Skin care tips

Cuando una se encuentra trabajando en un hospital donde tiene que hablar con muchos de sus pacientes en inglés empieza a plantearse cómo explicarles ciertas cosas como lo haría con un paciente español. Pensad que, si ya muchos de los pacientes que hablan nuestro idioma a veces salen de la consulta totalmente perdidos, intentando asimilar todo lo que les hemos repetido varias veces de distintas formas, si encima no hablan nuestro idioma y el suyo nosotros no lo dominamos... Ufff!!!

Es por ésto que hemos decidido ir haciendo unas guías en inglés (y español), con las recomendaciones de los cuidados a seguir durante la radioterapia que iremos compartiendo con vosotros por aquí por si  pudiera llegar a serviros en algún momento (bien como pacientes, bien compañeros que se encuentren en la misma situación que una servidora).

Por alguna parte hay que empezar y la primera ha sido la piel, centrada en la de las pacientes diagnosticadas de cáncer de mama. Para hacerla hemos utilizado de guía las recomendaciones de breastcancer.org, que hemos matizado y resumido como hemos considerado oportuno. Esperamos que os guste:

Here are a few things you can do to make the skin less sensitive during radiation treatment and to help it return to normal after radiation treatment is over: 

- Wear loose-fitting shirts, preferably cotton and a strong bra without an underwire (Don't wear a bra if there are raw areas)

- It's important that you go to your treatment with clean skin without creams on and:

• Use warm rather than hot water while showering.
• Try to not let shower water fall directly on your breast.
• Avoid harsh soaps that have a lot of fragrance; instead use fragrance-free soaps. 

- At the beginning of treatment, before you have any side effects, moisturize the skin after your daily treatment with a cream (such as Sativa, Avene, Isdin Rx, Radiocare...) You also can put it on at night (wear an old T-shirt so the ointment doesn't get on your bed clothes) 

- It's recommended that you cut your nails and avoid scratching your skin during treatment. For mild pinkness, itching, and burning, apply an aloe vera preparation or try with gauze soaked in chamomile. If the itching continues, ask your doctor. 

- What about sun exposure during radiation therapy? 

• During radiation, it's best to keep the treated area completely out of the sun.
• Wear an oversized cotton shirt to cover the treated area and allow it to breathe.
• Avoid chlorine (is very drying and can make your skin reaction worse). If you do swim in a pool, you might want to spread petroleum jelly (like Vaseline) on the treated area to keep chlorinated water away from your skin.
• After your radiation treatment is done, the skin that has been exposed to radiation may be more sensitive to the sun than it was in the past. You can go out in the sun and have fun, but continue to protect your skin. Use a sunblock that is rated SPF 30 or higher on the area that was treated and apply 30 minutes before you go out in the sun. Reapply the sunblock every few hours, as well as when you get out of the water. 

- If you have any questions or problems ask your doctor. 

*Todavía no la tenemos en español igual pero, por si os interesa, hace unos meses hablamos de los efectos de la radioterapia sobre la piel y sus cuidados.