Radiation side effects

ninjamom
ninjamom Member Posts: 142
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Can someone please share with me the effects of radiation? I'm meeting with the radiologist on Monday and don't even know what questions to ask. I have a choice of surgery and radiation and several people have mentioned about later side effects. Help..I'm confused and scared.

Comments

  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159
    #2
    I am certain you will get lots of responses to your question! Don't be afraid~ you can do the radiation ! I had surgery, chemo and rads, as many of us had, and the radiation was the least invasive and problematic of it all.

    Your body part to be radiated will be mapped out, so to speak~ and the tiniest freckle-sized tattooes will mark the spot.

    Know this~ getting undressed will be the most time consuming part of your radiation! I lived close to the radiation center, and scheduled mine for the earliest appointment of the day, so the rest of the day was still wide open to me.

    Side effects...fatigue can be one, though not all experience it. The burn is generally cumulative, you might not notice anything is happening to your skin, but it is! Treat your skin with the utmost gentleness and tender care.

    NO rubbing or irritating the radiated area in the shower! Get yourself a water-loving natural sponge, and some Aveeno body wash. Make sure you do not use anything with dyes or perfume, for that reason Aveeno is really a good choice.
    Saturate the sponge with water, add Avenno to make lather, and squeeze the sponge over your radiated site. NO need to have the sponge even touch your skin! The radiation center I went to gave out tubes of Aquaphor ointment to help keep the ever-drying skin moisturized.

    As much as you can, go bra-less and wear big old T-shirts and goop yourself with ointment. If your skin gets itchy, be sure and tell your DR...he will prescribe Cortisone cream....the OTC brands won't do the trick.

    Listen to your body~ it will tell you when it wants to rest. Oh yeah~ drink plenty of water!!! You need to keep yourself hydrated.

    The good news: Radiation is lightning fast, it kills rogue cancer cells, it is usually completed in a months time, and for some unknown reason...cancer doesn't seem to be active on weekends and/or holidays! Thus~ radiation is only scheduled Monday thru Friday! :-)

    Hey, sisters, can you think of anything I have left out????

    Hugs,
    Claudia
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #3
    I have been doing radiation for one week out of the six that have been prescribed. I have been told that the most common side effects are fatigue and a sunburn-like effect on the skin. I have had none of it so far, but Doc. said it usually takes 4 weeks for the effects to be noticeable, then about 2 weeks after radiation stops before effects start to wear off. If the skin becomes very irritated, my Doc. says there is an aloe based cream that most women use, but I have not gotten it yet. They say most women don't have much pain or disability with radiation. I find the experience to be very similar to a CT scan. I lie down on the table and the machine circles around me while the technicians walk in and out of the room and the lights go on and off. The most difficult thing is being as still as possible. It doesn't take long (5 min. or so)so it is not bad. Yours may be different, ask your Doc.

    What questions to ask: How long will each session take? What is the start date and end date of treatments? Are there any activities you should avoid? What side effects should you expect? Are there patients who have been through it that you could talk to?

    That's what I can think of right now, hope it helps. seof
  • ninjamom
    ninjamom Member Posts: 142
    #4
    Thank you so much for sharing with me. I have been given so much info my head is spinning. One of the options I was given was 1. radiation to the nodes or 2. another surgery to take more nodes out to make sure they are clean (so far 1 out of 5 had cancer and very little). Then of curse was the chemo class which I would start as early as a couple of weeks if I don't have surgery. Like I said Monday I have to make that decision and you have helped me understand the process. Thanks again.
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #5
    chenheart said:

    I am certain you will get lots of responses to your question! Don't be afraid~ you can do the radiation ! I had surgery, chemo and rads, as many of us had, and the radiation was the least invasive and problematic of it all.

    Your body part to be radiated will be mapped out, so to speak~ and the tiniest freckle-sized tattooes will mark the spot.

    Know this~ getting undressed will be the most time consuming part of your radiation! I lived close to the radiation center, and scheduled mine for the earliest appointment of the day, so the rest of the day was still wide open to me.

    Side effects...fatigue can be one, though not all experience it. The burn is generally cumulative, you might not notice anything is happening to your skin, but it is! Treat your skin with the utmost gentleness and tender care.

    NO rubbing or irritating the radiated area in the shower! Get yourself a water-loving natural sponge, and some Aveeno body wash. Make sure you do not use anything with dyes or perfume, for that reason Aveeno is really a good choice.
    Saturate the sponge with water, add Avenno to make lather, and squeeze the sponge over your radiated site. NO need to have the sponge even touch your skin! The radiation center I went to gave out tubes of Aquaphor ointment to help keep the ever-drying skin moisturized.

    As much as you can, go bra-less and wear big old T-shirts and goop yourself with ointment. If your skin gets itchy, be sure and tell your DR...he will prescribe Cortisone cream....the OTC brands won't do the trick.

    Listen to your body~ it will tell you when it wants to rest. Oh yeah~ drink plenty of water!!! You need to keep yourself hydrated.

