Rae van Nieuwenhuizen – Conquering the aftermath

Cervical cancer survivor, Rae van Nieuwenhuizen, shares how she dealt with radiation dermatitis.

Rae van Nieuwenhuizen (55) lives in Hillcrest, Kwa-Zulu Natal with her husband. They have two adult children. 

Stage 2B cervical cancer

I was diagnosed in October 2016 with Stage 2B cervical cancer at age 51. The tumour I had was roughly 5x4x2cm in size and was starting to infiltrate the walls of the cervix.

My oncologist and gynaecologist proposed radiation, chemotherapy and intracavitary brachytherapy.  

Despite many possible side effects being explained to me, I have such zest for life and decided to go ahead and deal with things should they occur. 

The radiation was daily for six weeks; chemotherapy once a week for six weeks; and four brachytherapy sessions. The three treatments ran concurrently.

Radiation dermatitis

Radiation dermatitis (radiation-induced skin reactions) was explained to me as it was more than likely to occur. The instructions were: not to bath or get the area of treatment wet for the duration of radiation; only to use wet wipes on the skin and to pat dry after passing urine; my daily wash must just be a wipe down with a wet wipe. However, I could wash the rest of my body at the basin with soap and water as usual. No lotions, powders, or barrier creams were to be applied to the area of treatment.

Hygiene conscious

The first few days of treatment I managed this but summer months are no joke in the KZN coastal area and I was so self-conscious of my hygiene.

I searched the internet and asked friends and colleagues (I’m a trauma nurse/paramedic) to find an alternative to the hygiene regime I had been given. 

I came across some info from a radiotherapy centre in Australia that said: wash in a shallow bath with tepid water, use non-perfumed soap and apply a barrier cream. 

Because I was already experiencing tingly, red, sensitive skin on my buttocks, vaginal and perineal areas after two radiation sessions, I decided to follow this new regime. 

New regime

I would get up in the morning and have a tepid bath, ensuring all barrier cream (I used baby bum cream) was off the area in preparation for my radiation that day. Once I had treatment, I came home and would have another bath and apply more barrier cream. 

I had minor blistering on the one buttock but no other blistering or broken skin. So, I avoided underwear at home and would just wear light cotton shorts. 

Although, I had radiation dermatitis, it was not nearly as bad as what I have seen (as a nurse) or what I was told it would be like. While listening to other patients chatting about their awful skin reactions and blistering, I would cringe. 

Honestly, I was reluctant to share my regime as it was against the info I had been given by my treatment team. 

Other side effects

Urethritis (inflammation of the urethra) and vaginal thrush was also something I struggled with during treatment. I drank a lot of Cranberry juice and ate plain cultured yoghurt. Along with anti-fungal medication and improved diet, I could manage and control it. Though, it does flare up now and then but tweaking my diet, like increasing water intake, and sometimes a dose of anti-fungal medication clears it up.

Thankfully, I’m in remission now but haven’t been left without issues. I had a temporary colostomy for a year due to scarring of the colon from the radiation. This is an extreme side effect from the radiation. I must watch my diet carefully to avoid episodes of constipation and diarrhoea. 

Riding the good waves of life

Despite all the after effects of treatment (called The Aftermath in my home), I live life to the fullest, ride the good waves of life and sit out the bad times. I do back-up medical for large sporting events so spend a lot of time outdoors and in remote areas. 

I know the treatment sounds daunting and scary but it’s worth every minute. 

My advice to all women is to please not put off or avoid having a Pap smear. Early detection and self-awareness is the best form of treatment.