Hi everyone, my first post here so hopefully I’m doing this right.
I was diagnosed in early June with grade 2 hormone sensitive invasive breast cancer, and had surgery about four weeks ago to remove the lump and four lymph nodes. I am due to have further surgery on the breast in two weeks time as the margins weren’t clear. I’ve been told I’ll then be having radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
So far my lovely partner has been driving me to all my appointments, sometimes out of necessity (for procedures) and sometimes just for moral support. However, he is due to start a new job where taking time off will be a lot harder. I am likely to be driving myself to and from my treatments, and it’s at least a 45 minute journey each way. My question is, am I going to feel ok to be driving after radio/chemo? I have no idea of how I’ll be feeling immediately after the treatments or whether any side effects kick in straight away or later. Just wondering how others have coped with this? I don’t have many people I can rely on for lifts, and there isn’t an option for public transport near me. Many thanks for any advice or help you can offer.
Welcome to the forum. Most hospitals have links to volunteer transport schemes/ hospital transport schemes who will support patients getting to and from treatments for cancer so if getting there might be challenging for you I’d flag that up with your doctors / breast care nurse asap . I didn’t have chemo but hopefully someone who has can advise but as you you really don’t know how you will respond to treatment it would seem wise to have back up transport available ?
I did drive myself to some radiotherapy - sessions I was 40 mins drive away. It was tiring but manageable just a bit monotonous as my sessions were over 3 weeks . Best of luck with your treatment x
I was planning on driving myself to Chemo but then I found a volunteer charity that offered lifts for cancer patients that covered my area and I’m glad I did. A couple of them were fine and the side effects didnt hit till I got home, however some left me feeling so unwell afterwards, I wouldnt have been able to drovw home. I wouldn’t have been able to predict when I felt that way as every time seemed different. If you are getting Paclitaxel then driving is a definite no no as they give you drowsy anti allergy meds which has alcohol in it. I will be getting radiotherapy soon though which i plan to drive to though i might change my mind if I can’t get parked on the first day!
Hey,
I had a lot of nausea with my chemo and the drugs they gave me for this, on arrival and during the infusions were very sedating and had warnings against driving on them. So I would ask your nurse about this.
Hope your treatment goes well.
All the best.
I can’t speak in regards to chemo but I had 5 radiotherapy treatments and was able to drive a similar amount of time through a busy city with no problems though I did have a coffee and often a bit of cake to spur me on. I was hit with fatigue a few days after the course had ended though though so it might depend how many treatments you are having as to where there you can drive to all of them. Is there a friend or relative that might help at all ?
Otherwise yes look into transport / volunteer drivers . One person I know was driven to and from all her radio appointments by a volunteer driver and someone else advised me of a bus service I wasn’t aware of that I could have used . Services do vary depending where you are. Xx
Hi,
I’ve had both chemo and radiotherapy. I felt fine after the radiotherapy, but I wouldn’t drive after IV chemo, partly because of the side effects of the chemo and partly because of the pre-meds which often include IV antihistamine that makes me very drowsy.
I was lucky to have friends who could drive me, but some of the other replies sound like good suggestions to look into.
Good luck, I hope you can find some help.
Lisa x
Thank you, I will speak to the breast care nurses or the cancer centre at the hospital and see if they can give me any information about hospital transport.
That’s really useful thankyou, it’s interesting to know that it can make you feel different each time. Sounds like I definitely need a back up plan.
Thank you. It’s hard as most of my friends work full time and family are not nearby. I think I’ll enquire with the hospital about any transport schemes they might have.
If there’s a support group local to you they may have more info xx
Hi @winterwood
I had 2 types of chemo. EC x 3 every 3 weeks. I didn’t drive for that because I was pumped full of steroids. My hubby did the honours. For my 9 x weekly Paclitaxel, I did drive as the accompanying drugs were a much lower dose.
For radiotherapy, I drove to all 15!
I can’t advise on lifts etc as others had.
Good luck, and I hope your journeys and treatment go smoothly.
AnGELa x
I drove to my 20 radiotherapy sessions, an hour each way with no problem. I could have driven after some chemo, but didn’t really know how I would be, so arranged a variety of lifts. Best wishes
Under no circumstances should you be driving a vehicle after any treatment let alone radiology - help should be offered to you as a matter of course there are volunteering drivers who will charge a small fee to cover there mileage in the UK
Take care
Its perfectly acceptable and doable to drive to radiotherapy appointments, some people are well enough to go back to work. However if you were having 15 sessions you may feel tired towards the end, if only five the tiredness most likely hit you a couple of weeks later. I did get get lifts sometimes because of the parking situation so bad at the hospital. With regard to chemo, you get pumped with steroids and antihistamines so definitely should not drive. The paclitaxol contains alcohol and I always felt a bit ‘spaced out’ afterwards. I think the volunteer drivers option would be the way to go.
Penny
Hi - I was diagnosed in 2014 with Breast Cancer and I worked in NYC and lived in CT, so I took a train home after radiation but had a car take me home after chemo. Chemo is harder. I was diagnosed in August 2024 with Triple Negative Breast Cancer in my right pelvic. My husband takes me to my treatments. I am so lucky he’s here!
Welcome to the forum @boo2
Thank you Jill!
Hi there. I live in Germany and was offered a taxi to my 16 chemo sessions so i accepted that but didnt feel it was really necessary. However, i thought maybe the treatment might impact on my driving. For my 6 weeks’ radiotherapy, i drove 15 miles to the hospital every day and then 45 miles to work afterwards. It was never a problem but i realise everyone is different and can be affected by the treatment in different ways.
I would agree with everyone else around drugs and side effects of chemo much better to be driven there will be a hospital service if you request it. Also need to think about your insurance. Someone reversed into me whilst i was driving between my surgery and pre starting chemo. I was taking no medication and had seen my surgeon who had recorded full range of movement luckily as othersides insurance company tried to say shouldnt be driving whilst being treated for cancer. I had a rolling friends rota for radio. Would have been ok up to about day 11 but started getting achey and tired about then and was really glad i wasnt trying to manoeuvre into tight hospital spaces. See how you feel as everyone different but definitely have a plan b and think what would my insurance say if i was in an accident. Do i have full range of movement of neck and arm.
That’s a good point about insurance, I hadn’t thought about that side of things. Thank you x