I’ve nearly finished my chemo and have surgery the middle of next month and rads presumably Dec/Jan-ish.
A couple of people have told me of people they knew who had rads and were told that they weren’t allowed to drive? Anyone been told that?
I’m finding it hard to imagine that rads tiredness would be worse than 3 days after chemo (when I would still be able to drive but would only venture 5 mins or so down the road). The hospital is only 15 mins away, I’m 43, a confident driver and have been driving almost every day for 27 years now.
Wondered what the nature of the tiredness was… Does it come in waves shortly after treatment like chemo or is it more of a constant thing? A physical/lack of enthusiasm in the muscles sort of thing or a fuzzy head? Do you have to have steroids during this time (thus mucking up sleep patterns)? If it was only towards the end, how many weeks in was it before it set in?
At this stage it is too early to say how many zaps I’ll be having. They tell me it could be 3-5 weeks, 3-5 times a week, so anything from 9 to 25 zaps really.
Many thanks
mousy
PS It’s my right side that’s affected so I’m thinking the seat belt shouldn’t be a problem (unless they do my neck???)
My rads tiredness has been nothing compared to chemo exhaustion - it’s just weariness rather than feeling bad. I’ve found it only really comes upon me when i sit still - so I have a tendency to nod off while reading, but if I keep on the go I don’t really notice it. It didn’t kick in till end of week 2. No drugs involved. Treatment takes only about 5 minutes and you’re up and on your way. You’ll have to look after your skin carefully - it gets very pink and can break up in which case it’s sore - like severe sunburn. Top tip is to blow a hairdryer on cold setting to cool it down when it’s v hot - helps reduce the impact.
I think most people have daily rads for a specified time - you get a specified dose over a certain number of treatments (“fractions”). mine was 15 fractions, others often have 25 or 30. You’ll have a planning session first and all will be explained then
No-one mentioned anything about driving - in fact I’ve driven myself to and from the hospital every day and quite safely.
It’s really nothing to worry about - if you’ve done the chemo, this is a doddle!
Oh - and good luck!!
Sarah
X
Many thanks, Sarah… That’s what I thought, so I was a bit surprised by what these people said. They seemed equally surprised/worried that I planned to drive myself… A doddle sounds good…
I have my last chemo next Thursday. Am looking forward to my fuzz being back to stay.
Hi Mousy,
I had an hour drive there and an hour back for rads and did 25 sessions (5 weeks). I drove myself every day bar 1 and just found it tiring because of the journey each day and having to attend for a few minutes each day. The worst part was the bank balance got hit quite a bit! I would go into the nearby town shopping before or after (could also explain the tiredness!) and met friends for lunch, just getting home in time for my girls finishing school!
So don’t worry about driving - I’m sure you’ll be fine!
Hope all goes well
Shorty xx
I’d better not do the retail therapy. Our finances are shot at the mo due to my delayed return to work. Don’t have a job to go to and haven’t been able to commit to a new temp assignment while I’ve got all this going on. On top of that, I’ve not worked a lot in the past 5 years due to having kids…
Anyone got any ideas how to win 5000 quid??? That would be really handy…
Thanks so much for starting this thread as I’ve been wondering the same myself ! I’m due to start rads pretty soon, and rather than put everyone else out, was hoping to do the drive myself each day to the hospital. It’s only about 45 mins away from me (Addenbrookes), and I’m sure I could find it ok.
My only “issue” is, I will literally have to pass where I work on the way there and back - should I go into work afterwards ? I only work 25 hours a week, in an admin role, and have worked as much as I can since being diagnosed back in April. OR, do I spend every day looking round the shops in Cambridge ? - LOL !!!
Sorry, no ideas on how to win £5000 - wish I had !
ditto to what Julie says, I’m glad you’ve started this thread as I have found it really helpful. Luckily for me my boyfriend has been given the whole 3 weeks off when I have my rads so he is gonna be my chauffeur!!! I know loads of people have said they’re fine to drive though which is great. Not looking forward to the daily journeys and the fuel and parking bills!!!
Parking…eeek… Cheapest at the hospital I go to is 1.50 a time.
Usually get a parking reduction via chemo clinic to 1.00 on chemo days because it would otherwise be well over 1.50 a visit. Doesn’t seem worth doing that to save 50p, but over 25 days that’s probably worthwhile.
Other than that, there’s always parking a few streets away and walking… (but I’m usually running late)
Glad you started this thread is am awaiting rads as well and was wondering about the driving, as hospital is 10 miles away, and it seems a shame to have to get some one else to do it for such a short time, I to don’t know about the work thing, boss has been brilliant and says not to hurry back, my job is completely safe as they want me back firing on all cylinders, the finances are the worrying part I could do with £5000 to but don’t know how win it quick either.
My rads was done up at stoke…about half hour ish…hubs drove most of the time. When he couldnt take me, i drove there and if i was alright i drove back…mum came with me. I tended to find halfway home on the way back it would hit me…complete lack of concentration going on. Mind you the tiredness has walloped me a few weeks after finishing rads…but hey im two weeks clear and IM ALLOWED BUBBLE BATHS AGAIN…so woohooo.
Reading this it seems that everyones reaction is slightly different, think I will get oh to come for first week, then I will drive and take someone with me who can drive just in case I do get a bit fuzzy headed, then take it from there, thanks again for this thread I have found it really helpful
It was expensive enough just to get to the hospital - i had an hour and a half round trip in the car (i reckon about £5 in petrol), plus 80p toll bridge each day. The hospital, however, gave us parking vouchers so we saved the £1.60 on that each day - that was a help.
I’m glad I’m not the only one with the retail habit - don’t know what came over me! Suspect it was something to do with feeling that as I’d made the effort to come out, I might as well make the trip worthwhile - the treatment’s over so quickly you don’t know what to do with yourself. In the last 3 weeks I’ve shopped at almost all the supermarkets in Dundee and our cupboards are bulging with things we don’t really need - and very few actual meals of course! Needless to say the joint account is accordingly overdrawn…
Haven’t tried the bubble baths yet buttons as skin’s a little bit pink and don’t want to tempt fate, but showering for as long as I want is great - mousy I forgot to tell you about the stickers! You get drawn on during the planning appointment and then clear stickers on top (I had 6 of these - very small and not obvious). You need to try not to wash these off, although they will redo them as they start to peel. Oh and you may get a tattoo which is no bigger than a freckle - this is in the event that you manage to wash all the stickers off at once. But again all of this is nothing to worry about at all, it’s really minor and none of it will bother you.
So good luck all, keep us posted as you’re going on - you’ll be able to join the legendary rads gang too!
Sarah
XXX