Hi to all. I am new to the forum so let me apologise in advance if this question has already been asked. I was diagnosed in March this year. I have had a single mastectomy, lymph removal, 6 cycles of chemo (3xFEC, 3x tax), now due for radio. Mon-Fri for 5 weeks.
What advice can you give me to cope with this stage in my treatment? Creams etc. have had minimal advice from my consultant.
Thanks in advance.
Hello Johnston71
Welcome to the forums.
Whilst waiting for replies maybe you would like to talk things through with a member of our helpline staff who are there to offer emotional support as well as practical information. The free phone number is 0808 800 6000 and the lines are open Monday to Friday 9.00 to 5.00 and Saturday 10.00 to 2.00.
best wishes
June, moderator
Hi Johnston,
My hospital recommended to use Simple soap or shower gel (and suggested trying to minimise the amount of water/soap on the radiated side - I gently splashed shower water onto the area), non metal underarm deodorant specifically recommended was Salt of the Earth spray deodorant (available from Holland and Barratt) which was good since very light and easy to spray on after applying cream.
Cream - the hospital provided me with aqueous cream which I started using the week before radio. I have very sensitive fair skin and it made my skin itch (even before radio!) so they provided diprobase instead. I did get a bit sore around nipple - they gave me hydrogel to use at that stage. After radio finished since I had some burns they gave me flamazine cream (it has silver in it so can’t be used during the actual radio) which was magic cream for me enabling the skin to heal before gently flaking in the nipple area.
I know some women have used Aloe Vera - my hospital advised against using anything with additives hence you could pop out and buy a plant and scrape out the cooling goo from the leaves yourself if need be…I bought a plant and thankfully my green friend survived intact!
Some women have also used bio-oil but again that wasn’t recommended at my hospital…given q re what’s in the additives.
Wear a soft bra, cotton if possible. I know it sounds crazy but I cut some pieces of fabric out of old soft 100% cotton t shirt material and used these as a layer between me and a soft bra. I think they really helped since if your skin does get sore they reduce friction on the skin plus help air circulate. I also wore loose cotton t-shirt material tops etc to keep air circulating under arm and around breast area. Found Bravado seamless silk bra good - albeit it’s not cotton!
I hope that helps…can get a bit tiring too so picking up bits of food on route to/from hospital etc…make life as easy as possible for yourself during that time.
Seabreeze
Hi Johnston, all the best for this part of your treatment, you’re nearly there! Good advice from Seabreeze about the cotton pads - I used 100% cotton large handkerchieves folded under my bra for areas where the bra might rub, and also to absorb sweat.
The hospital where I was treated advised me not to use any creams until after all the radiotherapy treatment was finished. I was also advised to use a roll-on deodorant, as this keeps it local to the underarm area. However as there may be some variations in advice, it may be worth asking at the hospital you will be attending.
I’m now 2 weeks post-rads and apart from a little itching and some pinkness I’m feeling reasonably well. I did feel a bit tired as treatment went on, but nothing like the way I felt with chemo! I found I could still carry out my daily routines as normal, though I did enjoy a few extra naps when I got the chance.
Good luck x