Anyone else had a staph infection from radiotherapy?

Hi Jo

I've been thinking of you and I'm soo sorry to hear that you have a staph infection and are having to deal with antibiotics as well as the daily grind of rads.Have to rads staff started to glove up yet.?....that's not nice.

I to am day 15 today so that also marks half way through, my skin has started to blister and the itch drives me mad, my onc has prescribed steriod cream and panadol for the discomfort - my breast is now very pink verging on red and my nipple is dark dark brown and swollen, to top that off I have come down with a bad head cold, razor blade throat and coughing and not at work for the past two days.

Hope one of the ladies can help with advice on the staph infection and hope things get better for you.. How are your fatigue levels - mine seem to flucuate but mainly kick in in the evening.

Take care and talk soon

Georgie

Hi girls

I am sorry to hear you are both doing the radiotherapy the tough way.  I am due to start mine next week and not looking forward to it but I am hoping I will breeze through it cause I have done it tough through the chemo and feel I need a break about now.

But I had a staph infection  after my second surgery which continued on for months and constant antibiotics.  It only cleared with a change of antibiotics which I had suggested a few times and it was only when I saw a different oncologist that she put me on a different tablet and the infection cleared up.  But unfortunately i feel that the infection has returned!!!!!!!!  I will get it checked early next week.  I am not feeling unwell from the infection yet thank god and fingers crossed I don't as i didn't have any fevers or unwellness last time.  I am not happy about going in to rads with an infection.

I thought you could only get an infection from an open wound Jo.  Did you have split skin which allowed an infection to take hold?  I don;t have any medical experience so I don't have any idea. 

I am wishing both you girls well on the rest of your Rads journey and then your ongoing journey following your current treatment.  Hopefully you will be able to get some normality back in to your life following this rolla coaster road we are currently on.

I hope to hear how you are going.  I am trying to stay positive that I will breeze through Rads as so many people say it is much easier than chemo.  I am looking at 35 zaps over 7 weeks.  I will have to be away from home and in Perth for that period of time.

Hubby and I are currently enjoying a week of holidays.  One nightwas spent  in Sydney to catch up with my new NBCA website friend which was wonderful to finally meet face to face and now hubby and I are spending a wonderful time in Tassie until Monday and then it is back to Perth to continue the next stage of my BC journey. 

Take care, thinking of you and wishing you wellness.

Mich xoxoxo

Hi Mich,
Thanks for your reply.
I'm sure you will sail thru rads. I've just been unlucky. My skin blistered and split in the first week so I guess that's how the infection took hold. Apparently it's very unusual, so please don't worry.
Georgie and I have been lucky, no chemo for us! By all reports that is much harder than radiotherapy so you'll probably find it a breeze.
I'm in Perth too, Mich. Where are you having your treatment?
I'm guessing you're from the country - whereabouts?
All the best of luck to you.

Jo x

I am sorry to hear that you are having a hard time with your radiotherapy. I too had an infection and had dressings,antibiotics and the smell was horedous ! I had 5 weeks and the blistering started at the end of week 3. Unfortunatly the burning continues to get worse for a couple of weeks after the treatment finishes ! But.... when it starts to heak it healed quickly. I am keeping you in my prayers and hope you get through the rest of your treatment incedent free xxx Hilary

Hi Mich and Hilsandglen and Jo

thanks for your words and thoughts of support with the side affects of radiation treatment.  I often feel that it's something I should not be complaining about as I have not had to endure the trauma of chemo and for that I am very very grateful though the skin changes i.e. blistering and itching, the everyday grind of being at the hospital each day and the general fatigue can be trying.

At present my breast is covered in pimples....? more so in my cleavage and on the bra line below my breast but now spreading all over and my freckles seem to be peeling?! the whole area itches but the steriod cream does provide some relief.  I am wondering what my poor breast will look like by the middle of August 2 weeks after treament ends and they say the side affects are at their peak.

My husband is away at the moment taking a well earned break and last night (with no one to disturb me) I slept for 10 hours straight.....Feeling as though I have more energy today which is great because yesterday I just dragged myself around - think the cold is on the improve and by Monday I will be ready to face the linear accelarator again and again and again and again......

Hope you are all fairing as well as to be expected

take care and my thoughts are with you

Georgie

Oh Georgie, 

Sounds like it's a bit rough for you at the moment. The 'pimples' you've got all over your chest and between your breasts sound like what I've got - like little popped blisters. Hang in there, sister - we'll be done soon! 

That's what we have to hold onto - it's only a couple more weeks. My oncologist says I can just do 5 weeks, so I finish on Friday week - counting the days.

We'll all get through this. Think about the moment of diagnosis and how far we have come. We are strong and we're going to beat this bastard!

