Radiation, when does it begin?

Usual reply: It varies! However, I think my experience was fairly typical. Radiation started three weeks after chemo finished. Best wishes for your radiation - mine was easy peasy - well, apart from a few skin peely issues, but that all cleared up very quickly.

@Tarma Mine started 3 weeks after surgery 
everyones order of treatment does vary. I was chemo 1st. Then surgery then radiation the rads were delayed by a week as my scar wasn’t quite healed enough had to do a course of antibiotics first. 

Thankyou Lovelies ☺️ 🩷

Hey Tam,
I met my surgeon this week and he says I will have 4 weeks break after my last chemo and then start radiation.

🤗
Gin

@iserbrown, thank you! Very informative and helpful 😊

Thankyou 😊 @GinGin @iserbrown 
🩷

@Tarma I didnt have chemo but my rad treatment was around 3-4 months after surgery as my medical team wanted me to have a BRCA gene test before they decided on the next step forward for me. Lucky it was negative so I had a 15 dose treatment & like @jennyss , mine was very easy! The reason mine was so easy & pain free was my rad onc suggested I use the Mepitel film during my treatment. This film protects your skin from the rad burns BUT you have to leave it on through the entire treatment & around 3 weeks after. I didnt have any burning/peeling/redness at all & I am truly thankful. Not everyone can use it but it would be wise to ask. Good luck with yoru treatment. Love & strength xx <3

Hi @Anne65, thanks for mentioning the Mepitel film as I had never heard of it.  I will have to have radiotherapy in a few weeks (after having 3 excisions to achieve clear margins) and am concerned about affect of the x-ray.  I am also very fair skinned and (sun)burn easily.  I will definitely raise this when I get referred. Cheers!

Hi @Clancy and @Tarma
I had 28 sessions of radiotherapy  after a mastectomy - it stated once I had healed - about 4 weeks.
I couldn’t have the mepitel ( which is the gold standard ) to prevent burning as I had a weird skin fold ( corrected in the subsequent reconstruction) but I used a creme called strata xrt - it was expensive and I have to get online - not for sale  in Australian chemists but it did the trick - I got slightly  pink at the end but no burning.