What to expect from Radiation

Youngwithbc

Hello,

I'm sure there is tons of info on this board already but I was looking though, and most of the threads are so long that I can't sort through them all! I was hoping some of you could give your experience with radiation and how you felt while you were being treated. I'm used to chemo completely destroying me where I can't do much of anything, but I know radiation does not have the same side effects. Were you still able to carry on with some activities throughout treatment? Mild exercise, social activities, etc? What were the main side effects for you? Was the fatigue bad? Hoping not nearly as bad as chemo where I could barely stand up on some days!

Thanks for your help.

cookiegal

Radiation is wierd. No fatigue first 2-3 weeks. Then it was mild. Then it was overwhelming. Oh and worst se's hit me after last treatment. I would be fine for a few hours and in the blink of an eye, exhausted. We went out to Valentines dinner at 5 PM and it hit me at 5:30. Had to put my head down on the table.

For a few days my brain felt really fried like a bad flu.

Recovery was slow and steady. First week or ten days after I finished I was a lost cause. Don't even remember it well.

3-4 weeks out I was pretty normal.

6 weeks out I was back to normal.

For what it's worth since I am large breasted I got a big dose. I was unemployed at the time.

I probably could have worked the first 3 weeks, I could not have worked for about two weeks. I also had some big blisters that made wearing real clothes impossible.

Annette47

It's very individual so you will mostly likely see a wide range of responses.

For me, I had almost zero skin problems - didn't even really turn more than a slight tinge of pink, except for with the boosts at the end, and even that just got a bit red right in the boost area -wasn't hot or painful or anything.  I think I'm unusual with that though.  For what it's worth I used aloe 3x daily throughout treatment.

As for fatigue, I did have some but it wasn't truly debilitating.   As I said to a friend at the time, "it's not so bad that I can't do stuff, but it is bad enought that I'm not particularly enjoying doing stuff " ... just felt down and draggy all the time, and exhausted by bedtime, but essentially functional.     I think part of the problem for me was that I tried very hard (probably too hard) not to let radiation interfere with my "normal' life (mostly because of my kids) so kept doing everything I had been doing - if I had scaled back a bit and gotten even just one more hour of sleep a night, I most likely would have been just fine.

The other main issue I had from radiation was some significant swelling and soreness in the treated breast, but that is steadily improving.   At 5 weeks out, the fatigue is gone and you'd never know anything happened to my skin, but the treated side is still a full cup size bigger than the other one.   My RO did say that I was "ahead of the curve" as far as recovery goes, so your experience may be different.

tuxtails

I started having se's going into week 3, itchy bumps and then blisters. I did the 16 regular with 4 boosts. By the last day I was red and sore. It has been a week and a half and most of the redness has faded. I used aloe at first, then switched to Aquaphor. I really didn't get tired, I would take some naps on the weekend though....I think it was from having to get up early and go to tx before work, glad I did it that way.

josie123

I felt nausea and had a headache the first few days.I also felt dizzy like almost faint but that went away soon.I didn't start getting fatigued

Until about the second week.It hit me when I was in the middle of the grocery store and I felt like someone just filled my legs with weights or lead.After that one episode It was enough to scare me into asking my Ro to give me a handicap sticker for my car.That way if I was out and about and the fatigue hit I would use it.I'm on my 22 tx and I'm very red but my fatigue strangely has not been to bad lately.

Janetanned

Radiation was so much easier for me than chemo.  I had very few SEs and my fatigue was barely noticeable.  I worked (teacher) throughout.  I scheduled my tx for the late afternoon.  By the time I was done I would pick up dinner for myself on my drive home and then go to bed early.  I told my family (husband & young adult children) that I was unavailable to make dinner or run errands after work for the duration.  It was kind of nice to know that I didn't have to do anything once I got home. 

My skin held up pretty well.  A small patch near my should developed itchy bumps during my final few txs.  I used a variety of moisturizers and kept everything covered in creams.  The RO gave me hydra-cortisone cream when the bumps showed up.  That helped with the itching.

