Last 9 days of RT, obviously burns to the neck....we live in the midwest so right now it's miserably cold and windy. Anything touching H's neck is painful. I've cut some sweatshirts so they don't touch H's neck and he's switched to A shirts underneath. Anyone got any other ideas? Of course he's cold all the time from the burns and likely the thyroid going. Thanks for any suggestions.

Get him Silvadene cream and slather it on, if you haven't already. It will make the burns heal much faster. I think you are doing everything you can in terms of his clothes; I can't think of anything better! Hang in there!

Today the docs looked at his neck and prescribed hydrophor/lidocaine5% (my understanding is this is like aquaphor with lidocaine in it). He got some really good relief from it. As long as nothing is touching it, it's tolerable. I'll keep whacking on the sweatshirts for now. That was the best I could think of. It's supposed to be in the 50's by the end of the week but was 10 last night........nothing like Indiana in the winter!

Cheryl, your weather is exactly like ours the past couple of days and going down to near 8 tonight. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR I want spring.

yep, we're just about 2 hours due west of you, sitting on the Ohio border about 35 miles from Dayton. We get this lousy weather and then it comes and gets you! C'mon spring!!!!

Hi,
We are using a cream called Radx on Richard's neck. His neck was burning and the Aloe gel wasn't enough. After some research online, I saw this product and ordered it. The results have been wonderful with no real pain except for a bit of sunburn-like discomfort. Now almost a week after the last treatment, Richard's neck is looking great, with no stiffness or soreness. Google radiation burns and this product will come up. It's not cheap, but a little bit goes along way and it does the job. Geri

we used Aqueous cream. It worked a treat. I did smear it on really thick morning and evening. The hospital gave us a special cloth like a thick gauze which he used to cover the neck and the clothes wouldn't rub. The cream had a cooling soothing effect and I think it was moisturising the skin (even the burnt dead skin). It then started peeling in big slithers and revealed a nice new pink skin underneath. I think if you are allergic to lanolin you can't use Aqueous cream (but don't quote me on this).

As long as he doesn't have open wounds, Biafine works very well on healing radiated skin. It also is supposed to help prevent the burns. It is prescription so ask Doc about it.

Take care,
Eileen

Biafine was working like a charm and then the 2 rts per day started. Biafine didn't touch this...neck is burnt badly, enough that there's seeping and some blood on the pillow and t shirt in the a.m. The stuff with lidocaine in it is giving him a lot of relief now....problem is we have to get it back off before the 2nd treatment. C'mon weekend...maybe not having to get it back off over the weekend will help some. 5 1/2 more days of this and RT is done. I will look at the other creams....have them written down for when we can just go home and deal with this without trying to take the stuff back off. Now that I've cut the necks out of numerous sweatshirts our weather is in the 50's......oh well, it's sure to drop again and he can't stay warm right now anyhow. Thanks for the tips everyone!

Cheryl
Since you mentioned "charm", each and every cream /oinment were worthless to my radiation burns. Actually is was the blood on the sheets that prompted my wife to drive to te nearest medical supply store (yellow pages or internet to locate)to buy some packets of Vigilon hydrogel dressing. You just open the strile package (best immediate pain relief if you put in the fridge to be nice and cold) and put this miracle stuff right on the mess, hen cover with a dressing and top off with gauze. shirts dont rub and we just wore it to the radiation since only once in 40 treatments were we taken in on time (this CCC was busy busy and people put up with it for supposed quality) just sat there in blissful comfort when they did call me my wife would just undo it quickly throw allinto plastic shopping bag and my neck etc was oinment free and ready to burned good) It's mechanicalwith no residue
50 was still freezing for me then now its only very very cold
best wishes and good luck

I did bleed out of my neck a couple of times and out of my right ear. The Drs nurse gave me pure aloe , Aquaphor and a tube od Eucerin and told me to keep applying them when my neck got dry. Cured my problem kind of quick.