    The good news: Radiation is lightning fast, it kills rogue cancer cells, it is usually completed in a months time, and for some unknown reason...cancer doesn't seem to be active on weekends and/or holidays! Thus~ radiation is only scheduled Monday thru Friday! :-)

    Hey, sisters, can you think of anything I have left out????

    Hugs,
    Claudia

    Thanks, Chenhart, You weren't writing to me, but I will take your advice as my treatment progresses.

    seof.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #6
    I have finished two weeks of radiation on my way to six total. Only the smallest redness so far. I also have the first appt. in the morning, so they are never backed up. I use my rad. time to think positive thoughts about the radiation being like the sun, healing me, touching deep into my body and killing those little bastards. Ok, sometimes my positive thoughts use profanity. Anyway, so far, no problems. Here are two jokes: After they take all the naked pictures of your breasts - ask for a complimentary porn star bumper sticker. Or, better yet (and this one is credit to Kim) when they ask you to unveil your breast ask them to throw Mardi Gras beads. Only fair.
    What you need to watch for in creams is metals, like aluminum chloride, etc. Ditto deodorants. I have made friends with the woman who has a same time appt. in the other room and with the techs and with the receptionist. They all say Good morning how are you! It is a nice way to start the day. I kid you not. Surely I will feel tired, or ouchy further along and get a chance to use some more of that profanity that comes easy to me, but for now, no complaints. The undressing is a drag but only from the waist up. I have gone into radiation with black nylons, lace panties, high heels, and a hospital gown (see porn star reference). When you say you have a choice of surgery or radiation, do you mean no surgery or lumpectomy (or mastectomy) or radiation. There are some borderline calls to be made at times. I told my rad. doc. to throw the book at me. IN for a penny, in for a pound. Now, the later side effect that I DO have to deal with is that I want reconstruction and the radiation will make my skin and tissue reluctant to stretch and heal for a while. So I will have to wait. I am planning to ask Santa for a shiny new boob for Christmas (and I am Jewish). But I have been a good girl! (disregard porn star reference)
    best luck, and peace. Tell your fear to go to hell. I hope Santa wasn't listening.
    love, Joyce
  • ninjamom
    ninjamom Member Posts: 142
    #7
    unknown said:

    I have finished two weeks of radiation on my way to six total. Only the smallest redness so far. I also have the first appt. in the morning, so they are never backed up. I use my rad. time to think positive thoughts about the radiation being like the sun, healing me, touching deep into my body and killing those little bastards. Ok, sometimes my positive thoughts use profanity. Anyway, so far, no problems. Here are two jokes: After they take all the naked pictures of your breasts - ask for a complimentary porn star bumper sticker. Or, better yet (and this one is credit to Kim) when they ask you to unveil your breast ask them to throw Mardi Gras beads. Only fair.
    What you need to watch for in creams is metals, like aluminum chloride, etc. Ditto deodorants. I have made friends with the woman who has a same time appt. in the other room and with the techs and with the receptionist. They all say Good morning how are you! It is a nice way to start the day. I kid you not. Surely I will feel tired, or ouchy further along and get a chance to use some more of that profanity that comes easy to me, but for now, no complaints. The undressing is a drag but only from the waist up. I have gone into radiation with black nylons, lace panties, high heels, and a hospital gown (see porn star reference). When you say you have a choice of surgery or radiation, do you mean no surgery or lumpectomy (or mastectomy) or radiation. There are some borderline calls to be made at times. I told my rad. doc. to throw the book at me. IN for a penny, in for a pound. Now, the later side effect that I DO have to deal with is that I want reconstruction and the radiation will make my skin and tissue reluctant to stretch and heal for a while. So I will have to wait. I am planning to ask Santa for a shiny new boob for Christmas (and I am Jewish). But I have been a good girl! (disregard porn star reference)
    best luck, and peace. Tell your fear to go to hell. I hope Santa wasn't listening.
    love, Joyce

    Joycelouise..thank you so much, I love your sence of humor and I feel the same way you do about the little bastards.. I had a lumpectomy 2 weeks ago, and they took a set of nodes, the sentinel had a little bit of cancer that was not visible during the test they did during surgery. The surgery we are talking about is to take more nodes out to see if they are clean. I have a 12% change (according to the numbers they gave me which make me crazy but I guess they mean something)of finding more cancer in the nodes and that's why we are talking with the radiologyst. I will do chemo, radiation, hormone and antibiotic therapy. So my dilema is...do I need more surgery if the chemo would take care of it anyway....that's why I'm so confused.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #8
    ninjamom said:

    Joycelouise..thank you so much, I love your sence of humor and I feel the same way you do about the little bastards.. I had a lumpectomy 2 weeks ago, and they took a set of nodes, the sentinel had a little bit of cancer that was not visible during the test they did during surgery. The surgery we are talking about is to take more nodes out to see if they are clean. I have a 12% change (according to the numbers they gave me which make me crazy but I guess they mean something)of finding more cancer in the nodes and that's why we are talking with the radiologyst. I will do chemo, radiation, hormone and antibiotic therapy. So my dilema is...do I need more surgery if the chemo would take care of it anyway....that's why I'm so confused.

