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← Return to Radiation Therapy for breast cancer: What was your experience?
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Radiation Therapy for breast cancer: What was your experience?
Breast Cancer | Last Active: Sep 17 2:21pm | Replies (39)Comment receiving replies
My experience with radiation was overall good. I had 20 sessions, the last four were boost. My skin turned red like a sunburn and some areas peeled, also as in a bad sunburn, but with lots of aloe vera (98% - order online if you can't find it locally), Aquaphor, and Eucerin Intensive Repair, it was tolerable. By two weeks after the end of radiation, my skin was almost completely healed. Now it has been over three weeks, and it's practically back to normal - just some discoloration due to tanning, which I think will fade. Good luck!
Replies to "My experience with radiation was overall good. I had 20 sessions, the last four were boost...."
Recibí radioterapia después de la operación. El radiólogo me dijo que la cantidad de radiación que había decidido aplicarla haría en un tiempo corto. Es decir que al ser más fuertes mí piel se vería afectada.Me pidió no faltar a las sesiones,y que después de cada aplicación me pasaste preferentemente hojas de áloe vera abiertas,de manera abundante la mayor cantidad de veces que pudiese.Asi lo hice y a pesar de la cantidad de radiación que recibía,nunca tuve más que un suave enrojecimiento,que desaparecía al día siguiente. Eso fue hace 20 años.
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I should add that I did not have any excessive fatigue. However, I told myself to take it easy a bit. I took some naps in the afternoon - some as long as 2 hours, but other than that, I didn't make any change in my schedule. I did not have to have chemo and the radiation oncologist told me I would not experience as much fatigue, since I was going into the treatments stronger and healthier than someone just coming off of chemo, so that may be what made the difference. Also, I drank a LOT of water and other liquids. My goal was 90 ounces a day, and most days I met it. That was recommended by the radiation oncologist. I worked through the entire time and I am 69, in average shape, but my work is flexible and can sometimes be done from home.