Miaderm vs. Calendula alone?

Ker, I started out using Cetaphil moisturizer (what my RO recommended) and supplementing it with some calendula-based diaper rash cream, as a cheaper and handier alternative to Miaderm. I had some redness starting the first day, and started having some itching and peeling about the end of the second week. Then I broke down and ordered a couple of tubes of Miaderm.  It didn't reverse the reactions that I already had, but I felt that it stopped them from getting much worse. It also absorbs into the skin quickly, which is helpful if you're having rads and then going on to work, etc -- you can lube up right after your treatment without being too sticky.  I applied creams first thing in the morning, two hours before I went for rads, in the changing room right after rads, and at bedtime....more often than that on days when I was particularly itchy or uncomfortable.  I started the week before rads and kept on this schedule for two weeks after my last treatment, and I'm still doing Cetaphil once a day. 

My RO's nurse had me buy a couple of medicated non-talc powders -- I do have large breasts and had some redness underneath even at my first pre-treatment exam.  The powders didn't really do much for me, though. The other thing she recommended, which was helpful, was getting a yard or so of very soft fleece at the fabric store and cutting it into pieces to put under the bra. I didn't wear underwires or anything with too much structure, usually stuck to shelf-bra camisoles and went without even those at home.    My last day of rads was Feb 28, and two weeks later my skin was healed, except for the nipple which stayed a little crusty for longer.

Good luck!  

pbgirl -- I had 4 mm of Grade 2 DCIS and got very good margins -- in fact, all of my cancer was removed in the biopsy, so the lumpectomy was all margin. So according to the Van Nuys protocols I could have gone with no treatment after surgery, and that's what my surgeon thought. When I went for my oncology consults, the RO said he would really recommend my doing either rads or tamox to be on the safer side, based partly on my family history (both parents developed cancer before age 50, and I'm already older than my dad was when he died).



The side effects of rads seemed short-term and manageable (although I am still having fatigue, 6 weeks after the end of treatment). The side effects of tamox would last five years -- of course, not everyone has them, but I'm the kind of person who usually gets side effects!. And the common side effects of tamox happen to be things I'm already battling -- weight gain, depression, sleep problems. It didn't seem worthwhile to put myself through that for an extra percentage point of risk reduction.



Tamoxifen is a phenomenal medicine and I have no doubt that it has prevented thousands of recurrences. If I'd had a more aggressive cancer, if I were younger (I'm 54), if I had family responsibilities, I'm sure I would have given it a try. It just didn't seem right for my circumstances.



Best of luck!