Radiation April 2019
Comments
-
Rad #21 today. Skin still intact. Definitely purple red color. Have some pinching sensation but goes away once I lather up. Hopefully it holds. It feels a lot more sensitive towards my clavicle but chest area feels fine.
@rosie woo hoo!! Almost done!!
Wishing everyone a blessed day
0 -
PiperKay, I will try the plastic wrap vs gauze as it makes sense that the gauze will soak up the lotions. Thanks for the tip!
0 -
Finished RADS one week ago today and my skin is now officially a mess ;-( VERY red, open sores and some scabing. Using Meliplex pads until open sores are gone per doctors recommendation. Acqaphor when I don't use the pad. Itchy!! Some fatigue but walking at least 2 miles to 3 per day to ward off fatigue. A little worried about scaring? Any experiences with that?
Hope everyone is doing well!! Hang in ther... this too will pass. Sending love to all you brave ladies!!
XXOO
0 -
Oh no Cindr! I hope you heal quickly! I’m only on #10 of 33 so I’m super nervous about open wounds and blisters.
0 -
Cindr, Mine was the worst at that few-days-after point. One week ater, almost totally healed. I did a few sessions of hyperbaric Oxygen and I think that helped, but the rads healing is supposedly rapid for most people. Hang in there you are almost out of the woods....
0 -
Cindr - congrats on finishing rads. Sorry that your skin is acting the way it is. I'm getting towards the finish line and I'm worried about what my skin will do in the weeks after I'm done. Be kind to yourself and hopefully all will heal beautifully
0 -
Finished rads this week @cindr dr. said I'll be cookiing for a couple of weeks. And with Mother's day and graduations around the corner!!
ugh and ouch! feel better
0 -
my mom went through rads too and her skin got worse a week after she was done. I have 3 more to go but I too fear that although my skin is holding up now, the aftermath is what scares me. Ugh. And to make things worse I met with RO today and I cant get any of the popular creams that are usually prescribed because I'm allergic to some of the main ingredients. So here's hoping I dont get it too bad. I did #22 out of 25 today. Three more to go!!
Wishing you a blessed weekend.
0 -
Cinder -- that's horrible and you didn't even have the boosts! You were kind of my lead since we were both using hypofractioned radiation. I have just two more whole breast treatments and then 4 boosts. My breast is red or dark pink and it looks like in a certain area there are small brown circles. Have no idea what that is. Hope your breast redness and sores clear up soon.
0 -
Thank you Sweet Ladies for all the encouragement. I do appreciate it. Today my skin is a little worse. Several open sores that are ousing and look a little like blood under that!! Looks like a few more sores are popping up ;-( My skin was doing so well for 3 weeks, a little pink but as soon as I finished the RADS that’s when my skin started breaking down. I’m sure it’s will be better in another week or so.
Spoke to the doctor today since I was freaking out by how my skin is looking!! She said to use the Meliplex on the ousing areas and Aquaphor and Hydrocortisone cream on the dry itchy areas. So I’m following instructions.
The sad thing is we left for our place in Marco Island, Florida right after RADS for some R&R and I have to stay out of the pool and ocean. Definitely wearing a UV protection shirt
Staying positive and knowing that this will pass soon. Definitely could be worse I’m THANKFUL
Jessie123- hang in there, I’m praying you will have a mild reaction. Maybe you should lather up more. I only was putting on lotion 2 times per day. Maybe that’s why I got a strong reaction.
Hang in there girls. We can get through this!!
Love to all of you!!
0 -
Sunocean, WOW!! Only 3 to go!! That's awesome! Not sure what your allergic to but I've used Josie Marin Whipped Argon Oil. All natural, no scent. You can find it online. Here's a link. It's a little pricey but I think worth it. If you decide to get it make sure you get the unscented one https://www.josiemarancosmetics.com/collections/face-moisturizers/products/whipped-argan-oil-body-butter
Hope this helps. Hang in there only 3 more to go!!
Have a blessed weekend! XXOO
0 -
Carp - congrats on finishing rads!
