Hi Everyone :)
I had my meeting with the rad/onc doctor yesterday. I will be having 5 weeks of radiation & a week of "boosts" to the Nipple area! Ouchy!! My doc said I will be very SORE and that I will be swollen for awhile. Then she told me it may take up to 1 year before all the swelling is gone?!
Who else out there has gone through the extra radiation to the nipple? And what did you all experience? Did your nipple/areola area turn darker or bigger? She has really frightened me more than I already am! My breast is still somewhat swollen from the lumpectomy 4/7.
Thanks.....
Krissy
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Connie07 Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 53 |
May 8, 2008 12:52 pm
Connie07 wrote:
I did, in the heat of late summer last year. It's still touchy. the skin has gone thru multiple fazes of peeling. Turned a darker color and now the rads has caused shrinking boob. That one rides higher now, and it's shrunken 2 cup sizes. It still hurts - every single day, like it pinches or feels like its got a hot poker in there. I don't understand why it still hurts. There's a dent where the lumpectomy came from and part of that involves the nipple. DH likes it, said it look so different that it's like a whole new breast. I don't like it. Now, I'm a deformed C on the left and DD on the right side. The docs, nurses, techs, all say "Everyone is different" I'm so sick of hearing that. I hope you feel better real soon. Apparently, not everyone still hurts for so long. I was lucky with the whole experience, a LOT like yours. The only thing that really helps is venting in here and reading others who have had it a lot worse. It's a long road, with a variety of side effects. Swelling just takes time. Healing just takes time. Don't quit being active, give yourself credit for getting this far and know that there's a lot of us in same shoes. Dx 6/6/2007, DCIS, 5cm, Stage I, Grade 1, /0 nodes, ER+ |
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ADK Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 2139 |
May 8, 2008 01:38 pm
ADK wrote:
Hi Krissy, I had the same treatment as you from May to June of 2006. My lump was just below my nipple and the lumpectomy actually went through my nipple. I had the eight boosts directly on my nipple. I have to tell you that I really didn't have many problems with the radiation treatments. I was glad to do the boosts because it gave the rest of my breast a break. Please don't be frightened, you won't really know until you go through it how you will react and there is no sense in borrowing trouble. I wish you the best. Anne
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Jordymom Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 76 |
May 8, 2008 07:35 pm
Jordymom wrote:
Krissy, I just finished 28 bilateral (both breasts) regular radiation treatments and started my boosts today (7 boosts scheduled). I too was alarmed today went they set me up. Both sides have the boosts going right through the nipples. My nips are now various shades from bright red to dark purple/brown. Very colorful. I check them once and awhile just to make sure they will still stand at attention! Fortunately my nipples don't have much pain, but today I have a lot of pain on one side. The pain is deep and burning. It is probably more related to being a couple of days away from my period (think of swelling on top of normal cycle swelling). If I wasn't driving later tonight I would have taken the provided narcotics. You can get through this. I didn't get a real sunburn until the 5th week and have had no fatigue whatsoever. Yes, they are swollen, but I know this will go away with time. Take care, Shelly Dx DCIS right 9/07 (.5 cm), Dx DCIS left 11/07 (1.5 cm), ER+/PR+
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Barbie7 Joined: Nov 2007 Posts: 174 |
May 9, 2008 12:41 pm
Barbie7 wrote:
I finished 28 regular + 7 boosts in February. I had severe burns from the regular treatments and i was terrified that the burning would continue through the boosts. It did not. My nipple got sore, and it burned and peeled, but it wasn't as bad as I had feared. I do have discoloration. The entire field is still "tan" and my nipple/areola are lighter than a 2mm rim around the aerola. The nipple/areola on the radiated side is much darker than the non radiated side. My breast shrunk, but now it is swelling again with some pain. I'm a little concerned about LE, so I'm going to have that checked. You can get through it. It may burn, but overall I'd rate the burns as acute, as the pain subsided after a few weeks into a more manageable ache or pain. Barbie Barbie
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