Radiation and fatigue

bella coola · New User Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Posts: 4

Hi,
I was diagnosed w/ stage 1 ductal in situ breast cancer with close margins in late july, I am 40 yrs old in really great shape, and it did not show up on a mammogram. I went through surgery on Sept 5, to clean up the margins and do a sentinal node biopsy. Feel really good.
Anyways, I will be going through radiation next month, which I have to travel a great distance to stay for a month of treatment. I was thinking about taking a couple of horses with me to ride and train with a coach while I am there (what I do for a living). It is an opportunity for me that I have wanted to do for a long time, nothing like making something positive come from this. I would greatly appreciate any comments from people who have recieved radiation and the possible side effects that may make it difficult for my "dream vactation in disquise" Laughing

to be possible.
- 3wks radiation treatment-small breasts.

Muttsmom · Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:51 am Post subject: Re: Radiation and fatigue

Hi,

I had 33 radiation treatments and since I was Stage III, with 9+ nodes, I got radiation from 3 different angles, which I doubt you'll get, so you should do fine. I didn't feel tired after radiation, but if I laid down, I would nap. You need to rest when you're tired, but compared to chemo, I did everything I wanted to, including going to a Nascar race with 250,000 other people and lots of walking.

Best wishes
_________________
Nancy
2/14/02 ILC 43 - 5.5 cm 9+/16 nodes
Stage IIIA er/pr+ Her2-
2/02 MRM
FECx6 radsx33
Tamoxifen - Arimidex (chemo induced menopause)
4/03 SM w/bilat. recon.
9/03 expanders removed
5/04 repair reconst. disaster
10/04 Actonel for bone/joint pain from Arimidex
NED - 5 years
3/07 Diabetes
In memory of Kim 12/1/04

rande616 · New User Joined: 14 Sep 2007 Posts: 1

Hi, I'm new on this board. I was introduced to this board due to the efforts of Nancy. I had ductal carcinoma in situ in 1994. Just had lumpectomy. I had it again in 2002 and had a biospsy/lumpectomy and another re-excision to get clean margins. I had six weeks of radiation and went right from my treatment to work for 8 hours everyday. Like Nancy said you are tired but I didn't really notice until I sat down in the evening and would fall asleep in my chair. Unless there is some unforseen reason you should be able to have your "dream vacation". Just be sure to take good care of yourself. Eat well and get enough sleep. Confused

bella coola · New User Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Posts: 4

Thanks for the replies, and the good news. I still need my results back from surgery to be sure there is no lymph involvement (should get them back today), then I'll be planning my trip.

brainman · Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 4:30 pm Post subject: Re: Radiation and fatigue

Hi bella coola, just wanted to see how you are doing. Did you have any lymph nodes involvement?
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

bella coola · New User Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Posts: 4

Hi everyone I'm back from my "radiation vacation"
For anyone else out there wondering what the effects might be I'll fill you in with my experience. I did not feel ill at all. The first couple of weeks I felt completely normal with no change in energy level. About half way through (20 treatments) I felt sleepy and would take a nap and that would fix me up for anouther couple of hours. I was also not sleeping quite as well at night, I would wake up and read for an hour or two, I read after that this was a possible side effect.
The rest of my journey is not finished yet though. My cancer was invasive, I don't know how I could have gotten that confused, but not in my lymph nodes. Since it was a grade 3 cancer and I'm Her2 positive they have decided that it is in my best interest to do chemo. I did the rad/chemo thing backwards- they gave me permission since I already showed up with the horses, they sure try to keep you happy. So I start chemo Dec 6th for 5 1/2 months. Does anyone else know much about Herseptin, I'm only doing a 91/2 week course of this and it is usually taken for a year. They say that this has proven effective in the new studies.
Thanks for the replys,
Clare

	Cancer Forums Forum Index -> Breast Cancer Forum	All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

A website for discussions about any type of cancer, including lung cancer, breast cancer, mesothelioma, prostate cancer, laryngeal cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and others