Cindr - I’m jealous that you are at Marco Island. Stayed at a condo with my parents when I was a senior in college. Very nice!
Have a good weekend, everyone!
0 -
The Aftermath! Oh jeez. I’m at 16/20 with 4 boosts to go. I am feeling pretty fried. So far no skin break, but my aero is looking very inflamed. My RO said it will take two weeks to “process” the radiation. The what now?
I can hardly believe I’ll be done Friday. And then on to Tamoxifen. Should be a cakewalk by comparison
Cindr, stay inspiring. Sun, I’ll be done a day after you and Jess, you will follow two days later. That’s so awesome! And then the Aftermath. Yeah.
0 -
RosieRed- yes, Marco is beautiful! Been coming here for almost 30 years! It’s my definitely happy place :-)
Freebee, You’re almost there! You can do this.
I’m looking at it this way- we can all survive a couple weeks of itchy, ousing, Ouchy boobies... heck- we’ve had lumpectomies, lymph node surgeries, poking and prodding, booby hanging MRI’s,everybody in the world seeing our little or big booby’s!! We can do a couple weeks of discomfort!! :-0
Hang in there PRETTY Ladies I’m thankful to have all of you to talk to. Wishing all of you a Blessed weekend!!
XXOO
0 -
Benji69
I completed 33/33 this past Wednesday and the last 5 boosts were really easy compared to the 28 others. My RO prescribed Mometasone cream twice a day and green tea spray 4 times a day from the beginning. I substituted other creams and aloe for the tea but applied the RX cream faithfully.
I was dark red and brown under my arms but not sore. It itches but since I completed treatment I have been applying Cetaphil several times a day along with the RX cream and boy has it made a difference.
I have been having treatment (chemo/rad) since September and am glad to have my calendar empty.
Good luck with your remaining treatments.
0 -
Wereflyn, thanks for the information. I was hesitant to try it. I was unscathed until #20 but it caught up to me now. Glad to hear the boosts weren’t worse! They sound scary. I started chemo in August but I didn’t have to deal with any reconstruction. I have a lot of respect for those of you who had to also deal with that. I’m looking forward to putting this year in my rear view mirror. I’m not counting the 5 years of AI
0 -
Benji69
I'm sorry your RO didn't tell you the effects of the radiation is 2 weeks delayed. You might want to accelerate your use of the non-RX cream to try to catch up. Some RO's might not want you to use the RX twice a day, but I haven’t had anyside effects from it. I alway wash my hands throughly after application.
Reconstruction is hard especially with a double mastectomy. I opted against lumpectomy because my mammogram was negative and my cancer was only found through a routine annual ultrasound. Texas state law requires patients be offered an ultrasound if they have “dense breasts". The MRI with contrast didn't even detect the tumor in my node.
I have the “hair gone wild" look but I'm sure happy it is growing back quickly, last chemo 2.22.19.
BTW my MO told me to plan to be on the Letrozole for 10 years 5 years being the minimum. Ugh
The light is getting brighter at the end of the radiation tunnel
0 -
Fritzmylove, I also got a mild sore throat at around the 8th of my 27 treatments. The rad nurse thought mine wasn't treatment related, but it's worth asking.
0 -
did #23 out of 25. Almost there. Skin still entact. No blisters yet. But its definitely hurting now. I am getting some shooting pains and also feels super tight. My range of motion is affected again since it hurts to move my arm. Feels like a bad sunburn. Big sigh. I'm still stretching even though it hurts too. Anyone else have that tight sensation ? Doctor said it should to away as skin heals.
0 -
11/33 today. I had a really busy weekend, followed by a jam packed day running around doing things for teacher appreciation week (I’m our PTO Vice President and we’re serving lunch and treats all week to the teachers.) So at 3:00 I laid down to rest for 20 minutes and ended up sleeping for an hour and a half!! Are the rads making me tired already? Or is it leftover from chemo and surgery? Just worn out? All of the above? Lo
0 -
Sunocean - yes, my skin does feel tight on the radiated side. When I go to bed at night I gently put my arm over my head and rest it on the pillow to stretch it out.
