Did you get covered during radiation treatments?

I've had BC on both sides had the simple treatment in each case.  After positioning I was covered with a light cloth, I appreciated it, mostly because it was a bit warmer than nothing.

It would be nice to be asked our preference........  Tami

The only part that was exposed was my left breast and underarm.  The johnny covered the rest. All the techs were female, so it didn't bother me.

I totally agree with you, Please cover me up not because of modesty, but it is so freakin cold in there.  I am at this point not shy at all , everyon and their brother has seem my boobs, but it is simple consideration.  Sometimes my therapists do cover me and sometimes they do not.  whatever.  but thanks for the thoughts.

I had a men and women while I recieved radiation.  The johnny covered up most of me.  My right breast was exposed and they always covered me up right when they were done.

This is very sweet of you to ask about.  I know it bothers some much more than others.  It really bothered me at my first tx, but by the end, they had all seen it all..daily.

Thanks for thinking of us. 

I was not covered and was nude from the waist up.  It was freezing!  Why does it have to be so cold in the treatment room?  I always had female therapists which made it much more comfortable.  ONE day a substitute tech came from another facility, a young guy... that threw me a curve ball but "we" survived.  Sometimes the techs covered my arms with towels but they always slid off as I was shaking so much from the cold.  i wondered why I could not have worn the hospital gown with the opening in the front?  Then I could have just bared my chest and kept my arms in the sleeves.  But I never asked.  I saw the need to be exposed and tolerated it.

What I did not like... we breast cancer pts had to undress and put on a gown, then wait in a coed patient waiting room.  Often we were sitting there, half nude,  with men of all ages in street clothes... not that it would have been any better if they were in hospital gowns too.  I was so used to the privacy and "Girls Only" atmosphere of mammogram screening facilities.  

PAM 

By the time I got to radiation I was so used to people peeking at my boob.  I had only one male radiation technician and he was very respectful, as they all were.  They were professionals doing their job.  At all times I was comfortable in my johnnie with only the important bits exposed.  I think my body is special, but for the technicians it's just one of many throughout the day so it never bothered me. 

I can understand how the male technicians don't want to keep coming in to take a peek to make sure everything's lined up.  I think it would just exacerbate the situation -- covered, uncovered, covered...  So I'm with them on keeping the breast uncovered.  Also, it would be a pain in the patoutie to have them to keep coming in and out to adjust the pillow case, and take more time.  I'd prefer to have the tattoos visible to make sure everything was lined up correctly. 

The place I went to had separate women's and men's waiting rooms.  That was nice.  I got to chat with other women. Lots of compassion all round.  I also liked how the technicians asked what music I wanted to hear.  One patient had the golden oldies piped in so she could sing along during her radiation!

I think the most important thing is seeing the smiles from the technicians, the gentle chit-chat, that they are relaxed about my partial nudity.  And say what they are doing at all times, ie. I just need to shift your body, I need to move you a bit, etc.  Makes it more comfortable.

Thank-you for asking our opinions!  You are very kind and I'm sure your patients appreciate your thought and consideration.

Elizabeth

Heehee -- the first time I took everything off and just had the johnnie, undies and socks on -- what did I know?  Duh... It was funny when I left and one of the technicians said I could keep my bottom half of clothes on.  I just joked that I was an exhibitionist and would keep them on next time.

Yep .. chest was totally exposed for rads, CT and prep for radiation.  My techs were mostly female, but male as well.  What I didn't like was the male equipment repair men watching me through the glass hole in the wall while attempting to fix the radiation machine.  At some point, I felt there wasn't a single person left in my town that hadn't seen my boobs.

And yes, the radiation suite was cold, the steel table was cold and the position on the table was uncomfortable.  I never got used to the noise the machine made and how quickly the techs ran out of the room before the beams started up! 

We had men and women in the waiting room and you could see the patients walking from the dressing area to the radiation area.  Some of the guys must have been having their prostate radiated cause you could see their naked butts when they walked down the hall.  All they could see of me was my naked back and tattoo on my back.

Looking back now .. those 8 weeks seemed to pass by pretty quickly.

KS ... thanks for asking .. how kind of you.

