I finished rads on monday
The skin under my breast is really sore and has split
I have got some parrafin gauze dressings from the nurse to put over it which really smell and think it is making the wound worse -its certainly bigger than it was on monday
Has anyone got any advice or suggestions. its really painful and sore and itching and is driving me mad!
jOOLS
Hi Jools
I’m sure someone will be along soon to give you some advice and if you want to speak to one of our helpliners for more information you can call in the morning as lines open at 9am, the number to call is 0808 800 6000.
Best wishes
Lucy
Moderator
Breast Cancer Care
Hi Jools,
Sorry to hear you’re so sore. My skin didn’t split but was and is pretty sore. My radiographer suggested putting the aquaeous cream in the fridge, then spreading it on fairly liberally and laying down for a while whilst it soaked in, without being covered up. Not wearing a bra at all helps too especially underneath where it can be a little moist with perspiration. Sorry it’s not much help, hope you’re feeling better soon
Margaret
Hi Jools,
I did get very sore (especially under my arm) but not as bad as you.
My oncologist warned me it would be worst the weekend after the rads finished and it was. It now feels better two weeks after rads finished.
I went back to wearing my comfy boob during rads but as soon as I got home it was bra and boob off and cream well. The last few rads I went back to bed after I got home as well as I felt so tired and I`m sure it helped me.
Its not an easy journey through treatment and I do hope it gets better for you soon.
best wishes and big hugs
Margaret
Dear Jools
I had a very bad reaction to the rads treatment, I burnt and split underneath. I was told by onc and rad operator it was because I was top heavy!! They gave me parafin gauze too and it did nothing. I went to my GP two weeks after finishing rads, and he hit the roof! He gave me a steriod cream, which cleared it up in three days. Show it to your GP or ask the onc for something else.
Take care
Annie42
I agree with Annie. They told me I was “big” when I had a really bad burn. I am a “c” cup!!! Onc gave me graneodin ointment which helped. By Boxing Day last year, I had no skin under my breast and couldn’t move. As it healed, I would wipe away great goops of green goo. My s in law checked and said there was no infection ( she’s a nurse ). My doctor gave me mepore and mepital dressing which were useless as I had no healthy skin to stick it to and I was unable to see a dressings nurse as no apps. BC nurse was on holiday and I spent about a week being very sore. I would wake up with skin stuck to my night clothes. There is no magic answer. I found creaming it when it was wet and keeping it dry with talc when it started to dry out was best solution. I also got ring worm on my arms, legs and breast afterwards which bc nurse said poss started in breast as the fungal infection starts in areas of moist dead skin. Lovely. If this happens to you, don’t panic. It did go in a few weeks with occasional flare ups. Use either anti fungal cream or surgical spirits on skin which isn’t broken or sore.
It passes. Here’s ((((((a hug))))))
Debbie
xxxx
Debbie, you reminded me of the goo!! At its worse I wore a sanitary towel in my bra. There was no way I could go without a bra Im an F cup, they would be down to my knees.
Annie
That made me laugh Annie. I tried every sort of dressing from guaze to 3 large cotton pads taped together under my breast…I never though of sanitary towels!! I felt so sorry for my poor husband who had to do the honours as I couldn’t move my arm. I think he has seen it all now. The goo was the worst. I knew there was no infection as my s in law had a good sniff ( sorry about that if anyone is eating their breakfast ). I would go shopping, mostly to save my sanity and get back to a bit of normality, then spend all the time in the toilets attending to the “goo”. To put it crudely, I could feel it sliding down my body as I walked. Sorry jools. I am sure you didn’t want to hear that. It’s awful but it passes. I have a sort of chequer board appearance under my breast now of pearly pink skin and browny grey skin. The good side is that it burnt off 4 of my tattoos but still have 3 left as a reminder…Lol
Debbie
xxx
Hello everyone
This thread has got me worried. I’m due to start rads next Thursday and this sounds horrible. Does the sore skins/splitting skin happen to everyone??
I will finish rads right before xmas and then we will be going to stay at my mum’s in London. I now have visions of sitting at the xmas dinner table with a sanitary towel tucked under my bra with green goo sliding down onto my dinner plate!
I was just so happy to have finished chemo but now am thinking what’s rads going to be like - does it always really burn?
Jude
xxx
Im sorry Jude to have upset you! It doesnt happen to everyone. I was very fair before my treatment so I burnt alot with the sun anyway so I think I was just overly sensitive to it all. i made friends with lots of ladies at Mount Vernon and I was the only one that suffered.
Annie
X
Annie you didn’t upset me - this thread made me smile about the green goo and sanitary towels - the things we have to do! I guess it makes sense that you would burn more if you are very fair. I tan quite easily so hopefully I should be ok but I’ve got to have x20 sessions which seems loads. One tip I was given was to start putting on the aqueous cream a few days before you started rads.
Jude
xxx
although you have loads of sessions, I had 18,one every day, they last for just over a min. I used to count the seconds, 40sec and then 25 secs. But the journey took 45 there and 1hr back, cos of road works. Whilst it was being done, you feel nothing, so its a bit weird really. I did and still do use the cream because my arm is still a bit tight and the scar needs massaging. My skin under my boob is perfectly fine now, you would never know there was a problem.
Radiotherapy is a breeze compared to side effects of FEC chemo! (however, I now have the most gorgeous thick, brown curly hair, which last year I had ginger dead straight hair, so its not all bad news!)
Annie
XX
Hi Jude,
Just to reassure you, I have the last of 20 rads today, and so far no ill effects. I get a bit of a red rash from my bra, but that’s it. I have been using aloe vera gel from Holland & Barrett rather than the aqueous cream - I saw it recommended in the edition of Amoena Life that came out recently. Obviously I don’t know whether I would also have been OK on aqueous cream, but I’m generally not very good in the sun so decided to try something that was so well recommended.
Hiya Jude
Another one to reassure you. I had 17 rad sessions (15 plus boost) and suffered no ill effects at all. My skin only went very slightly pink, did not split and was not sore at all. I wore my usual bra throughout and everything was fine. I used aqueous cream twice a day and for a couple of weeks after. Everyone reacts differently and hopefully you’ll be fine.
Love Julie x