I bought myself some cute hospital gowns (amazon, ebay, medical supply store) so that I didn't have to wear the rad center gowns.  They felt so nice and clean and always smelled fresh.  I packed a canvas bag with all of my essentials - gown, creams, wig brush, tissues, chapstick, wipes, reading material, Lifesaver mints, etc.  I would grab my bag and go.

Good luck!

cookiegal

Josie put it well. I was not sleepy. I would be fine and then boom!

On the bright side I lived about a 25 minute walk from the hospital and walked to all but the last week of treatments.

I even lost some weight and shaped up!

Moderators

Youngwithbc, as well as the personal experiences other members have shared, you'll find information about what to expect in the Radiation Therapy section of the main Breastcancer.org site. The links down the left side of that page for detailed descriptions.

To connect with others who are at the same stage of treatment as you, consider joining the Spring 2013 Rads thread here in the discussion boards.

• The Mods

ruthbru

Compared to chemo, radiation was easy for me. I did make sure I got some light exercise every day (mostly walking), and actually felt my energy returning.  I brought my tube of lotion right into the changing room with me, and slathered it on right after treatment (don't put any on during the day until after your zap or it will intensify the burn). I did not have skin issues at all, but near the end, my boob did feel hot and like I had a sunburn from the inside out. I bought a small fan and blew it up my shirt if I was sitting around, and slept with a fan trained on my chest at night. The 'hot' sensation lasted for about two weeks after my last treatment. Best of luck!

Youngwithbc

Thanks everyone! All of that sounds way more manageable than what I've been going through with my chemo side effects, so I'm definitely not dreading it as much as I did the start of chemo. Actually just looking forward to getting it done with. I am young and don't have children, and I'm on leave from work which I'll probably continue through radiation since it won't be too much longer at that point... so luckily I should be able to rest as much as needed. I will have to start looking into the best types of lotions and all that, although I assume my rad onc is probably going to have her recommendations before we start.

Janetanned- I like the idea of having your own hospital gowns... fun! I hate the gowns so much, didn't even think about the fact that I'll have to wear those.

ruthbru

I cried tears of happiness when I could turn right to the radiation side of the center, instead of left to the (shudder, shudder) chemo side!!!

Youngwithbc

Haha, I think I will feel that way too! Although I am still stuck in the chemo ward because of Herceptin... but it will still be "nice" to change things up a bit.. as nice as all this bad stuff can be, I guess!

Youngwithbc

Wondering how long it took for everyone to recover from any radiation side effects? I am trying to plan a vacation and want to go asap! The time that works looks like it will be about 2 weeks and a bit after my last treatment. Was anyone still dealing with anything major at that point? My doctor seemed fine with it, said she's had patients go away pretty much the next day.

It would be a hot/beach vacation, so I know I'd have to cover up the radiated area when in direct sun, but I'm more of a shade person anyway. Just need some MAJOR R&R. I had the same vacation planned last year and had to cancel it when I was diagnosed. I'm so excited about the idea of booking it again... but also a bit nervous since it got cancelled the first time!

Thanks for your help.

Luvmaui

I was in Mexico one week after the completion of radiation for my youngest son's beach wedding and, with a daily nap, I felt great! In fact the trip was a wonderful way to celebrate the end of treatment.

AnnieLane

Glad to have found this thread. I had my 4th & last chemo treatment last Thursday and radiation is up next for me.

Youngwithbc

Can anyone tell me how long your radiation burn lasted after treatment ended? If I go on vacation 3 weeks after my final treatment, am I still likely to be badly burned at that point? (if I do get a bad burn during my treatment, that is)

And also, for anyone who was in the sun/went swimming after radiation... what kind of swimsuit did you wear to cover up? I'm having trouble finding swimsuits online that provide coverage above the breast area that aren't super sporty or ugly looking! I guess wearing a swim shirt is also an option.