January 2018 RADS group

Amy, I might need a toppik, I can see my hair is thinning but they are still short toppik won’t help, isn’t it?

Mama I am sorry to hear your skin is peeling & sore. I had that happened on my boosts on my incision area. Hang in there you will heal & get better. I think the whole dealing with a cancer diagnosis not only leaves physical marks it leaves mental ones too. You are so used to having appointments & seeing doctors that once your done you wonder okay now what. It's hard to go back to where you were in your life as there are new norms to deal with & fears of reocurrance too & I was told it's natural & does get better. Hang in there your almost done & your skin can start to heal as well as your body & mind.

Have a great weekend off rads ladies. Wishing you all a bit of healing on your skin. Hugs

Thank you PVM and HersheyKiss,

This is why I read these posts everyday. Because of women like you who share your thoughts, ideas and encouragement. My skin looks a little better tonight after a saline soak and some aquaphor. It's nice to have the weekend to heal a bit

Congrats Scaligirl on finishing.  this is my last week of rads!! looking forward to Friday. I'm not sure if we have a bell somewhere or not. I think they used to but i am unable to locate it perhaps it is portable.

small infection under arm is a bit better- just using saline compresses and polysporin as per RO recommendations. will see him tomorrow. 

moderately reddish brown under the arm and a few new freckles on my chest- it is slightly tanned now and the scarring from the MX seems stiffer?  I lotion about 2-3 x per day. 

This is a great forum, thanks Down for starting it and everyone else for participating!

I'm 4+ weeks post rads, skin hasn't peeled nor scabbed. Only visual differences are darkened skin & nipple, additional freckles. In the middle of my chest it almost looks dirty. I keep lotioning up, and upper chest is itchy. Is it going to peel? How far out before it stops itching?

Scaligirl- I haven't had the pain you're describing. I ache now and then but it doesn't last. Ask RO if you need something stronger. Hoping it stops soon. Hugs.

Heading into my last week of proton rads (one week of boosts after that). My chest is itchy (folliculitis) and pink, of course. I’ve got my boost simulation early tomorrow, and really looking forward to being done...

Wow lots of us nearly done! Yah!!! I have 2 boosts to go. Today they took ages to get me positioned right for the boost. I had to get up and they had to start over because it just wouldn’t line up properly. My skin is red and my nipple has a few small rad burns and a raw looking bit on the areola other than that my skin has held up pretty well considering I reacted pretty much straight away.

Went to Macklemore last night and today I’m really tired and a bit down. Oldest RT daughter went back to her new home 6 hours away and I cried after she left. I think it’s a combo of being tired and coming to the end of treatment. I’m nervous about starting hormonal in 2 weeks. My youngest is sick so I’ll have to take her to the after hours Dr after she finishes work. It’s a 40 min drive away. I feel too tired to do this but hubby works late so I’ll be sucking it up. Might try and catch a nap before.

Take care everyone!

SoCaligirl - I am having problems with breast pain. It’s not the skin but deep in the breast. I apply light pressure to the hurting area until the pain goes away. Also taking ibuprofen. 8 of 33 treatments to go, He last few will be boosts. I am getting very tired. Yesterday I pretty much slept the day away.

Thank you ladies for sharing in this forum.

Hi Ladies,

I have been reading your posts and thought I had joined a while ago, but I guess my brain is not functioning the same. I am also in the Jan group. I started RAD's on Jan 4th and will finish on Feb 23rd and I had been coping pretty well. I was using the Miaderm 3x's a day, until a few days ago and the RO told me use it much more than that. My underarm, chest and breast are burned and feel like they are on fire. Ughhhh! Like some of you, I am also dealing with my nipple being at attention all the time, tenderness and swollen and not being able to rest, so I am tired all the time.

Mama - Keep applying that lotion and ask the RO for cooling gel packs that you can apply. They help for a few hours in between putting lotion on.

DKK - I had several trial and error experiences with specific bras and such until I found a comfortable lightweight sports bra that I could wear. I had fluid in my breast before RADS, so it only got worse after I started so, comfort was of utmost importance. One of therapists said one of the patients recommended Hanes Women's Cozy Seamless Wire Free Bra found on Amazon. Also, lotion, lotion, lotion and stretch. I am sure the other ladies have other suggestions for you because they have truly been Angels to me.

For you ladies that are finishing, YAY!!! Another chapter done!

Hi everyone! I'll be starting Rads in March, so I've been lurking here to see how all of you in the February group made it through your treatment. Thanks for sharing your experiences. It's so helpful to have an idea of what to expect. It's great to see my chemo buddies from mid to late 2017. I finally finished A/C in January, and managed the SEs just fine.

As for lotions and potions for Rads, my RO suggested only Aloe Vera (100% pure) and Aquaphor. I decided to add Calendula after reading some of your posts. I might also purchase the Hanes wireless bra from Amazon and some cheap tee shirts. If any of you have any other suggestions, please speak up.

I'm getting apprehensive after hearing about raw, oozing skin, painful breasts, and lymphadema, but you have also provided good info about how to handle it. If you can do it, I can do it. So far I've made it through chemo with very few problems, and I'm hoping for the same with rads. To be honest, all of here have given me hope, and for that I want to give you a big THANK YOU!!!

DKK, I'll see you in the March Rads Group.

Hi everyone! Thanks for having me! Sorry it took me so long to reply after my first post but I had the flu last week. I even missed a treatment - boo!

Today I had treatment 10/30.

I'm glad to have all your posts to read. Going through all of this can feel very isolating.

I see some of you are using certain lotions - what seem to be the favorites? Also - what are these saline soaks you mention? Are you using Epsom salts or what?

Right now, I'm using green tree/ maca compresses, organic calendula oil and fresh aloe vera. My skin seems to be holding up ok right now - a little pink and itchy after the treatment but it seems to fade while I'm sleeping at night. My most sensitive skin area is definitely the back of my shoulder/arm. I'm not sure if it is exposure or friction or both but I feel it there way more than my breast.

My breast feels a bit sore but not too bad. And I do get occasional sharp prickly pains in my breast and on the back of my arm but they are usually fleeting. My nipple is definitely sensitive and much darker now on day 10 - my whole breast looks a bit more tan than the other side.

On a super exciting note, our cancer center offers integrative services including massage! I missed last week due to the flu, but tomorrow I get a half-hour massage after my zap. It will be my first massage since I found out I had cancer in September. I can't wait!

Meg101 - sorry you had to find yourself here, but these are the best groups of ladies to be sharing this with. When I joined I was going through chemo and they lifted me and kept me going on days I didn't want to go on. You can do this!! While going through RADS, I tell myself.. That if I made it though chemo, I can make it though anything. When people ask how I'm doing in radiation, I say... Smiling my way through. 😉 I did purchase the tee shirts. 3 sizes bigger and found them to be very comfortable. Smashleywnc- sorry ru hear that you had the flu, but glad you're on the road to recovery.