Did you get covered during radiation treatments?

rettemich

I know this thread is a few months old, but .   .  I went in to have the markings done. Out of everything I have gone trough with everyone looking at my boobies, this was the most humiliating. They had a hard time lining me up and then they couldn't get the other boobie out of the way of the beam. So as I laid there totally exposed telling me not to move they stood above me "discussing" how they have never seen this and how unusual it was and blah blah  blah....HELLO I'M HERE.... I just felt if they were going to discuss it they could have thrown a gown over me, instead of starring at me. Then the conclusion was to duct tape that boob from the sternum tightly pulling the boob to the side over my arm and strapping it to the gurney. After 4 pieces of "look how cute this is" duct tape they were finally satisfied. 

Granted I don't want it in the way either.....but Really???  Then I was told I would have to have this done for the whole 6 weeks....are you F***ing kidding me!!! I have been on the bubble about doing rads anyway and yeah this didn't help. Oh and they kept bringing in more people. I was cold and totally humiliated. And was in there for at least 45 mins. So yeah a little cover would have been nice.

MombieZombie

I don't know if anyone still checks this thread--being that nothing has been posted since May '14. I'm going to leave a little something here anyway. My treatment is complex--4 treatment angles. I have some abuse in my past (some from 3 different experiences with healthcare professionals). I'm extremely nervous in any medical situation. Radiation has turned into the worst trigger for my anxieties in this regard. I told my radiation oncologist about my past and asked her to make sure I had a female only team and that there be no surprises in the process. I was never told that I would be photographed naked. Laying on a cold table, naked from the waste up was and has been almost unbearable. My anxiety gets worse every single day. I'm half done with 33 treatments and I am finally getting the doctor and techs to listen to me. I am being covered whenever possible and they are not going to force me to be photographed anymore. I have a female only team. They do not touch me unless they must. (I had to make them stop reaching out to undress me! I can do it myself thankyou!) I am tired of the disregard for modesty in ALL of the treatment settings I've been through with my cancer treatment. YES! I want to be covered.

I want to leave a link to a site that sells a special top to wear during radiation treatment that I wish someone had told me about. It's a full, long-sleeved top that is specially designed with a snap-away window where the breast area is. People who check out this thread might want to look at this site. I wish radiation centers would provide the info, or provide the top to their patients.

thefliptop.com

Curlykat

MombieZombie,

(I thought I had replied to this earlier, but apparently not.) I'm not a modest person and don't know how I'll react to the mental part of exposure, but I AM a very cold person, and am wondering how warm this top is.

Lily55

I found being treated like a chunk of meat during radiation set up (where no gown or sheet was provided, I had to walk in to the room totally topless where all the staff were fully clothed, with only one breast), totally traumatised me, sessions after that did not pay enough attention to privacy, as i left the changing room I could see the women before me on the radiation machines, we would literally pass in the corridor, Being man handled by men when I was naked on top and never covered freaked me out, I used to cry all the way home from every radiotherapy treatment, it was awful.........no dignity, no privacy, no consideration, no humanity........

Allmodestyisgone

Lily55 - I am so sorry you were treated like that and it is totally unacceptable. You should be able to be covered until the last possible moment - there is no reason not to be.

I change into a gown that I put on to open in the back and then another gown over to open in the front. I wear this into the radiation treatment room and take off the outer gown just before I get on the table. The other gown stays on me until I have laid down and then my one arm is taken out and the gown is taped to me to give me the most coverage while still allowing them to set me up. They always tell me when they are going to touch me at all times so I m always aware of their movements.

MombieZombie

Curlykat--didn't look in this thread for a while. I don't know how warm the top is because I didn't find it on the net until I was almost done with treatment. No time to order and get it here before I'm done at this point. Wish I had found it or known about it soon enough. But if you go to the web site, it tells you that it is designed to help with both modesty and for more warmth in treatment. Hope that answers your question.

