I want to give an update on the pain I was experiencing after surgery, which remained consistently well into summer. I consulted with my doctors and felt that I needed to do research and find alternative options. I decided to see a chiropractor, and was pleased with his knowledge and understanding of post surgery pain. Basically, because of the aggressive nature of surgery, many people feel intense pain, even chronic pain due to nerve disorder and/or stressors to muscle and surrounding tissue. One article I found from the International Association for the Study of Pain, mentioned that chronic pain following surgical procedures for breast cancer affect over 50% of women. Also, during surgery, peripheral nerves can be severed or injured, which causes pain in the breast.
My chiropractor came up with a treatment plan which included massage therapy to focus on muscle tissue, and adjustments on my neck and back for nerve damage. The massage therapist concentrates on smoothing out the muscles, and any knots are worked out until gone. The chiropractor does the adjustments to work out pinched nerves and decompressed bone in the spine, which can worsen the nerve pain. After the first visit, I felt relief. The pain was still intense, but I didn't feel like screaming anymore, so it was a success. After my second and third visits, the pain was less and less. I continued going for therapy and adjustments twice weekly for two weeks, then once weekly, I'm still being treated. I'm so glad I made this decision. I recommend chiropractic treatments to anyone experiencing pain after surgery, especially when it involves the neck, shoulders, arms. With the appropriate diagnosis and rehabilitation, nerve pain can be effectively managed or eliminated. As for the breast nerve pain, I take ibuprofen, when needed. The article mentioned earlier (International Association for Study of Pain) mentioned that some patients have tried physical therapy, acupuncture, meditation, yoga. Since I have not tried these methods, I cannot give any input. Do your research and then decide whats best for you. Hope this helps anyone experiencing intense pain similar to mine. Today I want to talk food, mainly comfort food. We all have our faves that we want when we are sick or down, or just to enjoy with family and friends. What's your favorite comfort food? Recently I have had the chance to taste a couple of dishes that were so amazingly delicious that I want to share the recipes and spread the love. The first dish to talk about is one that my sister made while she was visiting, and my family finished it off in no time. The second dish was prepared for my family by a special friend who wanted to bring over a meal to help out. Thank you Cindy, it was so tasty, and leftovers were non-existent. I'm going to add a recipe page to this site, so that I can add recipes whenever I feel the need to pass them along. You can find it in the Menu bar at the top of page. Enjoy! Leave a comment if you decide to try one. cottage cheese chicken enchiladasprepared by my friend, CindyINGREDIENTS 1 tbsp vegetable oil 4 skinless chicken breast halves, boiled and shredded 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 can green chile peppers 1/2 package Taco seasoning mix 1/2 cup sour cream 2 cups cottage cheese corn tortillas (12) 2 cups of shredded monterey jack cheese 1 can of red or green enchilada sauce (cindy used green sauce) PREPARATION Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and minced garlic (4 cloves). Add chicken, onion, peppers and saute until brown. Add your taco seasoning according to package directions. In a separate bowl mix sour cream, and cottage cheese with salt and pepper. Stir. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Assemble the enchilada by heating tortillas until soft. Place a spoonful of meat mixture and cottage cheese mixture and add some shredded cheese. Roll them and place in a lightly greased 9x13 in baking dish. Top with any remaining meat and cheese mixture, the enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Yum. manicotti italian casserole(prepared by my sister, sabrina)This recipe makes a big batch. It would be great for a crowd.
INGREDIENTS 1 pound rigatoni pasta 1 pound ground beef 1 pound italian sausage 1 (8 ounce) can mushrooms, drained 2 (32 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce 1 1/2 pounds shredded mozzarella cheese thinly sliced pepperoni DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Pour in rigatoni, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set pasta aside. 3. Meanwhile, brown ground beef and italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. With a slotted spoon, remove beef and sausage to a baking dish. Stir mushrooms, spaghetti sauce, and cooked pasta into the baking dish. Sprinkle cheese and pepperoni over the top. 4. Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Radiation treatments are over, and I am elated! It's been a whirlwind of a ride these last few weeks going to and from treatments every day for what seemed like an eternity. I've experienced fatigue, low energy, and nausea throughout this experience. My skin did quite well, however, up until the last (4th) week. That's when the burn marks appeared around the area where the radiation was directed to. Under my right armpit it looks like a bad sunburn. On my right breast, red splotches began to appear all over. Under my right breast fold are burn marks as well as red splotches (See Pictures Below).