With Love

Jo x

HI Jo

Great to hear you can finish rads on friday - what a blessing as you have been through so much with your skin  - soo pleased for you :-)

Myself ....I feel like I have been hit by a truck,  I went back to work today after being off for a few days last week due to having a cold but this afternoon after a busy day of catch up WHAM

I drove to the hospital after work and closed my eyes to doze in the waiting room after gowning up and the rads staff woke me, for goodness sake I was only waiting for 5 mins,  home this evening freezer meal and have slept on the couch - have just woken and I honestly feel like I am made of lead.... the dogs will have to so without their walk this evening - hubbie is away I am hitting the bed hoping that I'll be ok for work tomorrow- just can't believe how I feel?!?

take care and so pleased this will be over for you on friday, pleased keep me posted cheers Georgie

Hi Jo 

brain not working well obviously!!  well there you go .....

I was soo excited for you but you're right at least only 9 more zapps - 13 for me but the light is at the end of the tunnel :-)

decided not to go into work today I think the cold and the rads are combining to floor me oh well at least its not chemo - thats what I keep telling myself and positive thoughts about what I might do when this is all over.  Holiday in Vanuatu maybe ?  though with the bills that keep stuffing my letterbox it might just be a weekend down the road in Fingal haha

At the moment my main concern that is stressing me out is not being able to do my job properly ......I have handed over my role as house coordinator in disability and mental health to a new coordinator and don't even feel that I HAVE DONE THAT WELL.  My service manager is being very supportive though and I am extremely thankful for that.

Oh well onwards and upwards the light at the end of the tunnel is there I can see it :-))

cheers Georgie

Hi Georgie,
I sent you a personal message, maybe you didn't get it?

So here's my news. Yes, today i had my last zap so I should be celebrating, but my infection has spread to my lymph node scar and I'm back on massive antibiotics to save me having to go back to the surgeon to have it drained (yuk). I find out next Wednesday. Then, I wake up this morning with a rash all over me. No doctors at the radiation clinic so had to go to my GP. Apparently I've now had an allergic reaction to the drugs! So, new drugs plus anti allergy medication added to the mix.

Needless to say, radiation therapy has not been fun. My left boob is also 'brick red', covered with blisters and still carrying the remnants of the staph infection!

So, my positive side is saying radiotherapy is over, now I WILL get well!

What really sucks is I can't have my planned 'too many red wines' celebration while I'm still on all these drugs.

Glad you're back at work and on the last leg of radiation. Like me, I'm sure you'll be glad when it's over!

Good luck with it and keep me posted!

Jo x

Hey Georgie & Jo

My radio onco said today that the first and sometimes 2nd week after end of zapping is when your skin/boob looks worse and then it heals quite quickly after that.  Ihad a visit with her today and she was happy with me but only 8 down and 27 to go.

Wishing you girls noyhing but quick recovery so you can move on and see that light at end of tunnel.

Iam typing one handed as my other arm is wrapped up and looks like an elephants trunk from the lymphodeama :-)

Take care girls

Mich xoxo

Hey Mich,
Thanks for the reply. Hope our stories aren't making you worry too much!
Is the lymphodema treatment working for you.
I bet you'll do rads with ease.

All the best to you.

Jo x

Hey Jo

No your stories don't worry me at all luvy so don't stress.  My attitude is it is just another thing I have to deal with and after chemo I am well tuned to deal with what comes my way. It is just a bastard that everything is sent to try us hey!!!!!  I have coped with chemo, loss of all body hair, yukky skin, nails falling off, pain pain and a lot more pain plus all the other little niggly side effects I have been lucky to deal with by saying it is only temporary but unfortunately I don"t class 5 years as temporary..............I will deal with it though cause I also too intimidated to go off it and give that Mongrel Cancer another chance of getting me.  Unless there becomes something bigger and better out there for us to try in time to come.  Until we just get on with it and scream, yell, stamp our feet, say we have had a gutsfull and whatever else we feel like saying to our pink sisters who understand,

Bandaging and massage is helping my lymphodeama and I had measurements taken today for a special sleeve to come from Germany for me to werar constantly until arm settles.  Hopefully you have had a specialist measure your arm some time after your surgery if you had nodes removed so you will have these to refer back to if you have an inkling something isn't right and get back  in to see them. irst sign of swelling or unusual feeling of tightness etc.  Like everything else DON'T LET IT GO, DON'T GO IN TO DENIAL AND DON'T IGNORE IT.  Again I class myself as a lucky one cause I got on to it early.

LOL

Take good care of yourselves

Mich xoxo

Mich,
You are so brave. 5 years! I've only been going since February and I'm already so fed up.

I didn't know about the arm measurements. So far no sign of anything wrong there, but I might talk to the BC nurse about getting that done, just in case.

This site is great for venting and sharing. Hope your rads go without a hitch.

Best wishes,
Jo x