Winter RADS 2012 Club...Please come join the fun!

Hi Stride & Cocobean and Annette47!



Welcome. I'm kind of a beginner here, but looking forward to chatting with you ladies.



I am ONE THIRD done today!! 11/33 treatments!! Feels good to be at that milestone. Today I looked at my nipple and areola area- starting to look red & a little bit upset with me. The other one looks pasty pale by comparison.



I slathered on the GOO (Aquaphor) and hope if I can just keep it from blistering, cracking or peeling I'll be ahead of the game.



About the aloe I read here- do people do that in place of Aquaphor, mix it, alternate it?? Whatever helps I'll do.



Thanks ladies! Keep fighting the good fight!! </p>

Hi 5luvbugs.  I just got off the phone with my treatment room tech and asked about deoderant.  She said no deoderant on the side being treated because the metals in the deoderant react with the radiation.  She recommended Tom's deoderant from Toms of Maine. (You can wear that to treatment). It doesn't contain any metals.  She said there are also some natural crystal type deoderants.  I know I've seen Toms at the grocery store.  I'm assuming a health food store might carry the crystal kind. I think I'm going to try Tom's.:) 

Tom's Deodorant smells nasty, IMO.  Worse than BO.

The thing about aloe vs. Aquaphor...  I found that the aloe washes off better than Aquaphor does, and I made sure to not have any residue of either on me going into the rads appt. 

What I mean is, my routine went something like:  Get up, shower in warm (not hot) water.  Do not use soap on breast skin, if shampoo runs over the area, no big deal but I never used soap directly on the area.  Then pat dry with towel, then air dry before putting on clothing.  So skin had no residue before treatment.  (That is how the nurses instructed me.)  I could apply some aloe right after treatment.  When I got to the 4th and 5th weeks, I put the aloe on again at home and again before bed.  I had tried my sample of Aquaphor a couple times, applying it in the night but it seemed that it did not rinse off in the shower as well and then I would have to use a washcloth to get it off which is exactly what I did not want to do--rub a cloth on the skin.

I realize that I did not have the severe blistering that some of you are having, so my comments about these lotions are for unblistered, unbroken skin.  Although I never used it, seem to me that the Silvadene creme is one of the better ones that will promote healing on blistered skin, just by the comments I have read of others that used it.  So, that's my opinion.  There are a lot of choices out there.  My RO was of the opinion that staying moisturized with ANY of the radiation care products was fine and that there was no "magic" one that prevented burns.  That's more "luck of the draw" or some factor that we don't exactly know about.  (I will mention again that "burning" has nothing to do with how pale or swarthy your complexion is.  That is just a myth that will not die.)

My RO says about the same thing as elimar's, "My RO was of the opinion that staying moisturized with ANY of the radiation care products was fine and that there was no "magic" one that prevented burns.  That's more "luck of the draw" or some factor that we don't exactly know about."

I did use a mild, sensitive-skin cleanser on my rads area sometimes but only when I felt I needed to cut through all the lotions I was putting on. Like elimar, I never used a washcloth there during treatments and I still haven't. I also would skip a shower over the weekends to not dry out the skin further. I would still moisturize. That's an old trick from managing eczema - showering every other day and using tons of moisturizer within three minutes of getting out of the shower is a regimen I was told to use for eczema. So for radiation, I skipped showering on at least one weekend day and when I had a day off in the middle of the week (xmas and new year).

Shachar - I'm so excited for you getting close to the finish line!

lifeonitsside is finishing up? woohoo!! Congratulations, goddess!

My RO's nurse said in her personal observation, skin that has seen more sun seems to burn worse. This is true for me, who is pale and burns very easily, so I've been protective out of necessity. My supraclavicle is several shades darker than my breast and is now peeling.



My RO says she thinks it's a combo of genetics, skin health and treatment plan. She said there is a study that is taking blood samples before starting rads, looking for proteins or other markers, and comparing to end results of rads. She's hoping the study will find some indicator of skin tolerance to rads so that treatment can be adjusted accordingly. Fascinating. My RO was quite pleased to see how well my breast skin has held up.



Tomorrow is my last treatment! My RO wants to see me in 4-6 weeks unless I have problems with healing. I will be so excited to be sticker free!

SwgeeWi - I'm only one ahead of you, and will miss one day along the way (added to the end) so we should be finishing up around the same day! 

Wow, so much good information - thank you girls,,,and congrats to you Cider onyour last treatment - treat yourself to something nice

Hi All, took a day off and had to catch up. Welcome to newbies, I hope we can help you along through the process.



Loving, I think I hear the drum roll starting for tomorrow! Hope you have a great day.



Sonson, got my sleeve today. What a difference. I think I will pretty much be able to functionas a human again! I am so glad I got the day "off" with my friends on Saturday. Yesterday turned out to be a back to reality day as my 16 year old son had an acute attack of a genetic paralysis disease that my husbands family has so kindly passed down. I ended up having to call an ambulance and spend the night in the ER and the Pediatric ICU because his potassium levels were so low that his heart rhythms were messed up. I would SO rather go through chemo again than to see him like that. Today, it is all over and he is home and doing fine. Go figure!



Sachar, I know whatyou mean about the humor. I bonded with my techs the day I asked if they could flash cook my Thanksgiving turkey. My favorite told me that they would be happy to, but sometimes it made the breast meat tough:)

A big WOOT WOOT to you ladies that are finishing tomorrow!!!!! 

I'm suppose to have my CT and I guess tatts would be done at the same time? tomorrow.  Scared frickin' spitless :-( 

Cowpower- Really?? flash-cook the turkey???   LOVE it!!

(((hugs))) all

Lifeonitsside, Congratulations! It is mindnumbing to be ginished, to be sure. Kick back and enjoy your extra time each day!

Cider, Cypher, Loving, Lifeonitsside,congrats!!! We definitely need a web party!

Cowpower, so sorry about your son and the ICU stay. I wondered where you were. Flash cook, haha! Love it!!

I have noticed that the areas that burned and peeled for me now seem to be immune from rads. Hmmm....it is good that I will not be a twice baked potato or refried beans!

Rider, the tats do not really hurt. It is one stick with a lancet, like what they stick your finger with. I got seven and only one was a quick sting. I HAD seven. I cant find half of them anymore, haha.

Congrats also to everyone who has completed round one! That was the hardest one for me.

What do you do to deal with bad skin?

This morning I got up... My skin has gone from red and itchy to I have big white patch of stuff... Looks like scab forming over a whole the size of a quarter....all on the underside of my large breast is raw. It is so raw and is very painful. I just want to cry. It was not like this yesterday. What should I do.. I do not see doctor until Friday. It hurts so much. I do not know if I can handle radiation with my breast like this this afternoon. Today is suppost to be treatment #14 of 30.

cider8, cypher, Loving, Lifeonitsside,  Congrats to the four of you.  You made it!  It's Happy Dance time!!!!