Hi all,
I thought I’d start a new topic for us January radiotherapy starters and to say hello.
I have Stage 2 ER + breast cancer. After a successful lumpectomy and no spread to the lymph nodes, I have started Tamoxifen and have 5 days of radiotherapy from Jan 3rd.
It’ll be a strange Christmas following my diagnosis in September, operation and then return to work with my brave face on.
Happy Christmas when it comes.
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Wishing you lots of luck with your radiotherapy, at the beginning of the new year, drink lots of water.
Health and happiness going forward. I know your head must be all over the place at the moment.
Try to enjoy Christmas hugs Tili 
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Hi there. Thanks for this. I don’t have my date yet but due to start back end of Jan. I had WLE and SNB on Halloween. I had a bit of delay with healing due to haematoma and very bad bruising. Still not 100% but much better and nurses think in another 2 or 3 weeks I will be fine. I am a bit anxious about side effects and wish I knew how I would feel and when but guess you have to roll with it a bit. I have very sensitive skin at the best of times so thinking it is not going to like it much! All top tips recommended. I am doing twice daily moisturising and gentle scar massage now and will keep up with water (I drink loads anyway!). Good luck everyone xxx
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Hi romabe99
Thanks for starting this thread. How alike our paths are…. Stage 2 ER+ I also had lumpectomy Sept, WLE with oncoplasty reconstruction (knew nothing of that ha ha), 5 years of Letrozole plus Radiotherapy. I started Letrozole October but I have MS and they didn’t play nicely together, but as the benefit was only 2-3% taking the tabs, my Oncologist was happy for me to stop them (it’s quality of life for me and risk is minimal so I’m taking that).
Still have the 5 sessions of Radiotherapy to look forward to, (dreading it!!), beginning on…. 3.1.24!!
I’ve had my tattoos (can hardly see them), and practiced the DIBH which went better than I expected….yea!!
I’m hoping that once it’s finished on 9.1.24 I’ll get my life back quite quickly
I cannot thank the NHS Mammogram programme enough as that picked up the Cancer… I would not have known as it was as thin as a piece of tissue!! So pleased with the speed and consideration I’ve received ladies.
I wish you all well on your pathway and all the best for the festive season
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Hi all, invasive lobular, er+, stage 2, right mastectomy with lymph nodes removed, chemotherapy done 5 session, I started radiotherapy this week, I will have another 2 weeks on January 
.
Diagnosis on may, surgery on July, long journey with bad and good days, I will start tamoxifen and Zoladex injection in January too.
Hopefully you all are feeling good and I wish everyone a easy treatment and lots of health.
Big hug 
Wishing you peace and joy all season long. Happy season holiday,
wishing you all a Christmas filled with love and laughter.
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Hi, found mass in Sept, WLE in Oct, seemed a long wait for follow - stage 2 grade 2 lobular ER & PR +ve thankfully with clear margins and clear nodes. A further long wait for oncotyping results, thankfully 14 so onto radiotherapy and already on Anastrozole . I had CT and planning a week ago and start radio on 17th. More waiting!! I just want to get on with it .
Good luck to you all
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Good to hear from everyone, lots of similar experiences.
A week till I start radiotherapy. I’ve read on lots of the forum about moisturising so I’m going to get some Aveeno today.
You can prob relate to this: but after being diagnosed in September, I’ve been fine, emotionally, back at work etc. Until Christmas Day, I cried all day. My eyes are still sore today. I’d been annoyed when people said ‘oh it will hit you’ because I WAS FINE! Turns out I wasn’t.
Hope you have a peaceful run up to your treatment
X
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Sorry to hear that it hit you on Christmas Day but probably a good thing to let the emotions out. I defy anyone to get through this without some ‘wobbly’ days. Good luck with the radio. X
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Hi all
I will be starting radiotherapy on 10 January 5 sessions.
I have bi lateral invasive breast cancer stage 2, grade 2 right breast 2cm and left grade 1 0.9cm. Both ER+ PR- with the right also being HER+. The left tumour was only found after having an MRI to check the size of the left. HER+ means I had chemotherapy and Herceptin. Just finished 12 week of Paclitaxel with 3 weekly Herceptin, which continues until September 2024.
I stated stage 2 but recently Dr Liz O’Riordan did a video about reclassified stages as there are better out comes with new drugs etc. she directed everyone to this website Breast Cancer Staging | Susan G. Komen®
I would be a stage 1A with a 2cm tumour but adding the 1cm as well it would be 1B, still better than 2.
I will be having radiotherapy on both breasts at the same time so have to do Breath Hold technique for 30 seconds. Luckily I do a lot of breathing techniques with a mindfulness app and have managed 30 seconds ok and keep practising. I was advised that if I can hold for the full 30 seconds they machine can move to the other breast and treat that in one go therefore reducing time.
