Side effects of rad treatment

Hi Rozzie!

I found the radiation treatment to be pretty easy, but tedious. I had treatments 5 days a week for 7 weeks. Luckily the hospital was 10 minute drive from my office, so I was able to do it during my lunch hour. The first treatment takes a bit longer because they're trying to get you lined up in the machine just right. After that, the treatments themselves are very quick, you're only in the machine for 10-15 minutes. Most of the time is spent getting you positioned, and getting the machine to change positions. The first three weeks were pretty uneventful. I saw my RO once a week where she checked in on how I was feeling and carefully checked my skin. After 3 weeks, my skin started getting dry even though I was careful to moisturize. I had to use a bandage over a spot that started to crack. I did not find rads difficult. Once rads were over, my skin healed quickly. Good luck during your treatment

Katiejane,

I was pink all over too after the first few treatments. I also had mild swelling. This all went away after the first week or so, then started coming back as the regular burn around week 3 (which is when they said it would start). Just wanted to throw that out there, in case anyone sees this thread and is wondering. They told me it was "impossible" to be from the radiation because it was too soon. I dunno, I don't normally have pink swelling skin anywhere else, but you know... :-)

I am starting tomorrow if everything lines up correctly.  The machine is new I was told, I did like the therapist, the doc not so much but he is fine so I am confident this will go smoothly.  Guess I'll know as they line me up if I will be doing breath holds, they said it will depend on the pictures and what the physicist plan shows, if there isn't much difference they will just mark me without.  I was referred to a cardiologist at my physical last year but since I didn't make it past the mammo  I haven't gotten there yet. I'm sorry to read some of the horror stories here, it almost made me not want to join this community.  Best wishes to you all.

I hope you are ok, but I was not lucky at all, and suffered severe open, peeling burns, and had considerable Radiation Fibrosis, numbess and insane tightness for years after that only improved with around 100 Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Treatments, Pentoxifylline and Vitamin E daily. I wasn't warned about any of that and was not on these boards till the damage was done. I also have heart damage that causes Heart Arrhythmia which I worry may be what kills me off, ( That heart damage was despite doing the " Breath Hold "Technique) Ask how many of their patients get each of these awful, permanent damages from radiation. The rad oncologist I had was really evasive when I asked for percentages of her patients effected by these issues. In retrospect I should never have trusted her, but I was pushed along by everyone that seattle cancer care alliance (scca) was trustworthy. They were not. So ask now and you will have less regret.