Almost finished with RADS!

elm3544
elm3544 Member Posts: 748
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Had #21 this morning. Each Monday they take films before radiation, so Mondays take a few minutes. I always wind up with tingling fingers on Monday from having my hands above my head for so long. Today they had to re-do my X and put a new sticker over it. I have a really itchy rash that is spreading towards my neck. The burning doesn't seem to be any worse, just the rash. I have been using Hydrocortisone in addition to the cream, at the Dr's advice but it doesn't seem to do much good. I will show it to him again on Wednesday. If this is the worst of it then I feel lucky! It really seems like it has gone by fast. I only have 5 more to go!

Comments

  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #2
    Very encouraging, Elm. I'm
    Very encouraging, Elm. I'm glad to hear you're almost finished. I just started last Thursday and I'm certainly looking forward to being finished. Wishing you no worse side effects on the final 5!!! Take care.
  • elm3544
    elm3544 Member Posts: 748
    #3
    MyTurnNow said:

    Very encouraging, Elm. I'm
    Very encouraging, Elm. I'm glad to hear you're almost finished. I just started last Thursday and I'm certainly looking forward to being finished. Wishing you no worse side effects on the final 5!!! Take care.

    Yes it had been very
    Yes it had been very tolerable. I hope it is the same for you!
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #4
    YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I am soooooooooooo glad you are almost finished! IT's a wonderful feeling...I am a week out now and it feels great! Still have some fatigue but very manageable.....I was lucky, no blistering, just a sunburn and tan of a lifetime! I use my creams faithfully, still as they told me.....I still have some itching, too.....but that is getting much better. Are you getting "boosters?" My last 7 out of 32 were.......I did turn really red at the site.

    Keep your eye on the finish line......it's coming! Then pat yourself on the back for a "job well done!"
  • brenda247
    brenda247 Member Posts: 124
    #5
    congrads!!
    thats great to hear you soon will be done thats wonderful!! hope you the best and my prayers will be with you!!

    brenda
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #6
    brenda247 said:

    congrads!!
    thats great to hear you soon will be done thats wonderful!! hope you the best and my prayers will be with you!!

    brenda

    Hang in there just a little
    Hang in there just a little bit longer Elm!
  • mickeymom
    mickeymom Member Posts: 117
    #7
    Tingly fingers?
    Hey Elm, I did day 14 of rads today and I have a question for you. I have mild neuropathy from the Taxol during chemotherapy. It has been managable and now that I am 5 weeks post chemo, it actually seemed like it was getting better. Then last week I felt like my fingers were more tingly than they had been. If I remember correctly, you have some neuropathy too. Did your rads oncologist tell you that you could get tingly from laying with your arms over your head during rads? Does it go away or stay with you for a while after your treatements? I find this really interesting because I've been afraid that my neuropathy was getting worse.

    I'm sorry about your rash. My doctor recommended Benedryl cream for itching. It's slightly different than hydrocotisone. You might give that a try. Wow only 5 more!! Hang in there!
  • elm3544
    elm3544 Member Posts: 748
    #8
    mickeymom said:

    Tingly fingers?
    Hey Elm, I did day 14 of rads today and I have a question for you. I have mild neuropathy from the Taxol during chemotherapy. It has been managable and now that I am 5 weeks post chemo, it actually seemed like it was getting better. Then last week I felt like my fingers were more tingly than they had been. If I remember correctly, you have some neuropathy too. Did your rads oncologist tell you that you could get tingly from laying with your arms over your head during rads? Does it go away or stay with you for a while after your treatements? I find this really interesting because I've been afraid that my neuropathy was getting worse.

    I'm sorry about your rash. My doctor recommended Benedryl cream for itching. It's slightly different than hydrocotisone. You might give that a try. Wow only 5 more!! Hang in there!

    mickeymom
    The rad oncologist didn't say anything about the tingling. I have not discussed it with him, only with the chemo oncologist. For me, it lasts a while. I am still feeling it now and it has been almost 8 hours. I don't know if it is just a coincidence or what.
    Sometimes it seems like just when I think its getting better, it starts back up again.

    Thanks for the tip on the Benedryl. I'll ask if I can use it instead. Its really itchy and it keeps spreading. Everyone spoke of burns and blisters but not rashes. The staff there never said anything about the possibility of a rash. Luckily I met a woman in the waiting room who showed me her rash so I knew it was from the RADS when it happened to me.
  • elm3544
    elm3544 Member Posts: 748
    #9
    MAJW said:

    YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I am soooooooooooo glad you are almost finished! IT's a wonderful feeling...I am a week out now and it feels great! Still have some fatigue but very manageable.....I was lucky, no blistering, just a sunburn and tan of a lifetime! I use my creams faithfully, still as they told me.....I still have some itching, too.....but that is getting much better. Are you getting "boosters?" My last 7 out of 32 were.......I did turn really red at the site.

    Keep your eye on the finish line......it's coming! Then pat yourself on the back for a "job well done!"

