April 2021 Radiation
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Just a comment on the Rollercoaster ride...just finished my 6th rad treatment, and I never thought I would be "comfortable" lying on a sheet covered steel table in a cool room with both breasts exposed and holding my breath several times while the radiation hits me. Still not exactly comfortable, but it's amazing how your breast modesty becomes less of an issue with the radiation therapists, as you see them each day, and realize this is their job and they have probably seen it all. 😁 I try to focus on the cancer cells dying instead of what my breasts look like on the computer screen. 14 more treatments and this April/early May will be just a memory! We can do this!!
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dj1reno- I think you should talk to your RO. Are you meeting weekly with him/her? I'm sure they can help you.
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It looks like I am beginning to get a blister and a little red under my breast. Today will be #13/20. I am using Eucerin frequently, and I also have aquaphor if I need it. I hope it doesn't get much worse, but I've been lucky so far. I'm glad it's Friday....2 day skin vacation!
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panout- thanks for the reply. I assumed how I was mapped would be the same position of my treatment. Hope to start next week.
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sweatie125
I lost all modesty with my breast. Since having had my first BC in 2017, I had my boobs touched and photographed so many times I have lost count! Now that it’s back my reconstructed boobs are getting lots more attention. It’s good to have a sense of humor about it.
Mememee
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Halfway done!! So far, its just a little pinkness on the treated breast. It's kind of funny looking as it matches the shade of my aerola (which is very light), so in the mirror, it looks like my aerola has disappeared.
AnnLat - hoping your blister heals over the weekend and the rest of the treatments go easy.
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I go tomorrow for simulation, then get 14 fractions probably starting Tuesday. It will be different this time because they will be targeting the lesion on my L1. I will still be face-up, but they are planning to zap me from many different angles. Crazy stuff I worry about: I hope I can keep my panties on, lol
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FGodmother - I hope all goes well. I'll be praying for you.
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hello ladies,
I just had a right side mastectomy April 12. I meet with RO May 7 for mapping etc. The pathology from surgery showed clear lymph nodes. I was initially told to expect 6 weeks of radiation when I met with RO in March, but wondering if I can do less with clear lymph nodes and an oncotype score of 20 ( low chance of recurrence). Any tips or advice? Thanks!
Julie
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Thank you for making me laugh panout!! I just had my first treatment today and joked with a friend later that I guess I'll be up for going to the topless beaches after all this! Today wasn't quite as bad as I was thinking it would be, and it was done pretty quickly. I'm sure it will feel more routine as they go so just going to count down to that #20 being done.
Did anyone feel like your breast was tingling like when you get a sunburn, even after just the first time? Not sure if it's a real feeling or just feel hypersensitive...
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ChristinaKL - Topless beaches....TOO FUNNY!
As for the question about tingling, I can't say I've felt any tingling...some itching yes, but no tingling. I've completed 12 treatments so far and all I've noticed is a little pinkness that fortunately disappears by the next day. I'm hoping it stays this "easy" for the duration.
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I had #16 today, my last whole breast treatment. I now have 4 boosts, then I'm done! My skin is getting rather red under my breast and a little under my arm. But whatever blister was there is gone now. I hope it doesn't get too much redder though, it makes me a little nervous. I'm a retired rad tech so maybe I know too much! But it is not as bad as I expected. I hope all of you are doing well! Hugs to everyone!
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AnnLat - I'm so happy to hear your blister has become a nonissue! Congrats on finishing the hardest part....you're ALMOST THERE!
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TGIF! Thought I would not be excited about Fridays anymore since retirement, but I am now. A two day respite from rads is welcome! I am finished with 12 today, leaving only 8 to go. So far so good, but am feeling a bit of fatigue. Hope you all are doing good on your journey! Can't wait to ring that bell soon! 😍
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Hi everyone,
I have my first appointment this Wednesday and don't know yet when my treatment will begin. But I am telling my radiologist that I want the ONE WEEK treatment that's the new protocol in the UK after a five year study, called Fast Forward, showed - for early stage bc - that the results were basically the same for one and three week treatments with one week having the fewest side effects, despite higher radiation doses.
