Radiation after lumpectomy

Some help pls. My post above only listed 1/4 of the actual post. Please tell me where to find the drafts. I can’t write all that again 

Hi guys! Glad to hear you're doing so well @anne65.  Sounds like the mepitel really did it's job.  And now more surgery for you.  Ouch!  Don't overdo the work if you can help it.  But it sounds like you are recovering and getting back to some sort of normal.

@Anne65
WOW, my friend .... how awesome that you are finished your rads and your recovery is going so well - your emotions are totally understandable and I expect to go thru similar ones when I finish. I hope your skin recovery continues to go well and it doesn’t break down on you.  I got some Calendula cream and am using it along with some stuff called Epaderm and the Renu 28 gel (from my nursing buddy.) Also been using aloe vera (that has been in the fridge) for the heat. I got some Cortic 1 for the itch but can’t use it til after the treatment as they don’t want the steroids in the skin just now.  My husband used Aveeno when he was itchy from chemo and believe it or not, just plain old Cornflour works on extreme itch as well .... but as we use the cream as well .... would be VERY messy!  ... I am starting to look like a chemist shop just now, with so many lotions and potions!  LOL. Your Mepitel description is beyond what I can imagine .... I am so glad it has worked so well for you, even if it IS fiddly.  It sounds like you were truly wrapped up in it!

I haven’t heard of a Patient Tree ..... that sounds VERY interesting!  I am not sure if anything really happens here, other than handshakes and big smiles and hopefully hugs!  One lady finished the other day, finally ..... having had both breasts ‘done’ just months apart, as the 2nd breast was only diagnosed after all the treatment for the first breast was finished!  How horrible would that be?!  

I hope that you don’t take on too much work TOO SOON as you recover physically and mentally from the rads - especially in the lead up to your next surgery.  Thank goodness that it is keyhole surgery which is MUCH less traumatic and recovery time than the other ‘usual’ surgery.  I wish you well in this next journey (and also your sister who may be going down the same path.).

I had to laugh at your description of the bowel prep!  We’ve all probably been there .... and you don’t stray far from the loo, eh?  Whenever I have to do it, I don’t even wear undies ..... cos you don’t always have time to drop them!!  LOL.  I think I just sat there for some time last time, scared to stand up in case gravity took over ..... 

Make sure you look after YOU ... cos the lack of sleep as well as everything else clumped together just adds to the emotional and physical toll.... I can totally understand the emotional pressure on you and feeling a bit Teary and flat after the rads finished  ... 4 weeks of 100% concentration on attending to the rads and totally dependent on our SO LOVELY nursing staff.  They are amazing in themselves - always bright and chirpy and remembering personal details of every patient and checking on their progress .... yes, they ask how hubby is going all the time!!  LOL.  Haha you are right there, it has almost been a competition for the most attention, as I have been looking after him as well as me!  He is still on regular tabs and will be for a few more weeks, I reckon. Then it was MY turn ... I fell over too, on grass tho, and only sprained my ankle.  Next morning it was fine! I was amazed.

How wonderful that your family was able to celebrate a special dinner with you to mark the end of the treatment!  

When I finish next Wed, Paula, the manager of the Lodge here, has asked us to stay on as the wonderful Rotarians are cooking dinner for all the lodge residents that night and it will be a fitting celebration to the end of my treatment here!  Then we head home on Thurs, for Easter and some sort of normality again!  It will be interesting to see how the skin goes over the following 2 weeks .... cos I will be in Norfolk Island by then for the ukulele festival there!!

The Official Opening of the New Wing here at the Lodge was on Monday and yours truly was interviewed on Prime 7 news as we are staying in the new wing!  What a hoot!  My 5 seconds of fame,  LOL.  

Yes, Relay for Life is on Sunday - I am feeling fine and assume I’ll be good for it!  I just hope that the rain stops for it so the participants don’t have to walks and run in the rain!!  :(  How devastating we’re all those fires in Tathra NSW and around Cobden, Vic .... my heart bleeds for all the affected families.  One of my friends and his family were evacuated from Cobden, so they know the very real fear of possibly losing their house, but luckily, they were ok. 

Take care, my friend ..... you are Getting closer to being back home permanently with your hubby and normalcy ... tho not sure if any of us will be  ‘totally normal’ again ... I hope you ARE able to attend the forum and afternoon tea ...  your insight into your treatment will benefit others, and also give you closure - much as your participation has here on this forum!

BIG HUGS and best wishes coming to you from Port and Forster! 