Lilly--That sounds even worse than my experience has been. I'm so sorry it was so awful for you. I am still in treatment and I end up in tears every day. Sometimes I end up throwing up because this treatment is triggering PTSD. Thanks for letting me know that I'm not alone.

Allmodestyisgone--Thanks for sharing. You have given me some ideas of things I can ask my team to do to help me feel more secure. Though I doubt they will comply, but I'm going to try.

Sjacobs146

I was exposed during treatment, but I had two gowns on going in and out of the room. They gave me a warmed blanket while I was on the table, and warmed towels to cover my arms. My RO prefers that nothing interfere with the beam. Once I had some cornstarch on and they told me that my RO prefers that the treatment area be clean and dry

MombieZombie

Sjacobs--That's nice that they provide some ways for you to be more comfortable at least. If it would matter to you to be covered whenever possible, you should know that having a cover on you does nothing to interfere with the radiation beams. They need you uncovered initially in order to put you in alignment, but then you can be covered for the rest of the time. I learned that a lot of what they do is for their own convenience but they will tell you it's for safety or that it's absolutely necessary. I was told that my nakedness, the naked photos and the tattoos were an absolute must and there were zero alternatives. I was further told that the photos were required by law. It wasn't until I spent a lot of time searching for info on the net that I discovered how they had deceived me. Armed with what I had learned on the net I was able to get my doctor to admit that. It's too late for some things. I'm already stuck with tattoos, but they are not going to take any more photos and they cover my breasts whenever possible.

Dorosie

I was extremely depressed during my radiation treatments. I found this discussion topic by searching the internet for information on female patient right to and expectation of privacy during any medical treatment, but particularly breast cancer related treatment, including but not limited to radiation therapy. I am a survivor of rape and child molestation and here is an overview of my experience with radiation therapy for breast cancer. I received treatment at one of largest and most reputable cancer treatment centers in the state. They are lauded for their highly qualified staff and state of the art equipment. I have found the physicians to be outstanding clinicians. Not only have I found them to be well-qualified clinicians, they are caring, kind, and sensitive to their patients' needs. The staff are professional and polite. Nonetheless, those qualities were not always evident in my experience with radiation therapy. First, I was never offered a cloth or anything else to cover my breasts. I inquired about it, but was told the therapists needed to see the exposed breasts to ensure the positioning was correct and they were hitting the right mark(s). On some days, I had two female and one male radiation therapist. The first day of treatment, I was horrified to see a male therapist standing over me and touching my bare breasts to position them correctly. I kept saying to myself, "It's about getting well and surviving cancer, so just block everything else out." However, I couldn't. I cried on the way home and later tossed and turned all night long. The next day, I reluctantly went for day 2 of my radiation therapy. This time there were two male therapists standing over me; one on the left, the other on the right. I cringed when they removed my arms from the gown to expose my breasts, then positioned them with bare hands. I thought I would pass out. A female therapist entered the room and stood away in the background and the male therapists started calling out numbers. I believe it was part of the calculation process to make sure I positioned correctly. Then everyone left and stood just outside where they monitored me on camera. Once again I drove home in tears and fretted returning the next morning. I called my sister who lived in another state and tried to remain calm, but she immediately sensed that I was in distress. I have always kept my molestation and rape a secret until I sought mental health treatment two years ago. I was diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress syndrome and depression and with the help of my therapist and medication was making progress in my recovery. Still, I felt too ashamed to share it with anyone in my family. However, I always sensed that my sister knew or suspected it because she witnessed a drastic change in my behavior when I became withdrawn and isolated. Nonetheless, I said nothing. She encouraged me to discuss my concerns with the radiation therapists or the Radiation Oncologist before my appointment the next morning. I went in for my treatment and one of the male therapists I was familiar with told me there would be a new male therapist helping with my treatment that day. When I exited the changing room wearing my gown, I saw 2 male therapists including the person sent to help out motioning me to follow them to the treatment room. A female therapist and another young female I previously thought was the receptionist, sitting in the monitoring room. I started shaking and experienced what I would imagine a panic attack felt like, When I stepped into the treatment room, I was in tears and told a male therapist I later learned was the Managing Radiation Therapist, that I was a rape survivor and having male therapists was extremely difficult for me. I recall how apologetic I was to him for inconveniencing them. I kept saying, "I'm so sorry. It has nothing to do with any of you guys; it's me and I'm so sorry." He was very nice, appeared to understand, and said not to worry. However, his solution was to send one of the male therapists to the monitoring room to join the two females already there. So once again, I had two male therapists standing over my bare breasts and me, using their hands to make adjustments before administering the radiation. I am not sure if they noticed it from the monitoring room, but I was in tears for the duration of my radiation. I had an appointment with the radiation oncologist immediately after my treatment. His nurse observed me crying and asked what was wrong. I explained my predicament to her and she gave me a hug then related the information to the doctor. The next several days I went to treatment and sometimes there were two female therapists doing the setup and positioning and one or two male therapists in the monitoring room. On other days there was one male and one female therapist doing setup and positioning and usually two males in the monitoring room. One day during the last week of radiation I observed a man in the monitoring room, standing at the computer. He was not wearing scrubs like the therapists or a name tag indicating he was a doctor. He was talking to the two male therapists in the room,including the managing radiation therapist, he appeared to be carrying some sort of toolbox. I did not want to think about it, but feared he was a repair person and not a clinician or therapist. My psychiatrist expressed he was concerned that men were being allowed to prep me instead of female therapists. I told him I just want to finish my radiation therapy and not look back. I finished my radiation a week ago and still toss and turn at night and have horrible feelings of guilt and shame whenever I think about the experience. I know this was a lengthy response, but in some weird way, it has actually been therapeutic to share my experience with others. Thanks for indulging me. If you've had a similar experience please share.

