Radiation - how was it?

Not bad. I was given some rx cream (can't remember what it was )by the rad tech, and my doc saw me each week. I used vit e oil and the rx cream religiously. towards the end I was a bit tired (would come home and take an hour nap) but it was only because I could...I probably could have worked through it all but I had rads at a time when I didn't have to work. It was kind of a non-event for me, with mostly a sunburn-like effect on my back right shoulder and then of course over my right breast and clavicle. Not bad (for me) at all.

Eartman, mine were M-F. I went to a large radiation oncology center. They see many cancer patients, not just bc, and have all the latest equipment. I don't think radiation like this could be done in an office.

Driving wouldn't have been a problem, but I have a residence close enough to walk, which I did every day (fortunately that year was a really mild winter). I also continued to exercise about an hour a day, no problem. I may have felt a little fatigue about midway through, but nothing to really slow me down. I think exercising helped and the RO agreed. It sounds a lot scarier and more difficult than it actually is. You'll be fine!

You're welcome eartman! I was so nervous also, and frankly expecting the worse. I was very pleasantly surprised.

Mine were M-F about 15 minutes away. From walking in the building to leaving was about 30 minutes max, most days. I had 28 whole breast treatments and 5 boosts to the tumor site. Never had any "burn" - got a little red during boosts, but no worse than a mild sunburn - wasn't painful at all. Don't know if that's why my skin did so well, but I applied aloe 3x a day to the treated area. I did have some swelling on that side, which still has not completely resolved. Also had fatigue, but not debilitating - it was more that I needed to go to bed earlier at night .... got through the days just fine.

Check out the radiation forum on this board - lots of great tips and you can talk to people going through it at the same time as you.

The hair has never grown back in the underarm that was irradiated...

I found that radiation - for me - was incredibly easy after having gone through chemotherapy.

Chemo started out well, but each round got progressively harder.  Due to excellent drug management, I didn't suffer any nausea/vomiting issues, but did find that my sense of taste altered enough to make eating some foods difficult.  I struggled with extreme fatigue and bone pain from the Neulasta injections that I had to get (for dose-dense chemo).

I just finished radiation in July of this year! I had already done two different rounds of chemo (AC chemo and Taxol) and was finished with my surgery (double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction) before I started radiation. The only real side effect I had was extreme fatigue! I was a little tender on my right breast and on my sternum (that's why I was diagnosed stage IV because it had spread to my sternum) but that was it! I peeled a little after I was finished! I had to drive an hour over and an hour back M-F so that may have added to my fatigue!