radiation and red areas

To be honest sunshine I didn't think it would affect it the way it did, I was a bit ignorant. Now I can live with it and compared to chemo it's a walk in the park but mine is very bad under the breast as I am quite large. It's black nearly and the skin is broken so I need to keep that totally dry and I have little pads. My back hasn't got burnt but I heard them talking about it in the hospital. You would need someone to cream your back as well. I am having number 24 on Monday and after Tuesday I am on a booster for the remaining 8 with will just concentrate on the tumour area so I'm hoping the breast will start to recover then. It can get quite itchy. Dr mcveigh said once it stops it heals up quite quickly although the nurse said that even when it finishes it continues working for a while after. Underneath my breast looks pretty nasty but thankfully it's not paining or too sore.

Oh and I was allergic to E45 would you believe?? Came out in a heat rash, lumpy bumpy itch on my chest!!! ! Aloe Vera gel is good, especially out of the fridge!!! I've a bit of an obsession with mrs boob at the moment, examining, creaming, seeing how red it is and I'm going around as much as I can with no bra which is a pretty sight I'll tell you lol. I do put it on if I'm going out though.

Make sure not to have cream on when going in for radiation because you can "cook"!
The radiation gives an exit burn which is what you have on your shoulder - make sure to moisturise that as well but it shouldn't burn anyway like the burns under your breast, if you burn at all.
And I used to go around the house with no top - it was cooler on my skin and stopped chaffing. The burning can go on for a short while after you finish radiotherapy but that stops after a couple of weeks and you'll find things should heal very quickly after that. Aloe Vera gel is just fantastic as mentioned already.
Hope the rest flies

Hi sunshine
I also was surprised to find red sore area on my back upper shoulder. I was in my last week of radiation and thought I had some kind of pimple. I eventually asked my husband to have a look and he said it looked like a burn! I was actually horrified when I realised what it was, I hadn't heard of it before that. But it didn't last long, a couple of weeks I think. I used aqueous cream.
It's such a long road getting through all the treatment but you are nearly there! The worst is over. Good luck with the rest of the rads.Jo x

I haven't got an 'exit burn' yet. Just have ten left but I'm sitting here tonight with a boob that's very red and sore underneath . Can't wait until Tuesday as I'm on 8 boosters after that and the rest of my dear boob might start to heal

Hi,

I feel bad that I didn't write here about the exit burns as they took me by surprise too. I don't know why the nurses do not warn us about that when we go for our treatments. Maybe it doesn't happen to everyone.

I was told that the skin should be free of all cream before the treatment as some creams can act like a sun screen and prevent the radiation rays from working. I used to bring my cream with me and put it on straight away afterwards and several times during the day but never between showering and treatment.

Good luck to you all. So close to the finishing post at this point!

Kath

I wonder will I get an exit point at this stage? Yes they told me not to have a heavy film of cream on before radiotherapy . I have now been told no cream under the boob as I've to keep I totally dry. I'd love to put ointment to ease the soreness.

Just at the very end I had an area under my breast that burnt more than the rest so i stopped using my own moisturiser and I was given a gel by the nurse. Then when it burnt more they put special padded bandages that had something specific in them like silver or something that I had to leave on over a weekend - and it wasn't that my burns were horrendous but they really helped prevent the burns from getting too sore or the skin to break.

I still have a "tan" 18 months down the line from my radiotherapy; does anyone know when it fades or does it ever?

thanks so much for all the info., really helpful. Went to see the nurse after rads today and advised use hydrocortysone cream for aprox 5 days to ease red areas and will take it from there. Going to ask docs tomorrow about using pure aloe vera and their thoughts on this. Will let you know how I get on.

Yes under the boob seems to be the worst but the nurse said although the skin is broken a bit it's dry and not oozing. The fact that I'm finished tomorrow and am on boosters after that I'm not too worried. It's sore but I can live with it. A lovely woman I met up there uses the aloe Vera plant and finds it great.

Disappointed to read ur post encee, I am only 4weeks finished rads and it can't fade fast enough for me. Guess I foolishly though it would go back to normal after all this. Under the "boob" is the worst area, just on the ribs is still red, but I never got any exit burn or skin breakdown during my treatment.

Oh ania I'm interested to hear that under your breast was the worst. I don't seem to have an exit burn but I'm going in holidays a month after I finish, please tell me I'll be a lot better than I am now? I look like I've 2nd degree burns under my breast at the moment but the rest is just red I can live with that. I'm so glad it's only booster after tomorrow.

Just had a quick check there, still red! Not as bright a shade of red as it was but still red. The top corner of mine is starting to fade a bit, but the bottom half is still red. I didn't get any break down, but I think, sitting around for an hour topless before bed really did help!!

Oh under my breast the skin is like tissue and is peeling off. It's quite sore. Don't care really what colour it is if it isn't sore and stingy like now. I'm not wearing bra at moment but haven't gone topless yet

Hi ladies,

Concerning radiotherapy, check with your doctors about how much sun it is safe to expose yourselves too in the coming months.

I was told that I had had the equivalent of a year's radiation on a small area of skin and that I should absolutely avoid sunburn as well as avoid being outside between midday and 4 pm in very hot sunny weather. Tons of sun cream, a big shady hat and cover up as much as possible was the recomendation I got.

Take care

Kath

I personally wouldn't sit out during those hours now anyway. I was in lanzarote before I started and I'd factor 30 and only sat out before 11am and after 4pm. I'm sure they'll tell me. Don't suppose we will have to worry too much about sun in Ireland. Lol

Ania, don't panic about it - they are not hugely obvious but I guess I thought they should have well disappeared by now - it's just very brown where I had burnt the most and there is a clear line where the radiotherapy went from under my arm in the direction of my windpipe. If that's all I have to wonder about there is fear of me!
Wickowlady - Im lucky I live in a quiet neighbourhood so not much chance of peeping Toms! I used to lie down with no top on after I got back from hospital for an hour so it gave me a great chance to let the area breathe.
It'll be over soon ladies

Ah thanks maybe I might try that now that I'm nearly finished. Lie naked on the floor . I'm in the country too and no one can look in. I find it amusing that I go in to dr McVeigh today with a hoodie and no bra on and just pull up the top to let him have a look. We don't really care who looks at them really lol. So many have poked and prodded them lol

Hi Wicklow lady,
I laughed at your post. We have to get used to taking our top off for anyone during treatment. It reminds me very much of when I was pregnant the first time and my sister-in-law said get used to dropping your knickers for anyone!