Radiation Help Please
All of you were right the worst was the unknown. After the 1st one lol I said yes they were right it is very do able.
Now I am facing another unknown & need your help again pleaseeeeeeee?
Will I get a treatment that day?
What will my first meeting with the radiation people be like what to expect?
Thank you to anyone that will take the time to reply
Judy
Comments
-
Kya, I found radiation
Kya, I found radiation treatments to be a lot easier than chemo. I was fortunate that I didn't have a lot of skin issues. I followed the skin care instructions to the letter. I was able to work through the entire treatment, although I was a little tired. We are all different and react in different ways, but I feel you have every reason to be optimistic. I had a day of getting positioned, etc. before actual treatments. Good luck and best wishes.0 -
Judy, Please don't worry, if
Judy, Please don't worry, if you got through chemo you can get through radiation. You'll be measured and marked on your first visit. You'll go into a CT and get tattooed ( tiny little marks like a pin head ). You won't get radiation on that day.
When you do, it's a quick process, just have to go everyday. It sounds like a lot, but you'll be surprised how easily we can get into a routine and before you know it, it's finished. Keep cream on the areas and for me, just a little fatigue.
Best of luck and we're all here for you.
Hugs,
Wanda0 -
my first day aka dry run
I was taken in actual room ...i had a form fitted to my body (like bean bag type-i laid in propery position and then they took air out so shaped perfectly to me)I was then given my DOT tattoos (very quick, painless a little poke)
My cancer center: (not sure if all do) I had a picture taken , then given a swipe card with picture on it...each day (8 wks) I entered I swiped my card-which alerted them I was there...then headed to changing room...and waited until they came to get me.
I was lucky enough to not have any burning, reaction or side effects. My skin barley tanned (in large box shape)
The staff was wonderful..greated me daily by name-very caring!
Denise...0 -
Try not to be nervous
Easier said than done, I know.
I am 26 through of 33 treatments. My skin is turning a bit red and I have a bit of itching. I am fatigued, but I'm able to work everyday (also worked through chemo). I have my treatments on the way into work each morning.
The first meeting is to map & mark you--no radiation. I never wanted to be tatooed--but hey, it's all part of the process. The 4 tatoos look like freckles and are barely noticeable. The second meeting was a run through--again, no radiation.
The process is very quick--takes longer to dress & undress than to be treated.
My doc said to only use Aquafor on my skin, until I started to turn pink and itch. At that point about 3.5 weeks in, he said I could use pure aloe. So I've bought a big leaf from the grocery store and each day I cut a piece and smear it on my skin. I take it to work and apply it several times a day.
All in all, it is easier than chemo was.
You'll do fine and before you know it, treatment will be over.
Hugs,
JoAnn0 -
@joannjoannstar said:Try not to be nervous
Easier said than done, I know.
I am 26 through of 33 treatments. My skin is turning a bit red and I have a bit of itching. I am fatigued, but I'm able to work everyday (also worked through chemo). I have my treatments on the way into work each morning.
The first meeting is to map & mark you--no radiation. I never wanted to be tatooed--but hey, it's all part of the process. The 4 tatoos look like freckles and are barely noticeable. The second meeting was a run through--again, no radiation.
The process is very quick--takes longer to dress & undress than to be treated.
My doc said to only use Aquafor on my skin, until I started to turn pink and itch. At that point about 3.5 weeks in, he said I could use pure aloe. So I've bought a big leaf from the grocery store and each day I cut a piece and smear it on my skin. I take it to work and apply it several times a day.
All in all, it is easier than chemo was.
You'll do fine and before you know it, treatment will be over.
Hugs,
JoAnn
Tattoos...too funny...4 of us friends get togehter once a month for dinner. We all went to Kindergarten to grauation together. (we are all 51 yrs old. They want to get tatoos and I DON"T LIKE them on me. So I have told them I do have tattoos alrady if my dots count!0 -
@ Denisedisneyfan2008 said:@joann
Tattoos...too funny...4 of us friends get togehter once a month for dinner. We all went to Kindergarten to grauation together. (we are all 51 yrs old. They want to get tatoos and I DON"T LIKE them on me. So I have told them I do have tattoos alrady if my dots count!
We need to start our own Tatoo club...
I now ask people when I see their ink, how they were able to handle the pain, I mean, 4 dots were enough for me!
JoAnn0 -
Questions about APBI? Ask me.
