1st week, pain?, lg breasts?, creams?,

poetjanet

Hello Ladies,

I have a number of questions for those who have been through this.  I have large droopy breasts. Amazingly after having so much tissue removed from lumpectomy and re excision, my BC breast seems to be the same size.  I'm about a 42C.  I had my last surgery on 9/23. I had been wearing my surgical bra because whenever I would try to switch back to my looser regular bra,  my breast would start to hurt more. Now after 4 rad treatments, it hurts to wear the surgical bra, or to have it off.  My nipple hurts, and the healing that seemed to have occurred from surgery, feels like it is being reversed with now being "burned" inside.  If it hurts this much after just one week, how am I supposed to get through 5 more???   Also, I have seen many people on here talking about using either 100% aloe vera gel, or aquaphor.  I asked a nurse about that at the rad office, and they said they prefer me to use the cream they give me at their office, "Special Care Cream" , by Baird, because it has vitamins A, B5, D and E in it which I would need down the road, and the Aloe Vera doesn't have those vitamins in it.  This cream I see, though has alcohol in it.  Don't know what to do about the cream, or bras.  I saw many people talking about sport bras from walmart.  I got some, but my large droopy breasts fall right out of them in short order.  Haven't tried the "barely there" that people talk about from Kohls.  Don't know if there is any real good solution to the support vs. radiation pain issue.  Anybody else have pain this early on? if so, what did you do, or how did you get through the rest of your treatment?

idaho

I would suggest trying the aloe vera -wouldnt hurt to try different things - doesn;t sound like the cream they gave you is helping.  I would think that alcohol would make it burn worse....?   Tami

poetjanet

Hi Tami.  Thank you for your input.  I am torn because I know my doctor is excellent in his field, and I know that he has been using this cream for a number of years, as my husband got the same cream when he had his radiation for hodgkins ten years ago. However, I saw the "creams during radiation thread" after I posted this, and after reading all 7 pages of that thread, it seems like what sounds best is 100% aloe vera gel, calendula lotion, and emu oil.  Did you have much trouble with burning, and any skin rubbing against skin soreness?  I don't have the later yet, but fear it coming.

linn56

I found that the first week I ached, the second week I didn't. I think the tissue adapts, somewhat. Now I am in the 4th week, it is starting to ache again.

poetjanet

Hello Ivorymom, and Linn.  Thanks for sharing your experiences.  I'll keep the cornstarch in mind in case of blistering due to skin on skin contact. I bought some calendula lotion and emu oil.  The 100% aloevera was sticking to my shirt, and then had to peel it off when I woke up.  I've got some other aloevera from the vitamin shoppe that is not sticky like that, so maybe I'll use that.

Right now, I am most impressed with what I am seeing people say about using emu oil after doing a search with that word on here. 

 Strange isn't it Linn how things come and go.  I felt quite fatigued the 2nd and 3rd day of treatments, but now day 6, haven't had that fatigue I did those first couple days.  Hope your aching settles down Linn.

 Are you still in some kind of cancer treatment ivory mom?

MarciaGoudie

Hello,

I am new to the forum but this a thread close to my heart. I am on day 10 of 30 treatments. Right after my surgery  I had discomfort under my arm and my bras really irritated me.  I went to Wal-Mart and bought a $6 stretchy camisole in the undregarment section. I guess I am one like the orginal poster...to big  to go without, 42 D, but heck... Those under arm and wire parts of the bra were really bugging me.

I am happy with the stretchy camisole...probably a sport support. It had a stretchy self bra and is soft under my arms.

I, too, am out for the duration of rads (Dec.) I am not totally exhausted yet,  but I am a second grade teacher with 24 students and going to work and radiation is not possible. Plus the fact that my rads center  is only open until 3 and school gets out at 2:50, 45 miles away.

I bought some Aquaphor but found it gooey and difficult to apply. I haven't spoken with the nurse at my center, though supposedly it's supposed to be a weekly occurrence but I am scheduled for 11:45 and they keep saying "she's out to lunch today"!

LRM216

Hi All - I have 14 more rad treatments (33 total) and my breast is sore inside - not pink yet or burning, but nipple is very sensitive and is very sore internally.  I have reported this but was told it's normal.  I can't say it's painful - but it is annoying.  I use the 100% pure Aloe that you get at Walmart (it's called Fruit of the Earth and Walmart was the only place I could find it).  It's a bit sticky at first, so I just put all my make up on in the bathroom while I wait for it to dry before putting my sports bra on - that way it doesn't cause your bra to stick to your breast.  Good luck to us all!

Linda

Jelson

Hi PoetJanet,

34DD here! I used 100% aloe vera from CVS and Fruit of the Earth which I found at Rite Aid and Calendula cream. I applied the aloe vera three times a day, in fact I brought it with me to rads and applied immediately after. I applied the calendula after my nightly shower (which always felt great). I found models of MovingComfort sportsbras in big cup sizes without wires and which hold and compress to be the most comfortable for me. I found them discounted on Sierratradingpost.com. 

You will get through it!

Julie E

poetjanet

Hi Marcia,

 Welcome to "the source" for info on what to expect.  This place is my lifeline.  On days our computer wouldn't work I felt "lost" not being to get on here and look up my questions, or post my own.  Many times when I felt I just could not do this for one reason or another, I would read something someone else had already asked about, or ask myself, and I would read something that would help me be willing to go forward.  I used to be a 2nd grade teacher, "28 years ago!" I stopped teaching when we had our first child, in 1984.  Now my 3rd son is a freshman in highschool.  It must be hard for people that have to keep working during treatments.  My husband kept working through most of his treatments for hogkins back in 1999-2000; but he is fine now, and I know that his radiation is one of the reasons why. 

glad the camisole works for you.

