Treatment complete!

Is it invisible? Would they even look?

I am using in secret.

The radiology department told me not to use any creams.

It's clear and would not be obvious to anybody treating you.

Hi,

We are advised not to use any cream at all before radiotherapy session - it does affect it, I understand. xx

It's a dilemma Mrs Vanilla.

Only my own opinion, but I think the product is not authorised, because the NHS does not want to fund it.

Even if a Doctor was aware of the benefits they would find it difficult to recommend.

My hospital in Europe, does not give any free creams or potions to help the burns and they don't recommend any creams at any time....brutal!

I saw my father go through radiotherapy 30 years ago, no creams at all and it was horrible.

Very much appreciate your information.

Ally xx

Hi AllyL,

 I tend to think that you’re correct about it being a funding issue. 
I have found that forum members have been given very different supplies of creams depending where they are located. My own hospital only recommended using sudocrem after treatments but had to get this myself, but they gave me one tiny tube of flaminal in the last week. It felt a bit mean!

Pretty brutal for your poor father to have been given nothing. That seems so harsh.

The skin definitely needs all the help it can get during treatment , as long as it doesn’t interfere with the actual radiotherapy.

Good luck today- I hope everything’s up and running again xx

Machine all sorted, so knickers on and ready for action xx

This postcode lottery for treatment is so frustrating.

UK hospitals should all have the same protocol and having to buy your own cream is very mean.

You got through it, but it should have been kinder xx

Hi Jenna 

Good news that you’ve finished treatment, I remember the stinging BM’s but they didn’t last long so I hope you recover just as quickly. The bell ringing sounds fun, nobody mentioned that at my hospital.

Big hug

Monty x

No cream at all really does sound mean! I was given Zeroveen and Aveeno during treatment and the radiotherapy nurse who did my examination at the week 4 clinical review said they could tell who had been regularly using the creams as it really made a difference to the skin.

I have to say though that at no time did anybody give me an instruction not to apply any cream before radiotherapy or asked me if I had also the radiotherapy nurse recommended using Zeroveen as a cleanser after a BM and I always went about 1.5hrs before treatment.

 I was given a small tube of Flaminal at the week 5 clinical review as it looked like the skin was just about to start breaking down and for that I did specifically ask if it was okay to apply before radiotherapy and the answer was no. I really should have asked if it was okay to apply 1^st thing in the morning after a BM.

At the final clinical review, the day before my final treatment I was given 2 boxes of it to last through recovery, one of each type.

Similar thing with advice for using Epsom salts, I’d seen on here lots of people saying it really helped to soak with it and that others had said it wasn’t allowed so I asked if it was okay and the answer was no, use table salt in a bath instead so I asked why not Epson salts and the answer was because it usually contains additives to add fragrance and that’s what can cause irritation.

Monty x

Radiology have reviewed the Strata XRT and are happy for me to use it. Phew for that! I felt sick at the thought of not being able to.