Post brachytherapy radiation and surgery effects

Barbmak, sorry for the delay but hope your last treatment goes (went) well today. Let us know how you're doing! You'll be so glad when the device is out!!! And you can shower again!!!

Barbmak, congrats!!! That shower will feel wonderful. Best wishes on overcoming the fever!

Barbmak, sorry you're not feeling good. It's understandable to be tired, not from the rads necessarily, but from the stress of everything you've gone thru in the past couple of months. Not sure about the nausea. The discoloration might be a little burning from the rads (I had a small discolored spot that went away within a couple of weeks) and the hardness/thickening might be your body recovering from the wound. My doctor left the wound opened and said it needed to heal from the inside out, so a loosened steri-strip might not be a problem. This is all speculation so do check with your doctors if it continues. Do you have a followup app't scheduled with any of your doctors? You could also call the office to ask the nurses your questions and express your concerns. I had gone to a comprehensive breast center so I was able to ask any questions of a nurse navigator who explored the answers to my questions. Be good to yourself, eat healthy, and get some sunshine tomorrow and enjoy the 4th. Hope you feel well enough to return to work--perhaps you can make it a short day back. All the best for a quick return to full energy!!

Thought I would post this experience in case anyone else comes across this situation. 5 days after radiation was done and the Savi was out, I went to take my bra off to go to bed and I had saturated 2 thick gauze pads and my padded sports bra. Not only that but it was just continuously leaking out of my surgery incision (not the Savi incision) & didn't look like it was going to stop. I called surgeon and was told to come in the next day. Apparently, I have a seroma and the radiation weakened my incision enough to open it up...Doc put me on different antibiotics & told me to keep antibiotic ointment on it. I've been sopping up fluid- but I actually think it is slowing down a little. pain is better today. It's been kind of a rough road with the brachytherapy....but then I think that I could also still be doing regular treatment instead of being done with it. Hoping that anyone else who finds this doesn't have to deal with this situation...but in case it happens- you're not the only one so call doctor and hang in there!

Barbmac I also had a similar situation. Unfortunately mine happened after the first chemo treatment. Unfortunately in my case I ended up with radiation burns and the skin wouldn't heal. I had 6 surgeries trying to find healthy tissue. I was never able to finish chemo because it took 4 months to heal.

Fast forward 7 years the original tumor returned and this time required a mastectomy with no reconstruction because of the amount of damage from the radiation.

Barbmac I'm doing okay. I'm 2 months out from a double mastectomy. I'll be going back to work in 2 weeks. No radiation nor chemo suggested this time. Change of Als about all but for 5 more years which will be 12 in all

Pyrrh, glad to hear you're doing so well. I second that suggestion about adhesive. I've always reacted to bandaids so took no chances with medical tape. I too was given a thin little mesh top but it quickly ripped (I stuck my long fingernails thru it a few too many times!) and I just packed gauze into the cottony stretchy type breast binder I wore.

Barbmak, I hope everything continues to heal and you have defeated that seroma!!!

The best to all!!!!!!

Barbmak, sorry to hear of your continued struggle. I pray you'll heal quickly now that they have zeroed in on a treatment. I'm sure it's difficult to work all day and deal with doctors too. Hang in there and be good to yourself!!

6 cats it's very difficult. My breast surgeon had to treat me many times. This year the tumor returned in the same breast and reconstruction wasn't possible because of the scaring

Hi all, 

I had a lumpectomy middle of July, Savi radiation treatment done (last treatment & device removal 7/26/17).  I'm still as swollen as when the device was in......anyone out there with this problem?  At least I sleep better, but, my breast still feels heavy and hard. I see all my dr's again on the 28th.   I know everything takes time but I would like the swelling to subside.

Irishgirl, there are so many people that have no issues with this type of radiation. Even knowing what happened to me I would probably still opt for it so as not to have to radiate the whole breast for 35 days! No doctor has given me an actual answer about why my incision opened....BS said radiation/ RO said possibly the device pushing on incision/ another doctor at the wound place said Methylene dye can do this. I asked my BS on phone last night and she said yes sometimes it can be a combination of radiation and the dye used in the surgery in certain people. I really think my situation is just an exception...so I wouldn't worry. I bought some cotton fruit of the loom -open in the front -racerback bras and still wear them at night. They were easy to get on and off for Radiation twice a day and didn't hurt my SNB incision under my arm. Take care of yourself. Especially during the week of radiation. Hang in there!

IrishGirl, I wish you the best with the SAVI radiation. I have posted my experiences several times in this thread and if you don't find answers to your questions in my previous posts, please ask away!!! No matter what type of treatment we have, everyone's experience is going to be different and your body may respond differently. I had a good experience with SAVI rads and have not regretted my decision to shorten the treatment time from six weeks to 5 days.

GoGrannyGo, I hope your swelling continues to improve each day. I don't specifically remember swelling, but I experienced different feelings in my breast throughout the healing process. I don't think anyone of us ever gets back to our original selves after BC treatment, but I just kept moving forward into a new normal after LX surgery and rads.

Barbmak, I'm sorry you're still experiencing problems. Best wishes and prayers for speedy healing.

Since I am having SAVI, I posted on that thread, as there is one for those going through that particular treatment. I will also post here, since it is brachytherapy.

I am scheduled to have a SAVI catheter installed under local numbing by my BS on August 22. I will have simulation with RO on 08/24 and then begin the 5 day treatment on 08/28.

Because of these community threads, I feel better informed on what to expect, and even though I am anxious, at least I am not fearful anymore.

I am thankful for the useful tips and suggestions on how to get through this.

I will keep you all informed as I progress so that others who are thinking about SAVI will have another source of reference

Thank you all!

So my Mammosite was in 2013. I ended up with a large lump where the site was. I had blood clotting issues and the area filled with blood. Fast forward four years. The site became a hard lump that pulled and was painful.

RO didn't want to do anything about it. MO didn't want to do anything about it. BS was OK removing it. Had it removed Friday. 3" incision. Yipes!

Waiting for pathology. Don't expect any surprises. Praying the previously irradiated tissue heals well.

Wow 6cats, sorry to hear about your need for further surgery and the resulting scar. It is a shame that no one caught it sooner orwas able to rectify the problem. At least you were finally able to have it removed and know that it is gone once and for all. I hope all heals well for you and you have a great recovery.

I had my simulation today. Unfortunately, the preliminary cat scan showed fluid buildup in the cavity so the RO had to deflate the SAVI and manipulate the breast and insertion site to drain the fluid.

I must say that this did hurt a bit but was necessary because they said they could not do the radiation treatments if there was more than 10% fluid in the cavity. A kind technician held my hand the whole time, even though it only took a few minutes.

After this was done, they did another cat scan and found that the fluid was gone and they proceeded with the simulation where they insert guide wires into each catheter and take measurements to determine which catheters would be used for treatment.

I begin the treatment on Monday. I go twice a day for five days and they will remove the SAVI after my last treatment on Friday.

Before each treatment they will do a cat scan to make sure that the device has not moved or (hope not) fluid had built up, which would require more manipulation.

They told me that I should feel no pain during the treatment, with the exception of some pain when the device is removed, which should be minimal and only for a short duration.

They removed the dressings that my BS applied, cleaned the wound site and applied gauze. They said they prefer not to use tape and just use the bra to hold the gauze in place. That's fine with me because ripping tape off my bare skin is not a pleasant experience.

8 more days to go!