Google Fast Forward UK breast cancer study.
My doctor said he did the one week course during the pandemic.
The UK is SO far ahead of the US with bc treatment, so look into it! I'm Triple Negative, so I may find out it won't work for me, but I think TN's were included in the 5-year study.
We need to insist our country's protocols are more up to date and not be subjected to old protocols that harm us. I'm sure your doctor's will not be happy when you ask, but ask for the results of the study. Remember, it's for early stage after surgery. I just finished my fourth and final round of chemo.
Good luck to us all!!
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hi Juju Mar
I had an onco score of 17, I am doing 33 treatments over 6 weeks. Now this is my second primary BC and mine penetrated my chest wall. Since I has a BxM and sentinel node removed, it’s unknown if it’s my lymph nodes.
Hope you get to have fewer treatment
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On Friday, my skin looked great! No treatments on the weekend. Sunday night, I discovered a row of very large blisters from 6:00 to the nipple. SMH...my skin is barely pink. I think wearing a bra all day yesterday is what did this. I wish it were socially acceptable to strut all over town with the "girls" just hanging. So far, the only place I've gone braless is to treatment, but that will change this week!
Five more treatments left!!
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@Sweetie125 - I see that your diagnosis is similar to mine, but mine is in the right breast. I'm waiting for my post-op lumpectomy appointment on Friday which is when I HOPE they will tell me about my radiation treatments. The surgeon has mentioned that I will have radiation, but no indication of what kind or how long. Are you doing 4 weeks? I'm trying to figure out how many weeks they will give me... I know. I know. I just have to WAIT and talk to the doctor... sigh.
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Hi twistygirl, yes, we do have similar stats... 😳.I am having 4 weeks of radiation treatments, 16 on the whole left breast and 4 "boosts" targeting mainly the surgical site. Waiting is so hard, I know! Your radiation oncologist will determine your exact treatment plan, based on your specific criteria and best outcome. Wishing you all the best! Sure would be nice to have a one week rad treatment, but at least 4 weeks is less than 7 weeks, right?!
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hello, I am waiting for radiation to start. My MO told me about the 1 week vs the longer treatment. When I spoke to the RO about this, they said when nodes are involved they don't do the 1 week. I believe the longer duration is done because it's given in low doses and so they need x number of treatments to achieve the full dosage. If only the breast was involved they could I suppose as it maybe able to tolerate. They would be radiating the axillary all the way to supraclavicular nodes and the ones along the sternum. I am supposed to do 30 treatments as I had one positive node and second one had ITCs.
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Hi all, I'm starting my rad treatments in two days and I'm very nervous. I've been reading though the posts and it's encouraging to see many of you halfway through and doing well with it. I chose 3 1/2 weeks with higher doses instead of the 6 weeks with lower doses. Any words of wisdom to help slow or prevent the 'sunburn' and blisters? I still have to work everyday so as much as I would like, going braless isn't an option. Do you guys use lotion everyday after the treatment? If so, any one brand better than the others?
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alecia905- I just had my final treatment today! I was nervous too, but it is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I had 4 weeks. The "sunburn" can't be completely prevented, I don't think, but mine isn't too bad. No blisters, but it looks like poison ivy and it's itchy on top of my breast and underneath. Lotion 3 times a day. I use Eucerin lotion and Aquafor at night (since it's messy). I have been wearing a sports bra throughout treatment and it hasn't bothered me. Hopefully, you will not have many problems either. You aren't alone in this! And we all felt like you do. You can do this!
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Great news on your final treatment! My tech told me the worst case scenario might be--I did ask for it--then she told me the most likely scenario is that it would be tender and that it would itch. She also told me Do NOT scratch it, I'm sure that's easier said than done. She also said no lotions just prior to treatment, and with mine being in the afternoon I'm concerned about that part. Thanks for the information and while I wouldn't wish this one anyone, I'm thankful for all the posts here.
