Spring 2016 Rads

Cathytoo

Valstim52...what creams are you using? I ordered Miaderm and Glaxal Base. Also have Aquaphor for night. Did your RO mention cornstarch to you

buttaflydiva

I start rads Monday. cant wait lol

sarahrae

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Awesome to have so many from NC. Cbowle, I have lived in Haywood and Jackson counties~loved them both! Deacon~ yes, your name makes perfect sense now! I lived in WS for about two years, still miss it! was a great re-entry point for NC from my San Francisco years!

Had my CT appt yesterday, waiting for my dry run appt to be scheduled. will likely start next week. Going to grab up some creams today while I'm out, including a script I received from an integrated MD in the area. They mix it up at the Montford Chinese Acupuncture and Herbology Clinic, I'm anxious to see what is in it!

congrats to those that are finished and thanks for all of the shared info, struggles, and joy!

Deaconlady

You got this, valstim52!! Hope your treatment goes well. Sorry to hear about your hands!

Valstim52

Deaconlady, thanks so much

Cathytoo, He recommended 100% Aloe gel right after my 1st treatment. He said play it by ear, but he recommended at night to use a heavier cream like eucerin or Aquaphor. They had a list and samples: Eucerin, aquaphor, a vitamin e cream (can't remember the name) cocoa butter, miaderm without lidocaine.

He said to condition the skin before it starts to break down. I did that last time. I had an aloe plant, and used the oil from that, and used aloe gel and eucerin. It worked back then.

Valstim52

Hello All

Had my first treatment. Went long, as they are using something called a red laser attachment? It will shut the machine off automatically if I let my breath out while holding it, so getting those markers was a little grueling

They gave me cocoa butter lotion to slather on before I got dressed.

tbalding

Valstim, hope it goes quickly for you with no se.

Day 7/21. Definatetly pink and a little tender. Hoping it doesn't get any worse.

Valstim52

tbalding, what are you using? creams?

tbalding

Just Phytoplex nourishing cream provided by RO. 3-4 times a day. Asked techs about it this morning. They told me to keep using cream, if it got worse, they would give me something else. I have aloe, cortisone cream & Aquaphor on hand just in case, but trying to do what RO says.

ejmann44

What deodorants are safe to use on the off days?

Hootowl

Valstim52--I think my favorite skin cream through 21 treatments is the Boron Calendula cream. I bought it at Earth Fare. I have no broken areas just redness so far. That and the Aquaphor. Hope all goes well for you and the pain gets taken care of

New-girl

Going for 24/33.  Skin is hanging on but so so red and leather feeling.  Thankfully no breakage and the itchy is mostly bearable with plenty of cortisone and distraction. 

Carlsoda

Day 3 for me, skin started turning pink yesterday and today has a lovely glow like I was out in the sun. It's a bit on the sore side too...not too bad and nothing to complain about. I do love my early morning Appts. I think I am the 2nd or 3rd person in the morning they treat so my appt is super fast....in and out within 15 minutes. I also started walking in the morning ... extra steps to keep up the energy! Hope everyone is doing ok

Valstim52

Carlsoda are you using any creams?

LovesToFly

a haiku:

nipple is on fire

It's like a million bee stings

Only 4 to go

Deaconlady

LovesToFly ouch! Sorry to hear that.

Word to the wise, in my haste to get the little stickers off, please don't just peel them off quickly. I have a lovely place near my nipple with peeled skin. 3 days after final rads and I'm an itchy icky mess. 😕

LovesToFly

Ouch deacon! Hope that heals soon.

I don't have any stickers, I've got tattoos, and they draw around them with marker. Thank goodness I've only got four to go, the tech warned me that I probably about have about three weeks before I really start seeing skin improvement though, and it will still get worse.

Deaconlady

Glad you are almost done Lovestofly. I have tattoos on my back but can't easily see them.

Carlsoda

Lovestofly..almost done, you can make it!

Decanlady...I hope your skin heals soon. What we have to go through and yet we don't question it,just do it!

Valstim, yup I am using aloe. I applied it three times today but was originally told just twice a day.

tbalding

Day 8/21, skin is getting redder & nipple is very sore. I'm afraid that Jill's Haiku will apply to me soon

Deaconlady, ouch, hope it heals quickly. I have tattoos and also some marks & tape. I kept having reactions to the tape when left on for several days, skinned turned red under tape & itched. Now they are using a paint pen with no tape. So far that seems to work.

Good luck the rest of the week, we've passed the halfway mark.

Paxton29

My team warned me to let the top sticker, no longer necessary for the boosts, fall off on its own so I wouldn't remove any skin. It's been hard to be patient.

I'm now almost a week out from my last "whole" treatment, and my skin is a lot better. The red has calmed down, the pain under the arms is basically gone, and I'm peeling. I do have a little blistering on the right which doesn't hurt and in fact I thought it was part of my tissue expander poking up or something.

32 down, 4 to go!!!

KarenInCanada

Hi Jill....sorry to hear about the issues with your nipple, so happy to hear you are almost done!!!

I start Rads tomorrow....I guess we should have a new thread for summer rads but I'm not sure I can do it! I know there is some links to put in.

I will be having 16 plus 5boosts. See my RO tomorrow as well. Hope it goes fast. I had Herceptin alone last Tues and it took me out for about 24 hours. Will have to ask them to do it a little slower. Also had major heartburn from it (thanks for the gaviscon tip Jill, works like a charm!)

Hair is coming in but I ordered to hair halo wigs today to wear under a hat without melting! I'm just plain tired of looking like a sick cancer patient.....and have some concerts this summer that I would like to be cool and comfortable at.

Katzpjays

LTF - burning hit me today too. Only 5 boosts left now. Miaderm is giving me more relief than hydrocortisone. The radiation field is much smaller starting tomorrow...just in time

Katzpjays

Karen- good luck with your rads. I actually got through treatment 14 before any significant redness, etc. on fire today, but the Miraderm is working fine. Will give you and update after my 5 boosts. I have exercised 4x/week and have avoided any significant fatigue as well. All in all...very doable

PlanB58

Jill- your Haiku fits me as well! The new pink baby skin is so tender! I think I may wear a nipple pad forever! Hope your does not get any worse!

Deaconlady- Even though you are a red itchy mess you are a DONE itchy mess!

Paxton Glad your skin is starting to heal soon you will no longer be sporting the blue paper gown!

Only 2 more days til the weekend you all can do this

ejmann44

Jill, if I don't know what I'm talking about because I'm just getting started then tell me...what if you get some of those small round cotton pads and get them cold in the freezer, maybe dampen them so they freeze a little more. Then put those on your nipples between your skin and bra. I'm assuming you are trying to wear a bra.

I don't start until the 28th. If I have burning nipples I don't know what I'll do. I have two very busy tweens and need to be out and about but I HAVE to wear a bra. Hmmmmm....

LovesToFly

I am wearing a bra, a cotton tank bra. It's better then no bra, keeps my breasts for moving around so that my nipple grabs my top, and also keeps the skin from stretching.

Saline soaks are very soothing, but don't last long!

Sheri64

Two weeks out from final rads and my skin is doing much better. All the redness is gone and I just have a little peeling skin. The skin is still very dark but I am sure that is going to take more time. Still tried but trying to get back to walking.

LovesToFly

just prescribed flamazine. Thoughts?

tbalding

Day 9/21. Good news is that I'm over half way through the 16 whole breast treatments. Bad news is that it keeps getting redder every day. Stings a little when I apply the cream. Still able to exercise, but I'm going to cut arms to of a t shirt and wear it under my sports bra for next class. Nipple is very tender & sensitive. Where do you find the nipple pads?