members suggestions on what helped them through radiation

[The new girl]

hi Lucy,they patched me up a bit today,nurse cleaned up the collarbone area then put cream and then glad wrap,she also gave me a bandage thing to put on the side of the breast it's reusable you just moisten the edges and it sticks and feels great I will use it mostly or gym because that area will get worse now tht they will target just that area where the tumores were,it's so much quicker now to which is great,the nurse asked what I was taking for the pain I told her I was just sucking it up I have not taken panadol....Rosa

[The new girl]

Hi liv,I am hanging in there 8 to go,after today they will just target the area where the tumores were so the skin around the collar bone will have a rest but the area under the arm will be hit more,how are you going? No gym today for me today we have friends comming to dinner so I have been busy...Rosa

[Lucy the Lump]

Hi Rosa - After rads finished a few more blisters came out, but the worst area was near the collar bone. It took the longest to heal, but 2 weeks after rads finished it was looking really good. The area on my back was like a bad sunburn and peeled in the same manner as sunburn. Also the area under my arm & at the surgery site peeled but it was not too bad and good thing is that I feel a bit numb there so it never felt itchy or stingy either. There is no scarring, but the area near the collarbone is still a bit pink looking just like the new skin after a scalding or steam burn might look. But it won't leave a scar because it is getting smaller & more normal looking all the time. I think I would need to be careful when out in the sun to cover up and not get too much sun on that spot.
Is your hair sprouting now too? That is pretty exciting when it happens.
Lucy (Lyn)

[The new girl]

hi liv,yes the aloe feels great I keep it in the fridge and I will keep putting that on,and I'll keep counting down the days...Rosa

[The new girl]

hi ladies,the skin under my arm has broken despite having put lots of cream the burn on my collar bone still just burning but not broken,I am finally putting fresh aloe Vera on it,yes Eirelass should have put it on from the beggining,and liv yes I will learn to down load pics...Rosa

[Lucy the Lump]

hey Rosa...so glad that your swollen feet are improving and you have a new spring in your step. And also that you are doing the rads better than chemo.

I'm pretty happy today having had my last rads treatment. I think my burns are not so bad. They were going to send me home with Zinc & Castor Oil cream, but I chose not to use it. They said I can continue with the Moo Goo as it seems to be doing the job on my skin. But if it does not look good on the worst of the burns to consider the Zinc & Castor Oil. So I will see how it goes.

On a really sad note, my dear friend who took me to all my appointments and to chemo was today diagnosed with BC herself. She is to have a lumpectomy and 30 radiation treatments. She is such a lovely person and I can't believe after all the good she has done that she should get this wretched disease too.
I guess we are a bit shell shocked today.
Lucy

[Janette]

I went to a talk yesterday by podiatrists and essentially chemotherapy and radiation therapy and the message was to take very good care of your feet. The treatments they say affect the capillaries and nerve endings and even walking can cause extra strain.

Please talk to your medical team about running and exercise and particularly if you have swelling. Those feet are really important and injuries can affect the rest of your life.

[Eirelass]

Hey Lucy, they gave me a couple of pairs of those too, the stretchy mess ones. I just wore it under my clothes like a boob tube, mostly at night and it keep my dressing in place. They are good, no chaffe. Sounds like you have a bit of skin damage there - hope it heals quickly for you.

Rosa, that is awesome about your feet! Mine ache sometimes, but I keep taking lots of fish oil. All the bet with the weight loss. Not happening here, but I guess the exercise will help tone me.

[Lucy the Lump]

