That rad machine is something straight out of Star Wars. I feel like it is going to eat me alive.
Congratulations to those who have finished! And for the rest, we can do this. I saw a woman yesterday on a stretcher at the cancer centre - still fighting! By god, still fighting.
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how is radiation going for those with TEs in. Any worsening near magnet area
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Jessie- did you had chimo befor radio
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Celebris - I’m just starting to look pink in the radiated areas. I see no difference in where the metal piece is located.
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Margun --- no -- oncotype score was 19. I'm a widow and live alone --- don't think I could have stood it.
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I am glad for the weekend break. The daily drive was really starting to get to me. I am now 15/28 so I made it past the halfway point. Still just showing pink with some tenderness when massaged or if I lay on it (I am a tummy sleeper). I woke up several mornings with an ache on that side because I was laying on it. Oh well, at least I was able to sleep.
Anyone else getting rads with a TomoTherapy machine? I feel lucky to have this as my rads treatment. Wondering how many others are using this approach.
Hope you all are feeling good and enjoying some sunshine!
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thank you jessie123....it helps to hear others thoughts and be able to express how we feel to each other....people that arent going thru it try to understand and do their best but really dont....so i appreciate all the input for everyone.
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Ladies,
I have 3 boosts left and need some advice. I'm red and a little sore but my skin itches a lot! I'm sure I'm not alone and was wondering what helped you.
Thanks
Have a great week!
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The itching is hard to avoid because its due to the skin needing to peel. I tried not to scratch it and I used some benadryl at night which helped.
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Well...1 down, 29 to go. I started radiation today. I feel ok, my stomach is a little queasy, but that may be unrelated....Hope everyone is doing well through their treatment!
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Thank you very much Santabarbia
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I started my radiation last Tuesday, so I'm day 5/33. I was so ready to get started because I was tired of waiting. So ready to be back to normal. Everyone told me it would be fairly easy, and so far it has been. Hope it continues. Good luck to all of you ((hugs))
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Tomorrow, April 30, I begin 16 day partial breast radiation to the tumor bed. At 85, I have been terrified of radiation, afraid of the burn, of the machine, of the rays which could injure, the Star Wars feeling of it. Today, I’m trying hard to see it as protective,as my friend who will kill lurking rogue cells, not as my enemy.. Still scared though. Will have to take a 0.25 Xanax before
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keywestfan - I just had my 16th radiation treatment (I have 12 to go). They are doing my whole left chest area. I can tell you that right now my skin is a little pink and that’s about it. So I think you will be just fine. Remember to use whatever creams or gels your doctor recommends and put them on your skin a few times a day.
I will admit that the machine is a little daunting at first, but you will adapt quickly to the whole routine and before you know it, you’ll be done with radiation.
Best of luck
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RosieRed,
Thank you so much! This is so encouraging to me. I’ve stopped shaking( for the time being at least.
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Hi Kestwestfan-
omg- you dont look 85!
Good luck tomorrow.
If its any consolation to you, I just
finished 7/16 treatments and its totally
fine cos its fast and you dont feel snything.
Nice dsrkened room with a few therapists
scuttling about..quiet etc.. you just lie
on your back and the machine quietly
moves around into position etc.
I never worried about this part of treatment
for some reason- but on the other hand,
was so fearful of the surgery I
almost had to go to doctor for anxiety
treatment as I panicked about general
anasthesia- even friends were baffled at
my near panicked state saying
it was no big deal ...Its just hard
to accept and allow yourself to believe
and relax a bit more about it. But it was
near impossible at the time.
So tomorrow, remember me and the others on this board who will also
be getting a treatment tomorrow, who
can reassure you that it will be fine.0 -
Oops - sorry i botched your name Keywestfan...
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Cassiecanada,
Thank you for understanding all my panic and anxiety. It makes me feel less alone in my over the top terror. It’s funny( not really) how we are. I wasn’t afraid of the lumpectomy or re-excision, but that table and machine and fear of my ancient skin weeping and peeling away(ugh!) When I was 35 I had cervical cancer- we couldn’t say the word in those days- and I was so alone. It is great( though also sad) to have a community.
