Crowd-sourcing radiotherapy advice
Hi there wonderful network So I start radiotherapy tomorrow - 16 hypofractionated doses plus 4 boosts = 20 treatments. I’m keen to get advice on preventing & coping with side effects. My complication...
Forum Discussion
I was unprepared for the emotional toll of radiation. Perhaps because it was the last of a years worth of treatment. Treat yourself gently, having to go every day can be quite taxing.
Fatigue sneaks up, but I still managed to walk the 3/4 hour to the station and then to the clinic each day, which I actually think helped.
I managed to work for the first three weeks (I had 25 treatments) but reduced the hours worked for week 4 and then no work for weeks 5 and 6 ( the week after treatment ended) however I burned quite badly from half way through week 3.
This meant I was dressed and bandaged each day after radiation, first with an organic pawpaw cream, then with Flamazine burn cream. This was all done at the clinic.
when treatment finished I still went for dressing every second day to the clinic for a week, then twice a week until the burns had healed. I changed the dressings myself on the days in between visits.
It took about a month after treatment finished for the skin to stop being so sore.
Worst areas were where the lymph nodes were removed. They swelled quite a bit.
They are still swollen now and need lymph massage every day. (I do it)
I also have some very tight areas that I am having worked on by the lymphodema physio.
I found the Best and Less zip up bras with the Berlei soft form okay for the first three weeks, then had to go braless for the next month or so as they were too uncomfortable.
The staff at the clinic I went to were wonderful, gentle and concerned and very supportive.
Showering though was still a very emotional time I found.
I used Moo Goo shower wash, Moogoo cream twice a day before I had to start getting dressings at the clinic, and after I finished going to the clinic, there is little evidence of the burns now, my skin is nice and pink and smooth.
One tip from the clinic nurses was to have a spray bottle of salty water to spray on the area, towel off gently after the shower, then spray all over the treatment area, leave for a minute then pat dry.
I also used it when I got itchy or hot, it was lovely and soothing. Keeping another in the fridge to use in summer might be nice too.
I hope you have a smooth treatment time, it seems never ending at the start, but then suddenly you only have a couple to go and you can see the end in sight.
Good luck and go gently.
Fatigue sneaks up, but I still managed to walk the 3/4 hour to the station and then to the clinic each day, which I actually think helped.
I managed to work for the first three weeks (I had 25 treatments) but reduced the hours worked for week 4 and then no work for weeks 5 and 6 ( the week after treatment ended) however I burned quite badly from half way through week 3.
This meant I was dressed and bandaged each day after radiation, first with an organic pawpaw cream, then with Flamazine burn cream. This was all done at the clinic.
when treatment finished I still went for dressing every second day to the clinic for a week, then twice a week until the burns had healed. I changed the dressings myself on the days in between visits.
It took about a month after treatment finished for the skin to stop being so sore.
Worst areas were where the lymph nodes were removed. They swelled quite a bit.
They are still swollen now and need lymph massage every day. (I do it)
I also have some very tight areas that I am having worked on by the lymphodema physio.
I found the Best and Less zip up bras with the Berlei soft form okay for the first three weeks, then had to go braless for the next month or so as they were too uncomfortable.
The staff at the clinic I went to were wonderful, gentle and concerned and very supportive.
Showering though was still a very emotional time I found.
I used Moo Goo shower wash, Moogoo cream twice a day before I had to start getting dressings at the clinic, and after I finished going to the clinic, there is little evidence of the burns now, my skin is nice and pink and smooth.
One tip from the clinic nurses was to have a spray bottle of salty water to spray on the area, towel off gently after the shower, then spray all over the treatment area, leave for a minute then pat dry.
I also used it when I got itchy or hot, it was lovely and soothing. Keeping another in the fridge to use in summer might be nice too.
I hope you have a smooth treatment time, it seems never ending at the start, but then suddenly you only have a couple to go and you can see the end in sight.
Good luck and go gently.