Starting Radiation Treatment: Worried about side effects. Tips welcome

I had 16 post-mastectomy, proton beam radiation treatments and had a mild to moderate sunburn. Used Vanicream twice each day and was fine. Read, played bridge and went about my day. Mayo radiation doc urged me to slather up with Vanicream to keep skin moisturized. I followed his advice and did well. Many of the moisturizers and special ointments that folks recommend are of dubious value. Keep it simple. You will do fine. Hope you breeze right through the process.

I too had DCIS but with nuclear grade 3. Same as you, 3 weeks daily radiation which I completed in May of this year. I used mometasone cream 2x daily while undergoing treatment but it became an irritant after I completed treatment so switched to Aquaphor which worked great and cleared it up within a week. I still have some tiredness in the afternoons but then I am 70! LOL. I am glad I had the treatment and I opted not to take an estrogen blocker because side effects are more than I want at this point in my life. With a little help from above, you will come to the right decisions for you.

Invasive DCIs. Stage 2 did radiation for 6 weeks had sunburn on my collarbone. My radiologist gave me miaderm which really worked well for me. Three times a day. You will be fine. Radiation has come a long way. I had the option to radiation for 2 days which they place tubes near the cancer spot they push it threw take the tubes out and your done. Since my lump was too large with clear margins. Had to do radiation for 6 weeks. It went by really fast. I think it takes longer to undress that the actual treatments. Take a deep breath and smile and say I can do this!!! Then you can ring that bell.

Finished radiation end of June - 3 weeks with 'boost' by the lumpectomy site.
I am 48 with 3 teens and work full time - I did take time off work during radiation. I was pretty tired, which lasted a few weeks. Used lotions (aquaphor the best) as prescribed - I had pretty bad blisters in my 'under boob' area - and a really really sore nipple with blisters (tumor was close to nipple, so the boost right there). Worst was 1-2 weeks after, then all better 2 weeks later (so a month after final treatment).

I had 6 weeks of radiation with a 5 day “boost” at site of incision. During radiation I used mometasone and pure aloe Vera as directed by radiology staff. I had minor irritation at collarbone, then the last 3 days my skin peeled and leaked from my underarm to sternum. It healed within a week’s time and I now use cocoa butter. Really important to use what radiology team recommends and let them know as soon as you have irritation. Best of luck to you. Try to look forward to each session as another step closer to wellness.