I worked through my chemo and radiation. I was tired, and run down but work kept me going and I have a wonderful support system

Something that helped me feel more heart and lung protected, when deciding to stay home and get photon xray treatments-I trained myself to hold my breath for thirty seconds, multiple times, when prompted to do so, during radiation. Doing this breath holding moves the heart and lungs out of the way. I don’t think you need to do that with proton beam, but I decided to learn to do it, and mitigate the risk to heart and lungs. Going out of town for a month of treatment at Mayo Clinic just seemed too much of an upheaval in my life. Has anyone here, with left breast radiation treatments, been advised to do these breathing techniques?

It has really helped to read all your responses. After lumpectomy in June, I begin photon xray radiation the day after tomorrow. Considered proton beam at Mayo Clinic, but live in Tucson, and have great confidence in my radiation oncologist at Banner hospital. I will be 87 in October, and have BRCA-2 mutation, although never had anything show up on imaging until May. Tumor was triple negative, grade 3, but small, caught early, and had gotten to one node adjacent. But axillary lymph node was biopsied and came up clean. Since diagnosed in May I have been so focused on all this, that I stopped working for a few months, but I feel so confident now, and optimistic, that I started back. Hoping not to become too fatigued. Quite a journey I never wanted to be on, and so glad to have you all sharing your experiences.

Can you get the shorter program of reduced radiation? Every other day for a week and a half. It's a stronger dose since the timing is shorter, but it was easier to deal with. This protocol has now been accepted in the US for early stages.