Hi Everyone
I had my final pre rads appointment today, they did a full round of x-rays. I had my tatoos last week and tomarrow will be my first round of rads. It looks like I will have a great group of ladies to work with. They were all very friendly and couteous.
Im starting to feel like a new person, my energy is coming back and the body aches are almost gone. I hate the thought of the radiation making me tired again. But I will look at it this way 6 1/2 weeks.....I can make it, if I can get thru chemo I can do anything! I will keep everyone posted on this last part of my journey.
L&H
Bernadette
Hey Bern!!
I didn't get tired with rads. It seems not everyone does! Hope you don't. I'm glad you're looking at this as the last part of the journey. I'm happy you are keeping positive.
I'll be with you tomorrow. Good luck!
My rads techs had great coffee!!!!
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." -Confucius
Ellen
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." -Confucius
Ellen
Bernadette: Well, you are almost finished w/ this journey. Rads aren't anything compared to the chemo. You will be surprised at how quickly the 6 1/2 weeks will pass. Just take good care of your skin and rest if you are tired. Don't feel guilty by taking a little nap.
Hugs..Deb
Rads are compared to what you have been through. Good luck and be sure to use a good cream -- they'll recommend one for you.
Judy
Judy
Thanks Bernadette for the update - please pass on any hints or advice you are given, I'm really nervous about the skin reaction, since my skin is very dry to begin with. I hope that the weeks go quickly, and, how is the hair doing??Are you still wearing a wig?
Good Luck tomorrow!!
chantry
There are no wrong turnings, only paths we did not know we were meant to take - Guy Gavriel Kay
Good Luck tomorrow!!
chantry
There are no wrong turnings, only paths we did not know we were meant to take - Guy Gavriel Kay
Bern, how did your first radiation tx go?? Gosh I remember my first one it was a breeze and I was scared to death. It went great and so did all of my other tx's. I never got overly tired either. I blamed the tiredness on the chemo more then the radiation txs. We have come along ways huh!!
2/11 will be a year since my first chemo tx. Soooo glad it is over with. I have my first mammogram this afternoon since all my treatments. I am very nervous and have a headache. I try to keep positive, but the thought of something going wrong again scares me. Its so hard to tell now if there is anything unusual in my breast with all the scaring ect. so wish me luck k.
I feel like I know you lol and we have only talked here on net. So let me know how your rad tx are going, k if you need help with managing possible irritations from tx let me know I can at least let you know what worked for me. It was very manageable and sure it will be for you.
Good luck
Skeeter
Hi Ladies
Thanks so much for all of the encouragement. I really don't feel afraid of the rads like I did chemo. I know it is alot easier than chemo. I just have one small problem with memories of my mom having her rads. She had lung cancer in 1988 and went through rads. They burned her so bad that her chest and neck looked like a blackberry. She was unable to eat or drink because her throat was so bad. She lost a large amount of weight, and she did not have any to loose. I know rads have come a long way but everytime they put me on that table I just think about my mom and what she went through. She fought a good battle but eventually lost it. Okay enough on that.
Chantry where are you in your treatments, have you finished chemo? I hope so. I still have my wig on but my hair is growing and getting much fuller. My DH tells me to go without it but I don't feel comfortable yet. I worry about my skin too it is dry and I have fair skin, I hope I don't get too burned.
Skeeter congrats on your one year anniversary coming up. Good luck on your mamogram. Think positive thoughts, it will be just fine. I feel like I know you too there are so many ladies here that I have formed a bond with. I would love to have a get together. That way we can put faces with names.
Ellen, Judy & Deb thanks for all of your help during this time. I will probably be asking you all kinds of questions in the next few weeks. They sent home some samples of Aquaphor cream for me to use. I guess it works good. What creams worked good for you?
H&L
Bernadette
Thanks so much for all of the encouragement. I really don't feel afraid of the rads like I did chemo. I know it is alot easier than chemo. I just have one small problem with memories of my mom having her rads. She had lung cancer in 1988 and went through rads. They burned her so bad that her chest and neck looked like a blackberry. She was unable to eat or drink because her throat was so bad. She lost a large amount of weight, and she did not have any to loose. I know rads have come a long way but everytime they put me on that table I just think about my mom and what she went through. She fought a good battle but eventually lost it. Okay enough on that.
Chantry where are you in your treatments, have you finished chemo? I hope so. I still have my wig on but my hair is growing and getting much fuller. My DH tells me to go without it but I don't feel comfortable yet. I worry about my skin too it is dry and I have fair skin, I hope I don't get too burned.
Skeeter congrats on your one year anniversary coming up. Good luck on your mamogram. Think positive thoughts, it will be just fine. I feel like I know you too there are so many ladies here that I have formed a bond with. I would love to have a get together. That way we can put faces with names.
Ellen, Judy & Deb thanks for all of your help during this time. I will probably be asking you all kinds of questions in the next few weeks. They sent home some samples of Aquaphor cream for me to use. I guess it works good. What creams worked good for you?
