first tattoo today

LAURIE · 03-15-2007, 11:22 AM

I am very proud of my 3 new little tattoos I got today. I really thought it was going to hurt (she said she was real gentle with me). It hurt less than gettting my finger pricked. I start Rads next Thursday. I love the smell of the Biofine lotion my doc prescribed. I also got my second Lymphedema glove today. First one was too small. If I could just get this fat hand under control, my acne to clear up, and my hair to grow more evenly I would be a happy her2 girl.

Sheryl H · 03-15-2007, 11:49 AM

When I told my kids and my niece and nephews that I had tattoos now, they were so impressed. At least they were until I told them they were just four little pin pricks. Oh well.

Good luck with the rads. I did pretty well with that. Just be sure to drink lots of water and rest when you need to. I used aloe vera gel, which worked really well for me. Had a boost the last eight treatments, and that skin got pretty red. Ended up using a prescription cream then. Also used aquaphor on the part that received the boost after I was done. That skin felt like leather. Only one or two treatments though with the aquaphor, and it was much better. Don't use deodorant. Someone told me to eat lots of protein. You probably already know all of this, but just in case.

I'll be thinking of you.

janet11 · 03-15-2007, 01:48 PM

My rad center didn't use tattoos. Instead, they used blue sharpies (almost permanent ink) (green for defining the boosts field and markers). It was SO neat to see those marks fade daily in the shower (my last rad treatment was 2 weeks ago), but I was almost sorry I didn't have "tattoos" I could talk about (*grin*).

Just used aloe vera daily, and had almost NO problems. Turned faintly pink, some areas were pretty tender, and I had one burned spot under my arm that later peeled and finally healed. I suffered far more from anticipation than reality here.

Good luck!

DonnaD · 03-15-2007, 03:50 PM

Hi Laurie,
Look how far you've come! Everyone tells me rads is a breeze, and keep the cream handy. I got tattoos and blue perm. marker. I start March 28, so you will be 6 a head of me.

Good Luck and God Bless. We will do this!
Donna

Jean · 03-15-2007, 07:37 PM

Hi Laurie,

Just wanted to wish you the best of luck with radiation. It went well for
me. I would make all my appointment in the evening, ( I would take the
last appointment) this way when I was done I just went home and went to bed. I found that during the day it was too time consuming and exhausting. Just rest when you need it. Do not worry about the hair and the
rest - with that great smile of yours - you are a winner anyway!

Kind Regards,
Jean

rinaina · 03-15-2007, 07:53 PM

Laurie, you will find radiation to be a breeze compared to your chemo. You will probably still feel fatigued but that is about it. Use whatever you have to in order to keep your skin from responding poorly to radiation. My radiologist oncologist advised me to use aloe gel everynight whether I needed it or not and I really didn't have much of a problem at all with discomfort. I am still discolored from the booster dose and that area seemed to get more color than anywhere else. As for the hair...through all of this, the hair thing has been the hardest for me next to getting sick from chemo. My hair is back and is close to 1 1/2 to 2 inches all over depending where and it is so curly,(never had curly hair before). Not crazy about it but it is hair at least. I finished chemo July 27 so it took this long to get to this point. Hope all goes well with rads.

tousled1 · 03-15-2007, 10:32 PM

Laurie,

Radiation will be a breeze in comparison to chemo. Fatigue will become an issue just due to the fact that you must go every day. My radiation oncologist gave me aloe vera cream to use starting day one. Make sure you use cream everyday but not right before treatment. My last five treatments were boosts and that's when I developed some real soreness in the area. I then got a prescription cream from radiation oncologist and it cleared it up in a few days. About a week after I was finished you couldn't even tell what side of the chest had been radiated. You'll do fine. Just listen to you body and rest when you need to.