December 2017 Radiation Group

Rhyfelwr

Hi, PauletteK. You were over on the DX 2017 board, I think, and saw the thread over there about skin after rads. Mine is mostly just really red/dark and painful. No open oozy spots, and I hope it stays that way! I got a package of very soft men's undershirts and cut out the sleeves, to wear as a base layer. No bra! And then something colorful and loose on top so that I can go out in public and not be embarrassed. Lots of cream. I am slathering on, in decreasing order of potency, Silvadene burn cream (Rx), lidocaine, hydrocortisone (Rx leftover from my annual encounters with poison ivy), calendula cream, and aloe and vit E cream. I walk into the bathroom every couple of hours and think: Hm.....what do I want to put on this time!?

I know it is just temporary. So I complain about it, but try to keep it in perspective. I know it will go away soon.

lifechoices2017

HELLO all and thanks for your kind words.

I pray that each of you have had a great rads free weekend:)

Jellybean68 I hope you are feeling and healing better.

Back to the zaps tomorrow... Can you believe this time next week is Christmas Eve; time is zooming so quickly. Before you know it, it'll be 2018!

Can I ask how many already know their next step? Like meds? I'll be on tamoxifen and have been reading on it. Funny thing, I'm pre/perimenopausal so not sure if my SEs will be the meds or just me. Lol

I guess I'll find out soon enough. Let the games begin:)

PauletteK

Rhyfelwr - I just got my calendula cream and ready for the bad days, I guess I will check my RO on Silvadene burn cream when skin gets real pink. I’m only going to be #8, I should wait a week or two.

I don’t put that much cream on he weekend, only used Aquaphor in the morning, maybe I should put some more cream on next hour?

lifechoices2017

Rhyfelwr, I lotion the same on the weekends as I do during the week. Not sure if it matters, but I just wanted my skin to stay consistent for the zaps. It may not make a difference and could just be a mind thing, but it made me feel better. Lol. Yesterday as mom and I was shopping, I was in the stall at JCP lathering as if I had rads.

So far so good, and I guess as I see the post I'll be lotioning at least 2wks after rads are complete. I'm beginning to think my left boob gonna get jealous giving the right all of this attention. Lololololol

gigibee

I am doing prone and had 0 positive nodes.

lifechoices2017

gigibee, I think we're the same ...

gigibee

Rhyfelwr, I had the choice on hypo fractionated or standard, My RO said she would do either as my first opinion said Hypo but she did cite the study was based on women 50 and over which showed the results were the same, and told me it is a stronger amount of radiations, I am 43 and I opted for the traditional course. I will do 23 prone and 7 boost, in the supine position to original tumor area .

lifechoices2017 I love the idea of the bags, what a beautiful way to pay it forward. I will be on tam, estimating mid feb-ish

I received my Calendula lotion over the weekend. Oh my, it is wonderful!!! It was freezing cold from being in my mailbox and I was mad because I wanted to apply it right away. Very happy to have learned about it here.

Rhyfelwr

PauletteK, I think the goal at this stage is to keep your skin moisturized and healthy. You don't need to be slathering up too heavily. The calendula can be a good after-treatment cream, in a moderate and not a sloppy amount! I found that the real effects of the rads didn't bloom until 3-5 days after treatment ended. Like so many things in this process, the most distressing thing about it was that I hadn't really expected that delay in SE. Knowing it now, though, it is manageable. My underarm started bothering me after they had stopped radiating there but while I was still doing boosts (the last 5 days, on lumpectomy site only). Those areas they boosted are beginning to bother me now this weekend, after finishing on Thursday. But my RO and the nurse were pleased that I was going into this phase with my skin in pretty good shape and thought things wouldn't get bad (splitting, oozing etc).

So keep the calendula handy -- use some now on treatment days, and use the Aquaphor enough to keep your skin soft and supple. And then, as you get closer to the end, be ready to be more aggressive.

(I say this all very bravely, but really I am only a couple weeks ahead of you!)

PauletteK

Rhyfelwr - I also use Miaderm as my RO suggested and I usually use that right after radiation. I also use green tea to wash my area before I apply lotion. I think it helps.