H&L
Bernadette
Congrats on this final milestone! Rads, for me, was a piece of cake. I think rads to the breast is a hundred times easier than rads to the neck or other soft tissue area....I got pink and the tissue was tender (still is, after 6 years), but no burns, no fatigue, no weight issues. Your mother may have had her ability to eat impacted too, causing the weight loss. I would also bet that there have been advances in treatments since 1988, so your experience should be much easier.
Hang in there!
Lori
Good luck with rads. I didn't get tired from the treatment, so I hope you don't either. I remember what it was like to start feeling 'normal' again. I hope it continues for you. Glad to hear your rads team sounds great. That is so important.
I am very fair skinned and was surprised at how little redness I got. I only used aloe vera gel (not before the treatment, though) and it was fine. I am hoping that you have an easy time of it.
How's DH coming along with that heel?
L & H,
L & H,
Kathy
Bernadette
Hope all went well with your first rads. Just think one down !!
You may get tired but it will be over soon...
Hugs
Cathi
Hope all went well with your first rads. Just think one down !!
You may get tired but it will be over soon...
Hugs
Cathi
Sometimes it is a slender thread, Sometimes a strong,
stout rope; She clings to one end, I the other;
She calls it friendship; I call it hope....
Hi All
My first rads went well, in fact very well. DH went with me, I took him into the room where they do the rads and he could not belive how big the machine was. The techs asked if I minded if he stayed while they got me ready and I said no. He stayed until they were ready to do the actual rads. I think it made him understand a little more about what I'm going through. They are doing rads from my neck to the bottom of my ribs. My rad DR wanted to get any lymph nodes in my neck and chest area too. I feel like they are still not telling me everything.....but I don't seem to get them to open up.
When they actually did the rads it was a piece of cake, other than the part about being all alone in there with that HUGE machine. I was a little scared when everyone left the room but it is over so quick, it was okay. One down 32 to go..... I can do it, and I will.
L&H
Bernadette
My first rads went well, in fact very well. DH went with me, I took him into the room where they do the rads and he could not belive how big the machine was. The techs asked if I minded if he stayed while they got me ready and I said no. He stayed until they were ready to do the actual rads. I think it made him understand a little more about what I'm going through. They are doing rads from my neck to the bottom of my ribs. My rad DR wanted to get any lymph nodes in my neck and chest area too. I feel like they are still not telling me everything.....but I don't seem to get them to open up.
When they actually did the rads it was a piece of cake, other than the part about being all alone in there with that HUGE machine. I was a little scared when everyone left the room but it is over so quick, it was okay. One down 32 to go..... I can do it, and I will.
L&H
Bernadette
How many fields are you getting treated? I had 3. One was from the neck down to the chest, also. I always had to have my head turned to the left. Can you see the monitor as they do the treatment? I always watched it and thought that it was the longest 60 seconds I had experienced. You'll do fine, I just know it.
L & H,
L & H,
Kathy
Kathy
They have not mentioned how many fields I will have to ask. They do 4 different shots if that is what fields are. I have to turn my head to the left too. I can't see the monitor so I just look into the machine when it is on that side. I think that rads will be just fine, very quick and no nausea. I do my rads at 4:00 everyday so I just leave work a little early. I have been working my full shifs for awhile now. It is so much easier when you have energy. I do feel so much better these days I hope that rads don't make me tired.
How are you feeling? I hope everything is healing well. I bet those drains were a pain in the butt. Are you able to do most of your normal activities yet?
Hubby is doing much better and has 5 more weeks with no weight on his foot. The DR said he is healing great and he has great mobility. He cant wait to be able to walk again.
L&H
Bernadette
They have not mentioned how many fields I will have to ask. They do 4 different shots if that is what fields are. I have to turn my head to the left too. I can't see the monitor so I just look into the machine when it is on that side. I think that rads will be just fine, very quick and no nausea. I do my rads at 4:00 everyday so I just leave work a little early. I have been working my full shifs for awhile now. It is so much easier when you have energy. I do feel so much better these days I hope that rads don't make me tired.
How are you feeling? I hope everything is healing well. I bet those drains were a pain in the butt. Are you able to do most of your normal activities yet?
Hubby is doing much better and has 5 more weeks with no weight on his foot. The DR said he is healing great and he has great mobility. He cant wait to be able to walk again.
L&H
Bernadette
Hi, Bernadette, glad you are doing well. Don't read too much into what they are not saying. I remember that you had a lumpectomy, some spots on your lung, as I did. I also had 5 positive nodes, so they did a large field for me. It got a little of my neck and from sternum to beneath the arm along the whole rib cage. As you said, they are trying to get any nodes or tiny cells missed.
I did have some slight problems towards the end with a sore throat and some pain in my ear, but all was managable with aleve. Throat went away and ear pain comes and goes but not as much as before. I believe I have a little nerve damage there.
Before you know it, it will all be over, and you'll be back to normal - whatever that now may be.
Judy
I did have some slight problems towards the end with a sore throat and some pain in my ear, but all was managable with aleve. Throat went away and ear pain comes and goes but not as much as before. I believe I have a little nerve damage there.
Before you know it, it will all be over, and you'll be back to normal - whatever that now may be.