Rad # 21/28 - a lot of my stickers either slid to other parts of my body or peeled off when I wasn’t looking over the weekend. Rad techs drew on me again and put new stickers on. Had images done and then rads. Skin is getting really red and itchy sometimes. Have had a lot of heartburn lately. Not sure if that’s due to rads or not. Will ask the RO tomorrow.
Fritzmylove - I brought in one last mix tape today. I think I’m done messing with the music.
0 -
@rosie thanks for responding
I get pain right near armpit, below my clavicle. The pain is intense at times. Like prickly sensations. Best way I can describe it is like if a cacti plant was inside me picking away. It's a gross feeling. Anyone else? I'm taking tylenol but this hurts more than when I had surgery. The discomfort that is. I'm just glad I'm so close to finishing. this mentally helps. Cant imagine feeling like this and still needing one or 2 weeks to go. Ugh. Almost there.
Wishing everyone a nice evening. Hang in there !!
0 -
Hi everyone,
I know some names from the February and March 2019 mastectomy groups. I just had my first radiation treatment yesterday and I'm already feeling sore. Just a little, but definitely an irritation especially under my arm. Is this normal to feel some pain so quickly?
One treatment down, twenty-four to go. Eek!
Gina
0 -
Cin17
I didn’t experience pain under my arm but the position on the table made it difficult to move my arms after treatment. The first one is usually longer than the rest.
My RO and techs told me the effects of my treatment are delayed by 2 weeks but I had 33 of them. I suggest you not wait until you are red to apply cream to the area include under your arm and armpit area. (If your nodes are being treated)
Keep us posted on your progress there is a lot of ladies on here that can help you.
0 -
@Cin I had irritation the second day of radiation. it turned out to be a reaction to the aloe vera cream I was using. Once I stopped the aloe vera and switched to another cream I was fine. The first 3 weeks were easy. This is my last week and I have 2 to go and its definitely hurting now. Not intense but uncomfortable. They say the reaction is delayed so I'm sure I'm gonna be hurting more once I'm done. Hang in there
0 -
Finished 10 of 20 yesterday (half way mark, hooray!), and several of my stickers are toast. But they draw new ones on, give me new stickers and I'm good to go. Very jealous that one of my radiation therapists is headed off to an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica next week...
I don't have any pain or serious discomfort in my treated breast, although the areola seems to be a little red/pink compared to the other one. I think someone else here has had that experience? And though I'm not receiving radiation to the lymph node area, I do feel some tightness across there. My guess is that I'm still not 100% healed from the surgery when several very large lymph nodes were removed. Trying to do stretching exercises to keep my flexibility up.
Happy Hump Day everyone!
0 -
Round 7 of 37 (?) today. Feel like I'll never be finished.
My question, why did I get stuck with needles 3 times for "tattoos" when they just draw on me to mark the locations? Sorry, but I'm confused. Couldn't I have just not gotten the tattoos? Not they were all that painful, but just another thing for insurance to pay for.
0 -
ladies I am done!!!! Yay!! 25 completed!
My skin held up all things considered. just yesterday I started noticing some peeling and skin under armpit hurts now.
First 3 1/2 weeks were so easy. Last 5 days were harder. I just recently started getting pain. Shooting pain. Feels like stabbing. it gets pretty intense at night. Feels like nerve pain. Doctor said it's due to clavicle being radiated as well. Ugh. Hope it gets better. This last week was not easy. Last night I had to take a norco due to pain. something I didn't even do for surgery!! At least I'm done now. Time for healing now. God willing
Before I forget be sure you're also applying cream to your back. My back is also tan and itchy. Its were the radiation exits.
0 -
Sunocean - YAY!!!!! Congrats on being done with radiation. Hope everything heals well and hope you won’t be in pain much longer.
0 -
What I hate so much in the hypofractionated partial 16 rads is that they take 7-10 chest xrays before the rad begins. They do this each time to precisely line up the tumor bed and margins around it. I don’t know, but doubt they do this with WBI. I asked if it would cause new cancers in 30 years- of course I’ll be 115 then.
0
