Vulvar melanoma Radiation Treatment

@besissy I am so sorry that I somehow missed your original post. I have not been diagnosed with vulvar melanoma so I cannot offer you any helpful suggestions for radiation treatment. I going to tag @canadaigua @kanderstag and @caga These members all posted in our support group about their experiences with vulvar melanoma and they may have suggestions.

Here is another discussion group on this topic:

— Vulvar Melanoma Treatments
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/vulvar-melanoma-treatments/
Twenty treatments means 4 weeks of radiation and you are now in week 2? The things you have tried including sitting backwards on a bidet sound soothing. How creative of your husband to bring the bidet home for you to use!!

When will you meet with the radiation oncologist or the nurse? I had pelvic radiation for endometrial cancer and met weekly with my radiation oncology team who were very helpful in guiding me through the process.

Just wanted to wish you well as you continue your radiation treatments. I also had some bad burns from my radiation treatments and saw my radiation oncologist and the nurses each week. The nurses were great in giving me creams to help and they included Aquaphor, Calendula, and medical grade honey. We all agreed the honey helped a lot. I also had severed burning on urination and the team taught me to use a squirt bottle of warm water while urinating to help dilute and lessen the burning .
I hope this helps The good news is about 2-3 weeks after the last treatment, I was feeling much better and the symptoms were pretty much gone. Good luck to you as you continue your treatments!

@besissy I am so sorry that I somehow missed your original post. I have not been diagnosed with vulvar melanoma so I cannot offer you any helpful suggestions for radiation treatment. I going to tag @canadaigua @kanderstag and @caga These members all posted in our support group about their experiences with vulvar melanoma and they may have suggestions.

Here is another discussion group on this topic:

— Vulvar Melanoma Treatments
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/vulvar-melanoma-treatments/
Twenty treatments means 4 weeks of radiation and you are now in week 2? The things you have tried including sitting backwards on a bidet sound soothing. How creative of your husband to bring the bidet home for you to use!!

When will you meet with the radiation oncologist or the nurse? I had pelvic radiation for endometrial cancer and met weekly with my radiation oncology team who were very helpful in guiding me through the process.

I have not had any response to my question so I am following up on my own question of a few things that I have found to help a bit. Maybe some day this will help someone else if they have the same questions.

I am entering into my 2nd week of radiation treatments. I have found that warm Epsom salt baths help to sooth me and my down unders! I like the Lavender salt. I could not take baths after my surgery for 8 weeks per my Dr. But now that I can take them, I have found it to help sooth me.
Another thing that I have found helpful is Ice Packs between the legs. I wear a thin layer of clothing or use a cloth to keep the pack away from direct contact with my skin.
One more thing that has been great and this may sound a little funny... my husband went to the hardware store and found a Bidet Attachment that could easily be installed onto my toilet. By the end of last week I was so swollen that nothing seemed to help. I sat on the toilet backwards (facing the tank), turned it on very low just enough the hit where I needed it to hit and once the shock of the cold water hitting me went away it felt wonderful! I dont know how long I sat there just letting it run. I think it helped with the swelling for sure.

As I go into week 2 I am not sure what to expect but I will continue using these few tools that I have to help relieve some of my discomfort.

If I find anything additional I will sure post again.

Hope this helps someone, somewhere, sometime!

HUGS to all!

I have not had any response to my question so I am following up on my own question of a few things that I have found to help a bit. Maybe some day this will help someone else if they have the same questions.

I am entering into my 2nd week of radiation treatments. I have found that warm Epsom salt baths help to sooth me and my down unders! I like the Lavender salt. I could not take baths after my surgery for 8 weeks per my Dr. But now that I can take them, I have found it to help sooth me.
Another thing that I have found helpful is Ice Packs between the legs. I wear a thin layer of clothing or use a cloth to keep the pack away from direct contact with my skin.
One more thing that has been great and this may sound a little funny... my husband went to the hardware store and found a Bidet Attachment that could easily be installed onto my toilet. By the end of last week I was so swollen that nothing seemed to help. I sat on the toilet backwards (facing the tank), turned it on very low just enough the hit where I needed it to hit and once the shock of the cold water hitting me went away it felt wonderful! I dont know how long I sat there just letting it run. I think it helped with the swelling for sure.

As I go into week 2 I am not sure what to expect but I will continue using these few tools that I have to help relieve some of my discomfort.

If I find anything additional I will sure post again.

Hope this helps someone, somewhere, sometime!

HUGS to all!

I didn't have to have radiation. God blessed me in that we discovered it early enough and cut it out. Am getting immunotherapy to made sure they got it all. I hope you do well with the rest of your treatment. May God be with you.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I had a partial radical vulvectomy on October 25 and am scheduled to have 30 treatments over 6 weeks. I will certainly try your suggestions. How did the rest of your treatments go? I hope you are doing well now.

What immunotherapy are you using?