Hi Everyone
Well there wasn’t a band for me either just a good friend who took me for tea and cakes, lots of advice for the treatment radiographers and BCN and the sun continued to shine.Today was probably easier as I wasn’t working.
Kind neighbour realised that the curtains weren’t drawn at 1100 (I had afternoon appts) and when she realised that I was feeling rough asked what she could do to help. She has just returned whole pile of ironing. wow!!
Am looking forward to being off the roller coaster of regular journeys and being able to sort out the miriad of little things that haven’t been done (particularly pottering in the garden in the evenings when it is in shade)
To all of you still going through rads, good luck , hang on in there and thanks for the support.
Crispy
Whey hey - Crispy is cooked. How’s the skin? Just remember to keep up with the skin care.
My skin is sort of mottled now … some parts are still a very dark red, other bits have flaked and there is a lighter shade of skin there … and part of it’s turned that sort of manky grey and cracked effect that sometimes happens with sunburn… it looks decidedly dirty!
Glad you had a friend to take you for tea and cakes… that’s so nice, but hell the nice lady who did the ironing gets my vote for woman of the hour… send her here please.
Just take it easy for a while (says she who went back to work full time the day after she finished rads!!) and remember that your body still needs some recovery time.
Hi all
I can’t believe it last RAD tomorrow!!
No more 5 hour days in cars and ambulances whoopee
Looking a bit cooked but hey not to worry
Best wishes to all
Kay x
Hi All
In response to your question Lilac bushes :-well and truly cooked. Varying skins colours and peeling but am keeping up the skin care and arm exercises. BCN suggested sitting exposed in front of a fan for an hour twice a day (Good job i have net curtains!!)would help with the irritation as the area is expected to get worse (what fun!!)
Am taking it easy.Have worked through chemo and rads but came to a grinding halt on Monday so am off sick for a week. Lovely lady in HR was most sympathetic when I phoned up.
Sorry but I don’t think that my neighbour picks up ironing from as far away as Scotland. She has been super (not obtrusive but offers of lifts back from chemo and once a week to rads). She says she enjoys the chance to look through magazines she wouldn’t normally read whilst I have my treatment.
Kayty hope the day goes well. Maybe there will be a band for you!!
Crispy
Hi
Nice neighbour has just been over to lend me a fan. Now where Am I going to sit??
Polite suggestions only thanks
Crispy
Hi Lilac
Well done so glad you have finished, hope I will be saying the same thing in a few months time.
Best of luck with everything
Debs x
Crispy - I’ve got a spare room and I’m sure your neighbour would love to a wee holiday in Scotland, and she could do my ironing whilst she’s here. I like the idea of the fan - just make sure the net curtains don’t get wafted up whilst you are sitting in front of it.
Kayty - Good luck with your last rads session … have u got a celebration planned?
Debs - good luck with your lot - how long have u got to go?
Hi girls
Balloons Champagne!! I am expecting the lot!!! ha ha
But really going to Somerset for a few days break just gonna chill and drink red wine!!
Take Care all of you ! and you do get there un the end
Kay x
Kayty - glad to hear that you have completed the last rads session … did u run out of the door at the end or were you more dignified than that?
Hi All
Just had to add to this as you are all so positive its brill. I finished my Rads on May 1st 2007 at the Beatson on Glasgow, when i walked out the door i looked at my partner and couldnt stop smiling,was like a damn cheshire cat haha, i felt the luckiest person alive. When we were walking to the car my partner asked me to marry him and i nearly dropped there and then… woohoo i thought what a fantastic day. Now i am getting married in 6 weeks on saturday and i cant wait.
Good Luck to everyone hope you all keep well.
Allison xx
Kayty
Have you just gone straight to Somerset? Mind the thunderstorms
Lilac bushes the neighbour will only come if you live on isla,iona,mull or jura (sorry I did ask when i delivered a bunch of flowers to say thank you). On a more serious note the fan is a good idea. Skin did look better and it was very soothing.
Crispy
lilacblushes Had a little cry when it was all over relief of it I think!!! Staff were really nice and sorted my transport out straight away (don’t know why I did that)
crispy I have seen the forecast but not to worry the change of scenery will be lovely!!
Take Care
Kay x
Allison - you had such a memorable last day of rads then… that is so nice.
