May 2010 Rads Group

Finished regular rads this morning.  Skin is quite red, still some itchiness but subsiding (with hydrocortizone) and some blistering and peeling under the fold.  Now onto 6 boosts.  With the July 1 holiday here, I should be done next Wednesday July 7th. Can't wait.

Nice to hear the healing goes fast once it's over.   

I have finished the wide area treatment and now start the boost treatments tomorrow (8 of them).  I'll be finished July 9th.  I can't wait.  Today after my treatment, the tech pulled off some of the sticky clear Bandaid type things and when she pulled one off, it pulled my skin off with it!  OUCH!  It hurt like crazy.  The rad/onc thinks my skin will blister with the boosts as he's going to use a bolus on each one.  Did any of you have a bolus with your boosts?  If so, how often?

I had the bolus.  It sounds weird, but it's just a plastic thing they put over the area to radiate at the correct depth.  Jelly-like feel.  They always warned me it would feel cold, but I found it soothing.  I had 8 boosts with bolus.

My gals were really careful when they peeled back stickers.  Sorry yours hurt, rocket.

As my skin got sore and red, the stickered areas itched, so my techs removed the stickers and replaced them, repositioning them to give the other areas a chance to breathe.  My gals added the stickers and sharpie lines when I was prepped for boosts.

I just finished 33 rad treatments with the Bolus but I was told that it actually helps the radiation sink in to certain areas like maybe scar tissue and it is actually the reason for the skin break-down or reaction.  My rad gave me to add to my burn pile (things I will burn when I am finished with all my treatment).  I don't know if anyone was told that about the bolus.  My skin got worse before it got better-burned through 3 payers of skin and then infection.  I was allergic to sulfur but used the Acquafor and a steriod cream they prescribed.  Also,Desitin (diaper rash cream) worked very well because of the zinc oxide.  My last treatment was last Friday and I will say I am 85 percent better.  We cancelled PT until my skin heeled also but once it started healing it is going really fast. One other thing-don't pull off the stickers. ouch-I was told they would fall off on their own and the did.  Good luck you strong women!

Great new!  You last treatment!  Finishing my last treatment was an undescribable day.  After 4 month of chemo and 7 weeks of radiation I couldn't believe I was finally there.  It's like imagining your hight school graduation on your first day of kindergarten!  Do something special today.

Me too Leslie!  You and I were right together!  I am done as well...YIPPPPPPEEEEE!

Yes the bolus is used to fool the radiation into thinking that the bolus is actually your skin so that when the radiation beams penetrate to a certain depth they are actually getting the upper layers of your skin.  That's why your skin would tend to burn more with the bolus treatments.  I have had them every third treatment of the 28 and now for the final 8 boost treatments I have the bolus on each one.  I have seven more treatments to go!!!!!  The tech pulled the stickers off quickly and that's why the skin came off with them.  I have four spots where the skin came off.  I didn't notice it at first, but I did this morning when I took a shower.  Can I just say "OW!"  The skin is raw and weepy.  They gave me Elta cream today which feels more like cooking oil to put on it.  YUCK!  I had to go to work following my treatment with that nasty stuff all over me.   It's like putting melted butter on your skin.  I sure hope it works.

Yeah for being finished!  Yeah for being close to finishing! 

It is great not to have to fit rads into your day.  Celebrate!

Hi All,

I was doing pretty well emotionally with the radiation until yesterday.  I have been working ten hour days at my job, and I'm in my final two weeks of treatments.  I was so fatigued last night I could barely get in the shower and into bed at 8:30 pm.  The exhaustion seems to come all of a sudden and totally wipes me out.  My skin is so swollen and painful that when the water from the shower washed over it I began to sob.  I cried and cried having a major pity party.  I haven't cried in a month, so maybe it was just building up.  My poor husband didn't know what to do with me.  I finally fell asleep for five hours and then got up and went to work at 6:30 am and then my treatment and back to work.  I think exhaustion is one of the worst side effects of radiation, along with the skin breakdown.  I just can't wait to be done.

{{{Rocket}}}

You've said exactly how we all feel! I've worked through my chemo, my radiation, my biopsies. The only time I took off was the 6 wks during my BMX. I just wanted to stay as normal as possible and be around my friends.

 We're almost there! I have 3 more to go. The final week flies by!!!

Hi all-

It sounds like we all are having very similar effects.  Rocket, yes, it seems like the fatigue comes out of nowhere.  You'll be moving along fine and then BAM!  I don't get that part of it.  Mom3b1g I had queasy stomach as well.  Somedays I would feel like I needed to eat all the time; others I would not want anything.  

I will tell you that I am blown away at how quickly my skin is recovering.  My last 5 txs were the boost, and that was focused on the nipple...but the burnt under boob and armpit are rapidly healing.  I am having chest tightness in the evening, right at the middle.  That's a new feeling, but it goes away if I take a few deep breaths.

I'm pouring on the lotion now, more than ever.  My favorite thing is getting up and putting on the lotion.  Since my treatments were first thing in the morning, I couldn't use it after sleeping all night and my skin was really tight.  I think that is helping.

How many of you are going over to the Arimidex or Tamoxifen thread?  Hang in there!

Kim 

Congrats Mom!  Have a fun fourth!

I made it through radiation.

I was made to see the Dr. today because I mention to the tec. how swollen I was.  It is all normal and he called it blood edema.  Despite how bad my skin looks, he thought it was looking good.  It is trying to heal but he want to do another skin check in 10 days.  I was given the gel strips today to use over the long weekend.  If it helps and I need more I can come by and get them.  

Congratulations to anybody else who finished today!

Happy End of Rads, Happy Birthday, and Happy Fourth.  And Happy End-In-Sight, Cafe.  I'm peeling, too, but skin is looking much improved.  Hope all heal quickly.