Hi Judy,
I am a 1.5 year veteran of breast cancer. It was caught early so I was able to have only a lumpectomy, no node testing, and brachytherapy radiation. Sometimes it's referred to as APBI (accelerated partial breast irradiation). Not only is it completed in 5 (yes, FIVE) days, but it targets the area around the lumpectomy cavity better than any other form of radiation. It spares ribs, lungs and heart from unnecessary radiation.
APBI is kind of a specialty for radiation oncologists so not all doctors can offer it as an option to women with breast cancer. That's why it's not well known. But it was so wonderful compared to what other women have talked about on this board when the topic is burnt skin and scars and the 30+ day daily schedule that I want anyone with questions about radiation to know about it!
Without knowing your type of surgery or the stage of the cancer, I can't say if you'd be a candidate for APBI, but I hope you can ask your doctor about it or research it on your own.
~~Connie~~0 -
My #1 Radiation Recommendationjoannstar said:@ Denise
We need to start our own Tatoo club...
I now ask people when I see their ink, how they were able to handle the pain, I mean, 4 dots were enough for me!
JoAnn
Judy, different radiation centers/doctors have different protocols for the lotions/creams they'll want you to use, but some of them are really goopy and can be very difficult to wash out of clothes (Aquaphor, in particular). Your skin may also be marked up with markers during the setup and sometimes throughout treatment -- ink + goop = mess on your clothes.
So, my #1 Radiation Recommendation (stolen from Jeanne on this board) is to Get Thee To a Walmart or Target before your setup appointment and buy a 6-pack of men's WHITE undershirts. I liked having the coverage of the crew-neck, short-sleeve ones, but some women prefer the sleeveless. I paid $12 for a 6-pack.
I LIVED in these all through rads. Since they were white, I could wash them in HOT water, which was the only way to get the Aquaphor out. And when I was done, they were cheap enough to just throw away. Seriously...best $12 I ever spent.
Traci0 -
First, Yeah!!! for finishing Chemo!!!
Rads will be a breeze after chemo....no doubt! Use the creams as prescribed by your onc...and the cheap Men's T-shirts are excellent suggestion for you to consider. I gooped up with aquaphor at night, and then slept in the t-shirts. The felt markings from radiation bleeds in to the material and does not wash out. During the day when I went to rads, I wore no cream and put on a camie. As soon as I got home, I got out a t-shirt and loaded up with creams :-) The worst part of rads was the 'every day' having to go...I had 35 days...but it does go by and then you will be a Rad Grad as well. Good luck and lots of hugs sent your way0 -
JoAnn has done a great jobjoannstar said:Try not to be nervous
Easier said than done, I know.
I am 26 through of 33 treatments. My skin is turning a bit red and I have a bit of itching. I am fatigued, but I'm able to work everyday (also worked through chemo). I have my treatments on the way into work each morning.
The first meeting is to map & mark you--no radiation. I never wanted to be tatooed--but hey, it's all part of the process. The 4 tatoos look like freckles and are barely noticeable. The second meeting was a run through--again, no radiation.
The process is very quick--takes longer to dress & undress than to be treated.
My doc said to only use Aquafor on my skin, until I started to turn pink and itch. At that point about 3.5 weeks in, he said I could use pure aloe. So I've bought a big leaf from the grocery store and each day I cut a piece and smear it on my skin. I take it to work and apply it several times a day.
All in all, it is easier than chemo was.
You'll do fine and before you know it, treatment will be over.
Hugs,
JoAnn
JoAnn has done a great job at describing what happens. The only thing different is I had a CT scan before anything to get everything perfectly set up for the computer. That was the start of the "planning" for me.
You will be just fine.
Hugs, Debby0 -
A big yipee!!! for finishing
A big yipee!!! for finishing the chemo!! Like others, I found it harder than rads.
I am almost done with 44 treatments. I go twice a day, that's not very common and was done because the cancer is IBC. For me the worst of it is driving back and forth 5 days a week, it's very tedious. I can handle the fatigue and the skin issues.
Because I read it here, I also got the men's t-shirts for rads. I got the crew neck short sleeve for protection from the sun while I'm out and about. I put on aloe (I bought a bottle of pure at the natural food store) in dressing room, then Eucerin Daily Replenishing lotion when I get home, and repeat that several times throughout the day. Then I do the Aquaphor at night. I'm sleeping in the almost ready to use for rags shirts, because Aquaphor stains. The rads nurse advised letting the area get air, so sometimes at home I go shirtless.
Be sure to find out how much skin you need to cover with creams...how far into the armpit? up the neck? on the side toward the back? Your skin might not be red right away, and you don't want to miss anything.
