Just a quick hello - DH and I are going shopping today for home stuff for our renovation. We are hoping to actually get started soon. (I know it's been a
very long time coming!
)
I wanted to answer the questions about radiation. The residual effects I have are some skin changes as well as changes to the tissue/muscle below the skin surface. It's "different" than it was before, and different from the other side. I also have some pain in the entire area that was irradiated (breast, chest up past clavicle, to neck, and axillary/underarm area). But the thing that worries me the most is that sometimes when I laugh really hard, I get this stabbing sensation deep down in the area under my arm which I believe is the small area of my lung that was caught. It literally takes my breath away, but thankfully only lasts a few seconds. It's strange to watch if someone's with me, especially if it's a stranger who then gets this look watching me twitch and squirm:
"Don't mind me, my lung just gets a little funny since radiation"!
LOL (I have spoken to the doc about it and she says it can be related to some scarring and that it's not uncommon. Yay.)
The other thing I have since my surgery is a seroma that's now permanent in there. It still hurts a lot. It started out as a hematoma after the surgery (lumpectomy - who ever said that's an easy surgery?? Does anyone remember the "banana" under my arm I used to have to go in to have drained with a huge needle every few days?? Not to mention I had 3rd degree burns from radiation - maybe it's just me. Figure lmp will like hearing that it's not just her who has funky, PIA things happen
) and nothing could be done about it, ie removal, as it wouldn't heal while I was getting chemo. So it stayed and has morphed into this "thing". It's not only painful - I can barely sleep on that side, my favorite side to sleep on, and have to prop a pillow under my chest in order to take pressure off it in order to get moderately comfortable - but mammograms and MRIs have to be read extra carefully to be sure it hasn't changed or there's nothing else (ca) hiding in there; same with clinical exams, you can see the "deep in thought" look on practitioners' faces as they're feeling around. Oy.
Hey, OT, but did any of you see that Mary Travers died of what they're calling "complications from chemo"? I'd like to know specifically what they mean by that. But it's hard to get specifics (the kind I want to see) from the media. If anyone sees it, will you post it? I wonder if she had cardiomyopathy.
I hope not.
Wow, this was an uplifting post.
Hugs to all. Thinking and praying for all those undergoing testing and surgery. Even if I don't post, I still read and keep everyone in my thoughts and prayers.
GAGWTA
The skin and tissue effects are not as drastic or noticeable as some other patients I guess. I do often wonder though, about the twinges/pains on that side ....and of course some of you remember my spontaneous pneumothorax which was on the treated side about a year and a half after the end of my treatment. They all said it wasn't in any way connected, but rather unusual for a middle aged white female. Course my sister had onewithin a year afterwards so I guess the excuse is genetics, and hers was on the opposite side of her phyllodes.
Ann. I'm glad your effects from radiation are minimal. Other than sleeping and that rare issue of pain with laughter, I really have no major complaints. (Hey, we're here to tell about it, right?)
Can't resist. 