Anyone else doing the Breath Hold technique?
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Yes I have to do breath hold for 20 seconds. I can do it but need to practise!
Good luck 
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Hi everyone , glad to find this thread as starting 5 radio sessions on 22 January.
I am Stage 3 , grade 2 lobular 7cm tumour, ER+, HER-. No spread to lymph nodes but found a lesion on my spine which is under investigation. Left mastectomy and right reduction on 30 Aug. Just finished 4 chemo rounds of Docetaxal.
What a year since diagnosed in May Be glad to see the back of 2023! Like most of us here , hoping for a better 2024. Thanks for the tips about moisturising, not been told anything . Had my breathing appt today. Could only manage 20 secs- need to practice before my tattooing on 4th! Hoping compared to chemo it’ll be more straightforward 
Good luck everyone , glad to be holding hands together xxx
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Hi
Hope everyone has had a good Christmas. I finished 5 days of radiotherapy a week ago today. Side effects presently are achy shoulder and tired ness creeping in but my sleep pattern is horrendous at the moment.
One or two suggestions, slapping on Aveeno like no tomorrow, my oncologist prescribed two tubes at marking up meeting, worth asking for he can only say no. I’ve bought more since.
I had my first op on 31/3, node involvement so back on the 06/07 for node removal.
I rang at October half term to ask if they had any start dates, trying to plan for Christmas etc oncologist told me it would be December start.
Unfortunately I was given end of January dates, this was picked up on 14/02 routine mammogram. It led me to a complete meltdown crying couldn’t think etc
Reassurance from my BCN and agreeing saying the wait was too long, phone calls from her led to treatment being brought forward to last week.
Looking between the lines I assume they’ve gone from my lymph node op date not lumpectomy, I didn’t start taking Letzoral till September my marking up date.
The wait had totally freaked me out, would have been 10 months on. Now I know our NHS is stretched beyond belief but after reading on here the time lapse was not except able and there’s guilt that I’ve pushed somebody out but ladies please challenge if you’re not happy or don’t understand.
In all honestly I think BCN were concerned about my mental state and how it made me feel I might add I had been fine up till then, faced this shity diagnosis head on but the waiting nearly topped me off.
Happy New Year everyone x
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Really sorry to hear that it’s been so hard and long for you. I hope that now the radiotherapy is done, you feel a bit more secure.
Unfortunately, it’s like shifting sands, one minute fine and confident, the next crying.
Take care
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Hi romabe99
Thanks so much, I was going to message you tomorrow to say exactly the same thing to you. I’m starting on 3.1, which I think is the same date as yours (?).
Sending my very best wishes to you and all the January radiotherapy starters!!
Take care, Tt59
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Happy New Year pink ladies,
Good luck for tomorrow with your radiotherapy @romabe99 and @tt59 , I will have the 10/15 session tomorrow, my skin is looking normal, I am moisturising with E45 after 2 hours after the session was over, that’s what the nurse told me. On the day of radiotherapy, do not use any product on the skin, wash only with water without soap or creams, so that it does not interact with radiotherapy. Drink a lot the water.
Hopefully everything will goes well.
Big hug
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I’m starting my 5 days of radiotherapy on 4/1. Moisturising daily, will drink more water, always a good idea! I’m a month into Letrozole with no side effects so feeling positive. Sending good vibes to all x
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Hi all. Just got my dates through today. I have my planning scan on 17th and 1st of 5 sessions on 31st. That does mean I have a 2 day break in the middle of my sessions with the weekend. This is making me a bit anxious but nurses say it is normal process and common. Is this ok? It will be 3 months since my op the day I start but it could have been a couple of weeks sooner…I delayed it due to a haematoma healing issue xxx
Hi @blue80
My 5 days are spread across a weekend too. I’m glad of the break at the weekend, as actually getting across town to the hospital and then finding somewhere to park is a nightmare, so at least I have Sat and Sun off.
I got a call today moving my appt tomorrow from 9am to 530pm. Some equipment is broken. I was not pleased, more waiting. 
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Hi Camy_Radika, oldbird2 blue80 and everyone on here,
A massive THANK YOU from me for your good wishes and awesome advice, especially re showering and moisturiser 2 hours afterwards…. I was going to take my Aveeno with me ha ha
I’m sure you can all relate to me now feeling that ‘ok im NOT alone and I CAN get through this (hopefully), last hurdle’ and that’s because of the amazing support I have from my family friends and particularly my breast cancer family on this forum.
Cheers to you all and my very best wishes to each and every one of you!!
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