done with rads!

prv
prv Member Posts: 107
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I also finished rads this week! I'm burnt and peeling but finished. Now just skin cream and more cream til I heal! I start arimedex tomorrow for the next five years. My onc doc will see me in 3 months. I have been dealing with bc for 9 months now, working full time and raising my little girl as a single mom and the light at the end of the tunnel is near. My onc dr does not want to follow me with scans, though. (I had two positive nodes) How will we know if it comes back? Don't know what to do in regards to follow-up. How is everyone else followed up after treatment? thanks to all of you for getting me through these past months.
hugs,
prv

Comments

  • sbmly53
    sbmly53 Member Posts: 1,522
    #2
    I am so happy for you! You
    I am so happy for you! You have alot going on - what an inspiration for your little girl. My surgeon is following up on mammo's, I will see onc this week for Arimidex and we'll see how he plans to follow up. Rad doc said I should see one of them every 3 months.

    Hugs & prayers to you
    Sue
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #3
    follow up
    Hi,
    The usual follow is with labs(Blood test) and talk to Dr. every 3 months, then it tapers off gradually if the cancer markers in the blood stay in the safe zone. Talk to your Dr. about his specific plan for you. As with everything, make a list of your questions before you go to be sure you are clear on what he is doing and why.

    Congratulations on being done whith this step in your journey.

    seof
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #4
    seof said:

    follow up
    Hi,
    The usual follow is with labs(Blood test) and talk to Dr. every 3 months, then it tapers off gradually if the cancer markers in the blood stay in the safe zone. Talk to your Dr. about his specific plan for you. As with everything, make a list of your questions before you go to be sure you are clear on what he is doing and why.

    Congratulations on being done whith this step in your journey.

    seof

    Congrats! Happy for you!

    Congrats! Happy for you!
  • aztec45
    aztec45 Member Posts: 757
    #5
    Hooray
    Hooray. I am glad for you that it is over. Take care of yourself.

    P
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #6
    sbmly53 said:

    I am so happy for you! You
    I am so happy for you! You have alot going on - what an inspiration for your little girl. My surgeon is following up on mammo's, I will see onc this week for Arimidex and we'll see how he plans to follow up. Rad doc said I should see one of them every 3 months.

    Hugs & prayers to you
    Sue

    Congrats prv on being done!
    Congrats prv on being done! Keep using your creams for a few weeks. Good luck!
    Hugs, Leeza
  • Youcandothis
    Youcandothis Member Posts: 79
    #7
    No scans
    I'm coming up on my one yr anniversary of being done with rads, and also had 2 positive nodes followed by 14 negative ones, clear margins on my lumpectomy. Congratulations on finishing a truly tough job! I think most of us wish we could have a scan about once a week, but we'd soon be a sick bunch if we did. My onc says the frequent blood work and physicals will catch any recurrence of my est positive tumor, and my chance of other cancers is the same as that of the general population. I have some side effects from the arimidex, but not too bad. My dr says it's actually more important than the chemo. You have a couple more weeks of radiation exhaution, then will start getting back some stamina. Hang in there, we're all amazing people even if nobody wanted to find it out this way!
  • jbug
    jbug Member Posts: 285
    #8
    Congrats rad grad!
    Congrats on completing another milestone! The radiation will still be cooking you for the next couple of weeks, so stay on top of the lotions. Then you'll notice pretty rapid healing after that.

    I'm following up every 3 months w/3 different specialists: rad onc, oncology and breast cancer clinic! I know follow=ups tests are very much dependant on type of breast cancer, positive nodes or any spread. I will have my first post treatment MRI in April...I'm looking forward to hearing/reading on my results that i can dance w/NED!

    Take care of your skin and take it easy as you continue to recover. Blessings....Julie
  • pitt
    pitt Member Posts: 387
    #9
    Congraulations on finishing
    Congraulations on finishing rads!!! That is a huge accomplishment. Good luck, Pitt
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #10
    pitt said:

    Congraulations on finishing
    Congraulations on finishing rads!!! That is a huge accomplishment. Good luck, Pitt

    Congrats! Finishing rads is
    Congrats! Finishing rads is huge and I am so happy for you!
  • susie09
    susie09 Member Posts: 2,930
    #11
    Alexis F said:

    Congrats! Finishing rads is
    Congrats! Finishing rads is huge and I am so happy for you!

