Is it the radiation?

sassy · 11-12-2005, 07:34 AM

It seems like the last few days, everything hurts or doesn't work right. I have 4 boosts left after completing 29 rads. The area under my arm feels burnt to a crisp and is really irritated. Didn't have any problems until a couple of days ago, then seemed to just get really bad. I have been using aquafor--any other suggestions to get me thru the weekend?

Eyes, joints, back, weight, sleep--feel like I'm 90 instead of 46. Tell me it gets better!

Sassy
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CREAMY_SQUIRT

Patty H · 11-12-2005, 08:05 AM

They gave me these gel-packs to use under my arms. They really helped. Mine got so burnt that they didn't do the last couple of treatments. After this is all over, healing from it came real fast and so did the energy. I also took some ibuprofin and it helped with the aches. Patty H

SusanAnne · 11-12-2005, 09:36 AM

Hi Sassy,

Same thing happened to me. Call your radiation oncologist and ask him to prescribe a cream called Biafine. It helped me tremendously. Good luck.

Susan

Becky · 11-12-2005, 08:50 PM

I burned to a crisp too. Silvedene helped. It is a prescription (I am also 46). You are not that far behind me (I finished rads on April 8 - no chemo brain on the important dates).

Also, you should start healing quickly and have only 4 more to go (and only boosts not the whole area so the rest should start to heal quickly). Get Fruit of the Earth Aloe Gel - no added anything. If you can't find it where you live, you can get it at drugstore.com

It works well - it worked moderately well for me but my mom (who had bc quite a while ago) gave me the tip and worked super for her.

You can also go to Walmart or somewhere and get the real thing - an aloe vera plant. Cut the leaf and squeeze the gel on your finger tips and apply.

Binefine cream as mentioned above also works. It is not a prescription anymore but is "behind the counter" and at my pharmacy, had to be special ordered. Call your pharmacy and see.

Let me know if you need to talk. In my opinion, radiation was worse than chem (in a certain respect) and I was afraid to complain about it since most folks think chemo is the pits (no picnic but being burned to a crisp was just no fun, hard to sleep etc).

Take care, you're almost there.

Peace,

Becky

Lyn · 11-12-2005, 10:03 PM

Hi all, well I have been having radiaiton pretty much constantly since 1998 and now I am really feeling the damage. My last severe radiation to neck and remaining breast put me in hospital on morphine treatment for 4 days, and daily dressings of Silvazin cream, for over a month. Well finished rads in April and now experiencing the real damage. It seems that the nerves in the neck messaging the muscles in my shoulder blade were damaged and I am loosing movement in my right arm fast. My shoulder blade seems to be flopping about with great pain I might add, I also fell last month and I got 2 fractures to the other shoulder so I have to imobalise that for 6 weeks then see if any further damage, so with that arm strapped up and limited painful movement in the left side, I am lucky that if I keep my elbows to my body I can type without pain. I am now into treatment which involves exercises to strengthen the muscles that haven't been effected, my right shoulder isn't stiff but I cannot lift my right arm, so physio entails streatching that arm out to the front and then to the back and twist the hand out, as well as my neck which has also been effected with now only being able to turn it slilghtly, also very tight and it aches. I was warned that I would get some damage, at the time I just thought well if I want to live I have to accept it as it comes. I can honestly say that my shoulder problems have been far worse than any chemo. It would be a good idea to ask radiation onc for exercises that can be done to prevent getting to my stage as I now have a lot of muscle wastage as well. Some days I ask is it worth all the pain, then I get a lot of I love yous, so yep it is. Read a bit of star gossip and it seems Kelly Osborne was addicted to Oxycodene, my script is for Endones, same thing but Hollywood speak is "Hillbilly Heroin", had a chuckle at that, could just see me in a rocking chair with a bottle of moonshine to go with it. Makes you wonder what pain they have in the first place to even try our drugs. So I am on Ibruphen, anti-inflammatory, (not supposed to be on any with my heart), Endones for pain, Neurontin for the nerve damage in my head and neck from the radiaiton which gave my Trigeminal Neuralgia, (worked that one out myself) if I have to Ordine, (liquid morphine) and none of this is for cancer but for damage from treatment. Everyone keeps telling me to be strong I didn't get this far by giving up.

Love & Hugs Lyn

Love & Hugs Lyn

CLTann · 11-13-2005, 07:15 AM

When radiation gets you to a point that is unbearable, just stop radiation. The prescribed dosage is not a magic number, merely a guess by the radiologist onc. He doesn't know what cumulated radiation your body already received since birth. There is a finite total you should not exceed, otherwise you are inviting new cancers caused by radiation. I worked in a hospital, many medical professionals do not follow their oncs suggested dosages.