Radiotherapy creams

Hey my Pink Sisters

I have 8 of 25 radiotherapy treatments to go. I was told to use only sorbelene on my radiated area which is my chest wall, under my arm and my clavicule neck area. It is starting to get red and angry looking and the radiotherapy oncologist recomended sorbelene to be used everyday after my shower (although I have my shower at night) solugel (from the chemist) for the redness and inflamation and a tube of Sigmacort 1% Hydrocortisone acetate cream for the itching which I got a free sample from the pharmacy, yippee!!

I have been using sorbelene with vitamin E everyday since my mastectomy 3/4/13 on the mastectomy scar that goes across my chest to my armpit where I also had 17 or 18 lymph nodes removed (can't remember exactly now) but she said to bring it in and show the nurses. Which I did and the radiation oncology nurse said it needs to be only sorbelene with 10% glycerene. She said the vitamin E and any frangrance can interfere with the radiation or something so I had to buy another container of the sorbelene with just the 10% glycerene which is a bit crappy because it sits on the skin in a white cream rather than being absorbed straight away like the sorbelene with vitamin E. Aghh, I'm starting to get so fussy about all this stuff.

About the bra thing I've got one 14D breast so no bra gets even more stares than my bald head did so I wear the good 'ol faithful bra that came with the My Journy Kit from BCNA. Since I've started radiation I've stopped wearing the proper prosthesis which weighs about 800gm & it seemed to create more heat and sweat on the poor treated area so now I only wear one of the soft ones that came with the kit. Also at home I try not to wear anything but a loose cotton top with no bra when I can. I did try looking around for brightly coloured loose cotton tops that had frills or some sort of busy-ness at front but I couldn't find any.

Love and hugs to you all, Sandra xoxo

Hello ValU  sorry to hear of your pain sounds a little like myself  I too had a lumpectomy and around my nipple is sore    just wear something  soft on your skin  like an old singlet and pile the sorbelene cream on  leave it in the fridge   and it is comforting , also do not wear a bra!!!! I find that helpful. But stick with the pain as I do  I have two more weeks of radiotherapy before Christmas  and   then finish it  thank goodness  dont use anything else  but sorbelene I  have been told it  is the best unless you do talk to your nurses  at the hospital   good luck and keep smiling   through your journey  and that goes to all ladies xx

Hello Gobbytart lol  what a name sorry !!   it is coming up to my last two weeks of radiotherapy and I  am doing fine thanks although my back is not , I had a slow grower cancer removed   via a lumpectomy  and  I use the sorbelene cream  three times a day  it  does help as well as the tepid showers  and wearing no bra  but a singlet to support me , under my top  the radiotherapy is annoying but  it  will help me so   stay happy l;adies and put up with the pain  as there is a light at the end of it all no doubt  xx

Hi Mich. 

I know it seems a long time in replying. Thanks for the advice.

Actually I am really grateful that I have some front fastening bras. I needed surgey 7 days ago for a rotator cuff injury (shoulder). When in hospital, the nurse did my bra up for me.

I had so much difficulty trying to undo it one handed. Like a naive 12 year old boy. I am able to do up my front fasteners. Yay

So, thanks again

Good luck with your radiation. It does leave you a bit tired after a while. When your friends ask if there is aanything they can do, suggest a meal roster. My work colleagues did this for me. It was the best ever. I only work 3 days/week so they organised the same for me. On the long days of working then rads, I knew I had a meal all ready to heat up and eat.

Good luck with your radiation. It does leave you a bit tired after a while. When your friends ask if there is aanything they can do, suggest a meal roster. My work colleagues did this for me. It was the best ever. I only work 3 days/week so they organised the same for me. On the long days of working then rads, I knew I had a meal all ready to heat up and eat.

18 F so you can imagine...

No underwired and front fastening. Ok the boobs won't quite hit your knee caps but you will get some supportThere is a positive to having a few front fastening bras. If you suddenly find your shoulder is buggered ( a medical term for shoulder incapacity) and you end up with surgery prohibiting the use of that arm for at least 6 weeks, doing a bra up and then undong it is an impossibility, especially if you live on your own, then the front fasteners come in very useful....

I  have just been reading the blogs about skin care and radiation

Dove soap but the extremely sensitive/gentle (light green packaging) Moo Goo udder  cream before radiaton starts and then several times/day during therapy but not 2 hours before radiation. If/when your skin breaks down - big boobs, go see the nurses for some dressings. The ones I had were almost foam like with a silicon base next to the skin so it didn't stick. the nurses dressed the reddened skin with a cream for burns (flamigel)until the skin broke then they changed it to another lotion

I found that front fastening bras and genie bras helped. I needed to have a dressing in place but I also found wearing a silk camisole next to the skin/over the dressing and under the bra helped. When I got home I just sat in front of the fan holding my boob up to get the air to it. Not a good look, but I didn;t care

Once the raditation changed from wide to narrow beam I was able to put sudacream (zinc znd castor) on the broken skin. It healed up really quickly

I am on my fourth day of radiotherapy and using sorbolene I have no idea  why but I guess it will help my breast  as I had a lumpectomy and  lympth nodes removed  I wish all  woman   all the best  x