Hi Linda,

Sorry for your internal pain and nipple soreness.  I have that too.  I however turned pink on day two. I'm going to do another thread on turning pink so early.  It concerns me.  Hope you  don't get much more sore.

Hi Julie,

Thank you for sharing your "find" in a good bra.  I'll see if I can find that somewhere.  I'm currently going braless at home. 

regarding my cream use thus far:

On Tuesday of last week I tried Emu oil.  It did not make my "pinkness" go away.  I went back to  "lily of the desert" aloevera from the vitamin shoppe.  It helped the pinkness I had on day two. (yssterday was day 7). The only reason I wanted to try something else was I thought something thicker might work better, as this aloevera gel is very wet and runny. Because of the pestering of my husband, sister, and nurses at the rad center, I started to use the "Bard Special Care Cream" they gave me there.  I put on the "Bard" immediatly after treatment yesterday, and I did not turn quite as pink as I did the day before. I put the lily aloevera on top of that when I got home. No one is home then, so I just left my breast uncovered until it dried.  I have to take a nap everyday due to chronic fatigue. When I got up, I was pink again, so decided to try aquaphor.  It is like vasilene.  I did not like the way it felt. It seemed irritating. Not easy to wash that stuff off, though I tried, and put more lily aloevera on. That felt better. I want to give calendula a try, but may wait til Friday to let the aquaphor residue subside more. Sorry that was a long explanation.

CrazyCatLady

I have been having trouble with an area under my my arm.  I have done everything I have been told  Finally, an ANGEL named Sandra told me she had some samples--------Xclair.  I am a new woman.  It does contain p'nut oil for FYI.  But I put it on and the pain and itching are gone.  For those of you in pain, with the 2nd area peeling and blistering, I highly recomend it.

CrazyCatLady, Verna in AR.

How are you LizTaylor1?

poetjanet

Hi Crazycatlady,

Glad someone gave you the Xclair. I just googled it.  It is a prescription med, but looks like it may be able to be bought at drugstore.com for $65.  I would imagine doc's would prescribe it though for whomever they felt needed it.  Very glad to hear it worked for you!

Rozzy

Hi Poetjanet,

 I too am large breasted 42DD and just finished my last rad appt today. Had a total of 35. I was extremely sore the first week after about the third treatment. This went on about two weeks. Rad Onc told me that larger breasted women which usually have more dense breasts and thus more to radiate are normally more sore in the beginning.  He advised me to moisturise several 3-4 times daily.  I used 100% Aloe Vera Gel (Fruit of the Earth and he advised me to use Udder Smooth Cream)  I alternated several times per day.

I learned the hard way not to use a face towel to wash my radiated breast or under the arm affected either.(wasnt told prior)  I burned pretty bad.  The skin on the radiated breast is very fragile and should just have water barely run down it to clean or justed dunked in tub water for cleansing. I used cetaphil as a cleanser for the radiated portion and just dunked and it worked much better.  Rad Onc also told me that larger breasted women may burn more because of the way the breast falls during radiation and creates folds so be careful to keep very dry prior to rads and moisturise the fold areas well afterwards.

Rozzy

forgot to mention. For the first few weeks I wore cotton sports bras that I found in Lane Bryant, they were very very comfortable. They were made like normal bras just cotton and had a bit of stretch and support.  I believe Caquique was the name of them.  When my breast were too sore and started to peel, I wore mens cotton v neck or tank type tshirts(Hanes), which kept the moisture at bay and provided a little support..Still wearing those as I don't think I can stand to wear a real bra just yet.

poetjanet

Hi  Rozzy. yea your done!  Thanks for telling me about being worse in the beginning.  That fruit of the earth aloe vera didn't work well for me because it would stick to shirt. I even tried to go to sleep with the shirt moved up away from my breast, but hours later when I woke up, it still got stuck to me. I am using another aloe vera gel from Lily of the Desert.  It is not thick.  Very wet and runny.  I put it on and go a natural until it dries in about half an hour or so.  never dries under my breast though, since no air gets under there.  Eventually wipe that off with a tissue. I put the Bard Extra Care cream they gave me to use immediatly after rad treatment, before I even go home.  I put the aloe on a little later. The aloe settles the pink down.  I tried emu oil, but it didn't settle the pink down.  Aquaphor felt irritating.  Also it's just like vasalene.  Had to use a lot of soap to wash that stuff off.  I know you are supposed to be clean and dry before treatment, so something that thick would leave a residue that I think might promote more burning. and trying to get it all washed off each time is probably also an irritating process. Is the udder cream thick and take long to dry?

as far as bras.  I've stopped wearing one around the house.  I don't work, so I don't have to go out often. When I do go out, I've gone back to wearing the bra that I found comfortable before surgery.  It is made by bestform.  I got it at a store here called Meijer. It's like a walmart store.  I also put an extender on the back that I got from lane bryant to make it less tight. 

Thanks again for telling me your story.  I've read on here to keep putting creams on for about two weeks or so after rads.  Some people still had problems after there rads were done.

Hope you heal up great!

poetjanet

Thanks ivory mom, I'll keep that in mind!