As always, I’m hoping you won’t mind sharing your wisdom with me I finished radiotherapy two days ago and got off fairly lightly in that I’m a bit red and swollen but no broken skin or blisters and I was wondering what I should be expecting over the next few weeks. Would you mind sharing what happened for you?
Also, any advice on how long I should expect to wait before I’ll be ready to start wearing normal underwired bras again (my 30G bust is feeling the miss of them!)
Well done on getting through rads with your skin in tact. I guessing it will remain that way although you carry on ‘cooking’ for a couple more weeks. My burn had developed in to week 3 and took a few weeks to heel. So I think you’ve escaped. I did hit the fatigue about 2 weeks after I’d finished but took all the advice of a little gentle stroll each day and feet up when necessary. I finished rads at the end of November and would say I’m still not back to my pre diagnosis energy levels.
As for wearing an underwired bra again. I’ve had some swelling which hasn’t actually settled down yet. It’s dividing opinions as to whether it’s just post rads or Lymphodema. I’ve only just started wearing mine regularly, I used to treat myself for high days and holidays more for the looks than comfort. Used to be glad to whip it off when I got home (For comfort reasons you understand ?) I don’t think there’s any reason why you shouldn’t give it a try. My lymphodema therapist suggested my underwire bra was better support for the swelling than the soft bras I had been wearing.
I think I kept moisturising for about 3 weeks - it was pretty obvious that I needed it because although my skin didn’t break at all I did have lots of very superficial peeling, particularly my armpit and the area of my boosters - and my nipple went weirdly white then peeled ?
Just a point on moisturising … remember scar tissue isn’t mature until at least a year, if not 18 months so to get the best cosmetic results from our scars we should keep creaming them regularly for that long.
Hugs,
Kitt
Xx
Thanks Kitt, did the peeling start during the treatment or afterward? I can’t see any signs of it yet but it is very early days for me. I do have the whole bleached nipple/areola thing going on though and it looks mighty weird as all the colour has gone apart from a very dark ring around the outside of the areola :womanfrustrated: I’m not overly worried about it as I’m told that it can be tattooed the right colour again if it bothers me but at the moment I’m just glad I still have a nipple and it certainly hasn’t lost any sensation (and if it doesn’t stop tingling and stinging soon I might start to wish that it had!)
Hi Sharon,
I think it started flaking off during my 4th week but that was booster week so the nipple area wasn’t getting any more nukes. Apart from still being a little dusky from the dye, it is totally back to normal now, 2 months post rads. Hadn’t even occurred to me that it would stay white, tbh?- glad that was one less thing for me to worry about!
Kitt
:womanlol:! My friend lost hers because of cancer and had a new one made about 18 months later and it’s amazing, the nipple looks so real (it’s actually twisted skin) and the areola is tattooed on and it’s a work of art. Personally I’m at that point where I hope never to have to be punctured with a needle ever again, even if it is for a tattoo, but I guess I might feel differently eventually (or I might just make a feature of my albino nipple, sort of like David Bowie and his odd coloured eyes :womanlol:)
Thanks Kitt, I was told that I might not get the colour back so it’s good to know that you did. Aren’t bodies amazing things, I had no idea they were capable of such peculiar behaviour!
Cheryl I’ve been using cream and oil on my boob and the skin is intact but it was touch and go for a while (probably still is). I was wiping the oil on with dampened cotton wool pad but now I’m just pouring it over the boob in an attempt to stop friction/keep the skin unbroken. It seems to work but it certainly isn’t pretty and I think I’m going to have to replace all my bedlinen once this is all over!
I was googling areola colours this morning as mine was a bit alarming and it said that only 10% of women go darker with radiation, trust you to be in the rare group :womanlol:!
All this info is so very useful. I am dreaming of the day I can wear a ‘real’ bra again. I have bought yet more seamless crop tops. I was an FF cup and reduced both sides to what should be a C cup but still have no idea if that will become a reality as dont start rads until 28 April. My scars are still trying to heal but are quite extensive from armpit to armpit underneath and then usual to each breast having had both nipples relocated etc.I have been using Aveeno cream on my breasts and have been asked to take it to my first rad treatment so they can look to see what is in it, apparently they are looking for one specific ingredient which if it contains it they will advocate I dont use it during rad. Has anyone any idea what they might be looking for? Has anyone else use Aveeno, its hypoallergenic and I use it because I am super sensitive to all kinds of nonsensical stuff. Two of my grandsons have it on prescription for quite severe eczema and it works wonders for them so I snaffle the ends of their bottles when I visit! I am doing by best to be healed for rads but find that small areas of scar still keep swelling and then erupting with blood stained liquid, not infected I am certain but as if there is too much fluid under the skin, this also happens to the scar where my nodes were removed…dpes this all sound familiar and normal to others?
When I stop to think about all this it seems quite bizarre that within three months I have gone from being seemingly ‘normal’ to stressing about stuff I had no inkling about before.
I sometimes feel I have stepped through the wardrobe into another world…
I’m not sure if it is the main one, but I know Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is one of the ingredients that radiotherapists frown on as it can be an irritant.
Totally get the Narnia thing, it is a bit surreal isn’t it. I’ve learnt loads of things along this horrible journey, most of which I’d far rather have remained ignorant about!
Hi Cheryl, the different hospitals are really inconsistent with their lotions & potions advice aren’t they and from all the research I’ve read it seems that there is nothing that actually prevents the effects of radiation so it’s really just a case of finding something that is least likely to irritate your particular skin. Some hospitals say not to use E45 because it has lanolin which some people have an allergic reaction to, whereas others, like yours, say it is all you should use!
I’m using Nelson’s Calendula cream (from Holland & Barratt) twice a day plus Fushi Organic Calendula oil once a day (from Ocado). I used E45 and aqueous cream before I started but got a slight rash (prima donna skin!) so swapped to Biafine cream for a week or so because that’s what they hand out in France for radiotherapy Although that didn’t irritate my skin, I didn’t feel it was particularly moisturising. I also read a research study paper which said that calendula outperformed Biafine so that’s how I ended up on calendula and I’m pleased with it
When I had my rads planning I asked about creams and was told that the radiography guidelines are just being changed. Rather than recommending ladies use certain types of lotion apparently the recommendation is to just use what you’ve always used as you know that you are not going to be allergic to it. Using something new could throw up its own set of problems.
Now that I’ve started rads I’ve been given a letter that says “you can use a light moisturiser on the skin in the treatment area. Avoid using thick creams and those with a high content of paraffin or petroleum jelly” ( unfortunately it doesn’t say why!)
These are the guidelines from the Marsden dated February 2015
Hi Nebsminty, I think I read somewhere that the reason they don’t advise petroleum jelly is that it builds up in skin creases and is hard to wash off without strong soap and/or rubbing hard
I also read that the new advice is to stick with whatever you know suits you which sounds completely sensible to me
Hello is there a good why to hold your boob up so it’s not so wet under it lol I’m all done radiation now but it’s so ichie an can’t wear a bra yet as it would make it worse thanks
Hi 12345 try putting a cotton handkerchief under your boob and it will stop the skin on skin contact. Otherwise phone your radio clinic and ask about dressings. Good luck x
I finished radiotherapy two days ago and got off fairly lightly in that I’m a bit red and swollen but no broken skin or blisters and I was wondering what I should be expecting over the next few weeks. Would you mind sharing what happened for you?