Find the daily commute into hospital really depressing. I’m on the much lower end of the scale of breast cancer, in that I had no chemo and lymph nodes were clear.
I had a bit of a cry driving home. There were many seriously ill patients going in who were patients at the hospital. Patients being wheeled in on beds, wheelchairs, with drips. I felt fraudulent just being there. I suppose because there was a space between hospital appts and the radiotherapy, I had begun to feel normal again. Now I’m back to being prodded and poked around, just doing what I’m told.
Still, not long…glad everyone else is coping so well x
Hi Pat
I wonder if any of our appointments are close. We may even be in the waiting area at the same time. Mine are all on the Elekta 5.
I have been told that after rads I will be having tamoxifen but at the moment it hasn’t been prescribed. The senior lady I saw today said that would happen when I see the oncologist on thursday week.
Are you by any chance under Dr Sawyer?
Salopets I had a bi -lateral mastectomy and to date have not even bothered wearing the softies. I seem to be quite happy flatish. They have said for the duration of the rads wear something loose that doesn’t rub.
Good luck tomorrow everyone
Andie
Andi, I’m on Elekta 6 mostly but a few are 5. Times are either b4 9am or after 5pm, one is at 6.50pm! My onc is Dr Harris altho I’m under Dr Ellis who I’ve yet to meet! Staff are lovely there aren’t they. I will look out for you, I’ll have my ‘Cory’ wig on, short marble brown bob, unless I’m having a blonde day in which case I’ll be wearing ‘Cory’ in Sunny Blonde!!! Salopets, i too had just started to wear my normal bras and now I’m back to soft ones, I think sports bras, pref mainly cotton are ideal, and go one size up, my boob had just gone down after surg and now it’s swelling again. Oh what fun. Lulu, the poking and prodding will hopefully soon be over. I’m really sick of getting my boobs out very five mins but it’s not 4ever. Hope you feel better tomorrow when you go. Think of the 3 day break. Sandra, wonder what you’ll have tomorrow - a bit of Abba maybe! Hope all goes well for everyone tomorrow. Pat x
Morning all
A new club to join!!
Planning this afternoon, then starting 15 sessions (hopefully) 18th May. (Neck and neck now, Sal!)
Will update re East Yorkshire recommendations on creams, deodorants, and of course, quality (or not!) of musical accompaniments, later!
Lulu, sorry to hear you are feeling low, I’m also no chemo / no lymph nodes, but, you have still had a stressful time, + an op - only natural that you are going to have ups and downs. I know, we are relatively lucky, so many people have so much more to deal with - but, as I’ve said on here before - “It’s still a shi*ty stick, we just have the less shi*ty end” Sorry if that’s a bit “earthy” but it sums it up, I think! Look after yourself, body and mind have had a traumatic time lately.
Hope it goes smoothly for all today,
Lizzie XX
Hi all, well the early morning appts are def the ones to have - in and out in less than half an hour and that included having pics taken again. Hope everyone elses rads goes ok today. Lulu and Lizzie, bc is bc, we all have varying degrees of it and treatments to match but the physical and particularly the emotional toll it takes is devastating for everyone. There are people on the forums that are several years post-dx and they still have ups and downs so it’s natural to feel weepy and angry at times, mine come at the most inopportune times and I just have to excuse myself and leave before I either dissolve in tears or batter someone!!! Well, for a change, in the south at least we are forecast to have a gloriously sunny bank hol weekend (that’s prob just put the kybosh on it!) so I hope everyone gets the chance to go out and enjoy it. I’ve already bought my Factor 50+ cream in prep (now it’ll DEF rain!!). love and hugs Pat x
Lulu - sorry you’re feeling low. I have gone through patches of feeling a fraud in comparison to other, more apparently ill people, but we’re not frauds and you’re perfectly entitled to feel miserable about it all sometimes. Try not to add guilt into the mix. As Lizzy says, it’s a sh***y stick! Be good to yourself x
Cass - you wanted to know about my booster sessions. It’s because I don’t need chemo, so they’ve decided to cook me for a bit longer so I don’t feel neglected. I have 15 sessions of rads to the whole breast area, then 3-5 targeted at the tumour site. I’ve got my re-scheduled planning for that today, so I hope I’ll know how many sessions then.
On the bra front, I’ve abandoned mine altogether in favour of soft vest tops, but then I’m not very well-endowed! I am having to juggle my wardrobe a bit as having to cover up scrunched-up area on the top of my boob, make sure nipples don’t show through as they’re now pointing in completely different directions, and I’ve been forbidden to shave underarm on the zapped side. Gok Wan would have a field day! I’ve got two dressy parties to go to at the weekend so I spent hours last night trying on and discounting half of my evening wear. I think I’ve found something suitable for both. Still the node clearance does mean that dancing about with arms waving about in the air is likely to still be sore so the risks of flashing my “Julia Roberts” are slim. 