@Sister
All the best to you for your upcoming treatment - you have certainly been thru the mill and are in our thoughts.  Any form of chemo is not pleasant and it sounds like you are having a triple dose!  When my husband was going thru it, we called it the Good Poison ... trying to imagine it chasing down any random cells, And blasting them to kingdom come! I hope your side effects aren’t too extreme and that you can handle them.  Every treatment is getting closer to the last one .... keep those fluids up to help flush it out after each session.  Xx

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who is currently having treatment or about to start .... there is a wealth of information in this thread alone, to help you cope with any side effects and/or emotional issues .... we’ve all been thru it, so safe travels on this tricky journey!!  Xxx

@arpie @Sister Hello to my dear friends!! So nice to be back with you again & i can't thankyou enough for your personal emails as well as your wonderful posts. i have missed you both & have been thinking of you both dealing with your treatment. I am not very computer savvy so don't know how to send personal emails to you so i'll just continue on with my forum posts to you both. Sorry it's taken me this long to post again after coming home last Friday night. Have spent the weekend unpacking after living in Adelaide for 4 weeks & have just caught up on clothes washing etc..all the fun things. i started back at work Monday which was OK but was very tired. had yesterday & today off & back to work again tomorrow. As I am casual, I work minimum 3 days a week depending on staff leave, sick days etc so have been grateful to start this week off with only 3 days of work.

Now, where do i start!! I am feeling very tired, flat & emotional & don't sleep very well but only get bouts of pain now & then but nothing too severe. My skin is GREAT!! You can hardly even notice any pink on my treated side so the Mepitel has done its job. I know the rad symptoms are at its peak 2 weeks after treatment ceases so it may get worse over the next week but it's a week today since my last treatment & you really wouldn't know I had any. I keep the mepitel on for the 2 weeks after treatment to protect my skin as it still acts like a bandaid & protects it from clothing & the elements. It has peeled a lot but the rad onc said not to worry & just let it be as each day it is on, the better for me. I can trim the edges if i want to & in another week, i can peel it off myself...if it is still on!! The rad onc & rad therapists all said how great my skin looked through treatment so the product works well. You just have to put up with the daily trips to the nurse like i had to, to get it trimmed/redone but they all said they are used to it. It's not as bad as having your leg in plaster for 6 weeks after you break it! The film covers half my chest & back so you do feel like a "mummy" but you do get used to it. It has only been slightly itchy but not enough that I have to put any cream on it but when the Mepitel comes off, I do have to moisturise a lot, like everyone else does. The rad onc gave me a script for a special cream if my skin does get blistered or starts to peel but I can't see that happening as it is hardly even pink at the moment.

So my last treatment was last Thursday & it was very emotional. i was very teary & after my last zap, the girl said "Congratulations & thanks for coming". It was hugs all round & then they gave me a post-it note to write on & stick on their patient tree. They even invited me back to attend a client forum on Wed. 11th April to give feedback & have morning tea with them all but i may not get there as I am having surgery again 2 days later, which i will elaborate on later! When I left, I was very sad which seemed weird but they all said it was natural as they were looking after me for so long & now i have left their care. My niece took me out for lunch that day to celebrate & my whole family came together for dinner that night for more celebrations, presents, flowers & champagne!! very humbling to have such a wonderful family!

So while I was over in Adelaide i had a checkup with my breast surgeon who was very happy with my healing & we also discussed getting my ovaries & fallopian tubes removed as mum died at 46 y.o. with ovarian cancer after having it for 6 1/2 years. Even though my gene test was negative, all my medical team inc. genetic counselor & McGrath nurse advised it would be the best thing to do so my surgeon referred me to a gyny onc, Professor Oehler, who works from Burnside Hospital, to see me the next day. I went with my sister as she was interested for herself & he didn't hesitate with agreeing with everyone & said the risk was too high, even if i hadn't had breast cancer, so he booked me in for surgery on Friday 13th (who is superstitious!!) for ovaries & tubes to be removed through keyhole surgery & my sister will also see her doc about the surgery also. As i am post menopausal there will be no side effects with no medication or other complications that may occur with younger patients who have to worry about heart risk or bone density issues.

I had to have an ultrasound last Friday for him to check me out before the operation & just have to have a blood test next week. i have to be in Adelaide the day before surgery as I have a checkup with my rad onc in the morning & then i have to start a bowel cleansing treatment at 2pm & 6pm  so i will be sitting on the toilet Thursday arvo/night before i go into surgery Friday. No food from 2pm Thursday as they want my insides all clear for surgery & it also means no constipation afterwards! So I am not quite done yet as I add another surgeon/doctor to my list of my medical team!

