Anyone getting ready to start Radiation in Fall 2016?

Morning all! Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying having a day off radiation. I love weekends even more while going through these treatments .

Seraphima sorry to hear you continue to get silence on things like skincare and lyphemdema prevention - everyone is here for you!

I've had 14 out of 21 and doing well - breast area pinkish but not too bad, and the worst thing for me is my decolletage area is all spotty and itchy - my RO said areas that been sunburnt before tend to fare worse. I've been using eucerin 2 - 3 times a day and some cortisone and aloe.

I'm not too tired, and I think that having my hospital 10 minutes from my work is certainly helping - it was such great timing as I've just started this new job and any previous job would have meant significant travel including navigating city traffic. My appts are at 7:45am so I'm at work by 8:15 generally. I haven't taken any time off work so far and this new job is really full on, so I did put a 'medical leave' day in my calendar for the day after my last treatment where I plan to sleep in, chill out, and pamper myself!

Have a lovely weekend ladies!!

What kind of pillow did you make?

Hi, IHGJAnn,

It was kind of like this one. http://store.mastectomydesigns.com/breast-cancer-c...

Or actually, I made several, and adjusted a bit. I had a lot of pain and swelling under the arm, and just stopped wearing them a couple of days ago, so got my use from them. Also used to support remaining breast tissue when lying down, and to keep seatbelt off - I should put them in the car now for that.

I read they were often given away to cancer patients, but no one here does that. I did adjust online instructions, and found a very lightly stuffed pillow much more comfortable than a firm one.

ClarkBlue - I've been eating about 3 prunes a day since chemo with no issues. Going to 7 prunes would be less than 100g that at most contains 15% DV of vitamin A, 1% DV of vitamin C, and no vitamin E. So far I've eaten 4 in a day. I started when I read how good they are for our bones. Because I'm really short, I tend to take less than any suggested serving amount/dosage.

I don't take a multivitamin or eat much fortified foods so I'm not likely to consume too much antioxidants. My MO and RO are OK with my supplements (melatonin, vitamin D, magnesium, and B complex/B12). I've also avoided green and white tea.

Myra - Oh, boy! 0 to 7 prunes might be a shock to the system! I should have added a warning. I have eaten 4 at once, but I usually add a few walnuts for protein. If you're up to it, try 3 with other foods.

I think the neck pillows would work as well. I considered one, but since I made my own, it was very cheap just to make them. And I can also sew ribbons into the seams to tie them on with, and have it be more secure than those added after.

Hi, everyone, I will start RT soon but I don't know the exact date. The RO is not a very communicative person and she sent me to the PS to get the TE first. Since I don't want getting it damaged, I decided for the reconstruction after therapy. Well, I called the RO on Monday last week and she decided to order a CT to evaluate the "state of things"? Anyway, I have two rules and if she can't follow them, I will walk out. No rad on armpits and no tattoos. I don't want lymphedema and I will fight with anyone about that. Since Medicare doesn't cover lymphedema, I cannot let it develop under any circumstances. I still have to work full time until June 30 next year and I need my right arm and hand. I told her about no tattoos on my first visit to her on July 12. I will repeat it on my next which I don't know the date yet. Even if I feel uncomfortable with a male RO I will prefer him to her unless he is as arid as her. The center give gowns for treatment but the first times, the measuring and the molding, I guess I cannot fight against taking my shirt off until I get frozen. Some friends who have undergone RT before told me about a RT center who treats persons as persons and not as objects although the equipment is not as new. I will change place if don't like the way they treat me. I don't want to take RT but I had some lymph nodes tinted on the MRI. Since I had a full right MX and hormone therapy, the added percentage of survival is 6%. But the nodes keep me back on the RT road which I don't like. I am preparing some very soft bras to deal with rad cause my PS wants me to wear one 24/7 until reconstruction. I want hypofragmentation and if they do not accept, I will stop RT when they burn my skin. I have so many aches and pain with this foot fractures that I cannot handle anymore.

Sepharima, the pillows are for?

Why can't I take antioxidants? I need my cells to repair after tx.

Hello Mariangel,

The pillows are mostly to keep the arm off the side/breast after surgery. I've used them to keep things in place so I could sleep on my side. With a painful seroma they were a lifesaver. And actually it feels like it might be coming back, so I may not be done with them. They can also keep the seatbelt off surgery site. And it's nice to hold across a large incision if coughing or sneezing. I read about them online, and just made my own since no one was making them for cancer patients here.

IHGJAnn, I do like to sew, but don't get to do that much of it. These pillows are so simple, they almost don't qualify. Just a few minutes on the machine, then stuff and stitch closed. Working out a pattern that fit me and suitable fabrics took more time than anything else. I'm sorry to hear about your back. I hope you are able to find some relief.

LifeAloft: Glad to hear you are doing well 11 days into it. I just finished 6 of 33 today and I feel like I have so much to go.

