Hi Joe
I’m glad you have found the rads OK so far. Wish you all the best for the rest of your treatment.
Margaret
Hi!
I’ve just finished week 3 and with 2 more weeks to go. Skin okay as I’m using emu oil which is given to bc patients in Australia for radiotherapy. I buy mine on the Internet here, but it’s important to get the pure Australian stuff and not the 2nd rate stuff from America. It just amazes me that there is no “gold standard” for what is best, and everyone gets completely different advice - from some women being told to use NOTHING, some E45 cream, and some Aloe Vera gel. I looked up all the info I could through Google and then checked it with my onc. Hope that might help.
Hi Gardianangel and baglady,
Sorry I haven’t got back to you. Gp and onc wouldn’t let me work during treatment as health pro but some of you have to. Just listen to your body and do what it tells you to do.
I went to bed every afternoon during rads, sometimes slept and sometimes not, but I’ve read some good books! I also had early nights as I had to get up early and take my son to work. Used aqueous cream x2 daily always and have only been very sore and skin peeled but no breaks in skin. Discarded bras within 2 wks of rads. Used hand held fan by 3wk of rads because it got so hot, really hot! We’re all different so it will be different for you both.
I’ve been cleared for work on Monday!!! Hooray!! Phased return but just pleased to get back to ‘normal’.
Good luck to you that are having rads at the moment.
Jo
Hi All,
Just wanted to say I’ll be joining you shortly - Monday will be my first session of 25 rads; 4 wks to whole breast and axilla then final week targetted, although “target area” covers more than half my breast!!!
Planning session was ok and I got some antibiotic cream for remaining wound, but they said it won’t delay start - thankfully! Strangely felt elated after planning session - think its just that the - hopefully - final leg of treatment plan has arrived at last. Been a long slog since dx in Jan, but just really happy that light at end of tunnel is now visible. However, I’m also more than a bit nervous that after this I’ll be let loose into the big bad world myself with no medical staff around! Funny thing emotions - excited but nervous at same time.
I’m really lucky in that hospital is five mins from my work by car, altho I’m hoping to walk it daily to try and get a bit of exercise. However v v concerned at the possible less than pleasant aroma I may be emitting - no deo or perfume etc - aaaghh! Any tips on remaining sweet smelling would be appreciated. Take care all,
Ax
toffee, thanks for the advise, been to the gp today who said not to work during the rads and have a month of afterwards… dont think she realises i have bills to pay! ha ha
JO
Hi Scotta
Good Luck for Monday! I’ve had four now and no probs so far. I have the same worries as you regarding aromas! My radiographer said she couldn’t smell a thing (such a sweet liar!) and that I musn’t get any wipes (I thought the Simple ones would be ok) - just Simple soap or Dove and water - and not too much washing either! I also asked about shaving - and I’m not allowed to do that either. Also she said best to keep up the regime for two to four weeks after finishing rads!!! She did say different Trusts have different guidelines though, so this may not be the same for you. Maybe the answer is to carry clothespegs for friends!
Looby
Hi
I have my initial appointment on Tuesday at Christies - hoping to drive myself there as its a good 45-60 minutes in the car - and no accessible public transport from where I live ulesss you call a 1/2 hr train journey, then a 20 minute bus ride accessible!!!
Angela
Hi all,
I’ve counted all my sessions to date and it turns out I have had 12 so far - am pretty much half way there. It has gone fast an my skin is holding up well, it’s tender and and darker, and also quite warm, which I thought was my own imagination but upon reading Jo’s post, i can see it is a side-effect.
My mum when she went through rads worked everyday, but some other ladies that she got to know, had sleep it is off - everyone is different. I’m tired but like I said earlier, I think it’s bec I’m a mum to two liitle ones. Everyday after rads, i have gone exploring London for a few hours, it’s been great!
I’m also getting scared of finishing my treatment - as hard as all the treatment is as least I know I’m doing something to fightback.
Karen
Hi All
4th rad out of 20 so far and no side effects that I can tell (using aqueous cream twice daily). I have 2 blasts (40 Gray altogether over 4 weeks), but the Dr says different machines have different fractions so it’s like one does it in 2x1, others do it in 4x1/2 but it adds up to the same. They used to do 50 Gray but recent studies show 40 still does the trick and reduces the side effects.
I am also taking Arimidex and Adcal-D3 and have seen recent studies that say vit D works to repair the good blood cells without affecting the break down of cancer cells, which also helps to minimise side effects. I am also hoping I don’t get the ‘concrete boob’ effect that some people get (see the Ava W-M thread in Reconstructive Surgery).
Hi Margaret (Naunamh) Thanks for the good wishes - how did your tests go? Hope it was just a scare! (edited)(Just read your post on Recurrence - so glad for you!!!)
Went out on our narrowboat yesterday to a pub on the canal in the sunshine - great, almost forgot about BC.
Lots of love Jo xx
Hi
Having 15 sessions of rads monday to friday for 3 weeks! And I can use deodorant as I am not having my armpit radiated!!!
YIPEEEEEE
angela
hi all
I know this may seem strange but someone told me that cooked tomatoes protect the skin from the sun so I thought i would try and eat them every before my treatment and during… don’t know if it was that which helped but i had 15 rounds of rads and had no probs what so every with it the rad guys commented on it so i mentioned it to the radiography guy and he said he was doing a thesis on it. I think anything is worth a try if it dosen’t hurt’
based on today (first out of twentyeight) I hope I don’t look like a tomato soon!
the sessions are going fast now - not long now for me. My skin is still ok, just tender and darker. Hope it is all going ok for everyone else.
k
I wonder if anyone can help me with this - I was measured yesterday for my radiotherapy which starts 5th September and I found if really hard to get my arm above my head, my double mastectomy was 4 weeks ago, and I am doing my exercises, does anyone think physio would help me or should I be more advanced by now with the movements I can do?
S
go to physio!
everyone is different, I could move my arm quite early on after my mast, but then again I was quite determined about it and I have a high threshold of pain. keep on stretching!
goodluck,
K
Thank you, I need to be stricter with the exercises, are your arms normal now? How long did it take you? Did you have nodes out?
S
Bessieboo
The lymphodaema exercises help with this
I got out of the habit, dropped them, tried to start again and it was hard - it takes a while but the movement did come back for me
Physio may be a good idea - if I were you I would go to the Lymphodaema section and ask Bahons2 - she knows all about it - you mustn’t be manhandled by someone who doesn’t understand our issues
We have to be careful re: massages so i would GUESS there are physio issues too - she will KNOW
love FBxx
thank you FB,
xx
Good luck everyone. I’m on the journey too, had surgery on 1 july (luckily for me lumpectomy and removal of lymph nodes). Thought in my ignorance that radiotherapy would follow soon, but won’t be starting till next Thurs, and is for 3 weeks. I’m taking part in a trial to see if more targeted radio is just as good as blasting the whole breast area and as it happens I’ll be one of the ones getting the lowest dose. Think it’s important to ‘guinea pig’ as the more trials there are hopefully the better the treatment for cancer in the future.
I had all my lymphnodes removed, including in my chestwall. I am noting that my arm and shoulder movements are getting tight, so I really should do more exercises.
I technically have full stretch of my arms but only if I do it slowly, if I’m dancing and I throw my arms in the air then it hurts - therfore my arms aren’t normal - but will it ever be?
k