Update

Diana77
Diana77 Member Posts: 16
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I finally got my oncotyping test back and I do not need chemo. I will start radiation next week and have started the tamoxofin last week. I also went to physical therapy and they said I have terrible cording in my arm to my elbow, so this is the pain and lack of motion ive had after surgery. I will go three times a week.. Surgeon said that I was fine!! grrrr.... , after two drainings. I think I'll start a yoga class today at the local cancer center.. to help. I think the tamoxofin might already be having a negative effect, so ive been researching the definite need for that although I already know the answer. I am 37 yrs old, lumpectomy, lymph nodes neg, er pos, I feel blessed so far with everything that has happened minus the darn pain in the arm. Thanks for listening and its good to know I'm not the only one.
also planning a wedding and wanting to know if the week after I finish radiation would be a bad idea? Hows painfull will that breast be? How tired would I be?

Comments

  • sbmly53
    sbmly53 Member Posts: 1,522
    #2
    Yikes!
    A wedding the week after rads? While your experience may be different than mine, I have 3 more rads to go and I am Burned. Red. Raw. No bra - don't want one. Can't wear good deodorant. Was told I'll still be cooking for up to 2 more weeks. And Naps - just woke from a 2 hr nap. I nap almost every day or I get crabby and go to bed earlier than usual.

    Everyone is different, some barely get pink and with rest they handle work and family very well. This is just my experience. I'm 56 and I didn't have chemo either.

    Sue
  • Diana77
    Diana77 Member Posts: 16
    #3
    sbmly53 said:

    Yikes!
    A wedding the week after rads? While your experience may be different than mine, I have 3 more rads to go and I am Burned. Red. Raw. No bra - don't want one. Can't wear good deodorant. Was told I'll still be cooking for up to 2 more weeks. And Naps - just woke from a 2 hr nap. I nap almost every day or I get crabby and go to bed earlier than usual.

    Everyone is different, some barely get pink and with rest they handle work and family very well. This is just my experience. I'm 56 and I didn't have chemo either.

    Sue

    Thanks and while I've never
    Thanks and while I've never had rad before its hard to imagine what to expect. I am fair skinned so I probably will be red. Does that feel like a sun burn or worse.. I'm really not wearing a bra most of the time and surgery was a month ago. Are ther other side effects I should know about, like I said most people are simply saying how lucky I am not to need chemo. I haven't even gone back to work yet, just trying to plan not knowing is frustrating.
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #4
    Hi Diana,
    Great news that you don't need chemo. As for planning a wedding a week after rads, there's simply no good way to know. Your skin tone isn't really a good predictor of how your skin will hold up through treatment. I had 33 zaps with 5 boosters. Didn't burn or become fatigued, but your reaction may vary. I want to also let you know about a website for women under 40 who've had a breast cancer diagnosis: www.youngsurvival.org. There's a bulletin board there for discussion. More than one woman has gone through this while planning a wedding, so you can definitely discuss that there, too.

    Mimi
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #5
    mimivac said:

    Hi Diana,
    Great news that you don't need chemo. As for planning a wedding a week after rads, there's simply no good way to know. Your skin tone isn't really a good predictor of how your skin will hold up through treatment. I had 33 zaps with 5 boosters. Didn't burn or become fatigued, but your reaction may vary. I want to also let you know about a website for women under 40 who've had a breast cancer diagnosis: www.youngsurvival.org. There's a bulletin board there for discussion. More than one woman has gone through this while planning a wedding, so you can definitely discuss that there, too.

    Mimi

    Hi Diana
    I never experienced
    Hi Diana
    I never experienced the fatigue either, but I did have some nasty burns. From what the rad.
    Onc said, I think the burns occur if you have a fold in the skin that can't be flattened out by positioning....I had one under my collar bone and one under the arm pit...but you may not have that problem.Even if you do , the creams keep them from hurting and a piece of gauze will keep them from rubbing against your clothing. But you might plan on wearing something that totally covers your chest and collar area just in case.
  • jbug
    jbug Member Posts: 285
    #6
    Diana77 said:

    Thanks and while I've never
    Thanks and while I've never had rad before its hard to imagine what to expect. I am fair skinned so I probably will be red. Does that feel like a sun burn or worse.. I'm really not wearing a bra most of the time and surgery was a month ago. Are ther other side effects I should know about, like I said most people are simply saying how lucky I am not to need chemo. I haven't even gone back to work yet, just trying to plan not knowing is frustrating.

