June 2017 Starting Rads

I really hope your oncotype was low. I was the same way...mine was 19

yesterday I had 23/33 of radiation. I have soreness under my breast. The rest is manageable. Today, I went to Dana Farber for my Herceptin infusion (once every 3 wks) which took the better part of the day including the drive. In the way back home we stopped st a strip mall and I was walking in the grass between two stores and my right foot fell into a hole. I fell face down. The good part is that I fell (hard) on grass. And I don't seem to have ankle damage. And my clothes are intact. The bad news is that I either strained, pulled or tore a muscle in my right calf. I iced and elevated it when I got home an hour later, but walking is extremely difficult and painful. I am already in round the click Advil for rad s/e, so hope the Advil can go double duty. Sometimes I wonder what else can happen. Things could have been a lot worse with my fall today, but also could have been a lot better without it.

Mimi,

It got a bit better throughout yesterday and I'm having an easier time getting around the house. Yes I did think of Epsom salts. However, the thought of getting in and out of the bathtub is a bit much to handle right now. I think it will get a bit better each day. I have to go to radiation this afternoon and get on the table. Thank you for your concern. I'm beginning to feel like one of those people who always have something wrong with them and I don't like it!

Nancie

Luwusu - how's the leg?

I finished my 25 radiation sessions on Monday. Up until last Thursday I had minimal burn. What a difference a few days make! By Saturday afternoon my clavicle, under breast and armpit became so red that they're almost purple. The rest of the breast is long-day-at-the-beach red. Mostly itchy without much pain EXCEPT the armpit. Moist desquamation there. And loads of discomfort. Onc doc gave me a script for gel with lidocaine. Works on most areas. Not so much the armpit.

Figure I'll call my primary care doctor tomorrow for a look-see and wound care advice. If she gives me any fabulous tips I'll post them.

It's a bumpy road, but we've got this. 👍

My techs were great, too. Kept it light and friendly.

Doc said to leave the wound area open to the air as much as possible. She said to use only an antibiotic ointment on that area. If going out and wearing clothes that might touch that area, use a non sticking pad. I gently washed the area and applied the antibiotic as soon as I got off the call. Feels MUCH better today.

Rwrighty - sorry to hear that. Thanks for the reminder.

How's everyone doing?

Dee, last week I rated the pain as 5/10. The past few days, 2/10. I haven't needed to take the pain meds much since I got them last Friday. I talked with the nurse and doctor yesterday and they said not to hesitate to use the pain meds if needed.

I really hope things get better for you soon. And I hope my after effects aren't bad. I'll be done as if tomorrow.

@ Luwusu & SummerRain,

I think I'll try some ibuprofen since the pain comes and goes. I'm hoping it improves over the next day or so.

Thanks

~Dee

SummerRain, can you describe what a nonsticking pad is? I finished 33 rads today (last one). I want to go out to the movies, but I need to wear my camisole, since I have one breast and one (temp) prothesis. I was going out to get some peaches but decided to stay home and let my chest air out.

Are you done with rads? Is there more pain after rads? With chemo brain and discomfort and pain from rads, I am a sorry soul. I just want to sleep all the time. I'm too tired to read all your answers, I'll have more energy tomorrow. But I seem to only have a finite amount of energy until after a good night's sleep. It is only 3:10 pm, I'm ready for a long nap.

Thanks TapperMom, that nap lasted 2.5 hours and I had no idea I was asleep. So it will get better, yea! I just have a hard time even getting up in the morning. Tappermom, what are you putting on your radiation area? I'm using Prutect, but I would like a gel analgesic. I got Neosporin plus pain, but that stuff is so greasy, I would prefer something non-greasy. I haven't tried it yet, but I know that comes out solid out of the tube and that is not going to be pleasant to put on an area this is already in pain.

Welcome, Figuesweet! We're glad you've joined our community, and we hope you find this to be a source of support throughout your treatment and beyond.

The Mods

I have 9 of 33 rads left and started itching and purple burns under arm. I asked the nurse for somethings other than the 100% alo, ask it just started irritating me when I use it. She said they will only give the lidocaine script if open wounds. She told me to use the white Benadryl creme. I put it on and it melted from my hot boob of fire and slid right off. I just saw a commercial for otc lidocan blue emu. Has anyone used this or know if it is ok to use? Thank you!

OK, I've ready all your stories. I'm sorry so many of you are having pain and itching. There is quite the list of things to try. I've started to take ibuprofen as needed. I feel like I should buy each cream and do a test on part of my breast.

I had a single mastectomy no recon, so I have a flat chest. It feels like leather and when I breathe deep or laugh, it pulls at that very dry tissue. I am not sure it would feel the same if I had expanders in. I just finished rads and I'm not expected to see RO for 6 weeks. It was not until I was done with rads did this dry leather feeling begin.

Now I feel like I need a moisturizer. I bought some Vitamin E capsules and broke them open.... but now I see you can buy actual Vitamin E in a bottle instead of cutting open 5 capsules. I have Prutect/Sonafine (prescription wound dressing) which are both water based and aloe vera(water based). I bought some triple-antibiotic - pain (generic), and I thought it was going to be oily, it was not oily.

Is anyone else have skin feeling like leather. I think I want to stop the wound dressing/ aloe vera etc and get some more vitamin E oil or get something oily. Does that make sense? I'm thinking oil would be better. Does anyone have the same problem, where you want to move away from wound dressing and on to oily lotion or Vitamin E oil.

Maybe this Cortisone 10 cream is what I need, it says Vit A and E and they are oily. But I don't have itching (well not right today).

What is really crazy, I'm missing a boob, but there is still an area of where my under boob would be, and it is particularly dry and burned. It is shaped just like when I have had areas of fungus before, but there isn't a boob there anymore.

I finished rads on Friday-33. What a fantastic feeling to be done, after 11 months from my first suspicious mammo. 15 rounds of chemo and targeted drugs, 6 mammos, 4 biopsies, one surgery and now 33 radiations. Last week, my last week of rads, I felt good. This weekend, too, for the mist part. My nipple feels like tough skin. The aereola is a step away from peeling.. I have a small area under mt breast that is open skin. I am putting silverdene on that. I was also given thin fabric treated with silverdene that I can tuck between my bra (when its absolutely.needed to wear one) and skin. We went out to a restaurant tonight and I just put a jacket over my large chest because I just couldn't deal with a bra. I would never had done that before all this. But you know what? I don't think anyone noticed and/or cared. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I use pure aloe and Aquafor. Plus the silverdene. I was given a prescription for pain mess a week before I finished rads but haven't had to use them much. The red axillary area is now tan. The rest us red. The whole area looks foreign to me and I wonder what it will look like in six months. I go for Herceptin on Wednesday ( just 1x every three weeks now) and will most likely start on hormone mess very soon. I was surprised about that because I am not technically estrogen +, being less than 10%.

I am so hoping my next weeks (recovery from rads) is easy. Hope everyone has an okay week coming up.