Bren 

The place where I did rads last year was unusual in that they just had you take your shirt off and get on the table when you walked in...talk aboutfeeling strange--they had 2 male and 2 female techs... they did cover my other breast carefully with my tee shirt during the treatment and I  always had the other side covered with the bolus...the rads were very diificult for me emotionally..much more so than the chemo even...I will say tho that the techs were very nice and  respectful-- I think that the just taking off the shirt part was more of a time issue than anything else..I was in and out in about 10 minutes every morning. 

Just finished rads a week ago.  2 guys and 2 females who alternate with rads.  They call you in from waiting room and you change in one of two rooms.  You only have to remove top garments and put on gown.  After laying on table they take my right arm out of gown to expose right breast and fold back gown over other side.  Then they line up  and do the rads.  Once they are done the first thing they do when they come back in room is put arm back in gown to cover me up.  No one else is back there to see you in gown.  They do not call anyone else back till you are done.  The only days I saw anyone else back there is the days I had to see the onc or his PA once a week.  Then someone would have been called back while I was in a room with them.  Glad rads are over, but they were much easier than chemo.  I still have 5 more months of herceptin.  I was out from rads most days in less than 10 minutes.  With boosts maybe even less.  I was first patient after lunch , so never had to wait on anyone else ahead to be done.

For me, being covered was not an issue of modesty but of being treated with respect and dignity.

The techs where I was treated thought I was an object. The treated side (I'm post-mast) was never covered and the other side was most of the time. However, that's because I asked the first time for a sheet. Otherwise I was expected to undress behind a curtain in the treatment room and walk to the table undressed. They're supposed to give everyone a sheet but can't be bothered. The first time when I asked for a sheet they even asked why!. yeah, let them not only have to lie down exposed unnecessarily but walk around in front of strangers that way and see if they ask! The worst part of rads was the attitude of the techs. 

At your next meeting, tell that to the staff. Their attitude is what will make a difference. I know some women aren't bothered by exposing their breasts (or one remaining breast!) to medical personnel by the time they get to rads but some are. The patient should be the one who decides if she wants to be exposed. If the techs are uncomfortable with that, point out to them that it's better for the uncomfortable person to be the healthy person not the one with cancer. A tad of sensitivity training is not amiss. Anyone who puts the temperature of a room where people will be undressed at 55 should not be allowed to adjust the temperature.

You can also tell them that now, 7 weeks post-rads, the memory of how I was treated is still painful and upsetting. 

Thank you for caring enough to seek our opinion. I can see you're a fine, caring, person.

Leah

I haven't had radiation yet but I will need it sometime soon.  Reading this has made me a little anxious- YES I would prefer to be covered!  I guess I'm still early in the process, I've only had BL lumpectomies so far, but whenever I have been examined the doctors have always been sensitive and made me feel more comfortable by covering me back up as soon as they are done.  I never had to ask.

It's more about dignity and respect for me as a person.  I don't care how many breasts they see during a work day, these are mine, not theirs, and it should be my choice to be covered or not!  If it's cold in there too-  well, I just don't even know what to say about that!   

I wonder if they would feel the same if they were treating their mother or sister. 

I wore my pants and shoes and they had me wear a short cape that came down to about my waist and it snapped down the front. When I got on the radiation table I would unsnap, arms over head, they positioned me, covered up my good side and left. Two minutes later (if that) they were back in. I believe I only had one man that ever helped. And I know he was the same person who drew the pattern on my breast. But like everyone says at that point you show it to everyone and you don't really care. I was even showing my breast to my neighbors (just the ladies) after my surgery.

When I went in for my planning and tattoos, I was led to a dressing room and told to put on a gown with the opening in back.  Because my muscles still are weak from my surgery, I was unable to tie the gown in the back so I left it open.  The nurses disappeared and I was left on my own to get myself to the waiting area.  I was never informed that the area where I would wait for the treament was co-ed.  If they had let me know, I would have put two gowns on, one open in the back and the other over it open in the front.  Instead I was struggling to keep the one gown from slipping off my shoulders in full view of two men sitting directly across from me in street clothes, staring at me.  Yes, it was weird that the men were wearing street clothes and not gowns....but even more uncomfortable that they were staring at me.