    MAJW
    Thank you! Yes I bet it does feel great! Glad to hear your side effects were tolerable. I won't be having boosters because I had 6 brachytherapy sessions. I originally was only supposed to have brachy, no external radiation, but it didn't work out that way.
  • elm3544
    elm3544 Member Posts: 748
    #10
    survivorbc09 said:

    Hang in there just a little
    Hang in there just a little bit longer Elm!

    thank you Brenda and Survivor
    I will be so happy to be finished!
  • Wolfi
    Wolfi Member Posts: 425
    #11
    Congrats!
    Five more should fly by.

    Take care and keep using those creams!
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #12
    Wolfi said:

    Congrats!
    Five more should fly by.

    Take care and keep using those creams!

    ELM .. I am so very very very proud of you ... First you
    tackled chemo .. not easy ... Now rads .. You are a TRUE warrior!!!!!

    There is hope of the rest of us breast cancer women .. fighting, struggling and trying to get thru to the next treatments.

    Thank you for the encouragement!!!


    VickiSam
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #13
    Creams.
    ELM.......this might help.......My rad oncologist told me that as soon as I got into the dressing room after EACH treatment, to immediately put on my RadiaPlex (which they gave me). I did this faithfully......with two weeks to go, they switched me to Biafine....I,personally liked it better...Both are for first and second degree burns...Also I applied them 3-4 times a day.......Last one at bedtime...I am sure they will tell you but DON'T use anything within 4 hours of your treatment as this can interfer with the treatment. I feel that my putting on the prescribed creams IMMEDIATELY after each treatment is what helped me.....I had no blistering and no peeling what so ever and was never really uncomfortable.......I DID itch though.......was told to take Bendaryl at night for it....never did that though, just used cortisone creams....

    I wish you the best.....
  • elm3544
    elm3544 Member Posts: 748
    #14
    MAJW said:

    Creams.
    ELM.......this might help.......My rad oncologist told me that as soon as I got into the dressing room after EACH treatment, to immediately put on my RadiaPlex (which they gave me). I did this faithfully......with two weeks to go, they switched me to Biafine....I,personally liked it better...Both are for first and second degree burns...Also I applied them 3-4 times a day.......Last one at bedtime...I am sure they will tell you but DON'T use anything within 4 hours of your treatment as this can interfer with the treatment. I feel that my putting on the prescribed creams IMMEDIATELY after each treatment is what helped me.....I had no blistering and no peeling what so ever and was never really uncomfortable.......I DID itch though.......was told to take Bendaryl at night for it....never did that though, just used cortisone creams....

    I wish you the best.....

    day 22
    Well I am on day 22, only 4 more to go! I did notice that I am alot redder than I thought. The changing room there has pretty good lighting and I can see alot better than I can at home. My whole underarm is red and I have never put the cream all the way up in there. It just started to bother me within the last couple of days.
    No one told me to use the cream immediately after. The Dr said use it once a day at first then 2-3 times a day as it gets worse. He said to do it right when I get home each morning. I wish they would have discussed it with me a little more. I was not given a prescription, either. I just use the over the counter cream the Dr told me to get and the hydrocortisone. The burn doesn't bother me so much as the rash does. I'm on my last week so maybe this is when its at its worst. So far no blisters.
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #15
    elm3544 said:

    day 22
    Well I am on day 22, only 4 more to go! I did notice that I am alot redder than I thought. The changing room there has pretty good lighting and I can see alot better than I can at home. My whole underarm is red and I have never put the cream all the way up in there. It just started to bother me within the last couple of days.
    No one told me to use the cream immediately after. The Dr said use it once a day at first then 2-3 times a day as it gets worse. He said to do it right when I get home each morning. I wish they would have discussed it with me a little more. I was not given a prescription, either. I just use the over the counter cream the Dr told me to get and the hydrocortisone. The burn doesn't bother me so much as the rash does. I'm on my last week so maybe this is when its at its worst. So far no blisters.

    Elm, several on here, me
    Elm, several on here, me included, said to use the creams from day one. I hope everyone reads this as you need to. It doesn't matter if you are burnt then or not, your skin is already getting the effects. So, start day one using whatever your rads oncologist says you can use. I used Biafine and Aquaphor. Almost done...congrats a lil early.

    Angie
  • elm3544
    elm3544 Member Posts: 748
    #16
    Angie2U said:

    Elm, several on here, me
    Elm, several on here, me included, said to use the creams from day one. I hope everyone reads this as you need to. It doesn't matter if you are burnt then or not, your skin is already getting the effects. So, start day one using whatever your rads oncologist says you can use. I used Biafine and Aquaphor. Almost done...congrats a lil early.

    Angie

    Thanks Angie
    Yep, I remember everyone saying use them from day 1, and I definitely took that advice! But MAJW said her oncologist told her to use her cream in the dressing room before going home. Mine just said do it when I get home. That was what I was referring to when I said nobody told me to use cream immediately after. They gave me samples of Aquaphor and he recommended I use Cetaphil in the beginning because it is not as thick, then switch to the Aquaphor later.

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