sorry, I missed out the word “year” in my previous post,doh ! I meant that my appointment for mammo was a YEAR to the day from getting my results.
Nice hearing from you again,yup I have been about all year ,has been a great help and support being on here and have met up with a fantastic bunch of women and we look set for another few meets in the next couple of months,just to keep us going.
I have been on tamoxifen for mearly a year now and have no side effects whatso ever ! Lucky me,but do just hope that it is actually working!
Hope the Spring sunshine is shining on you,and I just keep reminding myself that I’m in a better place this year than I was last !
Sandra,
Don’t worry I had realised what you had meant.
I expect you have been a great help to other ladies on here. Unfortunately, thousands of us seem to pass through.
I think if you experienced a lot of treatments your advice would be very valuable. I only had three weeks of Radio Therapy. Admittedly, 2 infections at the end.
At the end of my radio therapy treatments, without any explanation I wasn’t offered the extra treatment (probably didn’t need them as mine was so small) but I didn’t really have any closure at the time (messed up our holidays last year, like, not having any) If I’d known that my radio therapy was going to finish after 3 weeks and not 5 we could have made plans.
I am hoping that when I go for my next mammogram that someone will kindly explain off my hospital notes, that is, if they are there.
At my six monthly check-up I was seen by a male doctor who didn’t know my history at all. He had to read all his patients notes before we were seen and hence we were very late getting in to see him. Not enough time to ask that many questions.
I have already had that next apptmt. come for OCT 2010 and will be prepared for a very long wait……………………
Regards,
Whirlwind
Hi Everyone - can anyone recommend anything to put on my very sore 'underside of my left boob. it’s now 21 days after last session of rads and am so sore it really is beginning to get me down. I cannot use A. cream or E24 as it makes it sweat and irritate more (it’s constantly resting on ribcage so unless I lay flat or walk around on my hands in which case I’m in serious danger of suffocating!!)- have used husbands big cotton hankies and a top to keep it seperated from ribcage and to hold it in place to soak up any ‘body moisture’ sorry girls I know it’s personal stuff but this site has been so good in the past I feel I can tell you all anything, but find that anything that holds hankie in place also rubs on the site.I don’t want to bother my G.P or BC Nurse as both have more serious cases but am very close to a breakdown of skin. HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEElp please
Lazydaisy, get onto your gp tomorrow first thing and get an appointment ! You really don’t have to put up with suffering with your skin,you are just as important as anyone else. I had some mepilex dressings for under my boob as the skin was in danger of breaking and it worked a treat,right enough I did have to tell the doc that was what I wanted as they didn’t really have a clue about what to prescribe. Good luck.
Thank you so much Sandra and Dolphin - will take your advice - it’s comforting just knowing others know how I feel.Unless you’ve had it nobody really understands … abit like childbirth …and piles!!
Lazydaisy1,
I finished my Rads in July. I ended up with big probs though.
My nurse at the surgery gave me lots of pads to try but I think the best one was called Allevyn Gentle Dressing (I had the 10 x 20 cm ones) They are made by Smith & Nephew. I bent these over and put them under my boob. (They are very soft).
You can look up these Allevyn dressings on the web.
To get these pads I actually had to ring up a breast care nurse at the hospital and she had to contact my Practice Nurse.
Personally I wouldn’t have the Intrasite Conformable pads as they made me worse if they offer those to you.
The nurse had to give me a swab and then found out that I had got two infections and had to have anti-biotics.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Whirlwind
My commiserations and sympathy with your current problem - I know just how you feel.
I finished my rads(15)a week ago. The skin under my right boob was very pink and just starting to break up a bit by the last day, but otherwise not too bad. Kept slapping on the aqueous cream, but it got worse each day and has now become very sore, itchy/prickly and weepy/sticky in the middle. I contacted my BCN yesterday morning and she gave me a box of ActiFormCool (hydrogel wound dressings) which another lady had been given but not needed to use. These sort of stick on to your skin, but I’ve got a wad of gauze dressing on top for comfort and then a soft bra to hold everything in place. I’ve just been to see my GP this afternoon and she got the practice nurse to take a look at my wound. Having declared that it was ‘cooking very nicely’, she agreed that the dressings I’d been given would be fine to use, so I’ve been given a prescription for a few more boxes (10cm x 15cm - 3 in a box). These are doing the job for me at present. Hope your BCN can help. Let us know how you get on.
Thanks for all your experiences - well still very sore but BCnurse was sympathetic but wouldn’t prescribe anything because of the 'underboob ’ position. Told me to grit my teeth use a hanky and bear it!!! Feeling tired ans nausious but no temp so no infection .
I had the same problem. The skin underneath my breast split open after radiotherapy and it was very red and painful. I was prescribed a clear jelly-like cream which came in very small tubes to be broken open then applied to the skin. This was then dressed with one of those film-covered dressings that don’t stick to the skin. It was all held in place by a very soft bra… and the cotton hanky! This was prescribed by a doc in the radiotherapy department. Don’t suffer in silence - go back to radiotherapy and MOAN!
Phew that was a rough few days !! but can move around without being so bl…dy sore - ribs still ache and cannot wear a bra still. Did it all on my own ! you lucky girls having such support - sounds as though you’ve got a good back up team. With my lot it’s a case of just like the army ’ what do you mean your ill - take a couple of paracetamol and you’ll be fine … now get back on parade’ … Yes Sir. But hey ho we live to fight another day