    Hi Diana
    Awesome news about no chemo! And you're starting rads AND tamoxifen...you've just gotten right into the battle. Wow, i have to say that i think a wedding 1 week after rads is very ambicious! I had my biopsies and surgeries back to back and then started rads, so didn't wear a bra for a long time. I'm small chested and wear a military uniform, so could get away with it. Everyone really reacts differently to the rads...I had an early "brisk" reaction...that's how they described it...translation, I had a sun burn on my r breast! Generally speaking, it was manageable, but the hard part for me was how tender my nipple was...I got lidocaine cream as early as week 2. I struggled w/fatigue as well, ended up doing half days at work...i thought i would be sailing thru and was so upset when the rad onc suggested half days...felt like a radiation failure! So many of the posts from sisters on rads said they didn't have too much fatigue. Anyway, everyone reacts differently, both the skin and fatigue factor.

    I wore loose tshirts w/large denim shirts over or sweat shirts for the whole course of rads. Like i said, small chested so could get away w/that...even went to church braless!! ;-) Use your radiation lotions liberally! Take naps when you need to and go to bed early...

    Good luck w/your treatments! By the way, what side effects are you having w/tamoxifen? I started 27 Jan and seem to be doing ok...God Bless....
    Julie
  • Diana77
    Diana77 Member Posts: 16
    #7
    Thank You so much for the
    Thank You so much for the sharing the experiences that you had.. I am small chested and can get away with no bra most of the time now especially since its winter and all of my clothes are bulky.. I had planned a bigger wedding for last June and do to other circumstances we decided to wait.. We plan a very small family wedding, although we have a big family. If I found a different dress then might be able to get away with it. I don't want to pick a date and us not get married again!!!, but we've waited ten years so..........what a little longer if need be The side effects im having on tamoxofin is pain/dry intercourse. Maybe its just stress though and not the tamoxofin.
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #8
    mimivac said:

    Hi Diana,
    Great news that you don't need chemo. As for planning a wedding a week after rads, there's simply no good way to know. Your skin tone isn't really a good predictor of how your skin will hold up through treatment. I had 33 zaps with 5 boosters. Didn't burn or become fatigued, but your reaction may vary. I want to also let you know about a website for women under 40 who've had a breast cancer diagnosis: www.youngsurvival.org. There's a bulletin board there for discussion. More than one woman has gone through this while planning a wedding, so you can definitely discuss that there, too.

    Mimi

    Diana, I never burnt, but,
    Diana, I never burnt, but, got really pink and I was tender. I really got tired in about the 3rd week of rads. I tried to get as much rest as possible. Get lots of rest, use whatever creams your rads oncologist recommends from day one. I didn't wear a bra as I didn't want to irritate my skin. But, everyone reacts differently to rads. Good luck and enjoy the wedding.
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #9
    Diana77 said:

    Thank You so much for the
    Thank You so much for the sharing the experiences that you had.. I am small chested and can get away with no bra most of the time now especially since its winter and all of my clothes are bulky.. I had planned a bigger wedding for last June and do to other circumstances we decided to wait.. We plan a very small family wedding, although we have a big family. If I found a different dress then might be able to get away with it. I don't want to pick a date and us not get married again!!!, but we've waited ten years so..........what a little longer if need be The side effects im having on tamoxofin is pain/dry intercourse. Maybe its just stress though and not the tamoxofin.

    You could probably wear a
    You could probably wear a scarf or a wrap over your dress if you want. And, you might be able to wear a bra or a camisole with a built in bra that would feel ok. Good luck with rads and enjoy the wedding!
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #10
    Diana77 said:

    Thanks and while I've never
    Thanks and while I've never had rad before its hard to imagine what to expect. I am fair skinned so I probably will be red. Does that feel like a sun burn or worse.. I'm really not wearing a bra most of the time and surgery was a month ago. Are ther other side effects I should know about, like I said most people are simply saying how lucky I am not to need chemo. I haven't even gone back to work yet, just trying to plan not knowing is frustrating.

    Happy that you don't have to
    Happy that you don't have to have chemo! I didn't burn, but, I know some do. Keep your creams on and be very gentle with your skin.

    Hugs, Leeza

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