Weird skin thing

[AlaskaAngel]

I get as much regular sun as I can, half an hour on each side, so I was surprised this weekend by a weird skin reaction I had. About 12 hours after lying in the sun for less than half an hour on my back, I had the weirdest pattern of 3 very pink shapes on my lumpectomy breast... I suspect that it was the "clips" in the breast tissue reflecting heat that caused it, because it has gone away completely. But my lump was close to the chest wall, not the surface, so it is puzzling. They seemed somewhat triangular in shape, and formed a circle.

???

AlaskaAngel

P.S. I was wearing a solid black swimsuit, the kind that lets the sun through it, and no other layer of clothing or any pattern.

[BonnieR]

How odd that they did not occur before. Had you done anything differently? Same bathing suit?
I have no answer but will be very interested in what you learn

[Lani]

but after radiation therapy the advice is to keep the breast out of the sun for the rest of your life as you are likely to get discoloration/skin changes from it.

I suppose what pattern/extent of changes might depend on whether you had whole breast or partial breast irradiation. Don't know if whether regular vs accelerated course causes different pigmentation issues has been studied.

Hope this helps somehow

[AlaskaAngel]

Hi Lani,

I mostly posted so that if anyone else had the same thing it would be a little less frightening for them since the sun season has begun. I had IMRT, and I do try to cover the treated breast to block ALL the sun out if I am out in the sun for more than a half hour on each side. It just puzzled me because in the last 6 years I've never had it happen before now, and especially because I would have thought the clips were so deep in my case that they wouldn't reflect anything back up through the tissue. There is still nothing to see or feel, so I'm pretty sure that is what it was -- but I've never heard of it happening to anyone before. It is odd enough that I'm taking your suggestion to heart, and will cover it from here on out!

Thanks,

AlaskaAngel

[SoCalGal]

Regarding sun exposure - I'm assuming it's for vitamin D - is that true? I have my D levels checked and despite taking a handful of D's a day my levels would not increase enough so the doc just switched me to a liquid form. I can give you the info if you want. Might be easier on wrinkles than sun exposure. But maybe living in Alaska is different in needing to get in that sunshine when available.

Regards!
Flori

[Vic]

It seems funny that this would occur now after you enjoy the brief periods of sunning on a regular basis. Hmmm. Yes, better to cover it up, as Lani says, just to be on the safe side of things. Keep enjoying the sun and just protect the girls.

btw, Flori, I love the photo on your posting. It's so artistic and beautiful with the black gloves and the message.

Vicki

[AlaskaAngel]

Hi Flori! My PCP uses the DEXA bone density study to decide if the bones are doing okay, and then if not, he tests for the vitamin D level. My DEXA scan results have been fine (well, fine for a 57-year-old who has had chemo) so I've never had the vitamin D level tested. I would take you up on the suggestion if my DEXA was not good, though. You are right -- Ever since dx I've used the natural sun for vitamin D as regularly as it has been available, but only for 1/2 hour per side. I think there may be good things about natural sunshine that haven't yet been discovered that we probably need (but I admit, that could be just my imagination!) The bright pink triangle-shaped areas still haven't come back, and I haven't had any more sun here in the meantime. My rads treatment was in California so I can't show it to my rads doc from 2002 to ask about it, but I think it likely was somehow due to the surgical clips.

Thanks,

A.A.

[SoCalGal]

Hi "AA"
Dr Conklin my UCLA (Integrative Oncology) MD w/a PhD in pharmacology feels it's vital to have high levels of "D". He says it's anti-cancer. There has been a lot of buzz about this - too bad I can't recall one actual source.

Anyhow - maybe at the next blood draw have them check. Blood test called: 25-hydroxy vitamin D. Despite taking 5000 IU a day my range was only up to "45". Dr Conklin wants me up well over 50 so as I said he just switched me to liquids. Reference range: 20 -100 ng/ml but there is a comment saying optimal levels are >30 ng/ml and levels between 20 & 30 suggest insufficiency.
I think they are finding a connection between cancer and low D but don't know which comes first. My guess is it's another side effect of the slammed & forced menopause which for me caused a lot of bone deterioration. Back then I was just glad to have survived the CMF and radiation frying. I have similar feelings to the ones you've expressed on the subject. Will post more on that on that link.

Take care-
Flori