Phil, soft vest tops are ideal and I can do that indoors. When I go out however it’s a different story as I’m 34D - right boob is going towards an E cup again! - and quite droopy so I need a bit of scaffolding to help me out! The sports bra is okay at the mo and have ordered a couple of cotton ones from m&s so hopefully that’ll see me thru. Hope you enjoy your parties, I think we should apply to Gok Wan en masse and get him to sort us all out! I love him but don’t know that I could stand in front of that full length mirror in my undies and keep my eyes open!!! Hope everyone eles appts go well today. Pat x
It is encouraging to read that people are coping well with the rads, although I am still a little anxious about my lymphoedema !!!
Pat I know what you mean about having to get your boobs out every 5 mins…I have big boobs and am fed up of the polite comments like , have you ever been offered a breast reduction , to what size cup do you take…not exactly good for the ego or the emotions which are fragile at the moment to say the least.
Will let you know how it all goes next Friday,and what West Yorkshire suggest in the way of creams … only a week away now !!
Hugs,
Jill
Get Gok to make us all over? - great idea!
I have a horrible feeling, that for a good while after this “experience” - I will be whipping the top off and getting the boobs out, without thinking about it - whenever I go to see a medic of any sort! Should be interesting during my hayfever season GP visits…!
Speaking of which (hayfever, that is, not my boobs!) I usually end up on 2 different hayfever tablets, a nasal spray and eyedrops. So…what a good time to get the prescription exemption certificate! Apparently covers ALL Rxs - has everyone chased it up?
OK, on my way to appt now - see you all later,
Lizzie
Hi Girls
Number 3 done and dusted and now a 3 day break.
Pat I don’t think we will meet up because all my appointments are around lunch time except a couple 4/5ish. When they said what time would you prefer my mean streak cut in. It would cost me £4.70 per day to get to Guys if I had to pay on the train. As I have a freedom pass if I travel out of the rush hour I get there for free.I can think of much better things to do with £70 than give it to British Rail.
It is so refreshing to hear of other people who admit to being tearful when they least expect it. I have done chemo and surgery with quite a positive attitude but suddenly tears appear out of nowhere. Last night I started to tell one of my daughters that I would have to find the outpatients department at the different hospital and suddenly I was sobbing my heart out(again). This BC seems to have completely robbed me of any self confidence that I had before.
I have to go to a wedding 2 days after I finish rads so like Philidel will have to see what I can find in the wardrboe that will suit the occassion. What with no boobs and very litle hair I would prefer to melt into the background and I will definatley be missing when the photos get taken.
With the sunny weather predicted over the weekend has anyone been give advice on being in the sun whilst on rads, my garden could do with some care and attention but not sure if I am allowed.
Have a good weekend everyone. Be kind to yourselves
Andie
Hi Andi, quite agree about the freedom pass, british rail do too well out of people! Let me know the date of your latest (timewise) appt and I’ll see if it coincides with one of mine. As for skin and sun, I was recommended to use a sunblock - I’ve bought factor 50+ - while on chemo and rads. If you ring the chemo unit they’re great for advice on anything like that. I too tend to cope very well with the big things - like surgery and chemo- but the smallest thing can have me in floods of tears, I guess it has to come out somewhere. Lizzie you did make me laugh - I have to go to drs periodically to get astma meds etc - I can just imagine getting my boobs out for that! It’s like when I had lymphedema nurse appt, slight swelling in hand - I was so surprised when she asked if she could see and examine my boobs! Oh well, no good being shy I spose! Enjoy weekend all, love Pat x
Whoop whoop 3 days off for good behaviour. Was in and out in 10mins today,pity it takes up all day to get there and back but have found a fantastic pub with great food so had a really lovely lunch and as my friend was driving had a large gin too.
Am sure they must be zapping me with some sort of happy drugs in there as I come out feeling strangely elated. Am sorry that you had a bad day yesterday Lulu,I’m the same as you,WLE and SNB no spread and no chemo,for me I think it might all hit me after treatment has finished,am too busy getting on with it at the mo but hopefully at the other side of it I will be too busy just getting on with my life again.
Well it was 9 million bycycles by Katie Melua today and had a conversation about the difference between radiotherapists , radiologists and radiographers…Don’t ask cos can’t remember… don’t know if another side effect is brain has turned to mush…
Hope you all have a great bank hol weekend,catch up next week.
Sandra x
Three cheers for the three days off!
I drove myself today and made a detour to my office on the way back home. Got back & felt absolutely wiped out. I think the 2 week time lag is just kicking in. My boob is also rather pink & sore/itchy now, particularly the nipple & underside.
The booster planning involved more felt pen, a stencil & a sheet of clear plastic - all very Blue Peter!