About a week ago, I got a radiation rash which is very itchy. I was given a 2% lidocaine cream and told I could also use orajel (it has lidocaine) or hydrocortisone. I'm liking the lidocaine best for the itch.
For me, the prep before starting was as others have described. A day to line everything up, and tattoo me. Then a practice run. My last 10 treatments are boosts or boosters, where only the area immediately surrounding my mastectomy scar is being treated. For those, the techs are just using a sharpie (they redraw as needed) to make sure the radiation goes where it is supposed to.
Also for me, because I'm doing so much driving back and forth, I put a little pillow on my shoulder under the seat belt. This keeps the seat belt from rubbing and irritating my skin. And I'm not wearing a bra or foobs, again to avoid irritating my skin. My mother-in-law had a reaction to a necklace she wore while in rads, so I'm careful about what goes on my skin in the rads area.
One last thing, because we're radiating a large area my esophagus is catching some radiation. So I sometimes feel like the food I swallowed isn't going all the way down, and sometimes a little trouble with heartburn...nothing as severe as when doing chemo. But I'm taking OTC heartburn meds for both, and it's helping.
I hope this helps. And soon you'll be a rad grad and a chemo grad!!
Hugs,
Linda0 -
Judy,
I found radiation easier than Chemo (not that either one was easy but if I had to compare). Granted, your skin does get irritated but slather on the cream. I had a great radiologist. Met with him and went over every little detail. The wait in the waiting room and undressing took longer than the 5 minute zap! Just know those machines are quite huge and look like something out of a Sci Fi movie. But after your first treatment, you'll see it's not as bad as it sounds.
You'll do fine!
Hugs,
Sylvia0 -
Thank Yousea60 said:Judy,
I found radiation easier than Chemo (not that either one was easy but if I had to compare). Granted, your skin does get irritated but slather on the cream. I had a great radiologist. Met with him and went over every little detail. The wait in the waiting room and undressing took longer than the 5 minute zap! Just know those machines are quite huge and look like something out of a Sci Fi movie. But after your first treatment, you'll see it's not as bad as it sounds.
You'll do fine!
Hugs,
Sylvia
All so very much.
Do we have to change into those gowns?
How much of us is exposed laying on the table, just treatment boob?
I am shy, do just lady nurses set you up & Rad Dr stays in his room running machine?
Her2+ Carsoma tumor Lump 10/1 & 10/29 both 2010
They said 6-8 weeks very day for rads.
Thank you for taking time to reply to this old maid
Judy0 -
Gown storykya911 said:Thank You
All so very much.
Do we have to change into those gowns?
How much of us is exposed laying on the table, just treatment boob?
I am shy, do just lady nurses set you up & Rad Dr stays in his room running machine?
Her2+ Carsoma tumor Lump 10/1 & 10/29 both 2010
They said 6-8 weeks very day for rads.
Thank you for taking time to reply to this old maid
Judy
On my first real day of rads, I show up and meet the Tech In Charge for the first time, who shows me the treatment room and then tells me to change into a gown, "open in the back."
And I'm thinking...ummm, hello?...did I get some new guy who doesn't know where women's breasts are located? So I politely inform him, "But my breasts are in the front." He replies, "Just trust me -- it'll make sense when you're on the table."
I don't know if every rads center does it this way, but he was right -- with it open in the back, I could just pull one arm out and expose the breast being treated, while keeping everything else covered. I did have both male and female techs, but they were extremely respectful of modesty.
If I ever got embarrassed, I kept thinking of folks who have to have radiation for gynecological, testicular, or rectal cancers -- I'm assuming they have to expose even more private parts than I did!
Traci0 -
Judy
I can not say anthing about rads being easier than chemo since I did not do chemo. But like you I was scared when I went the first time. At the treatment center I went to they made a mold that went under my head and made it easier for me to keep my arm up out of the way. I was having real shoulder issues and could not keep my arm over my head without pain but the mold was a blessing. Yes you do have to put on a gown but you only have to undress from the waist up. Like you I was very modest when this whole cancer thing started but now...I really don't care anymore. I had both male and female techs who were all wonderful.
Hugs,
Georgia0 -
Modesty a thing in my past...kya911 said:Thank You
All so very much.
Do we have to change into those gowns?
How much of us is exposed laying on the table, just treatment boob?
I am shy, do just lady nurses set you up & Rad Dr stays in his room running machine?
Her2+ Carsoma tumor Lump 10/1 & 10/29 both 2010
They said 6-8 weeks very day for rads.
Thank you for taking time to reply to this old maid
Judy
I can't count how many people have seen my boobs!
