Radiation experiences

Hello!  I did radiation.  Side effects was fatigue mainly.  I did chemo and double mastectomy first so it might of been a culmination of that as well or the fact it was everyday.  I did not have skin irritation until later and was given sulvatine to help, but I was allergic to it and did not know.  I just kep putting more on thinking it was getting worse.  I am allergic to sulfa and they said it would be fine, but did not put it together until someone said her doc would not prescribe it due to that.  I was just mainly worn out.  Not ill or anything.  

Many side effects can be effectively managed with the right tools and knowledge.  I am very fair skinned and worried a lot about "burning".  Tips to avoid that are to go home if you can and immediately undress the breast area.  Letting it "breathe" from clothing and put on whatever ointment/lotion is recommended to you if needed.  Also, when you do cover it, try to use a soft cotton that will allow it to breathe as well and avoid bras while healing as they tend to hold in the heat.  You can also apply cool (no ice) damp compress or take a cool temp shower to the radiated area to help cooling. Always pat dry - do not rub.  I also wore no breast covering to bed.  Redness may occur but report any excessive or hurtful redness to the dr office.  My skin also liked the lubricant they recommended and I could frequently apply it and let it dry before covering.  If you see blistering to start be sure to call dr right away for treating that.  I found when I did have to cover it to wear loose fitting cottons were the most comfortable.  I was on the smaller size, so I could easily go without a bra during this time without it being a stare at attraction.   I was really surprised at how well my skin tolerated the rad treatments.  Another thing that helped me was my treatment involved the Christmas/New Year holidays.  The staff let me choose whether to come in for a treatment those 2 days or to skip that day.  I still went for the same # of treatments.  BUT... the two weeks with only 4 treatments/week were a Godsend for my skin!  I also timed my treatments for the beginning of the day as I could go home and bare it all to let it "cool" down.  I had very little discomfort and never blistered.  Be attentive to healing issues makes it easier to address than waiting until really bad.  Staff would rather you call and it be simple to care for than to wait until a bigger problem.  I have done a lot of breast cancer support over the years with the breast cancer groups and individuals, so don't hesitate to call me if you have other questions you'd like to discuss.  913-206-4518   Julia Stegeman  🙂

Sounds like you are having a similar treatment plan to mine.  I did chemo, surgery (lumpectomy), and then 21 days of radiation and 1 year of target therapy (herceptin).  I would tell you, in my opinion, the radiation was the easiest part of my treatment.  Even though you go daily (Mon-Fri) the appointment is very quick and I did not experience any significant side effects.  A lot of people are very tired from it, but I was not. I remained active during the entire radiation treatment.  I drove myself there most days although family accompanied me once in a while, especially when visiting with the doctor at an appointment.  I put aquafor and a very good pure aloe gel on the area 2-3 times a day and I only experienced slight redness by the 3rd week of radiation treatment. It was a positive experience overall. If you have any additional questions, please let me know. 

Hello - my radiation was 15 years ago but I'm happy to help with a response. I'd say the biggest side effect is fatigue. I remember I worked in S Overland Park and had to drive 25 minutes to my radiation center where my "zapping" would be maybe 7 minutes total. That was my Mental Fatigue (and irritation) but once I drove the 10 min drive home, I was exhausted as if I'd just run a marathon. It would wipe me out for a good 1-2 hour nap. I am Latina but fairly light-skinned so I did get very red around my upper chest and neck area - I was also irritated when someone would say "looks like you got a little too sunburned" which I often did not provide a response. Honestly the thing that bothered me the most was the visible tattoos. Each time I still look in the mirror it's a reminder of that time and although I am ok with it, there's a vain part of me that would like to get rid of them. They're reminders of the journey and sometimes that's good to be thankful where I am today. While other times it's painful to see. 

Hope that helps 🙂 

@yoliv5590  Did you know that you can get your radiation alignment tattoos removed for free? Rajeunir Medical Spas will take care of that for you at any of their three area locations—Lee’s Summit, North of the River or South Overland Park. It takes several sessions, so there’s that, but at least it doesn’t cost anything! 

@janedoe7 I did not know that! Have you done it or know of anybody that did and how did it look post procedure to remove them? That’s so awesome they will do it for free.  Wondering if I should leave them as battle scars (not very noticeable anyway) or remove them…..

I forgot to say, I ended up buying non stick dressing to put in my bra to make sure my lotion would not stick.  I don't remember what I applied, but I did it daily and I think that helped.

@iamasurvivor No, I actually didn’t have tattoos. They made a mold of my torso for me to lie in each time. (That’s just how they did alignment there.) 

@janedoe7 that’s great!