    Hooray and Congrats!

    Hooray and Congrats!
  • laurissa
    laurissa Member Posts: 773
    #12
    Hi prv
    Glad you're finished! Rad is my next step and then I'll be done too. Doctor did follow-up after chemo, I don't know about after rads. I also worry about how I'll know if it comes back. 9 months is a long time to fight this, isn't it? I'm tired of feeling out of commission and want energy again. Take care.
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #13
    Follow Ups..
    Congrats on finishing your treatment! It's a wonderful relief , isn't it? You did it! Pat yourself on the back, JOB WELL DONE!

    Each doctor is different in their follow up care as it relates to the patient, stage of the bc, etc. Personally, I finished chemo in August, rads on Nov 2......I have had one follow up so far with my oncologist, one week after having blood work, tumor marker, test,etc......I will have my first POST mammo in April, more blood work in May and then again with my oncologist one week later.....my radiation oncologist released me when I finished...his job is done, no need to see him.....also had my last visit to my surgeon.....won't need to see him for one year.....I have asked about scans, etc.....and how will I know if it comes back.......answer is, we won't know until some type of symptom presents itself,God forbid! I asked my oncologist and surgeon about doing scans routinely...both said this.......If I present, let's say, with back pain....they would try and establish if I had hurt it in any way, then wait two weeks, if the pain still persists then they would order a scan......reason being I have already been exposed to soooooooooo much radiation,as most of us have been..... they don't want to needlessly expose us to any more unless something is suspected......Then there is the cost of these scans..my breast MRI was $7,ooo.oo.......so I guess, sadly, it's a crap shoot..........it's a "wait and see" thing.....More waiting, just what we need!

    But I have moved on........I am not going to allow the "what ifs" to control my life.....it's been one year this month that my "journey" began and I have had enough! I am now living my life as I did before this beast took control........I refuse to let it control the rest of my life.....

    I wish you the best and Peace be with you
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #14
    aztec45 said:

    Hooray
    Hooray. I am glad for you that it is over. Take care of yourself.

    P

    YEH! Congrats!
    YEH! Congrats!
  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #15
    PRV, celebration in order!!!
    PRV, celebration in order!!! Congratulations on finishing rads!!! I finished my rads on Christmas Eve and have had 1 appointment with my rads onco in mid January just to check on the condition of the radiated breast. All is well. His office scheduled a mammo for June for the radiated breast and it is also the 1-year mark since my last mammo, so the unaffected breast will also be mammo'ed. This will be a diagnostic mammo, not the "regular" type. He indicated that he would do a mammo of the affected breast every 6 months for "a while". I have had 2 appointment with my chemo onco as she is the one that prescribed Armidex. They did lab work both times. The second appointment was to see if I was experiencing any side effects from the Arimidex and I'm happy to report that I am not. Good luck to you and I'm wishing for NO side effects. Take care!!
  • Bella Luna
    Bella Luna Member Posts: 1,578 Member
    #16
    Congratulations on finishing
    Congratulations on finishing up with radiation. I wish you and your daughter the best as you move forward with your recovery.
    BL
  • rrogers34
    rrogers34 Member Posts: 135
    #17
    Congratulations
    Well done! I have three more Chemo treatments to go, another surgery then Radiation. It's always good to hear from those who have made it through each step. I asked my Surgeon the same question about follow up. She said, Mammograms, MRI's with close monitoring. I know I will be nervous with each follow up test. Right now, I just want to get done with Chemo and then move on to the next step. This is a long road to travel and not an easy one. I found out things good and bad about myself I would never have known if not for this experience. Enjoy your dance with NED. I know I am so looking forward to mine.

    God Bless
    Becky

Discussion Boards