radiation side effects

bluebirdfriend
bluebirdfriend Member Posts: 15
in Breast Cancer #1
I am due to start radiation in a few weeks and currently have an expander in place following a single mastectomy. I was wondering how other women with expanders faired in regards to skin thickening, encapsulation, etc. Also, have others experienced fatigue from radiation? I have heard various reports on this. Thank you!

Comments

  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #2
    We're all different
    Have no experiennce with recon and rads as recon was not an option for me at the time.

    For me - rads were easy. I was completely and utterly EXHAUSTED after Taxol and started Rads a week after last one.
    Each day went by while doing Rads I felt better.

    Remember that everyone is unique and have different experiences. There is no 'one size fits all'.

    Winyan - The Power Within

    Susan
  • trixytwo
    trixytwo Member Posts: 59
    #3
    I had a double lumpectomy
    and 66 rads that ended last Friday. Maybe it's just me but I'm exhausted. Could be cause I have gained weight too.
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #4
    trixytwo said:

    I had a double lumpectomy
    and 66 rads that ended last Friday. Maybe it's just me but I'm exhausted. Could be cause I have gained weight too.

    Why...
    As many have said, we've never heard of anyone having 66 rads treatments...you must be exhausted! Could you explain the 66 ?

    Get some rest...!
  • bluebirdfriend
    bluebirdfriend Member Posts: 15
    #5
    trixytwo said:

    I had a double lumpectomy
    and 66 rads that ended last Friday. Maybe it's just me but I'm exhausted. Could be cause I have gained weight too.

    Congratulations!
    So glad to hear that you are finished! Also, thanks for your reply to my question. Best wishes & enjoy the summer.
    Kathy
  • trixytwo
    trixytwo Member Posts: 59
    #6
    MAJW said:

    Why...
    As many have said, we've never heard of anyone having 66 rads treatments...you must be exhausted! Could you explain the 66 ?

    Get some rest...!

    i really don't know why
    I had so many more. Stage IV, 2 tumors, mets to bones?
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #7
    bluebirdfriend said:

    Congratulations!
    So glad to hear that you are finished! Also, thanks for your reply to my question. Best wishes & enjoy the summer.
    Kathy

    I had a lumpectomy so I am
    I had a lumpectomy so I am not much help in answering your question. I did have rads though. I just wanted to say hi to you and to welcome you to the site.

    Also, good luck to you with rads. Keep us updated on how you do.


    Hugs, Leeza
  • bluebirdfriend
    bluebirdfriend Member Posts: 15
    #8
    jnl said:

    I had a lumpectomy so I am
    I had a lumpectomy so I am not much help in answering your question. I did have rads though. I just wanted to say hi to you and to welcome you to the site.

    Also, good luck to you with rads. Keep us updated on how you do.


    Hugs, Leeza

    start of rads
    I finally started rads last Thurs. So far so good. My stamina is returning since completion of chemo so I love feeling more "normal!" I hope I don't get a lot of fatigue again with this treatment.
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #9
    I had
    I had lumpectomy-radiation...I DID NOT get/ have one side effect from radiation HAPPY to say! NO burning, chapping, fatige etc..i wish you the same!!!!

    Denise
  • debsweb18
    debsweb18 Member Posts: 191 Member
    #10
    I didn't have an expander
    I have a silicone implant immediately. I was exhausted by the end of radiation treatments, however I worked 6 hours a day during with an 84 mile round trip. My skin itched on my neck, chest and back along with a rash. DON'T scratch. I used aquaphor mixed with lidocaine and aloe gel towards the end. My skin healed beautiful. You may feel twinges. It's normal-nerve endings are being repaired. My implant did shrink and I had it replaced later. No skin thickening that I'm aware of.

    Remember everyone's different!

    Deb
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #11
    bluebirdfriend said:

    start of rads
    I finally started rads last Thurs. So far so good. My stamina is returning since completion of chemo so I love feeling more "normal!" I hope I don't get a lot of fatigue again with this treatment.

    I hate to tell you this,
    I hate to tell you this, but, your rads oncologist should have already. Rads will wear you out. Just the going every day for weeks is tiring enough, but, the treatment itself, even if it is only a few minutes, will tire you. Maybe this won't happen to you, but, it seems to for most.

    So, be sure and get lots of sleep and even take naps if possible. Rads are cumulative, so, you will still be tired after completion. But, you will get your energy back.

    Just hang in there and keep your creams on!


    Hugs, Diane
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #12
    bumping up ...
    ....
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #13
    debsweb18 said:

    I didn't have an expander
    I have a silicone implant immediately. I was exhausted by the end of radiation treatments, however I worked 6 hours a day during with an 84 mile round trip. My skin itched on my neck, chest and back along with a rash. DON'T scratch. I used aquaphor mixed with lidocaine and aloe gel towards the end. My skin healed beautiful. You may feel twinges. It's normal-nerve endings are being repaired. My implant did shrink and I had it replaced later. No skin thickening that I'm aware of.

    Remember everyone's different!

    Deb

    Hoping rads go quickly by
    Hoping rads go quickly by for you and that you do well. Lots of good luck!


    Hugs, Lex
  • MsGebby
    MsGebby Member Posts: 659
    #14
    HI
    I hope this treatment goes by quickly. I had a lumpectomy followed by 38 rads. It does exhaust you. For me, it was around week 3 that I started feeling tired. Use the lotion that the nurse will give you. It's called Aquafor. I didn't really use it much but others have said it worked like a miracle. On that note, I probably should have used it more because I did burn and needed a script for burn cream to heal my skin.

    I think the part that was even more tiring than the rads themselves was having to get my body to the center everyday. There is no way to give your mind a break from having cancer. Walking through those doors ... the one's that said Cancer Center ... made me sad and wore me down.

    Again, I hope the time goes by quickly and that your skin fairs well.

    Mary

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