MombieZombie

Dorosie--Thank you for sharing that. I am so sorry for what you went through. It was hard for me to read that, because your background is like mine. I have trouble with both men and women in my past. Radiation treatment was the hardest thing I've ever done. You are NOT alone. I hope you are able to find recovery in mind, body and spirit.

rettemich

My treatments have been done for a year now. And to this day I sometimes breakdown in tears thinking about how uncaring, and unemphatic they were. Even my Dr. was kind of deal with it attitude. I was also molested when I was a teen and even though most of the time I had women they were cold even my first day during my treatment I couldn't stop crying. They just came over the monitor and told me to stay still. After telling me how they monitor on the display.........well obviously NOT!

To this day I regret doing the radiation.

Hopeful82014

Had I not read these boards before radiation I, too, would have been surprised to have male techs, etc. I did ask prior to my simulation for female techs and they've been great about providing that, even though they are short of women due to one being out on maternity leave. At this point, having seen some of the guys working in the center as I pass through on a daily basis, and seeing how caring they are with their patients in the lounge, I would be o.k with them as well.

Other than the treatment fields, I am covered except when they are touching up my stickers. They replace the covering pretty quickly as it's COLD in there and I'm always shivering, even with a warm blanket.

There were a few photos done of the treatment field, etc., the first day but my face is not visible. I've seen the pics and, unless you know what you're looking at, it's just skin and ink. They didn't make me aware that they were doing photos at the time so I didn't feel uncomfortable about them; it's really no different than the port films they do every week.

The thing I've learned is to, as much as possible, manage your treatment proactively. You can't change everything but you can ID your priorities and ask that they be respected. It also helps to know that different treatment centers have different protocols and that you can ask that your needs be met.

I don't like needing to do RT and I'm not happy about the potential side-effects but the experience itself is o.k. for what it is.

