☺RADIATION TREATMENT ☼☼☼ QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS☻

jnl

Sunrae said:

I just wanted to thank all
I just wanted to thank all you wonderful ladies for posting here and sharing your info and experiences. I'll be having a masectomy in 3 weeks and afterwards rads. At this point I don't know much but I'm keeping this discussion as one of my favorites so I can pull it up when I need it. Thanks again.

Good luck to you Sunrae!

Good luck to you Sunrae!

blackroze1000

Getting 1st "Official" Rad in 2 hours
If this has been answered already, I apologize. Can someone tell me if you have to go through regular blood tests during rads? If so, is it a weekly thing?

Also, here's a really dumb question: After I took a shower today with a mild soap like they told me to do, I fixed my hair and then SPRAYED IT WITH HAIRSPRAY as I usually do. I had a sweater on up to my neck, so I'm sure none of it got onto the area they are radiating, but still. I didn't even think about that being a complete no-no until it was already done. Should I wash my hair again before going??

Elaine

MyTurnNow

blackroze1000 said:

Getting 1st "Official" Rad in 2 hours
If this has been answered already, I apologize. Can someone tell me if you have to go through regular blood tests during rads? If so, is it a weekly thing?

Also, here's a really dumb question: After I took a shower today with a mild soap like they told me to do, I fixed my hair and then SPRAYED IT WITH HAIRSPRAY as I usually do. I had a sweater on up to my neck, so I'm sure none of it got onto the area they are radiating, but still. I didn't even think about that being a complete no-no until it was already done. Should I wash my hair again before going??

Elaine

Elaine, you should be fine
Elaine, you should be fine with hairspray in your hair. The important thing is not to put anything on the area being radiated. To answer you question regarding blood draws, I did not have any blood tests during radiation. I did have my blood drawn the week before I started radiation and all my counts were good. Good luck on your rads, you'll be done before you know it. No pun intended on the "done" part.

blackroze1000

MyTurnNow said:

Elaine, you should be fine
Elaine, you should be fine with hairspray in your hair. The important thing is not to put anything on the area being radiated. To answer you question regarding blood draws, I did not have any blood tests during radiation. I did have my blood drawn the week before I started radiation and all my counts were good. Good luck on your rads, you'll be done before you know it. No pun intended on the "done" part.

Thank you!
Thanks for getting back to me so soon. I really didn't feel like washing my hair all over again!!!

Ritzy

blackroze1000 said:

Thank you!
Thanks for getting back to me so soon. I really didn't feel like washing my hair all over again!!!

Using hairspray is fine.
Using hairspray is fine. They just don't want any cremes on the radiated area 4 hours prior to your treatment. And, I didn't have any blood tests done during rads either.

Sue

blackroze1000

blackroze1000 said:

Thank you!
Thanks for getting back to me so soon. I really didn't feel like washing my hair all over again!!!

For newbies to rads
Today was my second day of rads and I can't believe how fast it is. I got to the treatment center at 8:00 am and was back in my car by 8:20. Unbelievable! If there's a silver lining to getting rads (besides the obvious), this is it. It's done and over with quickly and so far it doesn't hurt a bit.

Elaine

Megan M

blackroze1000 said:

For newbies to rads
Today was my second day of rads and I can't believe how fast it is. I got to the treatment center at 8:00 am and was back in my car by 8:20. Unbelievable! If there's a silver lining to getting rads (besides the obvious), this is it. It's done and over with quickly and so far it doesn't hurt a bit.

Elaine

Yes, it does goes fast.
Yes, it does goes fast. Like everyone said, it takes longer to undress than for the treatment. Be sure and use your cremes, whatever the rads oncologist gave you. Just not 4 hours prior to your treatment.

Megan

lexisoul

Skincare During Radiation
Hey there, my mom (2-time breast cancer survivor) recently wrote an article on how to care for your skin during radiation. She makes Jeans Cream (radiation cream), so she wanted to make the tips available for her customers and others.

God bless...

How To Care For Your Skin During Radiation Treatment

Since skin reactions are a common side effect of radiation therapy, you will need to pay special attention to the skin area being irradiated while undergoing your course of treatment. Here are a few tips:

1. Select a good cream and use it consistently. Today, there are products made specifically for skin care during radiation. Your doctor or nurse may advise a specific cream or leave the choice up to you. With our product, we have found that people have the greatest success and the least skin side effects when they start early and use our one product exclusively and consistently throughout treatment.

It's important to use a radiation cream regularly. And so, you may want to buy two or three smaller size tubes so you can keep one on your bedside table and put the other one in your purse or car. Having your radiation cream nearby at all times can make it easier for you to apply it throughout the day.

We recommend people start applying their radiation cream once or twice daily several days before beginning radiation. As soon as therapy begins, use the cream immediately following treatment and most importantly, again at bedtime. In the event your skin begins to react to the radiation, apply the cream more often. In some cases, it may be necessary to apply a radiation cream up to 5-6 times per day, each and every time the skin feels sensitive. Note that the skin area to be irradiated should be bare and dry for the treatment itself!