The "gowns" my center uses are short, so I just take off my top & bra. They told me to keep it open in the front. I always take a sweater because the rooms are kept cold for the equipment. The techs open my "gown" and get me in the correct alignment and then close them back up. Some of my techs have been men but mostly the same 2 women. Coincendentally, the head tech also was my mom's tech 10 years ago when she had radiation for Cervical cancer.
Everyone has been extremely respectful so I really haven't felt embarrassed, but this whole trip has definetly decreased my modesty in a big way.
Each week I saw the dietician, although I didn't really need it--she's more for people who are having trouble eating which I am definetly not! I also saw the doctor once a week. If I wanted, I could have seen the PA, but I didn't feel the need.
I only have 6 more treatments to go. WAHOO! almost finished.
You'll get there too!
Hugs,
JoAnn0 -
Brachytherapycrselby said:Questions about APBI? Ask me.
Hi Judy,
I am a 1.5 year veteran of breast cancer. It was caught early so I was able to have only a lumpectomy, no node testing, and brachytherapy radiation. Sometimes it's referred to as APBI (accelerated partial breast irradiation). Not only is it completed in 5 (yes, FIVE) days, but it targets the area around the lumpectomy cavity better than any other form of radiation. It spares ribs, lungs and heart from unnecessary radiation.
APBI is kind of a specialty for radiation oncologists so not all doctors can offer it as an option to women with breast cancer. That's why it's not well known. But it was so wonderful compared to what other women have talked about on this board when the topic is burnt skin and scars and the 30+ day daily schedule that I want anyone with questions about radiation to know about it!
Without knowing your type of surgery or the stage of the cancer, I can't say if you'd be a candidate for APBI, but I hope you can ask your doctor about it or research it on your own.
~~Connie~~
Hi Connie,
I had this kind of brachytherapy in September of 2008 after a lumpectomy for DCIS. I went to the hospital (large midwestern teaching hospital) morning and late afternoon for five days. Having 20 "push pins" in place for the rads is no walk in the park, but very doable.
All I had heard about that 6 week schedule, heart issues, etc. made me decline that kind of rad. Was refered to a wonderful rad oncologist who did the procedure. I would definately recommend this to anyone who is a candidate.
Glad to have found someone who also had this treatment.
God bless,
Carol0 -
@joannestarjoannstar said:Modesty a thing in my past...
I can't count how many people have seen my boobs!
The "gowns" my center uses are short, so I just take off my top & bra. They told me to keep it open in the front. I always take a sweater because the rooms are kept cold for the equipment. The techs open my "gown" and get me in the correct alignment and then close them back up. Some of my techs have been men but mostly the same 2 women. Coincendentally, the head tech also was my mom's tech 10 years ago when she had radiation for Cervical cancer.
Everyone has been extremely respectful so I really haven't felt embarrassed, but this whole trip has definetly decreased my modesty in a big way.
Each week I saw the dietician, although I didn't really need it--she's more for people who are having trouble eating which I am definetly not! I also saw the doctor once a week. If I wanted, I could have seen the PA, but I didn't feel the need.
I only have 6 more treatments to go. WAHOO! almost finished.
You'll get there too!
Hugs,
JoAnn
BOY you have that right...modesty in past...more people have touched and squished my boobs (like all of us)
They were still caring during radiation..they kept you covered as much as they would..when they could! very caring and professional..0 -
Wishing you good luck withcavediver said:First, Yeah!!! for finishing Chemo!!!
Rads will be a breeze after chemo....no doubt! Use the creams as prescribed by your onc...and the cheap Men's T-shirts are excellent suggestion for you to consider. I gooped up with aquaphor at night, and then slept in the t-shirts. The felt markings from radiation bleeds in to the material and does not wash out. During the day when I went to rads, I wore no cream and put on a camie. As soon as I got home, I got out a t-shirt and loaded up with creams :-) The worst part of rads was the 'every day' having to go...I had 35 days...but it does go by and then you will be a Rad Grad as well. Good luck and lots of hugs sent your way
Wishing you good luck with rads. Keep your creams on and try to get lots of rest!
♥ Noel0 -
Judy
I purchase rad cream and started using it right away and had no burning til the last 4 or 5 treatments. I had bilateral mastectomy with no reconstruction so I was a bit worried. Everyone was so caring and explained everything well. It went by rather quickly although I did get tired. My body is still regaining strength as I just finished Feb 15th. I did have rads the day I was tattooed. Good luck to you.
{{hugs}} Char0
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