UnwillingParticipant

Being totally exposed means I would refuse to have radiation.  I just had to sit from noon until 4:40 last week in a hospital gown, having both my breasts examined by three different doctors.  Never again. I quit.  With HER2 plus ER+ I'm done anyway.  This is too barbaric to tolerate.  I've never had a single breast exam in my entire 73 years until now, and I can't handle any of this.  I was also molested as child, BY A DOCTOR, and again when I was pregnant with my second child, by a military doctor.  So do you think I actually trust them?  They want me to be brutalized by chemo, then have surgery, then having to go through this kind of indignity means I'm going to be asking to be sent to palliative care.  I will NOT be pawed over again like I was before.  I fail to understand why the rad onc needed to examine me like that at all; my surgery would have been over and there wouldn't have been any tumor there by the time I got to him.  Oh, yeah - maybe I do know, and I've been had again.  AND THEY TAKE PICTURES OF YOU TOO???!?   I get a PET scan next week and the results that day.  When I have them, I will immediately ask for that referral.  No one is ever going to treat me like that again.  I was all set; I made shirts that snap down the front, got a dignity robe from a kind stranger in Texas, and I made a couple of chemo caps.  I thought that with the dignity robe you'd only have to expose the skin where they aimed a small beam.  I never knew they'd expect me to expose my entire chest!!!  Then I read up on the crap they'd put me through and I'm absolutely done.  Nothing, at my age, is worth this kind of primitive, barbaric torture.  NOTHING.

And what about during a PET scan?  Panties down to the knees, like is described at https://ambrian04.blogforacure.com/weblog/2011/12/01/0001

I guess I won't show up for that, either!

klmk1974

Absolutely! As a matter of fact , I just started rads and I was so uncomfortable about everything I've been through , the center was kind enough to switch the women around so no men do my treatment and they do cover me . Lovely people that really try to meet individual needs. Very compassionate. I just turned 41 , triple neg on rt but had double mx with TE after chemo and now rads .

pupmom

Well, since most of us are significantly mutilated, I don't think any man would think about us inappropriately. My concern was how deformed I looked to both female and male radiation technicians. There's the shame. Postscript, I have received reconstruction and now feel fine about how my breasts look. But during radiation, not so much.

Ihatecancer56

Like everything else in this world, men rule. Of course a man is going to say that the woman needs to be undressed so that he can see her breathe, or that a sheet will interfere with the radiation treatment. Seriously? I've been crying my eyes out reading everyone's responses here. Good for you if you have no modesty issues, but some of us do! For some of us, the anxiety that goes along with big bare naked five days a week for the next six weeks is overwhelming. I was just diagnosed with metastatic Merkel cell cancer which has spread to my lymph nodes and right breast. My first radiation treatment will begin next week. I was sexually abused by two interns when I was 17 years old. The thought of me lying topless in the middle of an empty room with two male technicians has me in a state of anxiety and fear that I have never known before. I am completely terrified!!! PLEASE don't assume that we are all the same, and don't brag about not having any problems with being topless. If you are a technician, please assume the woman wants to be covered!!!!! Just do it!

star2017

at a Johns Hopkins facility I wore a robe. They uncovered me briefly for positioning, then covered me back up

DiagnosisDisruption

I wish. I changed into a three-armed gown, went into the waiting room and would be called into the machine room. At which point I was not even on the table and they were pulling my arm out. I hated every minute laying on that machine bare breasted and crying my eyes out. Well and truly the worst part of my treatment. I would have rather had the big chemo 16 times extra instead of radiation.

And, yes I told them that. Every. Single. Day. Almost three months out, and I am taking pills every day for the pain and swelling.

Hopeful82014

Annie's Couch -

"well and truly the worst part of my treatment. I would have rather had the big chemo 16 times extra instead of radiation."

I really understand that feeling. I think one hidden aspect of the radiation experience is that you don't get a lot of support and sympathy during radiation as compared to those in chemotherapy. (Many, not all, women pooh pooh the difficulty of radiation.) Friends & family don't come help you pass the time as may happen during chemo and no one offers to bring you meals or do your errands.

