MARCH 2018 starting RADIATION

Hi Petey,

I only had radiation and had no problems in areas that were not tx. Hope you find the cause and treatment!

Hello March Ladies: I suppose it is normal for us all to be cycling in and out of our various support groups here, and while I miss our daily support, I'm happy to be carrying on.

The rads burns/tan/peeling were kind of just gone one morning. It's strange how normal my breast is looking. I had some little moles in the boost area, which kind of <insert gross alert> dried up and picked off eventually. The incision scar is amazingly fading. I've been able to start massaging the breast, breaking up the seroma and scar lumps. It's helping.

One leftover bonus for me is the addition of no more underwire bras. How did I not know wearing a bra could feel so good?

Hope everyone is well and healing.

Hey Veeder and Kaywrite,

How do you know if it's a seroma? My skin is all healed up, my scar is gone but I have a firm area of flesh in the breast under the scar. Probably where the surgeon cut out the DCIS. Is this a seroma and is it supposed to dissolve eventually? I have also been doing some light massage to the area. It can't hurt.

Hi Veeder and Paco - Glad to hear you are both doing well. Paco, I also have a big firm lump under the incision/nipple area - the SO said things would feel different now, but I wondered if it should be that different. Meanwhile, the RO told me that liquids fill the spaces left by surgery, would eventually recede, yada yada. I was told to massage for seroma/scar tissue as part of post-rads when the swelling went down, as it has. While overall smaller, I still have that disproportionately (to me) large hard area. I return for first scans of my "new breast" in July. We'll see then....

Hi ladies, I have a question for you. I am trying to get my 33 rads done by August 1, and we have a cruise that we are leaving for on August 4. It's the whole family going all 6 of us and I'm hoping on feeling ok. Can anyone tell me how you felt when you finished your treatments? Thank yo

MAC58 - I also had 16 rads and 5 boosts - aka the accelerated radiation. With 33 it sounds like yours are the more traditional, which is lower dose per day.

I felt fine, just emotionally drained and ready to rest up without having a doctors appointment every day. Radiation keeps cooking for a couple of weeks after the last treatment. My breast turned colors, felt a little burned, and was swollen. But nothing soft bras and aquaphor didn't take care of. I took generic naproxen for aches and pains if needed.

It does seem to be different for everyone, so you won't know how your body will react until you're in the process. Keep your breast moisturized and soft bras, etc. But if I had gone on a cruise (I wish) three days after rads, I would have been fine. (you would need to protect the radiated area from the sun, keep covered, etc.)

Hope your treatments go well, with minimal side effects. And that you have a wonderful cruise!

Hi Mac 58,

I had 20 tx .15 whole breast, 5 boosts and had very little fatigue. I followed the RO suggestions to eat lots of protein ( I ate nuts, peanut butter, greek yogurt several times a day and lots of chicken, fish ( which are a big part of my diet anyway) . I also walked daily 1 to -11/2 miles ( now up to 2 mi. day) I only worked a half day a week so I didn't have that as a stress. I did have a few "sinking spells ' occasionally where I felt tired, but it didn't limit me in my activity. I will also tell you my sister had chemo and 7 weeks of rads last year for throat ca. and she felt " a little tired" during tx. I also took very good care of my skin, following the RO directions to the letter about using pure aloe , being careful in the shower not to scrub,no antiperspirants, dove soap, going braless, etc and had no major problems as compared to some of the other gals. I sure hope you get to go on your cruise and let everyone pamper you !!!!! You can do as little or as much as you want on a cruise and that's why i love them so much.

Is anyone doing active breast-massaging now? I started three weeks after finishing rads, with the ok from my RO. I'd say the swelling and seroma sacks and scar tissue have really benefitted from this. But I am finding that my breast area tightens up quickly and easily. This makes it seem like my breast is sore to the touch or certain movement, when really if I do my stretching exercises it is all fine again. I'm sure this is a SE of radiation. Anyone else experiencing?

I have no idea if I am "massaging" correctly. Because my hands are attached to my body (rather than the body of someone standing over me), my massage movements are limited. So mostly I feel like I am squeezing and pushing. Anyone get better instructions than I did?

thanks, Veeder - I'm thinking I should go to OT once or twice instead of fumbling around on my own

Hi Paco - yes indeedy. I feel much less lumpy and sore. I think I underestimated the normal SEs of radiation, which can include fibrosis. I am so glad I began stretching and massaging early - although I had only a hand movement in the air for instruction. I still feel like I need some experienced care to avoid long-term effects. I found this for citation:

https://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/information-su...

"Radiotherapy to the breast and/or under the arm can cause hardening of the tissue. This is known as fibrosis and is caused by a build-up of scar tissue. If the fibrosis becomes severe, the breast can become noticeably smaller as well as firmer. This is rare but may happen several months or years after radiotherapy has finished."

And this re SOC (standard of care - apparently there is a laser treatment available as well):

https://cancercompass.com/message-board/message/al...,22933,0.htm"I wasn't clear enough in my message about the laser treatment. You do not have to have lymphedema for the laser to help with the condition you're experiencing from radiation treatment. To find a therapist with the laser you will need to be looking for a lymphedema therapist. It could help, as could myofascial release. For that kind of massage therapy try to find a body worker who's worked with cancer patients--that's what I did. My range of motion has improved a lot and I no longer have the pain in the chest area that I did (I can hug easier and wear a seatbelt much more comfortably.) Hope I've been a bit clearer for you."

Myofascial Release is a type of massage for pain from fibrosis and/or hardened connective tissues:https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bac...

It's times like this I wish our health care providers had a comprehensive "what to expect and who to see if..." breast cancer patient caseworker. For me, being passed around from SO, to RO, to MO (in that order) let a lot of simple SOC information fall through the cracks.

Hope this helps...

Mac58 - this a late reply but hopefully helpful. I finished #30 RAD on May 7th and left on an ambitious 2 week trip to England on May 10th. I worried before hand that I might be too tired, or not feeling well and it is such an expensive trip I didn't want to waste it. I am so glad I kept it. Finishing treatment and having that to look forward to was wonderful and the trip was like a reset back to normalcy (to the extent we have that anymore).

I hope your treatments go smoothly and you are able to enjoy a fabulous vacation at the end of it!

I too have to see my radiologist on the 11th . But first they are sending me for a bone density test tomorrow. Is that normal? Also I have gotten a rash all over my right breast. Thank God it hasn’t gotten to my left breast which I had the lumpectomy. Been to er but they’re not sure what’s going on . It doesn’t hurt or itch.