Oh and with apologies to anyone with tattoos (other than the rads ones), I did ask the radiologists how they manage to line up anyone who’s heavily tattooed. They laughed & said “It goes something like - 1 cm to the left of the dragon’s tooth, …” 
Enjoy the (hopefully sunny) weekend xxx
Hi Ladies
Do you mind if I join in?
I had my op last Oct and again in Nov and then 6 x FEC chemo and after a month off I started my rads on 1st May.
I was going to put factor 50 suncream on but I was told at my planning to avoid suncream and just cover up instead…it’s so strange how we get given such different information!
Take care
Foxy
Hello Ladies, mind if i join in to?
Hello Andie and Pat, know you both from other threads. Pat we’re about same stage as we did TAX together. Hows your air coming on by the way. I saw a girl who finshed same time as us and she 's got loads, i’ve hardley got any and am panicing that I might be one of the minority who us left pemanetly bald after TAX!
Rads, just completed my first week of four (Inc 4 days booster). Was quite sore after day one really and more that a little upset as everyone had told me rads a walk in the park after Chemo! I’ve also found that I’ve lost quite a bit of movement in arm after just one week of rads which is really upsetting as have had physio most weeks since my surgery in October and November, it was doing so well and had nearly 85 to 90% movement back, now I’ll have to start all over again when Rads finish end of May!
I was advised at Marsden to use either Aqueous or E45 and so far have just used Aqueous but am already quite sore. A Friend said she used 100% Aloe Vera and she had no probs at all so might look into that!
Have ditched bras for forseeable future and am wearing vests with support, so have therefore cancelled all social engagements as obviously can’t wear proper clothes!!!
Take care Ladies
Jo XXX
I share your concern about HAIR! Had my last Taxotere in December and still have hardly any hair. Will I have to spend the rest of my days in a wig I ask myself- or will it start growing in a real rush once the weather gets warmer?!
Hi all, hope you’re all chilling and enjoying the weather. Jo, lovely to hear from you, I was gonna ask you how you were feeling after the tax. I was like you, the last tax was pretty good re: SE but 5 weeks on I still feel quite achey, my ankles swell up periodically as well. My hair is growing but it’s very patchy. I still have a baldy head but it has bumfluff on it! But I said to my daughter earlier that, for the first time today I can actually see my hairline so it’s coming back but very slowly, I’m sure yours will be the same. Sorry you’ve had probs with your arm, get physios to help you out again. My boob is a little bit pink, and a little bit swollen but apart from that, not bad. Topsymo, what does onc say about lack of hair? I have been on other forums and I know hair comes back at varying rates, some people’s seems to come back so quickly. Fingers crossed we’ll all have a good covering b4 Xmas!!! Jo, radiographers told me that the aloe vera gel is useful for soreness and itching, but in general to stick with aqueous or E45 which I slap on religiously. Welcome Foxy, hope your rads goes well, we’re all in the same boat here. I was advised to use factor 50+ during and after chemo and for the summer as skin had become very dry due to effects of chemo on skin. I don’t put it on the bits that are being zapped apart from a bit of my neck, just everywhere else. Andi, Sandra, Jill, Phil and Lizzie hope you’re all okay and making the most of having 3 days off (for good behaviour!!) and all the best to anyone I’ve forgot, blame the chemo brain (it comes in quite handy sometimes!!). love Pat x
Welcome Foxy,I’ve not had chemo so can’t blame my forgetfulness on that ! Will blame it on the terrible tamoxifen…but havn’t really had any probs with that so far …keep you posted on that tho…
Am really enjoying travel free days and will be rested up for my 4 day stretch next week.
Am just slapping on aqueous cream twice a day at the mo and don’t seem to be having any trouble ,boob did feel a bit warm but is fine at the mo. Was told after treatment to wear factor 50 or cover up,didn’t really plan on going topless during the summer,have had enough of getting em out this year !
Hope you all having a good Bank Hol and the weather holds up tomorrow.
Sandra x
Hi All
Hope you don’t mind me joining in. Nearly at end of rads - 6 more to go (yippee).
However, I just wanted to ask - has anyone else had a sorish throat and loss of taste buds while on rads? Mine has been sore almost since I started and most food tastes horrible. The radiographers say it isn’t due to the rads but I’m not sure. I’m also on tamoxifen so wonder if this may also be a cause.
Hi Foxy - how did the planning go?
thanks
Lynn
Hi Ladies
Thank you for welcoming me to the thread…
Lynn…nice to see you on here! The rad went ok, a bit of a wait though but shouldn’t complain. I have also had a sore throat but mine has been since I started the tamoxifen. I’ve only been on it nearly a week but feel so tearful, is that normal?
Take care ladies and speak soon
Foxy x