As it’s name suggests, it is concerned with using Hyberbaric Oxygen Therapy to repair some of the damage caused by radiotherapy (for various sorts of cancer, not just breast cancer). I don’t know whether it applies to the kind of fibrosis that you have been told can occur, but it has been trialled on women who have developed lymphoedema as a result of surgery and subsequent radiotherapy (which increases the risk).
Might be worth a look - I’m sure there’s hope for you and your scuba diving- I am going to try to find out more myself.
Well, I waited a year for the effects of the radio to settle, and then decided it was time to get this sorted.
Because I had asked the question about diving with my oncologist, it was now on my medical notes that I had been advised not to dive so I paid to go for a CT scan. The Consultant said that if it showed no lung damage he could give me the all clear to dive.
When the results came back, they showed “a trivial amount of fibrosis” to the left lung. The Consultant said that he was sure that this wouldn’t have any affect on me being able to go diving, but because the fibrosis was there, however minimal, that he had to advise me not to dive.
I have been diving since with absolutly no problems whatsoever, but now I cannot get any travel insurance to dive abroad, and no club will take me on.
I am so, so cross with myself for asking the question. If I had kept my mouth shut and done a bit more research it would have been ok.
I feel incredibly bitter. Yet another part of my life that BC has robbed from me.
I’m a bit(!) older than the OP but would normally be doing adventurous sports. The thing about the scuba diving is a bitter blow, I must admit.
The Oncy and BCN thought that I was nuts when I said I’d been running in between weekly Tax and if I do star jumps first, folk can find my veins more easily. Phlebotomists think I’m bonkers but it works.
Just going out - will return to this interesting thread later
This is a really welcome thread! I was a keen runner and cyclist before dx in Feb, had bilateral mx with expandable implants and snb followed by further node clearance 3 weeks later (all clear thank gdness), started chemo in April, back to running in June, ran a race for life in July, am back cycling to work and usually cycle to my hospital appts. Most people think I’m either ‘inspirational’ (?) or just plain weird but if something is a big part of your life you just want to get back to it. I felt right from the start that running would give me something to aim for and hold on to, and there is no doubt that my fitness has helped me cope with the treatment. When I couldn’t run I walked, just wanted to get out there and move, get the heart rate up and sweat a bit lol, and I ALWAYS felt better afterwards both physically and menatally. No problems so far with lymphodema would just say that I have had to pay attention to the fatigue and not just press on regardless like I used to. I’m nearly 48 and fitter and healthier than ever - well apart form the obvious …