BREAST TISSUE AFTER 7 MO. RADIATION?

Nickeming

IT HAS BEEN SEVEN MONTHS SINCE I HAVE RECEIVED 6 WEEKS OF RADIATION TO MY LEFT BREAST.
DOES ANYONE ELSE STILL HAVE SOME TENDERNESS, NUMBNESS, SWELLING OF THE BREAST. I AM EXPERIENCING THIS AND WONDERED IF SOMEONE ELSE CAN RELATE. MY BREAST IS HOLDING SOME LIQUID . IT HAS BEEN THIS WAY SINCE AFTER TWO SENTINLE NODES WERE REMOVED. I'M CONCERENED. THE SKIN IS A DIFFERENT TEXTURE THAN MY RIGHT BREAST AS WELL. THANKS AND BLESSINGS MARLIECE

lindatn

When I kept complaining about fluid in my breast, tenderness and down right pain the radiation Dr said it would take up to two years to settle down. Well it has been three years just about and I still have a red breast with big pores, much larger breast, hurts when I travel, and a lot of fluid in it. Mine started ten days after radiation ended. I wish I could tell you it will be fine but I had a check up the first of the month and I asked the onco if this breast will ever be any different and she said NO. Didn't seem to have anything to offer for help. I have heard of some gals wearing a special made bra, they are tight and compress the breast asked her about it and she said might make it worse! So I try not to ride too long in the car, not to lift to much nor take to hot a shower, that really sets it off. We'll pray you will be lucky enough for it to greatly improve. Linda

seeknpeace

lindatn said:

When I kept complaining about fluid in my breast, tenderness and down right pain the radiation Dr said it would take up to two years to settle down. Well it has been three years just about and I still have a red breast with big pores, much larger breast, hurts when I travel, and a lot of fluid in it. Mine started ten days after radiation ended. I wish I could tell you it will be fine but I had a check up the first of the month and I asked the onco if this breast will ever be any different and she said NO. Didn't seem to have anything to offer for help. I have heard of some gals wearing a special made bra, they are tight and compress the breast asked her about it and she said might make it worse! So I try not to ride too long in the car, not to lift to much nor take to hot a shower, that really sets it off. We'll pray you will be lucky enough for it to greatly improve. Linda

Hi to you both. I had a bilateral mastectomy, and no radiation, so I am not in the know, but I do have a question, probably more for Linda.

My mother just finished her radiation. She was diagnosed this summer, had a lumpectomy and radiation. She was stage 1 with no lymph node involvement and had papilary cancer, which I understand is not aggressive.

With my mastectomy, I had the sentinel node biopsy with four nodes removed and she had the sentinel with maybe 2. With all the cuts and pains of a tram flap reconstruct, I have no idea how she should feel. Her breast hurts, the cancer was in the lower part so the breast lays on the site.

How long and what can she expect? Should she still be having pain and a hard time using her arm? I realize that she is older than me, and that makes a difference, but am wondering how to help her. She askes me about the pain all the time and I do not know what to tell her. She has no computer and would not go online if she did.

If this gets missed, I will start a thread.

Jan

lindatn

Jan: Your Mum has been very lucky with her cancer but she must get help to excercise her arm and right away. There is no need to loose the use of that arm. As for pain in the breast it is very early yet in recovery. I had a lot of pain where the tumor was due to the radiation dense dose. Mine was in the upper part of the breast, I found by padding my bra with old well washed soft handerchief really worked. Couldn't go away as looked a bit odd but sure worked at home. Maybe she can try the same. Very few people have fluid in their breast it really is lymphedema of the breast rather then the more common arm. Is your Mum having arm swelling? I really think she is just having the normal recovery problem we do heal slower with age, I was 58 when I started my cancer treatment. God Bless you and your Mother. Linda

epgnyc

Hi, Marliece.

My breast was very tender, sore and uncomforable (like I had a continuous sunburn) for almost two years following the end of radiation. I was Stage I and had a sentinel node biopsy with two nodes removed. Radiation seems to have really irritated the whole area, but now it's only the underarm area where the nodes were removed that remains sore to this day. I asked my radiation oncologist about it and there's really nothing that can be done. Everyone reacts differently to these things. I find that applying 100% aloe vera daily helps, and I also no longer use regular deorderant/anti-perspirant under that arm -- much too irritating. For that arm I use something natural from the health food store that seems to be milder. You're still pretty early post-treatment for this type of thing to have resolved, so don't give up hope. It very well may improve with time. Good luck.

SheilaG

Marliece, I finished 7 weeks of radiation 2 years ago this month and my breast is just now getting back to normal. First the radiated breast sits higher than my other breast, it was very tender and swollen and tough skinned. Mammograms were rough because,as the tech explained it, the radiated skin is more dense than the rest. However, I am noticing a gradual improvment, so there is hope!