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When did you start having visible reactions to rads?

BlownAway60
BlownAway60 CSN Member Posts: 851
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I am in my third week of rads and so far have not had any skin reaction. Just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

When did you start having visible reactions to rads?

Hugs

Donna
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Comments

  • carkris
    carkris CSN Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #2
    I didnt have any redness
    I didnt have any redness until 3/4 of the way through, I had 33 treatments. sometimes it seemed to be pink by friday and return to normal over the weekend. no real redness until the end. I am clearing up now and I finished May 13 Hope the other shoe doesnt drop but if you have any problem remember it will start to get better once rads is done, so it wont be forever like chemo seemed.
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  • Rague
    Rague CSN Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #3
    I got some 'tanning' and
    I got some 'tanning' and brown freckles that just progressed through out the 25 rads. Burns started at the 23rd but not bad til after the last one and got real bad fast after that - took 6 weeks to get the last healed and still have some bad scars form the burns.
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  • natly15
    natly15 CSN Member Posts: 1,941
    #4
    Tomorrow I will have
    Tomorrow I will have completed my 5th week. My underarm and breast are red and a little uncomfortable. I'm using aloe and corn starch and so far they seem to be doing ok for me. I will be finished with rads on 6/15. wishing you the best with no burns and no discomfort.
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  • mjjones453
    mjjones453 CSN Member Posts: 155
    #5
    natly15 said:

    Tomorrow I will have
    Tomorrow I will have completed my 5th week. My underarm and breast are red and a little uncomfortable. I'm using aloe and corn starch and so far they seem to be doing ok for me. I will be finished with rads on 6/15. wishing you the best with no burns and no discomfort.

    visable signs
    I was into my 3rd or forth week when i started to develope sores, or hot spots. I am large breasted, and I was told to expect this kind of reaction. It was very painful for me. I had the sores in my armpit area, and also under my breasts. I was pleasantly surprised that the sores went away about 7 days after radiation finished. I have finished with radiation, on May 5, and still have swelling to the breast. I guess that will take time to go away. I also got very dark in the arm pit, and also redness on the breast. I think the Dr. was surprised at how dark it became. Hopefully you will not have any reactions! Mary
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  • KayNYC
    KayNYC CSN Member Posts: 495 Member
    #6
    Since all of our radiation protocols are different and taking into account different breast sizes and skin types, I guess there is no one answer to when to expect reactions. I started to get red after the halfway mark in my radiation treatment. A bit of itching, swelling of the breast and under the arm now ( not half as bad as the seroma after my surgery). Nothing unbearable. I finish the regular treatment tomorrow and have the five boosts next week.
    Hope you will not experience any reactions. My rad onc said the redness and puffiness is to be expected.
    K
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  • sbmly53
    sbmly53 CSN Member Posts: 1,522
    #7
    Ugh! 3rd day!
    Then had the weekend off. Started right back up and, by the time I finished my 33 trtmnts, I was cooked! But 10 days later, I was able to wear a bra.

    Sue
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  • aisling8
    aisling8 CSN Member Posts: 1,627 Member
    #8
    sbmly53 said:

    Ugh! 3rd day!
    Then had the weekend off. Started right back up and, by the time I finished my 33 trtmnts, I was cooked! But 10 days later, I was able to wear a bra.

    Sue

    Oh, three or four weeks in
    Mostly I got tan and then a weird brown color. Never burned. I look the weirdest right now, one week after finishing -- the boosts turned me red. It's pretty weird, one side is normal skin temp and the radiated side is sizzling still. I wore a bra all the way through and towards the end I went ahead and shaved under my arm -- it was just too gross not to:)

    Good luck,

    Victoria
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  • MGNS
    MGNS CSN Member Posts: 197 Member
    #9
    I had 28 treatments and
    I had 28 treatments and started to have skin breakdown after the 23rd treatment. Had to take 3 weeks off to heal before finishing the last 5 treatments. Use your creams no matter what. I'm one month post treatment and all redness is gone, but still am swollen and just wondering when swelling will go away. Fatigue continues, but each day is a bettr day. Stay strong!
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  • Ritzy
    Ritzy CSN Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #10
    aisling8 said:

    Oh, three or four weeks in
    Mostly I got tan and then a weird brown color. Never burned. I look the weirdest right now, one week after finishing -- the boosts turned me red. It's pretty weird, one side is normal skin temp and the radiated side is sizzling still. I wore a bra all the way through and towards the end I went ahead and shaved under my arm -- it was just too gross not to:)

    Good luck,

    Victoria

    I started getting a little
    I started getting a little pink about the 4th week, but, that was all. I was very gentle with my skin, using only dove soap. And, I used the Biafine and gobs of Aquaphor to keep my skin in good condition. I never got burnt, just very dark red near my collarbone. I didn't wear a bra, just by choice. No shaving under your arm, but, you will lose your hair there very quickly anyway. One perk of rads..lol And, use only non aluminum deodorant, if you use any. Good luck!

    Sue :)
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