HI All One week after finishing rads treatment , I am still suffering .M ost of the blisters have dissipated but left very red weepy patches, Had antiobiotics f rom Doc to stave of infection also prescribed urgutul gauze and was using mepolex the latter was making me more soggy . Have switched to Melolin but find it difficult to keep in place( not a pretty site but prefer to go braless round the home)
Any suggestions from anyone would be more than appreciated cuz I feel so sore miserable and wretched. Most of the area that was burnt is under arm along lymph node scar. ALSO anyone out there who feels they need a good cry after nine long months of treatment , think I will have to watch a sloppy film!!!
Love to all my cyberpals from Bobbiex
hmmmmmmmmmmmm - they do prefer it if you can not use adhesive tape cos this can irritate the skin even more, but it does make securing a dressing a bit difficult, especially if you are not wearing a bra. Not really sure what to suggest to be honest.
Hi
I finished my rads last week too. So far, I’ve not suffered too badly with my skin (only had 15) although it is still cooking!
But I just wanted to say I’m with you on the crying front after all the treatment. I’ve cried as much this week as I did when first diagnosed. The slightest and silliest of things upset me at the moment. Let it all out - we deserve a good cry!
Sharon
Hi Corsa
Its horrible having to deal with these burns when you are at your most tired isnt it?
I ended up pinning my old softie to my top to give me a balanced look and then draped some gauze over the softie. I did tape some more gauze -it IS messy isnt it-to my chest -quite high up to avoid the burnt area.It worked okay if I had to be out of the house. Inside the house -and quite alone-I did go topless.
Oooh the relief…
It cleared completely about 4 weeks after the last treatment if I recall correctly. But the burns didnt start blistering up until the treatment was over so it wasnt for a long time.
I can recommend Mamma Mia for bringing on tears -happy and sad ones.
Wynn
Hi Bobbie,
Horace had a good tip; she used a hairdryer on cool to dry off the burnt area, I tried it and it worked for me. Also to hold the dressings in place you could try a vest top rather than a bra.
Lots of hugs
Jojoxxx
Hi Corsa
my burns were so bad that i could weep, i had to have the district nurse out, the Dr gave me antiseptic cream and dressings that felt like sand paper but the district nurse gave me a pack of softswabs which are so much better, so on monday i used the antiseptic cream but pain still bad but on tuseday i tried 99% aloe vera which stung like mad for about 10 seconds but kept me really comfortable untill my next dressing change. today i went back to the antiseptic to see if the aloe really did make a difference and i have been in pain all the time i had the dressing on. i can keep a dressing under my boob quite well its the burn that is by my under arm that is the problem so i have no choise but to wear a bra. i finished rads last friday and the burns are much worse now, much worse than a bad sunburn.
Tina57
Hi Corsa,
Sorry you are feeling so horrible.
Have you thought of giving your rads ream a call as they are the experts on these burns?
Fan or hairdryer very good idea if you can tolerate this. Also have you thought to ask the district nursing team via GP for advice as they can be very helpful, even over the phone? Don’t struggle on your own.
You’re not making a fuss as you hqve been through a lot and deserve sympathy at this time. Keep all the other areas well moisurised stepping it up to x3 daily as I have been advised today. Have you tried wearing a secret support top from m&s? I have found these good for going out and then I don’t wear any support at home. They might be helpful in keeping dressings in place.
Yes very weepy(tearful) today as finished rads but treatment has not lasted as long as yours.
Good luck and chin up.
Hi all who replied to my ‘Burning Question’ Pracrtically tied to fan!!! Did think about asking for district Nurse actually , we lost our only BC Domiciliary Nurse and had phone call sometime ago from DN office so I will try that venue. Rang BC nurse at hospital I was attending and she said to go back if I needed (see her 6th August) but might try and bring appt forward.You are same as me Tina burn under arm worse. Toffee so glad to hear you have finished , it is a queer feeling though , you cannot wait for treatment to be over but when it’s done you have time to think and thats not good for me. Have a couple of tops with support but need a crane really. I’ve al;ways hated my big boobs hate them more now. I have blouse to hand if anyone should come to door. Again thanks for all your tips I knew you would come up trumps for me !!! Mind I will not read secondary site again , how do you all cope with it , I thought I was cracking up just reading it, there are so many brave people on this site you really humble me.
