Question for the "big breasted" gals

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Are the boost less irritating for under your breast?  That is the only area that I am concerned may become problematic before this is over.  If the boosts don't really hit that area then I may have some hope.  

Comments

  • jw523
    jw523 Member Posts: 87
    edited February 2011

    My boost area was  on the "front" not underneath.  It may depend on where your tumor site was - boosts are usually to that specific area.

    I had the most luck with cornstarch powder "underneath". You can use actual cornstarch from the grocery store or I had a johnson's cornstarch baby powder that I liked as well. I was also most comfortable with a bra than without one. I powdered a few times a day.  A no underwire bra and the powder did the trick for me.  Still it is irratating in that area.

  • YramAL
    YramAL Member Posts: 1,651
    edited February 2011

    My boosts were less irritating than the rest of my treatments as far as the under the breast area goes. In fact, I was switched to boosts early to give the under part of my breasts a break for awhile, then I returned to the regular treatments when the boosts were over. I suppose it would depend on the area the boosts were given to. Mine were the side of my breast.

    I had a lot of irritation under my breast during radiation treatments, about 4 1/2 weeks in.I had total skin breakdown.I used aloe vera, cornstarch, aquaphor....nothing worked. My breast is just so large that that area never totally dried out and healed during treatment. I eventually had to use some gel burn pads that the rads nurse gave me. I would put them in the crease of my breast and hold them in place with my bra. 

    The good news is that after my rads were over, the area cleared up very quickly, and now almost 10 months later, you can't even tell that my skin was so badly broken down in that area. At the time, I thought it was never going to get better.

    Mary

  • pejkug3
    pejkug3 Member Posts: 902
    edited February 2011

    Oh, dear.  I'm DDD.  I guess I really have no idea what to expect during rads.

  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited February 2011

    I had exactly the same problem as Mary - major skin breakdown in the crease under the boob. It happened at around the same time and healed up very quickly once rads were finished - I used Medi Honey on the area. I was so upset as I had done everything right, but apparently it is very common owing to the radiation passing through the folds of skin. I am doing rads again on the other breast now, and this time, they are taping the breast up a bit, so I'm hoping it won't be so bad. One tip is to wear a sanitary pad in your bra under the breast to absorb any sweat. I am definitely doing that this time.

    Sue

  • lrr4993
    lrr4993 Member Posts: 937
    edited February 2011

    Thanks for the responses.  I am through week four and it has not gotten worse this week.  I have tried the cornstarch which has helped.  I have also cut an old tshirt into squares which i tuck under the breast to keep it dry.  It only bothers me when it is skin to skin.  

    I am guessing that my boost will be to the upper outer part of my breast, so if I can make it this last week, then I should be fine.  

  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited February 2011

    When this happened to me, they got me to dress it with Solosite (a burn gel) and to keep a dressing on it - luckily the weight of the boob kept it in place. I bought singlets to wear to bed to hold it there. Don't tape anything to the area - I lost a nice big round piece of skin from doing that.

    Sue

  • Omaz
    Omaz Member Posts: 5,497
    edited February 2011

    I am also large breasted and just finished week 4 of rads, 2 more to go.  I wear a very soft light weight cotton tank top and I wrap it around my breasts so that it comes in all the way under the breast and there is no skin on skin contact where they hang down.  Then I wear my bra on top of that.  I change it twice a day since I use a lot of goo on the skin.  So far the crease is hanging in there.

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