Almost half way there! Radiation treatment itself is easy and piece of cake.
I am experiencing some sensitivity on the side but do not see any redness. Maybe some brown . . . you think I can get a tan? Whoo hoo!! For those who don't know me personally, I do not tan, even after going to tanning salons.
The skin on the breast is red and it shows some swelling. I met with the nurse and one of the radiation docs after treatment today. They didn't think the redness or swelling was from the radiation treatment, "as it is too soon". Can't believe that the doc did the "must be an infection" routine and prescribed antibiotics. Seven days worth for 35 freaking dollars! Obviously not a generic antibiotic.
I will meet with my regular Rad Onc on Thursday, so we'll see what his opinion is.
Thanks for checking in! I hope things are going well for you!
~Renee
This is gonna sound weird but I had Maui at the vet a few weeks ago. Out vet went through radiation through the mid section 10 years ago and he said he always burns now. He's got olive toned skin so this is rather telling. He recommended that I slather on sunscreen because he also said any sunburn hurts like the dickens.
ReplyDeleteA small price to pay, I believe.
So stock up on it! A new bottle every year since it breaks down quickly.
Proud of you, Renee! Stick with it cause you're almost done!!!
Hugs!
Hi Renee
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that radiation is a piece of cake except for your burn. In April, I will be following your footsteps. Your blogs gave me the courage to ask for the 16 day protocol. I really haven't found too many TNBC gals on it. As a back-up to a back-up, I even considered coming to Seattle to go to UW which is around 10 miles (or less) from my sister-in-law. She lives a mile due west of Green Lake. I think her neighborhood is called West Seattle. She is the IT person at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Ctr. But my rad onc finally agreed to let me have it given that I was so determined and willing to listen to her reservations so I don't have to travel to NYC, Seattle, Johns Hopkins, Rhode Island-all places that I have friends or family nearby.
Thank-you so much for sharing your story. Aside from being an interesting read, I've gotten alot of useful info from it-most of all-your rad protocol.
Molti Baci e gratzie
s
Hi Renee
ReplyDeleteMe again! I just had read your comment to me about the Dr.Timothy Whelan study. I need to get a hold of that paper too. The rad onc had it in her hand and I was going to ask her for a copy but brain fart-
Some of his selection criteria she learned of from attending those two pivotal meetings-2008 rad onc meeting in Boston in Sept. and the 2007 San Antonio meeting a year ago. She is also in personal communication with him. All I have read was reviews of his work-not the actual paper. I am 5'8 with a medium large frame. I should weigh 140 but weigh now much more than that. The mother lode of my fat is around my hips and abdomen-I still have a relatively small rib cage and the affected breast is not large-a "B' cup (the remaining breast is a C)I did think of you when she was going on and on about small women as I remembered your story about the MRI and your broad shoulders. But the bottom line is that the 16 day treatment according to Dr. Pierce (my rad onc) has the same long term survival rate (if not slightly better). What might matter is 'cosmesis' as she kept saying which is how the breast will look after this is all done. Somehow having taken Adriamycin messes up things too, which I know you didn't take. So with those petite Canadians, the cosmetic effects were the same in the two groups but she doesn't think they would be with big breasted women or big rib cage ladies.She did explain the technical reasons behind it but it was technical for me to understand lest repeat. Alot of this may be her personal opinion but she has carefully pored through everything about this study but she is letting me do it with all the caveats about so called cosmesis.
s
Greats to hear the rads are going smoothly. After a couple of months, Linda has healed completely, no redness, no tan, and really no noticeable "toughness" at all. My only recommendation is to keep the aloe vera flowing.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the peach fuzz looks fantastic :)