Love Bobbie
Hi Corsa,
Like you I have suffered with these burns too, but mine were directly underneath my breast. I tried lots of different bandages, gauzes, etc but nothing seemed to work, also had creams but this made the area more sticky and unpleasant which didnt help at all, but I did got comfort at night when at home sitting holding my boob in the air and trying to get as much air to that area as possible (not a pretty sight I must say) but got some relief. I also found that when I a blister burst I would get terrible cording down the inside of my arm? so you may experience some of this in time too!!!
Lin xxxxx
Hi Mushrrom / Lin you are right about cording, it’s already started. I have devised my own dressing and it is the most comfortable I have been for a couple of weeks…
Large incontinence pads (left over from my diarrhaoea days on chemo) Urgutul gauze,( prescribed by GP,) next to burn site and pad secured under my arm with micropor on good skin. Pads have a curve in them so sit quite well. Pads from Lidls very soft and inexpensive. So pleased it has gone a bit cooler where I live in the Midlands. Next step is for me to stop worrying about dying and to start living.
Love from Bobbiexx
hey bobs no way u gonna die soon honey - well not till we have met for coffee!!
remember we talked re diffs getting gel dressings from chemist - asked mine and he said well worst case…3 days…YOOOOOOOOOOOOO HHHH no - if my skin breaks down Caroline will see the head mistress in me - i can be scary…
anyway she is too thin in my book!!!
how about next week for coffee? see cov thread
love bab
j xxx
HI I was given tri- adcortyl antiseptic cream from bc nurse and a soft dressing called mepilex,it was very comfortable and cleared up lovely.
Hi!
I have just finished 1st week of rads and okay so far. Australian friends told me to use 100% pure EMU OIL which breast cancer patients in Australia are told by their hospitals to buy. It’s available on the Internet here - I bought mine on eBay. Don’t use the cheaper American version. It’s also used on burns patients in Australian hospitals. If you search it on Google, you will find actual photos of people with radiotherapy burns and what a difference it makes even in one week of use. Hope that is of some help.
Hi Redders I bought Emu Oil after reading how good it was BUT Onc told me not to use it during Rads has he had not heard of it . It is wonderful for treating dried up blister patches now though. I gave Onc leaflet on it so when I see him again will ask him what he thought. I bet we will hear more about this on site.I mailed seller (Norfolk) and they said they had some good feedback from Rads patients , who had used after treatment!!! Watch this space!! Let us know how you fair with it??? I used tons of Aloe Vera but was still badly burned, worst area being lymph node scar. (5 wks Rads broke out after 4th)
Love Bobbiex
i have family in oz and cuz gave me emu oil for probs post broken wrist… if any of you buy it check thatit has had smell removed!!!
This may be a silly question - which part of the Emu gives the oil?
Hi!
The oil comes from a very fatty pad on the back of the neck of the emu which it has developed because it has no feathers there, and without the pad it would burn in the Australian sun. The stuff I buy is completely refined and has no unpleasant smell at all.
Hi, I finished 15 + 3 booster rads in Dec. I split a little under the breast and the hospital gave me the gel and a few dressings but they ran out quickly, I found it difficult getting the right shaped dressings and it was suggested on here that small sanitary towels would do the job just as well and they did, I was able to hold them in place with my bra. I would also lie with the breast exposed through the night with nothing on it to try and dry it out, this worked after a while but in the beginning it would just re-split when I moved. My GP who wasn’t to up on this subject gave me a cream for burns called Flamazine (think that’s spelt right) it did help though. For you ladies burnt under the arm it must be very uncomfortable, I hope you get relief soon. Mine lasted about 2 weeks then cleared up without scarring. I still get a bit tender in the rib area where the bra goes round and I still have one brown boob and one white.
Good luck and best wishes
Caz x
Hi all I have been given Flamazine today for splits under boob. I am on boosters now only 3 to go and i have found leaving my naked breast open all night makes it easier to sleep but it does split again when I get up. I hope the flamazine does the job. I am finding the boosters make me feel more tired but the radiologists say they are shallower. Does anyone know if they are stronger ? I am going to look up emu oil on the web but I am afraid I might be killing off a special species.
love Jenny
Hi Jenny, I don’t know for sure if the boosters are stronger just that they are directed at the immediate spot of the lump. My breast is still coloured from the rads and I have a darker brown circle where the boosters were directed.
Good luck, I hope the split heals soon.
Caz x