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I finished day 11 today -- have 5 more regular treatments and then 4 boosts. I see the doctor every Monday. Today he concerned me a little. I am pink, but not red and no irritation, but he said by the end of this week things should change --- expecting much more redness and who knows what else. He said if I need him -- even on Friday -- I should call him and he can prescribe a topical medication (forget the name of it). My lord what 's this about --- now I'm a little scared. I have only used a lotion twice, but he said that I should start using it regularly. I'm doing the hypo fractional radiation. Can someone else on this type of radiation tell me if I have a need to be concerned and what symptoms I can expect on the 15th day of the hypofractionated radiation. Thanks
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One more thing Keywestfan-I had fears
of peripheral lung being radiated
and tslked to my RO today and she explained/showed thst some healthy
tissue will usually be in path of radiation
no way around it.. and the amount of lung that is in the path is unique to each person due to ribcage size/shape etc. I had
no choice but to listen to the professional.
If i scaled back , then some breast
tissue would be missed etc.
Jessie- I am only on day 6 and feeling
nothing yet- as a nurse walked me
in to RO appt, i told her this- and she
said the same thing your doc said-
yikes- so i guess we at least have a heads up- sltho i have to say- A few people
i know said it felt/looked like a sunburn effect..yet others have said open sores
etc- so like all else, we are all unique.
So Jessie- keep me posted..your
trail blazing me..hopefully we
will end up with rosiereds good
fortune
So i gather with this hypofractionated
regime- the pink
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yikes- sent too soon. I meant to add re: radiation to lung- that the RO told me
that these tissues, like the breast,
regenerate. Also- keywestfan- because
you are only having partial radiation
( which i just remembered) you prob
are having less radiation to these
peripheral areas anyways, I would imagine.0 -
OK Cassie -- I'll have to act as your big sister as I'm 5 days ahead of you -- I'll let you know daily how my breast is doing. Right now it's just pink - as least it was before I left for radiation today --- haven't looked at it since then. As I'm thinking about my breast I'm beginning to feel some burning --- I think that my doctor has given me a psychosomatic illness (-:
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Not to be a downer, but I burned. It was not painful but it was uncomfortable and very red and peeling, like a bad sunburn, for me. That happened by about 18 of 28 and it was all healed about a 14 days after I stopped rads. I had proton rads but the burning part is a risk with both kinds.
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Keywestfan,
I'm pretty brave for the most partbut was very nervous my first few treatments. Focus on something in the room and breathe slowly and deeply. It is important not to move and I used wireless headphones with my phone to distract me with audiobooks. Perhaps this is something you can try.
Use the creams your RO has given you if you need more moisture and soothing you can use natural Aloe Vera and a alcohol free high quality cream.
I have completed 31/33 treatments and let us know if you need more encouragement.
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Thanks Santabarbara- I appreciate
learning of the experiences of others-
a bit of reality - its very difficult to imagine this burning when day in and day out feels the same right now....yet i know what lurks around the corner..nurses, radiology therapists etc have all been pretty straight up and clear about what/when to expect. i lie in wait..arghhhh.! I am sorry to
hear how burned you felt- ouch-
Now, with healing behind you- how
do you feel?0 -
FANTASTIC!
I am a month out from rads and I have felt great ever since my rads burn resolved, which was quickly (~10 days). My energy is great and everything has healed beautifully and I am getting back to normal living!!
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keywestfan, you can do this!!
I did treatment #18 today and I have not burned too bad. My skin is definitely darker but no peeling and no pain. It looks worse than it is. I still have 7 more to go but so far I've been ok. I know it will probably get worse by the end of this week but I'm almost done. I have been using miaderm cream. I have very sensitive skin and was scared how I would react. So far so good. You got this!!!
For the others dont let them scare you. They told me my skin would be burning by 3rd week and it didn't. My doctor was impressed by how well my skin looked. everyone reacts differently. Keep thinking positive.
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12/20 today - almost there! Skin is reddish brown but holding up. I see my RO tomorrow. I am hoping to negotiate my way out of having boosts. Or not. I keep going back and forth. Driving my family mad with indecision.
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Anyone else have a sore throat? It's not terrible, barely noticeable actually, but definitely there. I can't tell if it's a SE from the rads, or I'm getting sick. I've only had 6 treatments so I really hope it's not from rads.
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I, too, have a sort of dry throat- not sore, but
dry and i am doing treatment # 7 today.i have
always had throat dryness so cant tell if its
that or if its rads. Every spring its worse-
so i am chalking it up to that for now-
lets continue to compare notes!
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