I don't know how long I will have these side effects, but my doctor did warn me. I thought I was going to get away with not having any skin reaction, and all of a sudden, almost like overnight they appeared. In addition, almost overnight the pain from the burns were felt. My doctor's exam was Monday, he saw the red areas and he said, "I warned you it was coming!". He knew I wasn't happy about it, and he did tell me not to jump ahead of myself. Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this ordeal, it hasn't been easy, but I feel like I've made it past the halfway point. I can see a good ending ahead. Yay! Before radiation treatment begins, patients are given special instructions on what type of bra to wear, what type of deodorant to use, moisturizers, topical medications to use, and so forth. I am sharing what has been the most effective during treatment in hopes of helping others get some comfort when the side effects start to happen. Patients should avoid wearing an underwire bra. I have never really cared for bras without underwire, mainly because i need support and most no wire bras I have tried in the past didn't give much support. I decided to go and have a bra fitting and consultation, and I'm glad I did. I was able to try on different types and brands of bras and find the best fit and style for me. My favorite no wire bra is by Wacoal. I found this particular one at Nordstrom and it is super comfortable, yet still gives great support. It comes in a variety of colors, and I definitely recommend it. I bought two to wear during my 4 week treatment period. The bras are great for wearing afterwards as well, I plan to. You can click on the picture at the end of this blog post to take you straight to the Nordstrom.com link. During the 4th week, however, no bra that I've tried provided any comfort. I would recommend a bralette because it's less restrictive and allows for mobility. Nordstrom sells these as well. Another recommendation is using Aloe Vera gel everyday on the breast and surrounding areas. I just used what I had on hand, which was a drug store brand. After the third week of treatment, I started using Calendula cream, which was recommended for burns and irritation on the skin. It can be found at drug stores in the first aid area. This cream helps to promote healing of burns or sunburn, and is good for the dryness and chaffing. I have found this product to be a definite necessity. I also bought Aquaphor healing ointment, which is very helpful if your skin on the breast or under the armpit gets extremely dry or cracked. Of these three products, Calendula cream has been my favorite. The Doctor also recommended over the counter Hydrocortisone cream 1%, this product has also been a necessity. Lastly, I had to change my choice of deodorant, I normally use an antiperspirant. However, during treatment and for weeks afterwards, I have to use deodorant, and a specific one. I have been using Tom's of Maine and it's just ok. Tom's is the only one recommended so it has been what I've used. With the temperature outside well in the 90's, lets just say, I keep my arms down. I've linked the remaining products below to CVS Pharmacy, just because that's where I usually shop. You don't have to use these links, I'm just trying to make it easier for you. In my next blog, I'm going to let you know how I've been taking care of my shoulder and arm pain. Stay tuned! *Nordstrom links are affiliate, which means I receive a small commission if any purchases are made. Thanks for supporting my site. I've finished my first week of radiation and have started on my second. I must say that it was hard on my nerves to begin with, mostly because I didn't know what to expect really. Even though the nurse goes over everything that happens during treatment, you just don't know until you are there in the moment. For this reason I decided to film a video of my experience at the treatment center to give an idea of what radiation treatment entails. I hope this video is helpful to someone about to start treatments or to someone who has a loved one going through it. As a reminder, I go 5 days a week for about 4 weeks. The time is about the same everyday except for Mondays, which lasts longer because I see my radiology oncologist so that he can check on my progress. I hope you enjoy the video. As far as side effects from radiation, I have noticed mainly the fatigue and forgetfulness. I'm still waiting on the sunburn like appearance on the breast. Hopefully, I won't experience much more than the aforementioned. A girl can hope, can't she. So this week is another full week of radiation treatments, however at the end of the week, I'm looking forward to the visit from one of my sisters from out of state. I can't wait! I need a great distraction, and some laughs, I need to laugh more. My sister, Sabrina has a fun personality and to go along with that, a sense of humor. Another benefit from her visit, I don't have to put on any pretenses, I can just be me.
Please comment with your thoughts and with any questions you might have. Thanks! |
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September 2017
AuthorSherri Dunning is a wife, mom, grandmother, and recent blogger. Follow along with her as she writes about her experience with breast cancer. |