How long after rads til healed

tlgio17

Hello, I just completed rads last week (25). My skin held up well during but the last week and now is not so much. Wondering how long it realistically takes before skin heals. Mine is very red and dark purple w some peeling and very tender. Worst spots are my clavicle, and under breast area along w under arm pit. The pain is worse this week than all of the radiation weeks. I am scheduled to return to work on the 18th and hoping to be healed by then so wanted to check to see how long it took w others.

Thanks for any feedback!!

Traci

rational

I am two and one half weeks post rads.

During last week of rads, severe damage manifested underneath breast first. By end of rads, area underneath breast was blistering, peeling, oozing, cracked open and bleeding. Was put on oral antibiotics and narcotic pain relief. Underneath breast area mostly healed within two weeks.

However, entire area across breast now even more severely damaged than underneath breast. Still on oral antibiotics and narcotic pain relief. My bra sticks to skin when try to remove it so I use nonstick pads inside bra at work. Makes me wince to see it.

Radiation oncologist recommended going topless, but I'm pretty sure that violates firm's dress code At home I do go braless with open shirt. I sleep topless too, but the skin sometimes sticks to sheets.

I can only take the narcotic pain relievers at night since they put me in a sleepy stupor.

In last few days, I have also sharp electric-like jolts of pain in two places in breast and armpit that interfere with sleep even after taking narcotic pain relief.

I do not understand the apparently uneven rate of damage to different radiated areas since radiation delivered all at same time. Now the side and armpit area are beginning to show same symptoms: blistering, peeling, oozing. No cracks and bleeding yet though.

Yesterday radiation oncologist told me all damage should heal within 4-6 weeks. Ouch!

Zillsnot4me

it's been awhile. I had black strips of skin in armpit. I remember being amazed how fast it did actually heal. The difference a week made. However I highly recommend getting an rx for silvadyne. It's for burn patients. Goes on like whip cream. Very soft and soothing. Good luck.

rational

My rad onc gave me silvadyne early on but recommended yesterday that I discontinue use of it and expose open raw area to air.

tlgio17

Thanks ladies!

Rational: Ouch that sounds awful. Hope yours heals up too. I feel best when I am braless too but of course I can't go out in public like that or work lol.

I wasn't sure if I should call for silverdyne or not. I've been managing the pain w Alleve but it barely makes a dent. Also get the sudden pain twinges in armpit and side.

Hang in there!! Its amazing how strong we can be with all this!!

Susug

I love silvadyne it worked really good for. I have a tub of it left I keep in the refrigerator it's wonderful for small kitchen burns and sunburns. My grandson was swimming at our lake house last weekend he is very fair. That night he woke up screaming he was so burned I put that silvadyne on him it was instant relief. Hope you get to feeling better soon

tlgio17

Thank u. The Dr just called a Rx for that so I am happy to get it too!!

Kicks

I burned very bad after last Rad. Have the scars to prove it .

Had been very slight 'pink' ( I'm very 'white'/light) on day 24 and a bit pinker on day 25. The next morning, I woke up to the entire irradiated area blistered or weeping. Saw my Rads Dr that day and he said to just keep using creams. Only kept getting worse with the entire area 'weeping/flowing" and vicodan was my 'friend'. (Thankfully the deepest burn area was under arm where there is nerve damage so the deepest didn't hurt. . That was early March. No matter what I tried (annihilated my huge aloe vera plants) helped slow the flow of fluid which literally flowed. Silvadine/Sulfadine was not an option as I'm allergic to Sulfa drugs but I never developed an infection the entire time. What finally worked was a TX that his RN found - Domoboro soaks. Domoboro is an astringent/drying agent and as soon as I started using it, started to get positive results. The last scab can off on June 29th while I was seeing my PA.

There are time that moisturizing is needed but there are other times that moisturizing can prolong the healing process and drying is needed. You might want to talk with your Dr.

Domoboro is a powder that is mixed in water and can be gotten 'Over The Counter' in pharmacies. Most of the pharmacieshere, you have to ask at the Desk for it as it usually isn't out on the shelf but is not a 'script.

msphil

hello I took a 6mo leave from work to heal But different amount of time for us all my hands n feet were dark the longest but did come back to pink. Thank God I'm still here 24yrs later this yr so was well worth the discoloration. Praise God Ms Phil idc stage2 0/3 nodes Lmast chemo 3mo before n after surgery got married then rads 7wks 5yrs tamoxifen. Praise God still here.