Crispy - shame your neighbour doesn’t fancy Grangemouth … not quite the same as Isla or Mull I have to agree.
Kay - awww bless you, I hear it’s quite common to have a little cry when you reach the end of your treatment. I didn’t - but then again I never cried at any point between dx and now (everyone thinks I’m weird but that’s jsut me)
Well done to all you lovely ladies completing their rads. There is light at the end of the tunnell!
Allison . . .what a wonderful day for you. Good luck with all your wedding plans.
My last rads was a booster on 9th May. Have struggled with my skin and got an infection in it but it’s on the mend now, after a horrendous weekend!!
To all the ladies still having rads…hang on in there.
XX
Hi All
question to those of you who finished before me? did you feel you lost your rhythm of life during rads?
I had got a rhythm around work and chemo but just felt it went to pot during rads because i had to increase the numbers of days working to get my hours in whilst doing rads. Maybe it was the dire warnings about being careful about shoulder damage from the physios but I’m struggling fitting in the arm exercises 3-4 times a day but know that if i drop them down the shoulder really aches and its harder the next day. Probably not helped by the fact that I have extra physio for chording which reared its ugly head again during rads.
On the bright side I’ve been told to lay off some of the chording physio while my skin is sore (“we’ll start working hard on that in June!!!” promises my physio.Yikes).
Has anyone else had the rest of their body flaking in sympathy with the treated area. It may be that I’ve just not taken as much care of the rest of my skin as I did during chemo.
Anyway sorry for the moan. am just about to pack a bag and drive gently to the Lakes for a long weekend. Will probably do nothing more than sleep and admire the views from the bedroom but its a wonderful change of scenery. The weather sounds as if it going to be better than for Kayty.
Crispy
I kept up a fairly standard routine of work, hospital, home duties (reduced cos I was tired and the ironing is not essential) whilst having rads. I am lucky with my employers cos I just take time off if I need to and they don’t expect me to make up the hours nor do they reduce my pay.
On the subject of skin - my face is usually a bit on the dry side but during rads (and continuing) I am sure it is flaking at a rate of knots faster than the land speed record… I move and bits fall off! Tried using the aqueous cream on it but it just felt too heavy so I went to Boots tonight and asked for advice… didn’t fancy paying a fortune for some elebaorate face cream/lotion and find it was no better - they sold me a 100g tube of Doublebase Gel for just over a fiver… but said I could get it (or something else) on prescription from the GP, on the basis that the tamoxifen is probably contributing to the dryness.
Thanks Lilac bushes
Hadn’t realised that tamoxifen could contribute to dryness as well as chemo. Face is Ok but I’ve been religiously using serum, eye cream, and moisturiser since I started chemo (the variety ranges from their expert range(very cheap) to No7 depending on who’s buying and what’s on offer). It’s the legs that are my problem and flaking in sympathy with my treated area.
Crispy
Crispy - my Mam suffers from very dry skin on her shins and was told this was a hormone thing (as in she is post menopause) and was prescribed a cream from the GP … pharmacist told her she could be exact same product cheaper and under a different name … it’s called Aveeno or Aveena. She swears by it. They also do a hand cream, not sure about a face cream. She got it in Boots or Llyods chemists.
Hi all to those who have finished and congrats to you lilacbushes. I finish May 29th , 8 to go and counting.
I’m a bit scared about being left in limbo , talk about being institutionalised. My now 2.5 yr old daughter was in special care for 6 weeks when she as born as she was prem and when the doctors said you can take her home tomorow I was a bit overwhelmed and cried. I was told to take a day extra to think about it. Sounds strange doesnt it but I was in such a routine and felt safe being with the nurses I had to readjust. I’m desperate to get back to normal though .
Cally x
Cally - glad to hear that you are on the final countdown, once you get to the end you will be delighted not to hvae to go in everyday… but I know what you mean about the idea of being left in limbo. I sort of had a wobble when I was reaching the end of my rads … I sort of felt that whilst I was ‘in treatment’ the fight against cancer was being fought, and I felt safe… a bit like your support network of nurses in the special care unit, it’s scary when it’s not there but you soon get used to being on your own.
I ‘got back to normal’ very quickly - I was back at work and leaving early for rads anyways but the day after my rads finished I was back full-time.