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Anyone having right breast radiated and holding breath?

Posted by marshgirl24 @marshgirl24, 2 days ago

Today I started my 3 weeks of radiation and I was surprised/dismayed that I had to reach a certain lung capacity and hold it. It took forever and I think my lungs are pretty good! During my simulator appt, I'd been told (when they were having me hold my breath for an x-ray) not to worry. I wouldn't have to hold my breath during treatment. Yet here I am. I went online and it looks as if this breath protocol is used with the left breath to raise it away from the heart. But I'm right breast. It was a long, uncomfortable appt without the comfy angled back rest I see in the ads. I'm beginning to feel that a woman's comfort is not taken into consideration for some of these treatment factors. When I showed the NP the screen shots I had of a woman comfortably angled having her treatment, she just said, we don't have that equipment.

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marshgirl24 | @marshgirl24 | 1 day ago
In reply to @dlst "It seems weird that they don't have it more together on explaining the radiation treatment process...." + (show)
@dlst

It seems weird that they don't have it more together on explaining the radiation treatment process. I did not have to hold my breath - not sure why, but was told it wasn't necessary. On the other hand, despite being comfortably positioned, some of the treatments took so long that my arms fell asleep and I wasn't allowed to move them. I also wish I had known ahead of time that the marker used for the simulation would rub off on my clothing. I would have worn a black bra and top. Also, I was allergic to the little stickers they put on during the simulation. I got a bad rash, so I had to take them off and then keep marking the spots with a magic marker until they could do the tattoos. I could have told them I have sensitive skin and might have a reaction, but no one bothered to even tell me I would get stickers until they were sticking them on. All that said, everyone was pretty nice and I would still prefer lumpectomy and radiation to a mastectomy, especially since my tumor was so small - 2 mm. I am glad I still have most of my breast, including my nipple, and still have sensation on that side.

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I've mentioned that to the head of the dept. The patient needs more education and it can be done nicely as the process moves along. It also demystifies some pretty fearsome equipment. The blue ink didn't get on my clothes. That's really too bad. I'm wearing a lot of white shirts during this process. They are so busy where I am and run a quick pace. Today we were clicking along. Then everything got quiet. I lay there for about 10 minutes. They came back in and said I was in the wrong position! (which they had put me in.) Moved me down about four inches. So I guess they radiated my liver instead of my breast. They made an arm adjustment that was even more uncomfortable and we were off to the races again. Yes, I'm with you re: the lumpectomy and radiation...but it shouldn't be uncomfortable. These facilities have a mission statement and they really should live up to it.

REPLY
flatland | @flatland | 13 hours ago

I did three weeks of radiation this past summer, and was not asked to hold my breath, just hold very still. But of course the positions of our tumors is so varied, it’s not surprising to hear differing treatment solutions.

On the positive side my treatments were brief and I had no side effects from the radiation. I wish you the same. Good luck!

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maggieb892 | @maggieb892 | 9 hours ago

I agree that the arm position is painful. My radiation started about 6 weeks post surgery. I had a lot of cording and scar tissue that need to be broken up. That caused most of the pain for me.

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marshgirl24 | @marshgirl24 | 6 hours ago
In reply to @maggieb892 "I agree that the arm position is painful. My radiation started about 6 weeks post surgery...." + (show)
@maggieb892

I agree that the arm position is painful. My radiation started about 6 weeks post surgery. I had a lot of cording and scar tissue that need to be broken up. That caused most of the pain for me.

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Today I had a break through with that painful arm position. My doctor came through the area when I was talking to the two techs about yesterday and that position. Couldn't they bring my arms down a bit? At the time my arms were just about fully extended, grasping those two dowels. He said, well, let's go in and see. So he came into the treatment room with us. They got me set up and he checked it out and agreed that it wouldn't hurt the positioning at all to give me a little more slack. The session went so well. I'm very relieved.

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