Radiation Therapy for breast cancer: What was your experience?

I was 1A (stage), 11 mm. tumor, no lymph node involvement, good margins. I was 76 at the time. I was scheduled for 33 radiation treatments at Trinity Unity Point Hospital in Moline, Illinois. I was tattooed for my treatments, etc., and---somewhat late in the game---I decided to go to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City and get a second opinion on everything that had been done to that point. The oncologist there said, "If you had had your surgery here, we would not have radiated you at all." When I asked why, he said, "Because you're a woman in your 70s." I was not sure WHAT to do after that, but I went back to the Quad Cities and spoke with the radiologist who had discovered the tumor on Pearl Harbor Day of 2021. She was no longer even part of my team, as she works in Davenport, Iowa at the Genesis facility there that used to be called St. Luke's Hospital (Genesis East?) She called me 3 times and we talked the pros and cons of the 33 radiation sessions I had already been prepped for and I ended up driving myself to all 33 of them. About halfway through I was sent home a couple of times because my skin was a bit tender and red, but it was not really bad. I had decided to stay on the Illinois side of the river because it was going to be an almost daily occurrence and Trinity Hospital is only about 10 minutes from my house, whereas I would have had to cross the I-74 bridge into Iowa and drive for about half an hour to go to old St. Luke's. So, the radiation was not bad, but putting me on Anastrozole (Feb. 1, 2022) was horrible. It ended up crippling me and I couldn't tolerate Tamoxifen, either, despite trying hard for over a year. After it left me unable to walk (knee blew out) I went off everything for 9 months (and later tried Tamoxifen for 5 months). My Texas doctor is very glad that I went through the 33 radiation treatments because I am one of the 10 or 12% of patients who cannot adjust to/tolerate the adjuvant therapy pills. (I heard that Katie Couric is thinking about doing an 'expose" about how bad they are---now that she knows firsthand.) I am now insisting on having an MRI rather than just a 3D Mammogram because I had been being "called back" for "dense breasts" since 2018 before my diagnosis (in fact, I had 3 stereotactic biopsies.) Every woman who has dense breasts should read the stories on this website.
https://mydensitymatters.org/programs/my-story-matters/

Hello,
I know this is a confusing and difficult time. In 2000 I had stage two estrogen receptor Brest cancer. I had two surgery’s because they first thought, with the biopsy, that my lump was not cancer. They removed the tumor and found it was cancer. I then went back and had all of my upper lymph nodes removed. Which was protocol at that time. It thankfully had not spread to my lymph nodes. It was 3.2 cm. I had four chemo treatments three weeks apart. I then had 33 radiation treatments, the last five or six being boosters. Then 5 years of tamoxifen. I honestly had no trouble with my radiation until the booster ones. And it was not too bad. Just some redness and slight irritation. I did not have to skip any though. I did get lymphedema in my arm afterwards, but that was from the lymph node dissection, which they no longer take all of those lymph nodes thank goodness! I am 24 years cancer free, and I deal with some problems such as the lymphedema and nerve damage under my arm. But I was also very lucky to have found a wonderful physical therapist immediately upon getting the lymphedema and I can now keep it in control on my own the south let no drainage and keeping my repetition motion in that arm down to a minimum. Also using my opposite arm for any weight-bearing. I always felt a positive attitude meant a lot. Try not to stress, you’ll be looking back on all of this at some point in the game! Good luck with everything.

The radiation experience was easy. I had 18 seesions, 1 hour away. I drove myself every morning. I used CeraVe cream after each session. I also had a terrible experience with anastrozole and tried 3 others, all with same results. I did find I could tolerate the pure one, with a bit more ease. i was allergic to the fillers in all the others. It was more expensive. I took them for 3 months and then stopped. I had crippling effects, and still have fingers that cant bend and arthritis in every joint. That was 4 years ago. Today, I am sort of fine. If I had to do over, I would have JUST radiation. The drugs were my mess in the whole journey.

The radiation experience was easy. I had 18 seesions, 1 hour away. I drove myself every morning. I used CeraVe cream after each session. I also had a terrible experience with anastrozole and tried 3 others, all with same results. I did find I could tolerate the pure one, with a bit more ease. i was allergic to the fillers in all the others. It was more expensive. I took them for 3 months and then stopped. I had crippling effects, and still have fingers that cant bend and arthritis in every joint. That was 4 years ago. Today, I am sort of fine. If I had to do over, I would have JUST radiation. The drugs were my mess in the whole journey.

I was 1A (stage), 11 mm. tumor, no lymph node involvement, good margins. I was 76 at the time. I was scheduled for 33 radiation treatments at Trinity Unity Point Hospital in Moline, Illinois. I was tattooed for my treatments, etc., and---somewhat late in the game---I decided to go to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City and get a second opinion on everything that had been done to that point. The oncologist there said, "If you had had your surgery here, we would not have radiated you at all." When I asked why, he said, "Because you're a woman in your 70s." I was not sure WHAT to do after that, but I went back to the Quad Cities and spoke with the radiologist who had discovered the tumor on Pearl Harbor Day of 2021. She was no longer even part of my team, as she works in Davenport, Iowa at the Genesis facility there that used to be called St. Luke's Hospital (Genesis East?) She called me 3 times and we talked the pros and cons of the 33 radiation sessions I had already been prepped for and I ended up driving myself to all 33 of them. About halfway through I was sent home a couple of times because my skin was a bit tender and red, but it was not really bad. I had decided to stay on the Illinois side of the river because it was going to be an almost daily occurrence and Trinity Hospital is only about 10 minutes from my house, whereas I would have had to cross the I-74 bridge into Iowa and drive for about half an hour to go to old St. Luke's. So, the radiation was not bad, but putting me on Anastrozole (Feb. 1, 2022) was horrible. It ended up crippling me and I couldn't tolerate Tamoxifen, either, despite trying hard for over a year. After it left me unable to walk (knee blew out) I went off everything for 9 months (and later tried Tamoxifen for 5 months). My Texas doctor is very glad that I went through the 33 radiation treatments because I am one of the 10 or 12% of patients who cannot adjust to/tolerate the adjuvant therapy pills. (I heard that Katie Couric is thinking about doing an 'expose" about how bad they are---now that she knows firsthand.) I am now insisting on having an MRI rather than just a 3D Mammogram because I had been being "called back" for "dense breasts" since 2018 before my diagnosis (in fact, I had 3 stereotactic biopsies.) Every woman who has dense breasts should read the stories on this website.
https://mydensitymatters.org/programs/my-story-matters/