Hello,
I am exactly one month post surgery (WLE) for removal of 22mm tumour following 8 lots of chemo. I have the opportunity to go away for two weeks the last two weeks of June on holidays.
I have my rads planning appointment next Thurs. Am i mad to delay the start of rad till the beginning of July? It will put me two months post op…
Need a holiday but dont want it to be at the cost of a local recurrence!! HELP i dont know what to do! i would need to book flights this weekend. This would happen jubillee weekend when it will be impossible to get in touch with onco or breast nurse.
Vic
hi
I had a holiday booked in june when i was diagnosed in November and I was going to cancel. My team have been brilliant and planned everything around my holiday. My Chemo finished on the 15th of may. The time is now here, I go away on monday and I will begin my Rads when I come back on the 14th. so i have a gap of a month. I think they would understand. Gill
Hi Vic
I was diagnosed in September but had a holiday booked and paid for in November. My team recommended I take the holiday, put me on tabs then started my treatments in December that was back in 2010. I had surgery chemo then rads, some people have to wait ages for rads anyway so I really don’t think you should have a problem. Talk to your team, I’m sure they will reassure you.
All the best with whatever you decide.
Diana
I finished chemo in December 2010 and as I believed there was a six week waiting list for rads I booked a two week holiday to th US. I was offered a start date for rads of 15th Jan. With my oncologists blessing I went on the holiday and started the rads on 1st feb. I had a 7cm tumour and 23/27 nodes were positive. Fast forward to today I am currently fine. The holiday dd me a lot of good after 7 rounds of very arduous chemo. So my advice is go and enjoy your holiday
no, youu’re not mad. I did, and my onc thought it was a really good idea… go for it, and enjoy…
Jane
Go for it! You enjoy your holiday. My Rads were 2 months after my surgery due to being offered chemo and being given time to think about it, and also the Easter holiday.
At least if you’ve had your planning appointment before you go, you will be able to start rads as soon as you get back - there’s usually a week of 2 between planning and starting anyway!
The average wait time for starting rads in much of Scotland is 8-12 weeks, so far as I can ascertain there is no eivdence that this causes problems… The dates they give you will be the earliest they can (consistent with NICE guidelines) and a week or two either way is not going to change the outcome. Speak to your team, but I’m sure they’ll be fine about you taking the hols.
Just to add to what people have said - our rads dept is so busy I was 2 months between WLE and starting rads - I queried it but they said it was fine.
Enjoy your holiday - if you’ve been through chemo you deserve a holiday!!!
kaj
xxx
I finished Chemo at the end of November 2010 & asked if I could delay Rads until after Christmas of that year. They were quite happy for me to start Rads in the January of 2011.
I’m sure your Onc will encourage you to take the holiday & you’d probably feel so much better for the break.
Go for it & have a great time xx
Hope you have booked it !!!
i went on holiday to tenerife for a week between ops and starting chemo- in fact they were happy to delay my chemo for a week as they said the rest sun and recuperation wpuld help. They gave me a date by when they wanted chemo to start and i worked rounf that. Did me the world of good- ate properly, slept loads and emjoyed the sunshine. Although the spectre of chemo was hanging over i still had a good time. AT lease chemo would be out of the way for you so if i were you i woul go and enjoy !! x
Remember that Rads does affect scar tissue so a slightly longer wait may actually help you…enjoy your holiday…
I managed to squeeze a holiday in between surgery and chemo starting last year… And had a gap of 8 weeks from end of chemo and rads back in 2009.
We all need holidays and something nice to do when we have to deal with so much crap so if you have the chance i would def say go for it.
Hi
I also had a holiday between chemo and rads. We discussed this before starting chemo as we wanted to go to my brother-in-law’s wedding at Easter. The BCN said it would be no problem. I had my planning appt before going and then went startedd rads the Monday after coming back. If the BCN had thought it would be an issue, I am sure she would have said something.
Have a great holiday
I delayed my rads by 2 months, don’t worry and have a lovely holiday.
love and light
sarahlousie xx
I’ve just started radiotherapy 3 1/2 months after surgery. I had a very complex immediate reconstruction and wanted to give myself more time to heal, having had a very stormy time on chemo. I had a weeks holiday too. My oncologist said that the UK had the best data in the world about the effects of delaying radiotherapy treatment due to past NHS waiting lists! He was quite happy with my suggested 3 months delay, and whilst I cannot speak for your particular situation, he told me up to 6 months was fine. Do check with your oncologist though.