Tags
boob burn, breast cancer, BWH, Cancer Kitten, Cathy Kenney, DCIS, DFCI, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, Radiation, Radiation Oncology, stage 1, young woman with breast cancer
Warning: I am posting boob pics with full nipple. To blur out my nipple doesn’t do justice to the burns on my boob! So Dad, this may not be the post for you. =)
My plan calls for 30 doses of radiation. The first 22 target my entire breast, the last 8 are a “boost” to the incision area around my areola. I meet with the radiation oncologist, Dr Bellon, once a week. She peeks at my boob and makes sure things look normal and that I do not have an infection. The last two weeks I had to tell her if she tried to touch my boob, I may have to punch her (I didn’t use those words exactly, but she understood). I finish next Tuesday the 19th, but have to come in on the 20th to flash my doctor one last time.
My boob is so sore and so itchy, it takes everything I have not to scratch it. I typically get home after radiation and rip my clothes off, as anything touching my “burned” areas hurts. When I take a shower, if the water pressure isn’t on “sprinkle,” the pain from the water hitting my nipple in particular makes me whimper in pain. I try to keep the entire area covered with goopy lotions, such as my friend Kristin’s homemade cocoa butter (amazing), RadiaGel, Aquaphor, or Alba’s unpetroleum jelly. Everything takes a bit of the edge off, but nothing really cures the discomfort. I have even taken to wearing this stretchy shirt thing that the nurses must’ve developed in the 80’s in order to hold pads and goop on my boob and sore areas for longer. Still, I wake up in the morning in the most pain.
Heres the radiation machine:
It reminds me of a UFO. I climb onto the gurney and am lifted a few feet off the ground, becoming a virtual breast offering to the aliens on board.
Here are pics of my peeling boob skin. I don’t even feel like these pics do the discomfort justice.
Feb 6 (22 doses of radiation)
Feb 11 (25 doses of radiation)
Feb 13 (27 doses of radiation)
Feb 14-this shows the peeling under my arm, by my sentinel lymph node biopsy site. For some reason, this pic also reveals some of the radiation field (redness) on my skin, beside my boob.
Feb 18, 2013 – after 29 doses, here is the difference between my boobs.
The burn and irritation under my boob (Feb 18, 2013)
Cathy Kenney 
OMG Cathy… I’m so sorry you’re having to endure this. When my mom had radiation for esophogeal cancer she would break open a vitamin E capsule and smooth it on her neck. It helped keep the skin supple. I hope things brighten for you soon.
Thanks Dianne. It sounds like you have had to witness waaaay too many battles with cancer. I appreciate your kind words and advice along the way. Hope you are well. I am returning to Florida soon (Bing broke off our engagement), so hopefully we will cross paths in the near future. ~Cathy
I am so sorry.
Hi Cathy, I’ve been reading all your posts but have not ever sent you anything. I wanted to say that I am often thinking of you and your cancer. I’m so sorry you have had to go thru this! But I’m glad that it was caught early and that your treatment is almost done. I’m a nurse and I work with midwives so I see a variety of nipples on a regular basis. Yours are beautiful and kind of the perfect size. I hope that sounds encouraging and not weird! I have been growing my hair out since I heard about your cancer so I could sent it to locks of love. I plan to do that in the spring. I hope your healing begins soon. Affectionately, elena (zizza)
Sent from my iPad
HAHA! Thanks Elena! You rock. I love that you are donating to Locks of Love. =) And thank you for reading my blog and being interested. I love seeing you and your kids on FB (although have you posted lately?!? Maybe I haven’t been checking as much). It’s great to hear from you. I still wear the cowboy boots that your mom gave me in like, 7th or 8th grade!!!