My Dad has terrible burns from radiation. Any suggestions to help?

Hi Lynn, This morning in my Mayo Clinic Digest, there’s a posting for a webinar coming up April 21, 2022 2:30-3:30 Central Time. I thought it might be of interest for you regarding skin care while undergoing radiation.
This webinar will focus on potential skin changes caused by radiation cancer treatments. A Cancer Education Center Patient Educator will cover why these changes occur, what you can do to help manage and treat these changes and if there is anything you can do to prevent skin changes.

Have you seen any improvement with the healing around your trach tube?

Hi Lynn, My heart goes out to you. Oh my goodness, you’re going through a horrible experience with this cancer journey. I’m sorry the surgery wasn’t successful.
With your Trismus, was this associated with your surgery? Because I do know it can be exacerbated with chemo and often there are some PT exercises implemented pre-treatment, which helps avoid this form of lockjaw.
Have you been given any physical therapy treatments, exercises or muscle relaxants. Though I’m sure if you can’t open at all taking any medications is a challenge. I can understand your fear of vomiting.

This has to be incredibly stressful but you are doing a good job of keeping your self together. I’m trying not use the words courageous and strong because I’ve been on the cancer side of life. And at the time I didn’t feel brave or strong…just got through one day at a time. So I know you’re doing the same thing. But truly, this is the most courageous thing you’ll ever get through…and you will, one day, hour or minute at a time.
Your trach wound care is a concern. Have you talked to your cancer team about what is the best and least painful way to cleanse the area and promote healing?
I wonder if you can put some padding under the strap?

Lynn, there is a group dedicated to head and neck cancer. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/head-neck-cancer/
In this group, there are others such as @alpaca @popeyegurl @msherfinski @arismac @deborahe @jeffk @phinken @loli @karly who have had laryngeal cancer or other head and neck cancer that required a tracheotomy and/or feeding tube. They can offer some tips and support for the issues you are facing with your trach and your upcoming radiation treatment.
You can tap on each name and it will take you to a post they’ve made where you can reply to them or to their profile page.

Are you doing ok with the Peg tube?

Hi @mimz59, @hnc67, @madeler22 and @colleenyoung I wanted to let everyone know that the Cancer Education blog has weekly webinars. Next Thursday, April 21st 2:30-3:30 pm CT we have a webinar titled "Radiation Skin Changes" with one of our Patient Educators, Terra Register, MSN, RN You can register by clicking on the link below. All webinars have a link titled HERE that takes you to registration.
You can find more information and weekly webinars at this link to our blog: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/cancer-education-center/tab/classes-resources/#ch-tab-navigation
If you are unable to attend, we record all webinars and keep them in our Video Library tab.
I hope you find this information helpful.

Hi everyone, first time posting and could really use some advice. I am so happy to have found you all!

I had surgery 3/17/22 on the left side of my face/neck that was stopped early as my doctor thought it was too dangerous to continue, the cancer has wrapped itself around my carotid artery.

So am scheduled to start 7 wk radiation/chemo treatments in 2 wks.

I have severe Trismus, cannot open my mouth at all. They put in a trach tube in case my throat swells so I can breath, and peg tube as I have lost so much weight. I am so worried about vomiting that I might choke to death with no way for any spew to get out of my mouth.

Regarding radiation burns how does one prepare the skin under the trach
and the band holding it on? My skin is already so sore from the surgery that it's painful to wash with a soft wash cloth. I would like to try and prepare my skin if possible before the treatments start up so if any of you have advice I would certainly consider everything.
Thank you so much, Lynn

Other than the rash on my chest and redness & acute sensitivity, I’m ok. I went to see my radiology oncologist in the middle of the week after I finished; and he said it’s not uncommon for it to get worse before it gets better. He says that within 3 weeks it should be gone.
That being said I started Anastrozole on March 1st. I’m taking collagen (since my surgery in Dec), in hopes it helps with joint pain, which seems to be the most common complaint. I try not to read too much so I don’t freak myself out imagining all the possibilities. I’m trying to keep taking deep breaths and deal with each situation as it comes.
Thanks so much for thinking of me. How are you doing in your journey?

Hi @madeler22 its been a bit over a week since your last radiation. How are you doing?

@mimz59, I have bad systemic CALR with my gelsolin/FKTN. It has covered my face, and most of my torso. About a year back I was reading through the skin section of a drug store. I ran across Gold Bond Psoriatic Creme with Aspirin. It has been a real jewel. I spread it wherever the need is (except my eyes, of course.) every few hours until the need goes away. Then I don't use it until I need it again, perhaps days, weeks, etc. oldkarl

It’s not radiation burn, but a reaction from me rubbing my chest one night last week, when it started to itch. Of course the last week of radiation has exasperated the rash. The salves I’ve used have helped topically, but my “pins & needles” are coming from the inside-out. My entire breast is swollen from lymphedema & my nerve endings are in overdrive. Taking Advil for the inflammation and going to lymphedema therapy is helping a lot.
Plus, tomorrow IS my last treatment, so hopefully all these symptoms and the rash can begin the healing process.
At Stage 1a, I am feeling so blessed to be at the end of my journey, and it makes me feel a bit whiny to be complaining when there are so many “true” warriors out there fighting much worse battles then me. To all those ladies, you’re my heroes.

@madeler22, I thought I would check in with you. I hope you saw the responses from @sepdvm and @writerbroad.

Tomorrow is your last radiation appointment. How has it been going? How have you been managing the burning?

Wish I had read this before my radiation. I am 10 months post radiation, and my poor breast is still swollen, and my nipple is still swollen and has lost all its color. I used several of the recommended moisturizers, including the very expensive Miaderm soap and lotion made from goat milk with calendula. Miaderm is manufactured and sold by a radiologist, who also observed that one of his patients was doing better than the others. I used to use aloe vera for burns around my house, to great effect. Wish I'd thought to use it for my radiation burns. I have just begun to have outbreaks of "freckles." When I called the radiologist, the nurse told me, "We always recommend seeing a dermatologist every 6 months." First time I'd heard that! I was diagnosed during the first week the oncologists had returned from COVID shutdown. If my internist had not intervened, my treatment would have been delayed by more than a month, despite the large duck-egg sized tumor. I had Stage III estrogen-receptor breast cancer. There is a long list of things that I was never told, things that were forgotten in the big rush to take care of a backlog of screening, as well as begin new treatments. One of my freckles turned out to be a pre-cancerous mole. Now I've got a whole new crop of freckles. The other thing I didn't expect: Remission is just the beginning of another phase of treatment. P.S. I still use the goat milk/calendula soap. I love the way it makes my skin feel. But I now buy from Goat Milk Stuff, one of the many goat farms that advertise on the internet.