Just want to share my day's adventure to Rads
Thank goodness I can't see your faces as you read this. You will be really good not to have a bit of a giggle.
Guess how they sent me home from the hospital today?????????
The good nurse plastered a lovely gooey gel under my arm because some skin had peeled off there from the radiation treatments. She then plied some moisturising cream on my upper back & up near the clavicle at the front where my main burns are.
She then put lots of padding over it all...................... and then.......................
You know those elastic stretchy mesh pants they use in hospital & Nursing Homes to keep incontinent pads in place????? Yep I bet some of you have seen them on the job.
Well nursie cuts open the fork of a pair of them. Then pulls them over my head, sticks my arms into leg holes and pulls them down into a crop top sort of affair to hold all the dressings into place until I have a shower in the morning. The top of this wonderful crop top then protruded by inches above the neckline of the scoop neck top I wore today. Like you couldn't tell what the garment was made of. (Shaking my poor ol' noggin)
Holy sh%#t? there have been times when I think there is not much room for pride on this journey, but the inventiveness of Nursie today takes the cake. No doubt I will get the same tomorrow so I know what NOT to wear down there.
One of the blokes on the bus pi**ed himself laughing. I must mention that he is a regular on the bus and having Rads & chemo concurrently for his own cancer & we have become friends. Just as well I can see the funny side of this and it was pretty hilarious.
Where the skin came off under the arm I don't actually feel it because it is numb from nerve damage from the surgery. So it doesn't sting, hurt or itch.
It has been a very interesting learning curve. What an adventure.
They say my skin will worsen over the next 2 days and then will continue to come out in blisters for up to a couple of weeks after that. But then they say I will have beautiful new skin to replace it all.
Hubba hubba?
I also have a blob of Zinc & Castor Oil under Opsite on my arm to see if I have any reaction to it. Because that is what they want me to use after Wednesday. So far so good on that score.
I see some very messy sessions coming up during the healing process.
Only 2 more to go

[The new girl]

hi liv,my feet still the same,these tablets are different to the others I was taking,a few times a day I put them right up above the heart against the wall and lying on the foor,and yes trying to push fluids,I see my oncologist on Thursday I will see what he says. Lucy only 3 left that's great,I don't think it's a bad thing trying something different.on your skin ,whatever works is good,the place I am going for treatment is a bit sad the girls at the desk are pleasant but not friendly,the technicians I seem to get some one different everyday the girls are nice they talk to me while the other oneis drawing all over my breast yesterday I had a pimply young trainee. I met the nurse she explained the usual that I was already informed about thanks to this forum I just find it depressing going there everyday,I have not been to the gym the last3 days but will be back there on Monday so I am not just waiting to go to radiation,that's probably what's making me depressed. Have a great weekend everyone

[liv]

rosa - hows the feet? are the tablets working? lots and lots of water to flush everything out especially when on fluid tablets tend to dehydrate..
water is so boring but just a bit more than usual to flush out all the toxins & the swelling goes.

lucy naughty gal. no, anything to relieve ouches and itches
only 3 to go, well done.

x

[Lucy the Lump]

Hi Rosa.. I hope the fluid tabs help with your feet. I have found the nurses at Rads pretty awesome when it comes to asking questions.


With only 3 more to go, I had yesterday off due to machine maintenance. Probably a good thing as I'm starting to get a reaction that needs some TLC. I was using their recommendation of lashings of sorbolene with a smear of .5% cortisone cream. But it was getting a bit angry by last night so I have tried the Moo Goo that they recommend for after treatment is over. A bit naughty I know & not at all suggesting that anyone else jumps the gun either. But since it is the weekend & really wanting the skin in as good a condition as possible for the last 3 treatments. Anyway it seems to be improving now.
But as I said I am not advocating anyone doing their own thing with skin care. But adding another product that may be worth asking doctor or nurses about if any of the ladies have issues with their skin either during or at the end of their rads treatments.
Lucy

[liv]

rosa
lets hope your treatment goes smoothly. everyone is different but ive heard rads is easier than chemo apart from getting really tired.
it will be over before you know it.

x

[The new girl]

hi Lucy, I will get used to the guys I suppose I just was not expecting it,and yes one of them is quite young,I just lay there with my eyes closed the whole time saying all the preyers I know! My Gp gave me more fluid tablets and I go see my oncologist next Thursday but I don't think he will be able to suggest any different.so good to hear your nearly done ...Rosa

[Lucy the Lump]

Hi Rosa - Best wishes for your rads. I have found that compared to chemo the rads is 100% better. I have only 4 more to go now.
Like you I have had a mix of male & females in the room but I have been able to cover my right breast with the gown throughout the sessions and they have been a really good bunch in there. I must be getting old because a few of them look like they should still be in high school.
You will also find that the rads goes really fast. Were you able to get your swollen feet sorted out today? I sure hope so.
Lucy