For me, radiation was a VERY lonely experience and anxiety producing, too, since many of the side effects are so variable from one woman to the next that it's hard to know what to expect - and that changes from week to week.

I did have lingering side effects, despite the fact that my skin looked great. Underneath, thought it was another question. I found that the SEs changed over time and I became familiar with them so wasn't as spooked but it did take time and the way I dealt with the side effects had to evolve with the healing. Hang in there and hang on to hope/knowledge that it WILL get better.

Misstic

They covered me too but not for modesty. I am low weight and very sensitive to fresh air. During the first treatment I was trembling so much that it was dangerous with the rads. They decided me to cover me. I'm just uncovered during positioning.

keeshondmom

I just assumed the techs would all be female since they are for Mammograms. How wrong I was! Would have been nice to have been told ahead of time. I will say though that all except one male was respectful and kind; guess there’s always one rotten apple

april1964

yeah, I also wasn’t covered and tho everyone was nice it was awkward....

Traveltext

From the male bc patient perspective.

1. Always felt like a fish out of water even being there.

2. Refused the pink gowns.

3. Happy to be without a top because I wanted them to use the tattoos to accurately line up the doses.

4. The room was always cold.

5. Never saw a women bare chested.

6. The techs were so nice.

MARIONSGIRL

I too expected only female techs for my radiation. Several times the same young man was there. The first time he was there, he was in the control room calling out for me to hold my breath and then to breathe. One time he did not tell me to breathe and after the longest time, I finally starting breathing. Another time this same male was standing over me and positioned me etc. Only one time did the female techs tell me who he was, a student from a local college. I never said anything because I just wanted it to be over. Now I wished I had spoken up. It will be 3 years at the end of February that I finished my 33 radiation treatments and hope I don't have to do that again.

gb2115

I got partially covered, but the treated breast was out and lined up with the tattoos, but honestly, at that point, so many people had seen my breasts I really didn't care. Not everyone might feel that way. I had 2 male techs, but the rest were women. I realized they see cancerous breasts day after day, so I doubt they were interested in my breast which honestly looked like a SuperFund site by the time I got to radiation. So yeah I was surprised at first and then realized it didn't bother me.

edwards750

I had 33 radiation treatments too and all women techs. My RO was a man. Frankly I never thought about whether the techs would be all women or not because like you guys I just assumed. I also agree after what I had already been through comparatively speaking this was a minor issue.

Diane

TB90

The men were so much more respectful, made me smile. I decided not to hide or cover up any part of me. I decided from day one that I was not going to be ashamed of my new body. They were so wonderful and respectful. The women more casual. They take more for granted. But never a bad experience. Modesty is not the same as shame and certain cultures have strict beliefs. We should all be treated as individuals, but this is also medical treatment where some exposure has to be accepted. Wouldn't want to give birth covered up either. Lo

AliceBastable

I had a male tech one time, filling in for one of the female techs who was off. They let me know the day before and gave me the option of skipping that day and adding one on at the end. I didn't mind, and he was just as professional as any other tech. Bare time was minimal - after laying on the rad table, the techs would briefly fold back the robe to check the alignment, then cover me again before starting. I expected it to be much worse.

JosieO

I was topless for each one of my treatments, and really not given an option. I only had one session where there was a male technician (filling in for an absence), but he remained outside of the room and had no contact with me. I had to hold my arm and shoulder in a specific way, and I know I was “re-adjusted” more than once at some sessions to get the specific angle they wanted. Fortunately my sessions were very early morning, so few people around. My RO was a male, and the most respectful and sensitive male doctor I have ever had. He set the tone, so for me it was not as upsetting as it could have been.

But having read the other responses to this topic, I wish there was more discussion of options, preferences, and necessities even before the treatments start. No need for unnecessary trauma or discomfort. Kudos to those organizations that handle this with grace and respect for the patient

Meow13

I never had any radiation but I just want to say it would bother me. Just because one person doesn't care doesn't mean we all don't care.