I am trying to go braless as much as possible. I did not even wear a bra to RADS today. I just had a zip up hoodie over my tshirt...and let me tell you, I probably looked funny because it is hot as heck here in the South. I saw the plan of my RADS today. It was interesting and a little strange looking because it was looking mainly at it from a birds eye view of things. Here are a few items I have that I hope help me with this part of the journey:

I have a pillow http://moonlightpillows.com/order-online/ (I originally bought this for after my biopsy and after surgery recovery)

A seat belt cover https://www.amazon.com/Mastectomy-Lumpectomy-Pillow-Surgery-Breast/dp/B00LZWE5EO and another seat belt cover that my daughter made me (with memory foam) because I wanted something different. I am hoping my daughter makes me a few other things with the memory foam too I also got this (for if the under side of my breast becomes irritated by skin on skin contact https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OQQYD6Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 (it was suggested on another thread on this website).

If you are about to start rads or in process and you are large-breasted and/or have sensitive or light skin you might want to ask your RO about Cool Magic Hydrogel Sheet Dressing.

I had significant burning/peeling/pain under my breast which caused me to have to take a few days off from treatment to let it heal. These sheets when applied and kept on 24/7 healed the area beautifully. I only wish I had been given them when the redness under the breast began. I ordered them from the manufacturer so I can keep using them until I finish and after until I'm 100%.

http://www.mpmmedicalinc.com/productdetails.aspx?p...

I used the 6 x 8 placed under the breast and kept in place with a soft loose athletic bra.

They're pricey but so worth it. No messy creams, soothing, antiseptic and healing.

Good luck ladies..

Marcella

LoveMyVizsla, thanks for the tip, I'll try that! Starting to get a little itchy tonight . Sorry to hear about your flare up, I hope you can get it under control

Hi, ladies, back tonight. I am having a very painful arm tonight, not knowing why. I think I am backing off the RT now. I was called by the hospital phone on Friday late but they left no message. I thought it was related to RT and called back the RT center. True. They were calling me to tell me that my health insurance plan has approved the specialized CT scan that is required by this center. Then she told me that the 10% deductible fee was $1,267.14. I said "WHAT? Is that the total cost or deductible?" She said, "The deductible..." I said the girl, is that required? She said yes. I said then, "OK, then you tell the RO to erase me from the list because I won't stop paying my house, food and debts for two to three months to pay one study. Better still, give me an appointment to tell her myself, but just get me off." The poor secretary told me, "Wait, there are other options. Maybe we can collect some donations to pay it." I told her I will go to the center on Wednesday to discuss these options. Now I am more reluctant than ever in having RT. Maybe the center is the best in technological advances but low on human sensitivity and care. They are more preoccupied with protocols than with people. I will check on two other more places. I first need to be sure that I don't need RT with the MX and the hormone therapy. I also paid in full for the CA-125 test to see if the antigen levels have dropped. If those things worked, I will reject RT too. Is this CT as expensive in your state as here? Have all the process being so hard both financially as psychological? I am trying not to lose faith but...

Mariangel I feel you! I would have been so out of luck if it wasn't for my insurance. I remember when I found out how much my nulesta shot cost during chemo - 7,000.00 for one shot. I believe my ct scan was 3.500.00. Your issue isn't really the doctor/facility, it's your insurance. Mine caps my out of pocket fee at 4,000.00 (considering my insurance has covered about 125,000.00 this year, I think 4 grand is getting off cheap and my hospital allows me to pay as little as 25.00 a month with no interest). As the secretary mentioned, you do have some options, so definitely learn more about those. Lots of foundations donate money just for this very purpose or you can set up a pmt plan for very little a month.

Why were they recommending RT if you had a MX? Were your nodes positive? If I wasn't triple negative, I would have skipped rads despite my doctors protest.

I wish you the best of luck. Dealing with the financial/insurance side of things is stressful at the best of time, but when you're dealing with cancer so much more difficult.

Sabrina

I saw the lymphedema specialist today. Such a wealth of information and she measured me now to have a starting point if things ever get to be a problem. She was happy to see that someone was being proactive about getting in to be measured from the start of radiation. I wish I had been able to get in before (today was #7 radiation) and tried to get in but there was some miscommunication with the offices.

I have had insurance problems from the start of this year (still going back and forth on my 1st MRI that was January 5th!). It is sad that people going through Cancer do not have more support during their treatments when it comes to financials and insurance. It is draw dropping what our treatments costs.

Mariangel - also sorry to hear of your problems with the insurance. Mine drove me crazy for a while just calling several times a week over something that was supposed to be paid and for some reason they were not submitting it properly. But I would agree with others to check and see what options there may be. I know too many times things cost much more than they really do/should because it's going through insurance, but when it comes down to patient pay and you can't afford it, they will reduce costs. I'm not sure if they will in your case, but surely you have some options.