Bilateral mastectomy: how to decide on hormone therapy or not?

@olg1
Hmmm....my burns were quite bad - had 30 radiation treatments and front and back were affected as I had to have radiation in different parts. I'm not sure what a "PCPk" is....what does that abbreviation stand for? My radiation oncologist (board certified) prescribed me "SSD, 1% silver sulfadiazine cream." It's also antibacterial. I would up wearing cotton tops so as not to have any irritation against the areas. I hope you find relief soon...don't give up. How you are feeling today is not how you will be feeling in 6 months or a year from.

I am no baby for pain but these burns make you nasiuos.my PCP ( personal care physician had Tom order the silver cream but I have to first try a dot size and see if I get an allergis reaction..Athens burns are getting worse and have blister and started oozing a. Little. Dis you get this reaction.if this is tgehorricic damage that is being done to my skin on the outside I fear the damage it is doing on the inside. My intuition is telling me to stop and let it heal

Thank you for your reply and support. Iam not sure what you meant by up wearing cotton.

@olg1
Yes - I had blisters. I didn't stop radiation, just took one minute at a time, then one day at a time, then one week at a time. Cotton tops - shirts, tops made out of cotton so as not to get sweaty. Try to focus on other things - if you can get outside and go for a walk, read a book. Don't get me wrong, I had would have a cry in the evening when I was by myself, but for the most part just tried to keep going. Two years following treatment, I had a stroke and moving forward following that as well. Life is not dull, that's for sure.

I salute you, I have always considered myself a strong person,overcame some severe medical issues. I think it is barbaric that western medicine makes people endure burns like that.There has to be a better way. My urns are in my armpit,underarm,side, below my breast. I can’t take a walk, I am I. A wheelchair , it I do get out.The pain is constant, almost third degree burns. I had cellulitis post breast surgery that was to caught for four weeks , the surgeon telling me it was normal healing when it was cellulitis. I have a new surgeon now. You tend to loose trust.my PCPl filinally diagnosed then cellutis. These burns can lead to more cellulitis. I haven’ found the doctors to be vigilant.you have to be your own best advocate. How big was your tumor?

Radiation burns are different than typical 2nd and 3rd degree burns. However they are burns and they are painful. I would definitely look for something to distract myself from this pain. I remember playing computer games for hours as a distraction when I was too tired to do much. This was just the old fashioned card games on windows. I would read a book to distract myself. Then by night time I was too tired to do anything but lay down and sleep. These are just what I did when I was not at work. Also, like @trixie1313 . I wore only cotton shirts, in fact since I had also had multiple surgeries and a port for chemo, I wore tank tops, and an over shirt of soft cotton. No bra. I hoping for some relief for you soon, how many treatments do you have left?

Today I had blood trickling from these raw burn wounds. Tgey are going to have to lower the dosage or give th wound a break so they can heal, I have had 21 days of radiation if this is what it looks like on the outside can you imagine all the tissue that is burned on the inside. I can%to see how there can be any microscopic cancer cells left.

It is harder for big breasted women, they can’t go bra less.I never understood women who wanted breast Augmentation. With cancer the small of the breast the better

Laughing now, I am living proof that large breasted women can go braless. I just had to decide that being in less pain was more important than someone else’s opinion. I essentially went braless for a year with breast cancer. Surgeries, ports, and radiation oh my! Then again for almost 6 months when I had to have my collarbone, and shoulder reconstructed with screws and plates.

Wow God Bless you! I went for treatment today and asked to serve the doctor first. Glad I did.first he wanted to continue treatment.when I asked him to take a close look at the burn that had to be bandaged because it was raw and bleeding .he had trouble getting tge non stick bandages off . I told him I figured out getting in the shower and letting the cool water completely soak and let it fall off by itself was the only way I could get it off. He asked the nurse to wet a towel and when the bandage was wet enough he could get it off. I used to work in a hospital as a medical social worker years ago so I was able to think outside the box. I told him zi needed a visiting nurse to help me dress the wound as I have both shoulders bone on bone,a rotator cuff tear, a labrum tear a bicep tendon tear,of tge arm WC here I had tge surgery and it was difficult to hold the dressing in place until I could get my bra up to hold the dressing. I can’t go bra less, I don’t care what anyone thinks, I need tge support and to hold the dressings in place. I have several burns,some are raw flesh. He gave me a week to let it heal, and gave me some dressings which cost a fortune at tge pharmacy.ask and you shall Receive.. Sometimes we endure more than we have to. I am no baby for pain ,I almost lost my colon inn2013,almost bleed out in 2013,and was on I CU 4 times bleeding out. What I have learned is you have to speak up as a cancer patient And let your care givers know your circumstances. Everyone is different. Tgey are now using the word pain for these horrible burns and not discomfort”. Tgey gave me the rest and supplies I needed to get through this. You have to go by what your body tells you. Your experience is unique from others.