Radiation

Lisaepstein
Lisaepstein Member Posts: 62 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
starting radiation soon what should I expect? My doctor said I go 5 x a week for 5 weeks. One positive thing my brca1 and 2 test came back negative.

Comments

  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #2
    I have had radiation 2X
    Everyone is different but I had very few problems with radiation. It is a little scary when you are in there, but it only lasts a few minutes and is painless. My single side effect was a mild sunburn. Ask your radiology tech about recommended skin care products and follow their recommendations. If you are very fair, also ask your radiation oncologist what he/she recommends.
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #3
    CypressCynthia said:

    I have had radiation 2X
    Everyone is different but I had very few problems with radiation. It is a little scary when you are in there, but it only lasts a few minutes and is painless. My single side effect was a mild sunburn. Ask your radiology tech about recommended skin care products and follow their recommendations. If you are very fair, also ask your radiation oncologist what he/she recommends.

    Mine went without a glitch
    Hi Lisa-

    Like Eileen says, everyone is different, but I, too, had very few problems with radiation. For me, the initial mapping and tatoos was the worst, because I had male techs and it was just embarassing. I have to say that it was the only time through both of my cancers that I felt "exposed". Radiation doesn't hurt at all. They will give you lots of skin care advice. Make sure you follow it. I saw the radiation oncologist at least once a week during rads. Don't hesitate to ask lots of questions.

    I could not wear a bra toward the end - probably the last couple of weeks. I wore "wife beater" T shirts (from WalMart or Target or maybe it was Costco) under my clothing. I used Aquaphor and it's very greasy, messy, so the T-shirts protected my clothing and made me feel like I was covered. Don't wear anything nice - I had to throw out some pjs because they were greasy.

    A friend went with me to rads one day and I said "I hope no one will notice I'm not wearing a bra". Her response was "at our age, no one stares at our boobs anymore!". Sigh.

    Good luck. Glad this is coming to an end for you. Well, at least this part.

    Suzanne

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