Come join others currently navigating treatment in our weekly Zoom Meetup! Register here: Tuesdays, 1pm ET.
Take our poll: Caregivers, what do you find most difficult about caregiving?
Weigh in: What are the best and worst gifts for people with breast cancer?

Starting Radiation July 2021

13»

Comments

  • jenacass
    jenacass Member Posts: 4
    edited August 2021

    Sunshinegal me too! As of today, I have 8 sessions left. I was looking forward to ending treatments on Aug 27, but my RO took one look at me last week and recommended a "skin break" before she begins the 5-day boost. My skin is red and blotchy, I have tenderness around the surgical scar, and my breast is itchy and peeling. The minute I'm home, I strip off my bra so the skin can breathe, mostly from all the creams and lotions I'm using. I have so much lotion shmeared on and the Texas heat just makes my sweaty slimy breast worse.

    My greatest disappointment is that I was looking forward to finally going on vacation or getting in a pool. I now have to wait. I also don't want to travel while COVID is raging. I'm also very angry at the non-masking and non-vaxxing public who have allowed it to happen.

  • singingwendy
    singingwendy Member Posts: 10
    edited August 2021

    It’s getting close to the end of August, so I wanted to see how everyone’s doing! I finished #19 today, and amazingly have had very few side effects. I had my ovary removal surgery on Friday, and despite a scare with the glue letting go on one of my incisions today (they checked it and said it’s fine), that all seems to be healing well. I went to my first “back to school” faculty meeting today, and it was nice to see my teaching colleagues.

    How’s everything going for everyone else? Who’s done? Who’s getting close?

    Wendy

  • racheldog
    racheldog Member Posts: 209
    edited August 2021

    For those of you who have finished radiation after lumpectomy what are you being told about the length of time to get your mammogram? That is, how many months out? Also are your oncologists suggesting regular screening or a diagnostic mammo on the treated breast?

  • eviec1
    eviec1 Member Posts: 80
    edited August 2021

    Racheldog, they had me do a baseline mammogram after the lumpectomy and right before I started radiation. At that appointment, they told me that my next mammogram would be in 12 months.

  • racheldog
    racheldog Member Posts: 209
    edited August 2021

    Thx eviec1. I am trying to juggle this as I am due for mammo (1st year after diagnosis) in September. I did my treatments a bit out of the norm and did radiation first and now (2) more Herceptins. I am only out of radiation for 2 months. I keep reading on the internet that the first mammo after radiation is finished becomes the "new norm" for the treated breast. But some articles say to wait 6 months to get the diagnostic mammo on that breast?

    Then comes fitting the mammo in with the booster shot which can give false positives. I have checked with three sources on that and all say to wait at least 8 weeks because the booster can give false positives!


  • ab45
    ab45 Member Posts: 153
    edited September 2021

    Hello

    I was told six months for a mammogram after last radiation..

  • racheldog
    racheldog Member Posts: 209
    edited September 2021

    I heard 6 months as well --- after radiation from MO. Are all of you with history of unilateral breast cancer now being told you need BILATERAL diagnostic exams on both breasts?

  • sunshinegal
    sunshinegal Member Posts: 68
    edited September 2021

    No mammos for me (bilat silicone implants after dbl mx). But wanted to check in with you all now that I'm 2+ weeks out from finishing rads. My skin is recovering very nicely, which has been a pleasant surprise given how awful it looked and felt by the end. I really didn't believe the RO when he said it would take "two to three weeks" - but he was right!

    How are others recovering after rads?

  • eviec1
    eviec1 Member Posts: 80
    edited September 2021

    I think I'm actually *mostly* recovered at this point. MUCH less pain, a little itching sometimes, energy level is improving. I just started Tamoxifen, however, so I'm afraid this relative good feeling is going to start backsliding as the side effects from that kick in....

  • singingwendy
    singingwendy Member Posts: 10
    edited September 2021

    I just finished up yesterday! I’m sure you’ll all appreciate this story….My last session..the 5th “boost” was scheduled for Thursday after school. I heard my phone ring while I was teaching, but didn’t have time to check it. I flew out of the building as soon as my class left. I arrived at the hospital a few minutes early, so I decided to check my phone. It was the radiologist…”We just wanted to let you know that the machine went down so we’re canceling your session for today. We’ll see you at the same time tomorrow”. Just my luck! Lol. But now I can officially say “I’m done!!!”

    The skin that was damaged is healing nicely. I’m constantly stopping myself from peeing it though! I can’t believe I’m saying that I’m looking forward to wearing a bra again, but I am. I’m still experiencing some fatigue, but I’m not sure if that’s the radiation or just returning to teaching after 9 months…..probably a bit of both!

  • goldcity
    goldcity Member Posts: 54
    edited September 2021

    I'm a little reluctant to post now that I'm finished because other than the tediousness of going every day for 33 sessions I had very little side effects. Only got a little bit pink with some itching and a little fatigue. I feel so bad for everyone that had a bad time.

    SingingWendy, I know how you feel about wearing a bra again. I just had my fitting and I'm happily wearing new well fitting bras with a prosthetic.

Categories

Join Us on Zoom: Upcoming virtual meetups. Read more...
Give your account some personality! Add a profile photo.