OCDAmy

Half way finished with rads! Woot! Woot! I have no skin issues other that a little pinkish skin in the upper chest area. Should be completed on January 9 and then back to the MO to discuss endocrine therapy. Hope everyone has a good week.

tlfrank

My last treatment was last Wedensday and my skin is still getting worse. I first got a couple of blisters in my armpit, after that the skin started to peel revealing very pink tender skin below - I think it'll peel again. I'm using a combination of creams - silvadene, hydrocortozone, calendula cream, and a topical lidocaine. I'm also getting waves of pretty intense hot flashes during the day and night. Is anyone else still experiencing the worsening of SE like this?

lifechoices2017

Good Morning and HAPPY MONDAY ALL!

Its back to the 'zaps'...

tlfrank; so sorry for your skin SEs I truly hope and pray that this is the last phase of peeling and that healing is on the way.

OCDAmy

tlfrank, OUCH! That looks so sore. I am sorry you are having such bad skin problems. Hope it heals quickly.

PauletteK

tlfrank - I don’t have enough experience to give you advice, it looks pretty bad to me. Did silvadene cream help at all

DodgersGirl

tlfrank-- while my skin was healing after rads, I applied aquaphor mixed with RadiaGard (has lidocaine in it) and then covered with Tefla pad (shiny side to skin) and then wore a tight Cotten tshirt to keep pad in place. Changed pads 2 to 3 times a day. Cleaned with sterile gauze pads dipped in water/hydrogen peroxide.

In less than 2 weeks, all skin is slightly pink or tan and not broken.

Good luck!!

tlfrank

Silvadene doesn't seem to be helping...nothing seems to be helping. Last week, at my last treatment, when the RO looked at me she only said that she expected it to blister but otherwise was unconcerned. She did give me Tramadol, but it doesn't help.

70charger

tlfrank air it as much as possible put a fan to blow on it. This helps to dry it out. Make sure u lay so the underside gets dry as well. Do this several times a day if possible.

Ellyn27

tifrank - I'm sorry you are having these SEs. Sending you hugs and hoping you are feeling better soon. I agree that letting it air dry a bit with nothing on it may help. With all this lotion we put on, our skin is always so moist and that's not normal.

I finished 15/20 today and will have my last 5 RADs over the next 4 days (getting a double dose one day so I can end Friday). So far I have a few tiny red dots above my breast. RO told me today to use the hydrocortizone ASAP and then use Aquaphor over that. Both the RO and nurse told me my skin was looking better than most, so fingers crossed it doesn't get worse (especially with the double dose the one day). I found out that after completing my RADs I need to have a one-month followup with my RO for her to check my skin. 

I got a stmt in the mail over the weekend (not a bill) from the hospital showing 2 weeks worth of RADs. I think this is what they send to my insurance. I could not believe the amount!!!! I don't know how people without insurance could do this. 

DodgersGirl

tlfrank-- it can take 2 weeks after rads for all to heal. The skin damage is below what you see and as that comes to the surface, there can be places where skin is missing from the rads. New skin fills that all in pretty quickly.

I hope your RO finds something that works for you. I saw a skin care nurse that is part of my ROs office for a few days in a row. She cleaned away dead skin and helped me learn what to do to get my skin healed as quickly as possible

PauletteK

tlfrank - send your prayers and hugs, hope you feel better soon. Ellyn has a good suggestion air dry it should help. But with all the cold weather you need to wear a big top to air it

OCDAmy

My RO told me not to apply cream multiple times during the day. He has me putting corn starch on the treated area because he wants it to stay dry and not chafe. He did say if I had open skin not to put the corn starch on it. I put on the creams at night. Makes sense that the breast needs to stay dry I guess.

Rhyfelwr

Ttfrank -- I know you feel awful. Thank you for sharing the picture. That is me, too, at the moment. Things make it feel slightly better, but nothing feels great. I am just holding out for that moment two weeks from now.

I know you probably didn't think that photo would be encouraging to anyone, but it was.....

Georgia1

Oh, Tlfrank, I am so sorry! Tramadol worked wonders for me after a car accident this summer when nothing else worked at all. So stick with it and maybe add melatonin to get some sleep and temporary relief. Sending you hugs and good wishes.