Judy
Hi Bernadette, glad to hear that things went well, I was thinking about you. I too was a little scared alone with the big machine in the uge room when everyone left but it does go quickly and I got really good a positioning myself on the table. My techs were so sweet and I really appreciated the tenderness they showed me when I'd get upset. Kindness has come to me from so many unlikely places!
The cream that they gave you was the same that I used and it was really helpful...especially since I was not supposed to use any lotion, deodorant or deodorant soap. I did get a couple of burns but NOTHING I couldn't handle. They recommended DOVE soap for mild skin and that helped. They also recommended baking soda to help with the soreness where my clothes rubbed. That was marginal and it was very messy. The only thing that really helped was the cream.
By the way I was worried about not shaving but the radiation slowed down or maybe even stopped the hair growth under my arm?! I have a little growing back but very slight.
Good to hear so many of the others posting had little or no trouble with after affects. My skin got red during treatment but after a couple of months the redness disappeared.
Sounds like you're doing well! I'll be thinking of you and hope that you continue to do well.
Hugs from Donna in Denver
I'm glad you're doing ok. (Sorry I haven't been here in a while) It will be over with before you know. If you made it thru chemo, this will be a breeze. I can't comment on how you will feel since I only had to do it for 5 days. And I guess it affects everyone differently. Just think, it will be all over with before you know it. 
Hey Bernadette, I'm glad that your rads went well!! I have one more chemo to go - this coming Wed. I cant wait for them to be over!
Wishing you NOOOOOO problems with your rads!!
Chantry
There are no wrong turnings, only paths we did not know we were meant to take - Guy Gavriel Kay
Wishing you NOOOOOO problems with your rads!!
Chantry
There are no wrong turnings, only paths we did not know we were meant to take - Guy Gavriel Kay
Chantry
You only have one more chemo?? Do you have to do rads after that? I hope all is going well. I bet you are at the point where you are very tired. At that point it was hard I was so tired i could hardly get out of bed. But now 3 weeks later I have more energy and my aches are going away. It really does go by fast.
I wish you the best!
Bernadette
You only have one more chemo?? Do you have to do rads after that? I hope all is going well. I bet you are at the point where you are very tired. At that point it was hard I was so tired i could hardly get out of bed. But now 3 weeks later I have more energy and my aches are going away. It really does go by fast.
I wish you the best!
Bernadette
Bernadette,
Yes, by fields, I mean how many angles you get treated. I also had my rads at 4:00 and left work early for it. Boy, we sure have a lot in common! Even our DH's! LOL
I am healing very well, except for one spot on the abdominal incision, but the surgeon said he's not worried about it yet. Yes, the drains were a big pain. It's been a week since the last one came out and it actually seems like it's been forever. I've started walking daily, a little at a time. I'm pretty much able to do regular activity, but am still using the excuse to get out of house cleaning! LOL Last night was the first night I slept without my inclined wedge, so I was flat on the bed. It was a little uncomfortable at first, but once the muscle got used to it, it was OK.
I'm glad your DH is doing better. Keep me posted on how he progresses.
L & H,
L & H,
Kathy
Bernadette,
Actually, I've been pretty good. I go to bed early, but sleep is usually interrupted by either DD, hotflashes, or both. I do feel like I'm a bit more run down, so I'm trying to take it easy, but I still go for a walk or a jog every day. Other than the second and third day after chemo, I really dont have too many aches or pains. I've found the taxol to be very easy - but I also only had it every three weeks.
I met with my onco today, and the preliminary results for my genetic testing are positive for the gene. I had counted on that, so it wasnt any big surprise. She thinks that I should get the mast, do rads and then have the recon. But I'm going to talk to my radiologist and see if I can do rads first, and then have the mast and recon at the same time - if I have to get both done, why not get them done together! Although the radiologist may say that I dont need rads at all if Im going the mast way. I had hoped to get things a bit more finalized today, but it didnt happen. In my mind, I'm already past the chemo, and want to get on to the next phase. Its very frustrating to not know what is going to happen next.
BTW sorry about the Seahawks
chantry
There are no wrong turnings, only paths we did not know we were meant to take - Guy Gavriel Kay
Actually, I've been pretty good. I go to bed early, but sleep is usually interrupted by either DD, hotflashes, or both. I do feel like I'm a bit more run down, so I'm trying to take it easy, but I still go for a walk or a jog every day. Other than the second and third day after chemo, I really dont have too many aches or pains. I've found the taxol to be very easy - but I also only had it every three weeks.
I met with my onco today, and the preliminary results for my genetic testing are positive for the gene. I had counted on that, so it wasnt any big surprise. She thinks that I should get the mast, do rads and then have the recon. But I'm going to talk to my radiologist and see if I can do rads first, and then have the mast and recon at the same time - if I have to get both done, why not get them done together! Although the radiologist may say that I dont need rads at all if Im going the mast way. I had hoped to get things a bit more finalized today, but it didnt happen. In my mind, I'm already past the chemo, and want to get on to the next phase. Its very frustrating to not know what is going to happen next.
BTW sorry about the Seahawks
chantry
There are no wrong turnings, only paths we did not know we were meant to take - Guy Gavriel Kay