[Shirley]

Hey JJ,

Well, I posted a very detailed response which appears to have been lost due to timing out. Shoot!

I want to start off by saying that every person is probably going to respond to radiation differently. In my case it started out badly because of excessive wait times (30 minutes to an hour each day) and problems with their computer or network which would crash halfway through each treatment. There were days I was lying on that table in tears because my arms hurt so much from holding them back my head for so long. I had problems with pain in my lungs about a week after rads started and the docs were of no help and gave me conflicting answers.

So I called my nurse navigator, and she quickly got me set up with a different clinic in town. Yay! Same radiation company, but different location made all the difference in the world! No more waits, no more computer crashes...it went much more smoothly from there on out. My new Radiation Oncologist is female and explained that the pressure/pain in my chest was probably due to anxiety. I didn't believe here, but it went away so she was probably right (even so, my oncologist ordered a chest xray which came back clear).

What you might expect: you'll start out with a CT setup where they will map the area to be radiated and place tiny tattoo marks. I can't see my tattoos and they barely hurt so don't worry about that part. Then you'll wait a few days for them to write the computer program they will use to administer each day's treatment. They will also show you what the routine will be each day, as far as arriving, going to the dressing room, etc.

Each day you will come in and the radiation therapists will get you set up on the table and shift you around so that you are in just the right position. Then they leave the room to administer the treatment on their computers. You have to lie with your arms up behind your head and some "plates" move around you to take images and to administer the radiation. You will not feel the radiation, and will probably only be aware of it because it makes a buzzing sound. That whole thing (laying on the table, getting set up and then the treatment) takes about 15 minutes if it goes smoothly. Which it should.

I was using emu oil and Aquaphor on the radiated areas. They will get slightly red within a week or two, and then by week 4 or 5 I was really burned and it was painful--much worse than a sunburn. I was given Silvadene creme, but it was so painful I could barely touch the area. The Silvadene did make it feel better, however. The treatment even caused some burning on my back, but not to the point that it hurt.

But guess what? It has healed up very quickly and I feel fine. It's still red looking, but I just stopped last week so I expect that. But it doesn't hurt under my arm like it did, and the skin is much better.

I even got a certificate of completion and a coffee mug at the end! Yay I'm done with that!

One thing I'd recommend is adding aloe vera gel. I never got around to using that but have heard good things about it. Remember that it will get better.

Shirley