Winter 2013-2014 Rads

MinusTwo -- Any chance this is a flu or something? I have a cold this week, and with the initial symptoms, it was easy to think it was some leftover chemo or radiation effect. But we do get those regular old illnesses too!

Minus Two:  Your skin continues to deteriorate for a week to ten days (or even longer) after rads are finished.  It is possible that you have developed an infection, so please check in with your RO.  Our bodies are so compromised with these burns.  I think a bit of a fever is typical, but yours has gone a bit high now.  You may need some blood work done and/or a Rx.  Other than the burn, has your skin broken down? Or maybe you have a flu? We still can get the regular crap. Hope you feel better real soon and let us know how you are doing.

Thanks again ladies.  I do know about the 2 weeks that the burns get worse.  My skin seems to be OK but I guess there could be an infection.  Can't see any redness except the continuing rash.  What I'm most worried about is (still & always) damage to the 2 year old implant.  You're right, better to call.

I am celebrating completion of my treatmments - Finished rads on the March 24th.  The fatigue this week is increadible.  I am pushing myself and working part time.  It is something normal for such an unnormal time.  i see the RO next week and plan on going back to the gym when i get the okay.  I was very fortunate that my skin did not break down, however it is very tan.  I used the Aquaphor twice a day during treatments and will continue for a few more weeks. I am going to take a break form the forums.  I have a quilt i started for my grandson to finish and i am doing some stained glass pieces that my daugher wanted. 

I am wishing you all good health and my thoughts and prayers will be with you.  I know we will always be connected by the "whale in the room".   But for now i am going to work on getting my "Whale" small enough to walk around.

Red - skin rolling off is such a good description.  Reminded me of a sweater with pilling all over it!  On our face we use exfolients (sp?) to take off the old skin and radiation is making our breasts look brand new!

Just wanted to chime in with something positive. My skin breakdown was kinda horrible at the end of rads, but it never got worse, instead it rather quickly healed up. By a week after finishing I no longer needed the wet dressings I'd been using, and had no discomfort at all. I found the telfa "non-stick" dressing to be a lie. When your skin is so damaged it pulls right off, that telfa sure CAN stick. At this point I'm still in the silly stretchy trainer bras I bought at the end of rads, haven't had the guts to try a real one yet, but I had no lingering skin issues at all, and certainly all it did was improve after it ended. I've got a strange blotchy tan in the places that didn't peel, and I'm still a little less energetic than normal (what is normal???)

MinusTwo, did you call the doctor?  That's a high fever.  Maybe you're actually sick and the rads is a coincidence?  I hope you're feeling better!

Mayanne, I had a very bad burn show up 3wk. after treatment (last week).  The nurse and doc and info sheet all said 7-10 days for reactions to peak.  When I called the nurse and told her I had a wet infected wound show up this late,  she said this is the time it peaks as if I should know that and that's normal.  It's no longer a wet wound, but it still looks bad and has a long way to go to heal.  7-10 days and 3 weeks is a big difference.

Hi Andrea,

It will be interesting to read what others' ROs have said about when to apply the cream, but mine wanted me to begin immediately at the start of rads. I was glad I did, because the redness came on rather suddenly.  I had seen the RO and nurse in the morning and they were amazed that I had no skin issues, and by the afternoon, the "burn" look came out. (I believe this was at the beginning of my fourth week.)

I had actually started applying cream before rads even began.  I figured it would condition the skin.  The only thing to remember is to gently wash it off if the cream has been applied within 3 or 4 hours of the treatments.  After I started reddening up, I also carried sample tubes in my purse and applied it immediately after treatments while dressing (learned that here :-)   

Lily, I hope your burn spot is better.  Yes, my skin was doing fine - just turning to tan - but the RO and nurse had told me to keep putting cream (using Aquaphor) on for a couple of weeks while it's peaking (and it was hard to believe that anything was still going on).  Last night I found a tiny split on my areola and tiny splits on the nipple.  I'm sure these new areas are from the boosts which I just finished on Tuesday (3 days ago). My husband gave me a product called Climb On which is a pasty thing sold to outdoor people who have cracked hands.  It was hard to apply, but possible.  The cracks are no worse this morning, so I'm hoping they are healing quickly and, anyway, they are not getting worse!  They also don't hurt, but I'm sure I have to keep a watch on them. The doctor had said that if anything changes (he had not seen these cracks at the discharge appointment because they weren't there yet, of course) that he would prescribe Silvadene. Evidently, as "over" as it seems when the rads are over, there are still changes going on for those 7-10 days. 

Pat, thanks for your positive news!  It's wonderful to hear that you are healing well! You are beautiful!  I just want to add to your positive news and tell women who are reading and still facing rads, that in my case, the SE's have not been bad.  I was terrified and looking back, think of all the times I had meltdowns in anticipation of what MAY happen.  I had read so much that I knew of almost anything that could happen and I thought it would all happen to me.  It didn't and, although I know I could still become fatigued, so far I haven't.  I had been very afraid of radiation, but I've read and the doctors have said that there's only one case in a thousand where radiation actually causes cancer.  I've preferred to think all the way through that the radiation has healing beams (read here and I wish I could thank the person who coined that). 

MinusTwo:  Hope this fever disappears soon and that you are feeling ship shape in no time. Keep us posted.   

MinusTwo,  I hope you're doing better.  I suppose the chest x-ray would have shown if you've developed pneumonitis?  But I was wondering about that as it's a side effect that was mentioned to me at my surgical consult.  I wonder if chest x-rays could miss it?

Hi Red, Glad you're safe and happy back at home.  I'm amazed that the spring flowers are already out in Vancouver!  We are on a get-away R&R in the White Mountains of NH and there's still snow and mud - NO flowers in sight.

No more splits or cracks.  What appeared one night disappeared by the next day.  I still have not had the fatigue - and have been spring cleaning with lots of energy.  If it hits me one of these days (finished with rads 5 days ago) at least the house will be clean of cobwebs.

Minus Two - how are you?

hi ladies,

I reported a week ago that I was finishing up. I was doing pretty well...but I am four days out of rads and since the main target of the cancer was right by my nipple, my nipple seems to be bearing the brunt of after effects. The skin on the nipple and all around it has peeled off and is quite raw.  . It is so painful. Silvedine (sp?) is what they gave me for if I had severe redness. I have been applying it and bandages over it are the only thing that makes it comfortable.  Should I be exposing it more and not covering it with bandages? I know you all have talked some about this...I too have had chills and shooting needle like pains in the nipple:(( the nipple is also so hardened constantly that it adds to the pain. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance<3

Lojo, congratulations!  It will feel so great to be done!  I can see how crumbs could hurt.

Rads, my RO and nurse said to air things out as much as possible.  But then, they would also say to keep on applying aquaphor generously.  I guess there just has to be a balance.  Drink lots of water, too!

TB, it just doesn't seem right that things should continue to worsen after it's over.  How fair is that?

Update - ER docs found nothing in blood work or chest X-ray was clear.  I've slept much of the weekend.  There are still no symptoms other than fever.  Waiting for cultures to grow on urine and two blood samples.  I'm told an infectious disease doc will call w/results.  One speculation was a possible staph infection through my port & I only know that because they insisted on another blood sample from a different part of my body.  Thank you all for your concern.

I love the spring stories and the R&R trips.

Congrats to all who just finished or are finishing this week.

TB90 and Mayanne thanks so much...nice to compare notes. I am laying here topless now in bed in an effort to air it with the cream on it! It is such a Lovely look. My nipple hurts so much when it touches anything unless it is tightly compressed:( maybe I need to go topless everywhere..;) took some advil too. Have a good night.