Fall 2015 Rads

When I had really bad itching after surgery last week, I took benedryl caplets. I believe it helped.

Brutersmom, Yes I felt 90% better after downing 16oz of water. I realized I had not drank enough. I dragged myself out of bed this morning, took the dog and I out for a walk, that helped a lot. Thank you! TGIF!!

To manage itching, I've been taking oral Benadryl (Just 1 capsule! The one time I took 2, I felt out of it the next day) before bed and applying cortisone cream (steroid based) liberally throughout the day (but not right before rads, of course). I just finished 14 of 19. One more whole breast and then 4 boosts. Only moderate discomfort so far.

wooohooo. 7/28 done:) 1/4 of the way there. This slow going protocol is good so far - not expecting S/E for a week.

No pain or itching yet. I'm on #15 of 30 -- yay 1/2-way-- and I'm a little pink today. The underside of my breast is a little hot, but I read one of the articles on this site that the blow-dryer on "cool" setting feels good. So, I tried it and it really cooled the breast down. I'm not tired yet, either, and I'm still walking 4-5 miles a day. Perhaps that is helping with my energy. Oh, and I was told to stay hydrated, too!

Had #5 of 16 today. I now have a hard knot beneath my SNB incision, where the sutures from its rupture (and seroma-geyser) were removed last week. Pretty sure it’s scar tissue--told the rad therapists today and they’re not worried. There’s a seroma building up behind it again, and my entire breast is pretty much a seroma itself. It’s swollen to a J cup size (used to be an H, left one is an I). Good thing I still have some of those size bras from when I was heavier. Still have some pinkish-tan cast to the irradiated skin, but the skin itself doesn’t hurt. I found some 100% pure aloe gel (no alcohol, dyes or scent) in the Kellogg Cancer Center outpatient pharmacy and today switched to Basis unscented soap and a velour washcloth on my right side. (Had been using L’Occitaine citrus verbena bath gel on a nylon shower puff on the rest of my body and just letting the water and suds run down my right armpit & breast--will use only that plain soap & washcloth on the treated area from now on). At bedtime, I had tried Jason’s 84% aloe cream at first, but I hate the tacky-stale-perfume scent it leaves behind (like faded fabric softener); then I’d mix CVS aloe gel (green) with pure coconut oil, but the RTs think I might have a sensitivity to either or both products. So last night, I applied first the pure aloe and then the Aquaphor. Didn’t get any redder this morning. Skin itself doesn’t burn or itch--it’s the tissue beneath that feels tender. I take Zyrtec & Singulair every night anyway for allergies & asthma, so I’m hesitant to add Benadryl to that. (In the past, I’ve found Benadryl cream better than hydrocortisone to relieve my itching--but even the cream can cause drowsiness). I also apply Aquaphor (the RTs gave me about 5 small tubes, and I’m about to finish the first one) immediately after each treatment before I put my clothes back on.

Off to bed now--have a full day tomorrow, driving out to the burbs and leading a song circle.

Travler- so sorry you are so titchy- it can drive you batty! Did you have trouble with the Benedyrl during chemo, too? I HATED it and how it made me feel...thought I was going to die or something.

Literally had a panic attack during the first chemo treatment due to uncontrollable twitching and shaking caused by the IV Benedryl. They gave me IV Ativan once they were pretty sure the reaction was from the Benedryl and not the chemo and I was "lights out" for about 2 hours. Thank goodness my Onc decided it was dose related and cut my dose in 1/2 from there on out.

Ugh...I've been itching all over and it's driving me crazy- think it's the Herceptin treatments. Finally took a Benedryl tab yesterday-was scared it might make me weird but it didn't and helped the itching. However I took a 2 hour nap and felt out of it after that. But, today am itching again- have too much to do to nap so not taking the tab.

Does anyone know if you build up a tolerance to Benedryl so it doesn't make you so drowsy? Just trying to figure out if it's worth it to keep taking it if so?

I took Claritin for the itching with Rads. That and cortisone cream really took care of the itching. Doc thought Benedryl is better but I wasn't willing to deal with the side effects. I can't take Benedryl. I can handle one every 24 hours but that is about it. It make me nervous and edgy.

I was one who burned horribly during rads. I can tell you that 1 week after I was still burned but in less pain, 2 weeks after I was 80% healed, and the pictures I'll post now are 3 weeks post rads. Completely healed. I have run a half marathon and a 5k in those 3 weeks and I am about at my prechemo times. Walking and running are my means of coping with stress. But... There is life after this crap is done. Healing does come.

Those pictures look a lot better than my huge patches of moist desquamation. And I am back to work at my very physical job

Karen: You are amazing, woman!

I didn't have a bad reaction to Benedryl. I just associate it with chemo I guess. My friend takes it to sleep. She takes large doses of it. I think she said anything under 50 mg doesn't make a dent. Yikes.

I have lurked here for months. I had 28 rads with 5 boosts starting in August and ending September 21st. Reading everyone's radiation experience really helped. I also had a lumpectomy with a axillary node dissection in June. Now my treated breast is enlarged and feels heavy. It is slightly tender. I messaged my surgeon's office and the nurse said that this is normal after surgery and radiation. Has anyone else experienced this?

Pjay - Well, you are 1 1/2 months post rads, so it seems that something is up. People will talk about an infection, a seroma, etc, but I'm going to talk about truncal lymphedema. You had your lymph nodes radiated, and sometimes radiation (and surgery) can change the lymph system so the fluid doesn't drain easily...and the tissue swells up. If no one else responds here, try posting in the truncal lymphedema thread. I wear a sleeve for my arm for lymphedema, and some people wear a lymphedema bra during and after treatment for when the breast swells. If you ask people in that other thread about your symptoms, they are really helpful. My surgeon didn't want to admit that I had lymphedema, so I insisted on going to a lymphedema physical therapist. It sounds like your doctor's office is like that, too, so if it is lymphedema insist on a referral to a lymphedema physical therapist (PT). My PT was great and showed me what to buy, and how to gently move the lymph fluid out of the tissue. If you Google truncal lymphedema, don't be put off by the pictures because I learned that the worst looking pictures make it to the Internet and are pictures of people who go years and years without getting help. It's very manageable if that is what you have. Here is the link for reading more about it:

http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/side_effects...

So, my advice is to read about it and ask some questions in the lymphedema forum on this site. Obviously, if you have a fever or other signs of infection you should go to the hospital. It may not be lymphedema, but it took me a long time to find out about the wierd pain in my arm, and the ladies in the lymphedema thread helped me. I don't want anyone else to be left in the dark. Good luck!

Rads start today! I think there were a couple of girls with me on starting today, GOOD LUCK!