Now to my 2 little cherubs...how are you both going?? @Sister Thanks for your personal message & post. I find it very humbling to be in your thoughts after all you are going through. I do hope your chemo is going Ok & it sounds like you have nearly ticked off that box & this is your last week........ so go you!! if you can get through chemo, you can get through rad as I can't imagine how hard that treatment has been & i hope your pain is low but your spirits are high as you continue to amaze me with your strength & courage....you are an inspiration to me! I hadn't heard of paclitaxel , but after just googling it, it must mean you have to do 12 weeks of a chemo drug once you have finished chemo. Does this drug have even nasty side effects that they have warned you about? I have just done some reading about it & it sounds like it has to be given via drip as an out patient so that doesn't sound good...I was hoping it would just be a tablet you could take! i feel like you have been through so much already but i know you will conquer this & each treatment is getting you one step closer to beating this. i hope the drug is gentle on your body for the next 3 months & then it's the rad to go which you will breeze through. You are so strong, my friend, & you give me strength as I know you give many others on his forum. Please look after yourself & give your body & mind plenty of time to rest & recover through each process. Thinking of you always. i wish you love, prayers, hugs & my ongoing support  xxxxxxx 

@arpie  How is my uke friend going? It sounds like your hubby is trying to upstage you!! You two are quite the pair competing with each other for who should receive the most care!!! i do hope he is recovering well & as i too, love running, i hope he continues on with his triathlon goals once he has recovered. I do hope you are going OK with your rad. i reckon next week you will be finished if my memory is correct.......& it seems we all are a bit blurry with dates etc.!! i hope your skin is OK & the itchiness is under control. I know a lot of women have posted ideas on creams, bodywashes etc, so i am sure they will help. i am using Aveeno bodywash at the moment & have Calendula cream once my mepitel comes off. it sounds like you have been surrounded by some wonderful friends through this & the staff at Pt Mac have been great. It really helps having positive people around you. You have so much coming up with easter, Relay for Life & your uke playing. You should tour Aust. with your group & then you could meet us all. You would have fitted right in at the Adelaide Fringe. I managed to catch 4 shows while I was in Adelaide & they were great. Wonderful atmosphere. Look after yourself & take it easy. No more whipper snipping!! We do think we are invincible at times but our bodies know better! SO good to hear from you & look after yourself & good luck for your final week. Let us know how you go. Thinking of you always. Wishing you love, hugs & support xxxx 

To everyone going through or finishing treatment, i wish you strength & love as we are all here to support each other through these times. We are a family now & we need to be here to help each other through. xxxxxx

@Sister
Oh dear - still a bit of a slog for you!  Good that the chemo is almost over tho ......   Keep your pecker up!  We're all on your side!  ;)  BIG hugs coming your way!!   xxx

Back for 3rd AC chemo next week @arpie - 3 down, 1 to go, then 12 weeks of paclitaxel...then radiation.  It stretches into the knowable future!

@Romla
Many thanks for that ..... I have a few creams now, including a gel a friend in Qld swears by (5 years BC clear) called Renu 8 by ASEA products!

@Sister
hahaha, you are not alone with the memory issue!   LOL   I've Still got just under 2 weeks to go, so just over half way thru .... i finish on March 28th, and will be just in time for Easter at Home!!

Are you done with yours yet??

So far, so good .... the lack of sleep is an issue tho, as is the brain fog (but I can't blame the BC for that!!  LOL ) 

I've been attending the Port Macquarie Uke group each Wed & may even attend another group next week as well if I am up to it!   Next weekend, my group is actually performing within the final hour of our local Relay For Life fundraising event at Tuncurry!!  If I am up to it, I will be leading them .... or if not ok, hiding in the back line - only time will tell!   :)

I got an early mark this weekend as one machine was being serviced today, so came home yesterday!  I got the whipper snipper out to do the edges & ended up doing the whole of the front lawn (couldn't be bothered getting the mower out ....) but paid for it later - the smell of the fuel made me really nauseous & light headed - had to lie down for a few hours with a funny tummy!  :(   I Won't be doing THAT again in a hurry!!

Getting out fishing tomorrow with a bunch of yak fishing buddies!  Should be fun!

The boob is pink, the nipple is white, the whole boob is hot & a bit itchy and a bit tender .... but that is the worst of it so far!  Hopefully that is all that will happen!!

I am thinking of everyone who is going thru this or about to ...... there is so much good info available on this thread alone to help you thru it!  Hugs going out to EVERYONE!!   xxx

@arpie Have you finished your rads yet?  I lose track of time so much these days - not sure if it's lack of sleep, chemo brain or not working.  I hope it hasn't affected your uke playing.