Hi,
Sorry to hear what your mother is going through,
I did had radiation; I had 30 treatments, 5 days a week. Mine was just on my left breast. I had no lymph node involvement, so that area was not radiated. It was 25 full treatments and then 5 Boost treatments (which are just focused where the tumor was, mine was after a lumpectomy).
You can read my post for the radiation where I copied the email I sent to my family, but really, there was just some skin irritation. My radiation-oncologist suggested that I use a cream called Vanicream (which is an over the counter cream, i got mine at a Walgreens). He said to apply it to the area once a day only, twice if I felt it was necessary. He said if a person applied it more than that, they were just irritating the area by rubbing the skin too much, and that usually tended to make it things worse. He said he got that advise from a radiation oncology nurse that had been in the business for 30 years when he was just doing his residency, and it has worked for his patients ever since. My skin was getting rather red by the end of the 25 treatments, but had not blistered, It happened to be a holiday weekend (MLK I think), and so I had 3 days off instead of the normal 2. Then the last 5 did not radiate the whole area, and so I completed it fine.
However, the last two weeks of radiation is when the fatigue hit me... I would go to work, then to the treatment, get home and eat dinner, and fall asleep in my recliner, not waking up until 1am, and then going to bed. After a while, I would just go to bed right away because there was no use trying to pretend I could sit and relax and watch some TV or something.... I just needed to go to bed.... Wake in the morning and go to work... It eventually got better, but took some time...
My fatigue from the Chemo I had before the radiation was just getting better before I started the radiation, so your mom may have time for her current fatigue to get better before the radiation fatigue hits. She may need to make sure that she starts some type of exercise activity, just a little walking if she can so that the fatigue doesn't get too bad. Some level of activity usually helps to keep the fatigue lower...
Everything eventually gets better.... just know that....
Really, I have found in my experience that the doctors have something that can help counteract almost anything, and rest and sleep will do the rest. Just keep in good communication with the doctors and be open and honest about what is happening. Don't hesitate to call them after hours if something is really bothersome. I have done that a few times. Remember it is their job to make sure that their patients are taken care of, even if there is someting that comes up after hours...
Let me know if you have any more questions
