Im starting Radiotherapy on Valentines Day!!Great!!Just wondered what to expect, does it effect people differently, do you get sore.
I have had the planning thing, bit uncomfortable, I have been doing the sttretching exercises but the position did pull my arm a bit.dont know whether it was to do with my scar, although I have healed the scar seems to be all puckered like somebody has been doing some ruching!!Good look!!!Any ideas, will it get betterr in appearance , it seems to be worse under my armpit.Will cream help like E45. Thanks for any ideas. Love Willowcat xx
Hi Willowcat
I finished my rads 2 weeks ago. I did not use the aqueous cream recommended but chose to use Aloe Vera spray. I had no soreness at all. Skin looks fine after 15 standard doses and 5 extra booster doses to old tumour area. I did not have a mastectomy so not sure if this makes much difference. I believe they place a gel pad on your chest where your breast was (someone may correct me on this), my friend had this and she said she had a dark area the shape of the gel pad. The radiotherapy itself takes seconds, its all the travelling that tires you out. I drove myself the 50 mile round trip to my hospital for all but 3 of the sessions and was fine. I have felt more tired over the last 2 weeks after finishing it, which they said is normal.
Compared to chemo, rads was a walk in the park!!
I am sure your scar will settle in time. I had my surgery last July and some parts of the scar are a little less pretty than other parts! They usually advise Vitamin E creams to reduce scarring, but don’t try anything until rads is done, and for up to 6 weeks after rads have finished as the effects are still present a good 2 to 4 weeks after completion of treatment.
You will be fine. Good Luck.
Mandyj.x
Hi Willowcat
I had 25 sessions of rads after WLE to breast, armpit and neck. Started using aqueous cream (advised to check with rads people if I wanted to use anything else) about 1 week prior to starting the treament. By the end I was rather red and a bit raw where the band of my bra rubbed, my nipple got very dark and peeled. I was very tired by the end, having to drive to the hospital every day probably didn’t help and experienced quite a lot of nausea - I had pills to sort that out. it took about 14 days for the SE to start to kick in and things continued to get worse for about 2 weeks after.
I bought a £5.00 sports bra a back size larger from Tesco for wearing out and just wore a vest otherwise. Tucking a piece of silk in the bra cup helps as well.
For iffy scars apparently bio-oil has been good for some ladies.
This all sounds a bit grim but it wasn’t so bad and definitley better than chemo and all in a good cause.
Good luck with it all - Jacqui
Hi I if ished my rads 1st dec. I had mastectomy and anx clearance, rads were to chest wall and clavicle I didn’t have a gel pad applied, I did however put aqueous crram on morning and night. I found rads ok, not too tiring while going through them but bloody knackeronce all finished. keep doing the exercises as you do get stiff. Also my scar sounds every similar to yours, l have a puckered bit of flesh under my armpit, it looks awful, but there’s nothing I can do about it and I just keep thinking maybe it will look different once I have the reconstruction and u til theme I just grateful to be alive.
good luck with the rest of the treatment all the best x
My scar was similar to yours Willowcat - as if there was too much skin at the end of stitching and they just finished it off any old way. After my op I used Bio Oil every evening and it gradually disappeared. In fact there is no lumpy bit there at all now. I used nothing at all during my rads (just baby soap) and aqueous cream after I had finished. After a few weeks I was back to the bio oil (but only on the scars) and again they have returned to normal - it is now hard to see the scar at all. Amazon have Bio oil for £8 for a large bottle - there is still two thirds of the bottle left nearly 10 months later. Don’t use any of the cheaper versions as they don’t work - it has to be the real thing.
As everyone said the worst bit about Rads is the journey there every day.
Good Luck
K M x
My scar was similar to yours Willowcat - as if there was too much skin at the end of stitching and they just finished it off any old way. After my op I used Bio Oil every evening and it gradually disappeared. In fact there is no lumpy bit there at all now. I used nothing at all during my rads (just baby soap) and aqueous cream after I had finished. After a few weeks I was back to the bio oil (but only on the scars) and again they have returned to normal - it is now hard to see the scar at all. Amazon have Bio oil for £8 for a large bottle - there is still two thirds of the bottle left nearly 10 months later. Don’t use any of the cheaper versions as they don’t work - it has to be the real thing.
As everyone said the worst bit about Rads is the journey there every day.
Good Luck
K M x
Hi Willowcat,
I had 15 sessions last October, my worse problem was the skin spitting under my boob (quite common if you have big boobs I was told). The hospital will give you cream if this happens.
I used Aqueous cream, I don’t know if it’s the same everywhere, but we could only use Sainsburys, Superdrug, Tesco or the hospital pharmacy, I also bought some Aloe Vera gel, but was advised not to use it.
Hope it all goes well for you xx