Once the course of therapy has ended, continue using your radiation cream for at least two weeks because the radiation keeps working and skin still needs to be cared for.

If the part of the body being treated is in an area that gets a lot of moisture or friction, such as the underarms, some people have found it helpful to apply their radiation cream first, and to follow up with a light dusting of corn starch.

2. Avoid sun exposure to treated area.

3. Wear only soft, loose, lightweight fabrics over the treatment area. If you are being treated for breast cancer, avoid bras that might chafe or irritate your skin.

4. Avoid artificial hot or cold packs. These can do further damage to delicate irradiated skin.

5. Check your skin at the treatment site every day and alert your nurse or doctor to any changes.

If your skin has reactions to your radiation treatment, they will usually go away within a few weeks. Be sure to consult with your care team if any condition lingers.

jnl

lexisoul said:

Skincare During Radiation
Hey there, my mom (2-time breast cancer survivor) recently wrote an article on how to care for your skin during radiation. She makes Jeans Cream (radiation cream), so she wanted to make the tips available for her customers and others.

God bless...

How To Care For Your Skin During Radiation Treatment

Since skin reactions are a common side effect of radiation therapy, you will need to pay special attention to the skin area being irradiated while undergoing your course of treatment. Here are a few tips:

1. Select a good cream and use it consistently. Today, there are products made specifically for skin care during radiation. Your doctor or nurse may advise a specific cream or leave the choice up to you. With our product, we have found that people have the greatest success and the least skin side effects when they start early and use our one product exclusively and consistently throughout treatment.

It's important to use a radiation cream regularly. And so, you may want to buy two or three smaller size tubes so you can keep one on your bedside table and put the other one in your purse or car. Having your radiation cream nearby at all times can make it easier for you to apply it throughout the day.

We recommend people start applying their radiation cream once or twice daily several days before beginning radiation. As soon as therapy begins, use the cream immediately following treatment and most importantly, again at bedtime. In the event your skin begins to react to the radiation, apply the cream more often. In some cases, it may be necessary to apply a radiation cream up to 5-6 times per day, each and every time the skin feels sensitive. Note that the skin area to be irradiated should be bare and dry for the treatment itself!

Once the course of therapy has ended, continue using your radiation cream for at least two weeks because the radiation keeps working and skin still needs to be cared for.

If the part of the body being treated is in an area that gets a lot of moisture or friction, such as the underarms, some people have found it helpful to apply their radiation cream first, and to follow up with a light dusting of corn starch.

2. Avoid sun exposure to treated area.

3. Wear only soft, loose, lightweight fabrics over the treatment area. If you are being treated for breast cancer, avoid bras that might chafe or irritate your skin.

4. Avoid artificial hot or cold packs. These can do further damage to delicate irradiated skin.

5. Check your skin at the treatment site every day and alert your nurse or doctor to any changes.

If your skin has reactions to your radiation treatment, they will usually go away within a few weeks. Be sure to consult with your care team if any condition lingers.

I want to add that your
I want to add that your radiation oncologist or his nurse should be checking your skin at the least, once a week. If they aren't, be sure and ask them too. And, do NOT apply any creams 4 hours prior to your treatment. And, only use the creams that your rads oncologist approves. Don't use any other cream just because you read on this site that someone used it or recommends it. Everyone's treatment, including the rads machine, are different.

Leeza

Noel

jnl said:

I want to add that your
I want to add that your radiation oncologist or his nurse should be checking your skin at the least, once a week. If they aren't, be sure and ask them too. And, do NOT apply any creams 4 hours prior to your treatment. And, only use the creams that your rads oncologist approves. Don't use any other cream just because you read on this site that someone used it or recommends it. Everyone's treatment, including the rads machine, are different.

Leeza

YEH!
Glad to see this post being used again! Lots of great tips and advice. But, always check anything out with your own radiation oncologist first! It is great how much we help each other!

♥ Noel

Noel

Moopy23 said:

With Jeanne, Lex, and Jackie on Soapbox
I never followed any advice given here as far as meds and lotions without running it by my doctors first. Not because I do not value my friends' advice and experience--they will tell you I do, greatly. But, a male oncologist is still an oncologist, however limited by biology he may be.

Great advice Moopy and
Great advice Moopy and everyone agrees!

♥ Noel

Different Ballgame

Jeanne D said:

Please Read This........
I want to wish all of the new and soon to be survivors that are in rads an important piece of advice. The main thing is for you to listen and do what your OWN rads oncologist tells you to do. And, if you are scared, terrified or have lots of questions inre to how the radiation works, to ask your OWN radiation oncologist. They have a file on you which will show you pictures of exactly how and where the radiation will be on you. They can show you on the computers how it works, which will put your mind at ease. My husband stood outside and watched and the rad techs explained to him exactly what was going on while I was in "the room" being zapped. It is fine to ask questions on here and read others advice, but, just remember it might not apply to you and it may not be approved by your OWN rads oncologist. I know I found great advice on here about problems I had and about creams to use. I asked my rads oncologist about what I had been told on here and he approved it. So, this site, these wonderful women helped me so much when I went thru rads. There are different types of rad treatments, different machines, old and new machines and some bc survivors have been out of treatment for a long time and their advice might not apply to today. There is nothing to fear. Rads will kill any stray cancer cells left and that is what you hope and pray for. You might get a burn with rads, some just get a little pink, but, if you do, your rads oncologist will help you and make you more comfortable. You will heal and when you do, your skin will be beautiful. It will be better than before as it is new skin. You will get tired, but, if you go to bed at a decent hour, take a nap if you can, eat right and even exercise some, you will get thru it. Well, I am off my soap box now!

