To work or not during radiation treatment

melannehad50

I have radiation burns on my breast that are red, peeling and extremely painful. I missed work 2 days last week because I could hardly move my arm. My job as a cna requires me to lift. Should I try to go to work and possibly injure or get an infection on my breast, or feel bad about missing work and stay home anyway to give myself more healing time?

desdemona222b

You should take it easy until you're feeling better.  You don't want any complications and it sounds like you're in pretty bad shape to me.  Are you finished yet?

Jean09

I would stay home in a cotton shirt with no bra and keep medicine on it till it healed and felt better.  Your doctor should be able to write you a note to be off work for a number of days if needed.  My doctor prescribed me silver sulfadiazine (a cream used on burns) and I felt so much better after a few days.  Also, my rad onc gave a couple days break from treatment about half way through (I had 30 treatments total)

Good luck to you!!!

melannehad50

Thank you all! It is distresful to be in pain and to miss work too.  I am going to stay home and put the silver sulfadiazine on all day tommorow! I have only 3 more treatments. Then next week they will put in a port, then i will begin chemo the end of the month.  It sure is nice to be able to talk to others!  I appreciate all the input on this disease process.