RAD Update

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emamei
emamei Member Posts: 146
in Breast Cancer #1
I asked my radiation therapist yesterday about when I might begin to see a skin reaction to the radiation. She told me that typically by the 6th treatment or so, basically by mid-week next week. Well, so much for the middle of next week... yesterday evening my chest, neck, shoulder and upper back of my shoulder began to feel really hot, kind of like the bad sunburn you don't feel until the evening time and the temperature outside cools down.

I lifted my t-shirt and looked at my skin and then looked at it in the mirror and sure enough it's a bit red and burns, my mastectomy scar is quite reddened too.

I applied an ample amount of Base Cream® to everywhere I can reach and had Scott (my hubby) apply it to my back and neck.

This really concerns me as I've only had the two treatments so far. I'm following all of the skin care instructions I have been given and will be talking about this with the radiation therapist at this afternoon's appointment to see if there's anything else I can do.

Right now I'm feeling very uncomfortable. I feel light headed and my migraine headache continues to linger, ebbing and flowing now for days. I'm having my head CT scan right after my radiation treatment today. The head CT scan was ordered by my chemo oncologist regarding the weird headaches I've continued to have post chemo. They're very different from the migraine headaches I get. I see my chemo oncologist on August 17th for post chemo follow up and to go over my head CT scan results.

I'll keep you posted...

Comments

  • cavediver
    cavediver Member Posts: 607
    #2
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    radiation creams
    hopefully your radiation onc will give you another cream that will work well for you. I did not burn too much during radiation.....I used Aquaphor liberally which was wonderful for me. But, as we have all learned, we are all different and our skins can react differently. I never get sun burned......so guess that helped. But your onc should be able to give you some relief. I will keep you in my prayers that you receive relief from the headaches and all is well. Positive thoughts sent to you, and lots of hugs.......keep us posted....... we all care more than you know! Hugs
  • poplolly
    poplolly Member Posts: 346
    #3
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    My radiation doctor gave me
    My radiation doctor gave me a prescription cream which seemed to help a lot. How awful about the continued head aches. I am praying that it is not anything really serious. Although, there is nothing worse to me than a headache. Keep us posted--PS..I did end up peeling as though I had a sunburn, but it wasn't at the beginning.

    Judy
  • butterflylvr
    butterflylvr Member Posts: 944
    #4
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    poplolly said:

    My radiation doctor gave me
    My radiation doctor gave me a prescription cream which seemed to help a lot. How awful about the continued head aches. I am praying that it is not anything really serious. Although, there is nothing worse to me than a headache. Keep us posted--PS..I did end up peeling as though I had a sunburn, but it wasn't at the beginning.

    Judy

    Maria,
    As you know I just finished my rads last week. I had 33 treatments and I started noticing red color within the first week but it stayed pretty light. Around my 22 treatment was when all heck broke loose for me. I got beat red, I mean lobster red by the time I was ready for my boosts. My skin started blistering and pealing and my boosts were directed towards my incision lines too. Not a pretty picture after I was finished. I used aquaphor plus some aloe gel lotion that the clinic provided me. I gooped on the stuff four times a day and I still burned. Now bear in mind, I have tissue expanders and the only thing they are zapping are my chest muscle, skin and lymph nodes. So my skin was targeted and boy it got strong doses. For me though I didn't have any uncomfortable feeling, other then under the breast mound where skin touched skin (darn big belly).

    Now with that said, one week after treatments my skin is still pretty red but it's definitely a night and day difference and improving each day. I'm starting to peal like a snake and the nice pick color underneath looks a lot better then what I am shedding.

    Hang in there... they will monitor you and if need be, they will give you a "time out" like they did to Jennifer.

    Hugs,
    Lorrie
  • grams2jc
    grams2jc Member Posts: 756
    #5
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    yes, if your skin doesn't behave they will give you a "time-out"
    Although mine may have just been bad overall behavior, LOL

    They really stressed the pure aloe gel where I went and I am a really fair skinned lady with no left breast....my skin got lots of rads. They told me I made it about 2 weeks farther than they thought I would before needing the time out. So,I did pure aloe gel 4 to 5 times a day and no fake breast or bra after trtmt (which was after work) until the next a.m. I thought the PURE aloe gel would be hard to find but it was with the suntan stuff at both CVS and Walmart and when I looked online it was at kmart also. AND they told me Dove sensitive skin body wash only. They just wanted to keep my skin from drying out, and they said some other products would do that. They also told me that any leftover goop on my skin during treatment would "react as another layer of skin" and would actually make my skin burn worse ???!!

    Sooo, while I did have to finish 8 days later than planned, and my sanity was sorely tested, the true battle didn't start til right before boosts, 10 treatments farther than they expected and finally I am back in a bra and a fake boob. No more lopsided lady!!


    Jennifer
  • Gabe N Abby Mom
    Gabe N Abby Mom Member Posts: 2,413
    #6
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    I was pink at the end of the
    I was pink at the end of the first day, and the pink came and went for about a week. Then I stayed pink, then red and I stayed red. I was getting close to done when I got a rads rash. But I never got any blisters or any open skin. After I was entirely done, the skin turned brown and started peeling, but again no blisters or open skin. So my point is that just because you got some color early does not mean you will burn. (And I went twice a day so I got more than the 'normal' daily dose.)

    Best wishes with the CT scan, let us know what the onc says on the 17th.

    Hugs,

    Linda
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #7
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    Gabe N Abby Mom said:

    I was pink at the end of the
    I was pink at the end of the first day, and the pink came and went for about a week. Then I stayed pink, then red and I stayed red. I was getting close to done when I got a rads rash. But I never got any blisters or any open skin. After I was entirely done, the skin turned brown and started peeling, but again no blisters or open skin. So my point is that just because you got some color early does not mean you will burn. (And I went twice a day so I got more than the 'normal' daily dose.)

    Best wishes with the CT scan, let us know what the onc says on the 17th.

    Hugs,

    Linda

    Ouch...
    Are you seeing your radiation oncologist weekly? I saw mine every Monday after that day's treatment....I never even turned pink until the end of week 3....you said previously your rads treatment were 20-30 minutes...that maybe the reason although I have never heard of anyone's lasting more than 5 minutes....for the actual treatment...

    What was your original diagnosis?

    Ask for a different rads cream....I used Radiaplex for the first 4 weeks then they switched me to Biofine...I did really well with those...
    Wishing you better days...
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #8
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    cavediver said:

    radiation creams
    hopefully your radiation onc will give you another cream that will work well for you. I did not burn too much during radiation.....I used Aquaphor liberally which was wonderful for me. But, as we have all learned, we are all different and our skins can react differently. I never get sun burned......so guess that helped. But your onc should be able to give you some relief. I will keep you in my prayers that you receive relief from the headaches and all is well. Positive thoughts sent to you, and lots of hugs.......keep us posted....... we all care more than you know! Hugs

    I am sorry that you are
    I am sorry that you are already having effects from rads. This seems so soon. My rads oncologist gave me Biafine, a prescription, for any burn that I might get and I also used Aquaphor to keep my skin moist and in good shape. Both worked great for me. Be sure your rads oncologist keeps checking your skin weekly. And, if you get too burnt, they may have to stop for awhile.


    Good luck and hoping you improve,


    Kylez

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