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Panout- It's your turn to ring that bell! Congratulations on being finished with rads! It's a good feeling to be finished.
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Panout- It's your turn to ring that bell! Congratulations on being finished with rads! It's a good feeling to be finished.
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Thanks, AnnLat!
The last treatment day was quite fun. The different techs asked me multiple times, "what day is today?" It felt so good to say its the LAST day!! As the treatment concluded, while one tech was removing all the tape on my back covering all the markings (that had been there for SIX weeks), the other one read the words of this little certificate they gave me. The certificate was cute, it had my name and the date on it and said I have "successfully passed examinations on hard tables, cold rooms, awkward positions, cold hands, but always warm hearts." Even though the pandemic is still going on, a few gave me hugs, and they offered to take a picture ringing the bell...I declined the photo and left quickly to celebrate at my favorite Mexican restaurant.
In the end, my boob is a little pink...but far from "sunburned." The three medium-sized blisters have become one GIANT one, and that blister is at 6:00 and where my bra would come cross, so I am going braless. I'm putting a 4x4 piece of gauze underneath each boob to keep it dry there and wearing a bit thicker materials than I would in the summer to kind of hide the "bouncy". I will likely continue this when I return to work next week. It will be weird to go to work braless (especially cuz I'm at least a DD), but I guess I'll keep my lab coat on or something. I can't imagine putting on a bra at all. The most irritating has been the armpit itching. I did not have my lymph nodes treated, but OMG, there's so much irritation there. In hindsight, I should have moisturized the armpit throughout the month. As for fatigue, I was never tired this month, I didn't feel like napping ever, but I did seem to lose all motivation to do things I had planned to do during this month.
Overall, it wasn't as bad as I was afraid it would be, and I'm glad I elected to keep the boobs.
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Laurie27, had surgery on 3/8/21 and will start radiation on 5/9/21. I had to wait because of fluid buildup.
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This is my one week post radiation report. My skin is slowly getting less red and not itchy anymore. I'm still using Eucerin twice a day. I have one tannish/brown area under my arm...I think it's from the boost. I have some odd pain occasionally in my breast, but I figure that's expected. Today I discovered the *joy* of fatigue. I only had it a couple of times during treatment, but I was cutting grass so I figured that was it. Today I went for a walk, which I do a few times a week normally, and I felt like someone turned off my switch. It was the strangest feeling, and it happened after a mile. I can usually walk or hike 3 or so miles without trouble. Then I got upset because I didn't have these problems during treatment. I know the effects can last for weeks, or longer, but I guess I wasn't prepared. So I called and talked to the nurse and she told me it may get worse, but it will get better. Probably within 4 weeks. I was just surprised and hope none of you have these problems! Hang in there everyone!
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Hello! My first time posting in the thread. I've started radiation last Wednesday, today will be treatment 5/22. I had a lumpectomy with a bilateral lift and reduction on Feb 10. My surgery went amazing and I recovered fairly easily and actually love the result (had really large pendulous breasts before). I have dealt really well with everything, until radiation. I have had more anxiety and fear over this than anything else but I'm working thru it.
I know it's early yet, but so far have only noticed being somewhat swollen and some random tingling and sharp pin prick kind of pains here and there. I'm having sleep issues but have struggled with that my whole life so can't necessarily pin that on cancer or radiation. I've been using the aquaphor spray 2-3x a day and really like it. Ordering miaderm today to have on hand in case of burns on recommendation of the radiation tech.
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Finished treatment 11/20 today and so glad to be on the downward slope! Overall, it hasn't been too bad and just been a little pink, but today, there's been more soreness and pin pricks of pain in my breast. Not too bad, but definitely noticeable. My radiation oncologist swears by corn starch so I have been putting that on at least 3 times a day and also lotion at night.
My husband and I booked a celebration getaway to wine country for 2 nights starting on the last day of treatment and that is definitely motivating me and keeping my spirits up. My doctor encourages me to be good to myself so I am more than ready for some pampering and fun!
Sending good thoughts to everyone!
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