    Certainly you can look at the numbers, percentages, etc. to help you make your decision. But here is another angle. What are the downsides of more surgery? Weigh it against how much peace of mind you will gain. Hopefully you will never know the truth of what is or isn't there because you will never see the beast again. So, part of what you are bargaining with is your self assurance. I am a worrier. So I opt for the strongest treatment everytime. Just to make worry go away if not cancer. HOWEVER, there are some real down sides to more treatment..temporary side effects are manageable, but some treatments carry long term risks. So sorry that there is so much to consider! We all have such different personalities to consider too. The woman who does radiation with me is my exact opposite. She is going blythly through the whole thing. She said she didn't know if she was node positive and then later mentioned that they had found some cancer in her nodes. She just didn't pay much attention. I can recite my path report. I hope you are somewhere in the middle, but whereever you are, do take your psychological needs into consideration as well as the medical advice. Hopefully, if some other readers out there disagree, they will help me out here. I want only to give you good advice. Please always seek lots of opinions. You may want to pose your question as a separate post..
    Sorry this has been so lengthy. I wish you an easy journey. You will always have friends on your journey. love, Joyce
  • ninjamom
    ninjamom Member Posts: 142
    #9
    unknown said:

    Certainly you can look at the numbers, percentages, etc. to help you make your decision. But here is another angle. What are the downsides of more surgery? Weigh it against how much peace of mind you will gain. Hopefully you will never know the truth of what is or isn't there because you will never see the beast again. So, part of what you are bargaining with is your self assurance. I am a worrier. So I opt for the strongest treatment everytime. Just to make worry go away if not cancer. HOWEVER, there are some real down sides to more treatment..temporary side effects are manageable, but some treatments carry long term risks. So sorry that there is so much to consider! We all have such different personalities to consider too. The woman who does radiation with me is my exact opposite. She is going blythly through the whole thing. She said she didn't know if she was node positive and then later mentioned that they had found some cancer in her nodes. She just didn't pay much attention. I can recite my path report. I hope you are somewhere in the middle, but whereever you are, do take your psychological needs into consideration as well as the medical advice. Hopefully, if some other readers out there disagree, they will help me out here. I want only to give you good advice. Please always seek lots of opinions. You may want to pose your question as a separate post..
    Sorry this has been so lengthy. I wish you an easy journey. You will always have friends on your journey. love, Joyce

    Thank you for your advice. I have researched long term effects of radiation and nothing is conclusive. The one thing that comes up with both surgery and radiation is lymphedema and if I understood correctly the risk is higher with surgery. And with radiation, I understood that the skin gets tight and will not strech as easily if I was to need breast reconstruction in the future. Both my surgeon and my oncologyst sounded confident that(because of the small amount found in the node) radiation, chemo, hormone and atiboiotics would take care of the beast. I guess I'm a worrier and I want to have all the answers so I can make a decission fast and start killing the little bastards sooner rather than later. Thanks again.
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159
    #10
    ninjamom said:

    Thank you for your advice. I have researched long term effects of radiation and nothing is conclusive. The one thing that comes up with both surgery and radiation is lymphedema and if I understood correctly the risk is higher with surgery. And with radiation, I understood that the skin gets tight and will not strech as easily if I was to need breast reconstruction in the future. Both my surgeon and my oncologyst sounded confident that(because of the small amount found in the node) radiation, chemo, hormone and atiboiotics would take care of the beast. I guess I'm a worrier and I want to have all the answers so I can make a decission fast and start killing the little bastards sooner rather than later. Thanks again.

    One further thought! I just passed my 5 year anniversary of surgery~ I had a lumpectomy, 3 of 15 positive lymphnodes, and as previously stated, chemo and radiation. I do have a bit of
    tightness on the radiated side, but I am honestly not sure if it is from the surgery or the radiation. ( I did NOT have any reconstruction), and I also have never experienced lymphedema. If you jump around here on the boards, you will certainly find other posts similar in nature to yours with great insight!

    Hugs,
    Claudia
  • ninjamom
    ninjamom Member Posts: 142
    #11
    chenheart said:

    One further thought! I just passed my 5 year anniversary of surgery~ I had a lumpectomy, 3 of 15 positive lymphnodes, and as previously stated, chemo and radiation. I do have a bit of
    tightness on the radiated side, but I am honestly not sure if it is from the surgery or the radiation. ( I did NOT have any reconstruction), and I also have never experienced lymphedema. If you jump around here on the boards, you will certainly find other posts similar in nature to yours with great insight!

    Hugs,
    Claudia

    Claudia
    Thank you for sharing that with me, as of now I won't be needing reconstruction but a friend of my sister scared me (more than I already am) with her story. Thank you, thank you, you have made my day. God bless you.

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