Hi have been reading forum since beginning of the year and it has given some very good advice and information and has been such a help to me. I was diagnosed on 13/12/07 with BC I had a lumpectomy on 01/02/07 on Tamoxifen for 5 years now awaiting radiotherapy at Northampton hospital has anyone been there for radiotherapy? I seem to have good days and then a bad day so up and down.
April
Dear April
I am pleased to read that you have found the forums informative over the last couple of months, we also provide other services which may also be of interest to you as they can offer you further help and support via the telephone.
The first is Breast Cancer Care’s telephone support group. It’s a chance to get together once a week to talk with people who’ve been there. Linked together by phone in comfortable surroundings, you can express your feelings and discuss the practical and emotional impact of living with breast cancer. The groups will be particularly useful for you if you feel isolated. The groups are completely free (we pay for the phone calls) and as long as you have access to a phone and have a quiet private place from which to call, you can join us from anywhere in the UK.
There is also Breast Cancer Care’s peer support service. The telephone service aims to quickly put you in touch with one of our trained peer supporters, who has had a personal experience of breast cancer. Our peer supporters are from diverse backgrounds and ages and have experienced different types of breast cancer and treatments. They are ready to listen, offer skilled emotional support and share their experiences and understanding.
For more information about these and our other support services available to you, please telephone our helpline on 0808 800 6000 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and Sat 9am-2pm) or email:
Best wishes
Lucy
April
I too will be having radiotherapy at Northampton, but firstly am undergoing chemotherapy. I had my second dose on Thursday so if all goes to plan, radiotherapy will start sometime in June, by which time you will have finished. I know what you are saying about being up and down, second dose of chemo has really knocked me sideways. I have friends who have had radiotherapy and all say it is nothing to worry about, I am sure all will go with you and I wish you all the best.
Love
Di
xx
Hi April,
I’m not in Nottingham and I’m sure loads of ladies who reply will be but just wanted to say hello and welcome. Sorry we have met like this. I just wanted to say hello as you seem to be on a similar path to me. I was dx 24th Dec, WLE/SNB 9th Jan on tamoxifen and zoladex and 2 of 19 rads left.
I found the time after surgery and before rads quite a low time. I felt that once my op results were in (nodes and margins clear) everyone sighed a breath of relief and just left me and my hubby to get on with it. I found I was sat on my own quite a lot and with everyone at work I found myself looking inwards and after such a rollercoaster of activity it was strange having nothing BC to focus on.
Rads themselves have been fine, my skin has held up thanks to advice on the rads thread (I started the aqueous 2 weeks before rads started) I started to feel tired in the afternoons on my last 2 sessions but nothing a nap hasnt helped.
Good luck with everything. Hope you feel a bit better soon but please be good to yourself. Love Shonagh xx
Thank you for your comments I have only just managed to get back on line again. Di I wish you luck with your chemo and rads I hope to be having my rads the end of the month so I will proberbly be finished by the time you are having yours. It’s the traveling I am not looking forward to, but it has to be done so grit teeth and we get through it all. Thank you Shonagh have been reading your posts and you sound so positive it really helps to hear. It is the waiting that is the worse for surgery, results, treatment. Hubby is a tower of strength and my rock.
Thanks again
April x
Hi April
I too waiting for rads but not got the dates yet. Like you had WLE back in Jan.(then re-excision three weeks ago) also will be on tamoxifen, but not got it yet. Have had so much waiting enough to drive anyone crazy. Likewise emotonally up and down! How come you have had such a long wait for rads? Did all go well with lumpectomy?
Take care, Alicex
Hi Alice
Yes my lumpectomy went well they did tell me it would be 6 weeks after surgery that I would have rads, but it seems like forever and I started tamoxifen after surgery so far fingers crossed no side effects yet but I expect that will come! How are you feeling apart from the emotional side of it?
April x
Hi again April, to answer you question about how I’m feeling(other than the emotional) wound has healed well, less swelling for the second op. as was not as deep and no mucking with looking for sentinel node through same excision. Skin area numb but some tenderness underneath especially if I over do thing like painting my kitchen which I did today this w/e. Tired due to poor sleep and anti-depressant(I think make me even more tired) The latter I started after first op. due to real anxiety. I have been off work since first op. but am going back after Easter as I think it is better for me to focus on more positive things. Also as I said no idea as to when rads will be!! Not sure why I was not started on tamoxifen easier but again I really cannot worry(which of course we all do at times). Take care, Alicex