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Chelee · 07-14-2006, 11:34 PM

tousled1, So you already have your start date. I should be starting about the same time as you IF I decide to go through with it? Still have not made up my mind. Your Rad doc is going to do the three places they WERE going to on me UNTIL they found out I was missing all the ribs on that side. I have nothing there to protect my lungs from the radiation. Thats what makes my decision harder. I can ONLY have the Rads under the arm in the axilla area and coller bone...but NOT where I had the actually lump. I wonder if its worth it to just treat the two places and NOT the main place the lump was at?
At least this thread has helped me come up with some more questions I would like answered when I go in Tues to see my Rads onc.

tousled1, You were told the same thing about possible lung pnemonia from the rads. That concerned me. I already landed in the hospital once with lung damage...I don't want anymore. I know things happen...but my luck hasn't been very good. My Rad doc said that is very rare...I sure hope so.

I wonder how much of the lung can get hit with the axilla area? I need to ask my Rad doc that now that I think of it. He has pretty much decided we can't do my chest. But under my arm I am still missing those ribs and that exposes my lung...RIGHT one like you.
However it seems the biggest complaint and side affect is the fatigue. I have had something go wrong at every step of my treatment...thats why I am a bit worried. I wish I was going to John Hopkins, or some other big cancer center. One with more experience then the one I am going too.

I wish I had time for a 2nd opinion! But I am being told I don't. That doesn't seem right. This place has stalled me because they KNEW I wanted a 2nd opinion. Thanks so much tousled1.

Ruth, Your post is pretty positive.

You didn't even suffer from fatigue which is amazing. I know there are some that didn't...and you were one of the lucky ones.
Thats pretty encouraing to here you had the 10 nodes and are already three years old and NED. Wow. That is fantastic! I had five positive nodes...so I know they want me to do it.
I too was concerned about getting lymphedema in my right arm from Rads. But I see your swelled a bit but went back to normal. I suppose I can't worry about that as we can all get lymphdema a month after surgery to 10 years from now. The main thing is to increase our chances to kill the beast.
Thanks for your post. All of you have been helpful. I have some new questions ready now for my Rad doc. I like it when I am more prepared on what to ask. Thanks to ALL of you.

Chelee

07-14-2006, 11:34 PM	#10
Chelee Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern, CA Posts: 2,511	tousled1, So you already have your start date. I should be starting about the same time as you IF I decide to go through with it? Still have not made up my mind. Your Rad doc is going to do the three places they WERE going to on me UNTIL they found out I was missing all the ribs on that side. I have nothing there to protect my lungs from the radiation. Thats what makes my decision harder. I can ONLY have the Rads under the arm in the axilla area and coller bone...but NOT where I had the actually lump. I wonder if its worth it to just treat the two places and NOT the main place the lump was at? At least this thread has helped me come up with some more questions I would like answered when I go in Tues to see my Rads onc. tousled1, You were told the same thing about possible lung pnemonia from the rads. That concerned me. I already landed in the hospital once with lung damage...I don't want anymore. I know things happen...but my luck hasn't been very good. My Rad doc said that is very rare...I sure hope so. I wonder how much of the lung can get hit with the axilla area? I need to ask my Rad doc that now that I think of it. He has pretty much decided we can't do my chest. But under my arm I am still missing those ribs and that exposes my lung...RIGHT one like you. However it seems the biggest complaint and side affect is the fatigue. I have had something go wrong at every step of my treatment...thats why I am a bit worried. I wish I was going to John Hopkins, or some other big cancer center. One with more experience then the one I am going too. I wish I had time for a 2nd opinion! But I am being told I don't. That doesn't seem right. This place has stalled me because they KNEW I wanted a 2nd opinion. Thanks so much tousled1. Ruth, Your post is pretty positive. You didn't even suffer from fatigue which is amazing. I know there are some that didn't...and you were one of the lucky ones. Thats pretty encouraing to here you had the 10 nodes and are already three years old and NED. Wow. That is fantastic! I had five positive nodes...so I know they want me to do it. I too was concerned about getting lymphedema in my right arm from Rads. But I see your swelled a bit but went back to normal. I suppose I can't worry about that as we can all get lymphdema a month after surgery to 10 years from now. The main thing is to increase our chances to kill the beast. Thanks for your post. All of you have been helpful. I have some new questions ready now for my Rad doc. I like it when I am more prepared on what to ask. Thanks to ALL of you. Chelee __________________ DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes. Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs. Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06 Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07 3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07 9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV. 9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa 9-29-09 Power Port Placement 10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head. 11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed 12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa. 3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed. 4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone. 5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy. Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time. 7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.