Kiwi-in-Thailand

Tlfrank... thanks for the sharing, I really hope that you are able to get more comfortable real soon. It really helps to know I'm not alone. I'm most of the way to where you are and just got one boost left tomorrow then I graduate (yeah)... I'm super itchy and really red with some open areas, but mainly trying to keep it dry and just use Aloe. Not much pain to be honest. I'm told I can start to use some vitamin e cream that they've given me in a weeks time but nothing other than aloe before then. The good thing is that it will get better and for me it's a breeze compared to chemo :-) we're all getting slightly different advice but for once in my life I'm doing as I'm told !!!

PauletteK

Kiwi, you are almost done radiation! Yay! I still have 22 sessions to go ☹️

I’m so happy I got session 8 done, skin still holding up. I saw my RO and he suggested that I continue to use Miaderm on my breast and armpit areas, don’t use Aquaphor. I’m praying that my skin will hold up.

PVM

ladies had a pretty emotional day at Rads today. Normally I'm the easy go lucky girl that is always friendly & polite but today I lost it & broke down & cried. I was talking to a fellow BC sister & the look of horror that came upon her face when I told her how many positive lymph nodes i had just set me off. Not sure if it's the tamoxifen that besides the awesome hot flashes makes me super emotional. I honestly wish I understood more about my diagnostic i trust my RO when she told me don't worry we got all the cancer out & it didn't test positive for this that & your low risk for this. Maybe I'm dumb for not asking for everything but I just did not want the added stress & just wanted to fight the beast. I'm tired & emotionally drained & I still have another 16 Rads to go. It's hard being the happy go lucky girl, BC is so not pink ribbons I know we're all tired & scared but honestly I hate BC & what it does to us & all it takes from us. Sorry ladies had to let it out, i will be okay & get back into my kick cancer in the butt mode soon enough.

Redheadhere

I've had very little skin issues and I'm a fair skinned redhead. Some redness but no pain or itching. What I am experiencing is the cording under my arm and fluid retention where the lymph nodes were removed and pain in this general area from the muscles shrinking I guess. Am talking to my dr. about this today and seeing a PT tomorrow. I'm small breasted so I think they are getting more under the arm behind the breast.

PauletteK

PVM - don’t feel bad, we all get emotional and I cried so many times during this journey. When I talked about my BC I can’t help to cry again. Hugs!! I spoke to my case nurse, I’m one of those people will love to dig out all the truth, learned all the details, because I have been an accountant most of my life. For now, I am doing differently, I only want to know enough and I don’t want to overly prepare myself. If you know more, you will be more stress. Could be I’m getting older, I don’t want to stress myself out. I learned to trust my doctors and I read about how to prevent cancer to come back instead.

Redhead - I worried and watched my fluid retention, during this time, I’m doing my manual massage to drain the fluid and wear my sleeve as much as I can. I have a flexitouch pump but I don’t think it is good idea to use it now, spoke to my RO she said just use it on the weekend. But I don’t know how much longer my skin would like that honestly, I don’t want my skin to get red.

Will be going for my #9 today!

OCDAmy

PVM, my thoughts exactly! The moment I was told I had a positive node during my US (when I had surgery it ended up being two nodes) I have been worried about it. Someone asked me why I was getting so many treatments when most women only need lumpectomy and rads...I said because it was in a damn node and the tumor was large, I am doing everything possible to kill this crap.

This morning I noticed little pin prick marks, sort of looks like tiny scratches. I asked the techs about it and they said it is normal after 14 treatments. Ugh! It is probably downhill from here with SEs.

Ellyn27

Well, my 3 tiny red dots above my breast have grown into multiple and they've gotten a little itchy. I don't itch the skin, I kind of rub my hand over my shirt. I showed the techs today and they said to just keep up w/the hydrocortizone in that area and aquaphor on top of that and all over. They said it may get a bit worse before it gets better. I only have 4 boosts left now, starting tomorrow and doubling up on Thursday so I can finish this Friday ... yeah!!!  Eat healthy, stay busy and try not to think about it. We need to keep up with our protein intake to help those good cells regenerate and take over. With the holidays and end of year, our lives get so busy. I'm trying so hard to not stress. I've actually had this "I don't give a hoot" attitude lately and I'm surprising myself because I always stress about everything!!!

PauletteK - I agree with you ... the more we know, the more we worry. 

Lastly, I don't know if you ladies will have this, but I had to make a one-month post-RADs followup with my RO. I made the appt today and they told me I'd first be meeting with a nurse where they will create a "care plan" for me. I have no idea what that is, but they said to come 20 minutes earlier to meet with the nurse.