Love, Jeanne ♥

You Said It Well
Jeanne,
I know I could not have said it better than how you stated it.

You are absolutely correct in that there many radiation machines - all different. So...one must be careful to compare apples with apples.

Lots of Hugs,
Janelle

susie09

Different Ballgame said:

You Said It Well
Jeanne,
I know I could not have said it better than how you stated it.

You are absolutely correct in that there many radiation machines - all different. So...one must be careful to compare apples with apples.

Lots of Hugs,
Janelle

I agree too Jeanne. So many
I agree too Jeanne. So many don't realize that there are so many different radiation machines and treatments.

♠♣ Susie ♠♣

jnl

blackroze1000 said:

For newbies to rads
Today was my second day of rads and I can't believe how fast it is. I got to the treatment center at 8:00 am and was back in my car by 8:20. Unbelievable! If there's a silver lining to getting rads (besides the obvious), this is it. It's done and over with quickly and so far it doesn't hurt a bit.

Elaine

Glad it is going well for
Glad it is going well for you Elaine! The treatments are fast and painless. Use your creams everyday, just not 4 hours before your treatment.

Hugs, Leeza

DianeBC

blackroze1000 said:

Getting 1st "Official" Rad in 2 hours
If this has been answered already, I apologize. Can someone tell me if you have to go through regular blood tests during rads? If so, is it a weekly thing?

Also, here's a really dumb question: After I took a shower today with a mild soap like they told me to do, I fixed my hair and then SPRAYED IT WITH HAIRSPRAY as I usually do. I had a sweater on up to my neck, so I'm sure none of it got onto the area they are radiating, but still. I didn't even think about that being a complete no-no until it was already done. Should I wash my hair again before going??

Elaine

As we say on here Elaine, no
As we say on here Elaine, no question is dumb! You can use hairspray. They just don't want any creams or anything on the radiated part of your body 4 hours before your treatment. Good luck with rads!

Hugs, Diane ♥

Bella Luna

Thanks for starting this
Thanks for starting this thread. I am on week three of radiation. I will need to go through and read what my Sisters in Pink have to say about this phase of treatment. I am doing fine with treatment. I have a slight tan on my right breast. Have been putting on the stuff they staff recommended. Best to All!

Megan M

Bella Luna said:

Thanks for starting this
Thanks for starting this thread. I am on week three of radiation. I will need to go through and read what my Sisters in Pink have to say about this phase of treatment. I am doing fine with treatment. I have a slight tan on my right breast. Have been putting on the stuff they staff recommended. Best to All!

Glad you are doing so well
Glad you are doing so well Bella. You should be done by now? Let us know so we can celebrate with you!

Hugs, Megan

sbmly53

Yikes,
2/3's of the way done
Yikes,

2/3's of the way done and I look like a torture victim! I have several open oozy burns which are under (in the crease of) my breast. I had been told to gently pat with peroxide. I use creams in the other areas.

I will be returning to work with 5 rads more to go. I am planning to go braless and if I can't find something to disguise that this weekend, I'll have to use the dreaded sewing machine and whip up a couple vests.

My real dilemma however, is deodorant. I use my regular on the 'good' side and, right now, cornstarch on the other. Once I return to work - PU! The stuff they gave me smells like pinesol.

I think I'll start a thread to inquire about deodorant if I can't find one.

Sue

Sharon40

sbmly53 said:

Yikes,
2/3's of the way done
Yikes,

2/3's of the way done and I look like a torture victim! I have several open oozy burns which are under (in the crease of) my breast. I had been told to gently pat with peroxide. I use creams in the other areas.

I will be returning to work with 5 rads more to go. I am planning to go braless and if I can't find something to disguise that this weekend, I'll have to use the dreaded sewing machine and whip up a couple vests.

My real dilemma however, is deodorant. I use my regular on the 'good' side and, right now, cornstarch on the other. Once I return to work - PU! The stuff they gave me smells like pinesol.

I think I'll start a thread to inquire about deodorant if I can't find one.

Sue

deoderant
Please start that thread! They gave me a ball that looks like crystal and it doesn't seem to do much!! I miss my "Degree"!!

Angie2U

Sharon40 said:

deoderant
Please start that thread! They gave me a ball that looks like crystal and it doesn't seem to do much!! I miss my "Degree"!!

The only deodorant my rads
The only deodorant my rads oncologist said I could use during rads was one that was aluminum free. He recommended Toms of Maine. You can find it any drug store. I didn't need it for the radiated side as the radiation killed my sweat glands, so, I don't sweat there anymore. Good luck!

Angie