Friends recommended some moisturiser which I used throughout chemo and radiotherapy. The Radiology Nurse said this one is recommended by the NHS but it’s on the pricier side they don’t say it too much. It’s been amazing for me x
La Roche-Posay Lipikar Ap+Max Triple-Action Balm For Ultra-Dry To Atopic Eczema-Prone Skin 400ml - Boots Pardon Our Interruption
@nib32 @cornwall1234 thanks for the information, I’ll try my best! @nib32 hope tomorrow goes smoothly and best wishes for a lovely long cancer free future once you’ve finished, such a huge milestone, hope we all get to be in the same position asap x
Thank you so much @zebramoon xxx
Hello ladies, a while ago some of you mentioned care for shoulder injuries. I’ve done something to my right shoulder (not the cancer surgery side!) first from hoovering then again probably by making a similar movement with the lawnmower. It was getting better but I either slept funny or it’s got worse from a tiny bit of Pilates yesterday afternoon. Should I be trying to exercise it or rest it? I was very careful to follow all the instructions about not doing various things post surgery but it’s made me so weak and it’s hard to get back to doing what I need to do around the house
@zebramoon Hello! Shoulders normally do better with movement unless there’s a broken bone! Keep doing your day to day stuff with that arm but also keep up the recommended chest/shoulder/arm exercises from surgery to keep mobility. But! If it carries on make sure someone looks at it as shoulders can hurt if not helped! Xx
Thanks so much for your quick reply, I am a bit of a liability but I don’t see how I could have broken it! Stupidly enough I think I played it up acting out the hoovering motion while explaining to my dad how I hurt it a couple of weeks ago! Hopefully it’ll just go away 
Hi @zebramoon sorry to hear about your shoulder. I echo what @whataloadof said about movement being good. Prob focus on stretching/ flexibility first then strengthening later. May be worth seeing someone to recommend the right exercises. We are so weakened after all we’ve been through I think resuming ‘ normal’ activities can put things out, if not approached with caution! Reintroduce everything gradually, I reckon . Hope it settles down soon xx
Ps just remembered that when I went for my RT planning appointment I mentioned that I had some shoulder issues and they said they could refer me to physio then and there and I could be seen probably the next week( I declined as I already had physio appt at GP booked) , so worth asking,. Do you have a date yet,?
Thanks for that, yes my planning appointment is Wednesday afternoon. I think physio will depend if they can do it online as I asked to be referred to physio / rehab via the chemo unit months ago and not sure if anything was done but I never heard from them, the hospital I need to go to for radiation is nearly 2 hours away so I can’t really go all that way above what I already need to. I have Ehlers Danlos (connective tissue disorder related to being hypermobile / double jointed) so I already have musculoskeletal issues but the physio for us is often different so it’s hard to trust the regular physio locally. I’ve had amazing specialist physio privately but not sure if I’m desperate enough yet to pay for it again - just hoping this will get better so that I can ignore it, even to how I was a week ago! I’m tentatively trying to arrange a cleaner / support worker to give me some practical help throughout radiation and the next lot of chemo but not sure if dealing with the person will be more stressful than just doing the stuff myself! Sorry I’m a bit grumpy with one thing and another at the moment!
How are you doing now you’ve finished? A short course is weird cos you might get more side effects after than during but some people get almost nothing and it seems very variable. How are you feeling?
Good thinking on getting help in hope you feel better soon!
Hey folks I have my post chemo results appointment on Friday and I must say I am bricking it. I am sure things have shrunk but I just hope I don’t need chemo or radio, with a toddler it’s been stressful to say the least. Any positive vibes would be really welcome
@lmack95 I do think waiting for results is one of the most horrible types of psychological torture . But you’ve got through all this awful treatment , right now you have to believe it’s been worth it. Thinking of you for Friday and sending many positive vibes!!! Xxx
@zebramoon Good luck with planning meeting tomorrow! I can’t see why online physio shouldn’t be possible, but all depends on their policy I guess. I guess the immediate issue will be whether you can get into position for the RT or not, and then if you can’t then going private might have to be an option if they can’t help you. Hope , however, that it will start to improve on its own. How is it today?
I’m doing ok at present . My worse side effects started around day 4 I think , and have settled down quite a bit now. There’s still time for it all to change though, as I think the peak side effects are often 7-10 days after and I’m only 4 days post!! I can only 
and hope for the best!! Just happy to be finished, really 
If anyone needs a good giggle: I finally found a use for my spare small socks: I keep loosing my softie (toddler tidying up doesn’t help) and I just stuffed a sock with teddy stuffing (I see) twisted it and used it as a softie instead. I also used the soft shell insert of the bra to make the form more rounded less stuffed sock
Best wishes for your appointment tomorrow xx
Thanks so much for this, had the planning yesterday and the Covid vaccine the day before (rescheduled from the day I was sick from the wisdom teeth thing), felt awful like I had the flu but didn’t want to put it off and set everything back. Had nearly 10 hours sleep last night and felt loads better today, definitely glad I managed to get it out of the way! I start Wednesday 20th for 3 weeks but meeting the clinical trial people the Wednesday in between as I need to sign the consent in person (which I’m cross about but desperate for any potential treatment!). Can I ask what side effects you experienced and whether it’s getting better or worse now? It sounds like it’s slightly gentler to have the longer course but I wasn’t given any advice about skin care / wounds / bras etc so I’ll probably phone the nurses or phone the breast cancer now number as they were lovely when I called before. How are you feeling in general? While in treatment I think it must be amazing to finish but I know a lot of people feel mentally worse afterwards. Hope you’re doing ok xx
Hello so after my meeting it seems like the tumor has responded but it wasn’t a full pathological response (but only about 10%is left yay). Which means I’ll get Kadcyla. I didn’t drive during my chemo, but does anyone know if that’s necessary here? I really want to get back to work and would need to drive a little!
I drove myself to all my chemo and drove normally throughout, the infusion centre was slightly over an hour away and the bigger hospital that I went to for the surgical consultations nearer 2 hours. There was one appointment for iron infusion that my cousin took me to as I felt quite sick that day but I don’t see why you’d need to stop driving entirely. Sorry to hear you’ll need the Kadcycla, it’s such a pain to know we need more months of treatment but sounds like you’d had a pretty good response and all this stuff is precautionary when the surgery should have got it. Did they say they got clean margins? My margins were clean but narrower than they’d have liked.
He didn’t exactly say but it was the oncologist rather than the breast surgeon who I’m seeing Wednesday. I think it was good clearance though!
hI @zebramoon re side effects, fatigue and dry skin were the most immediate ones for me. I was advised to go braless as much as possible. I followed their advice on moisturising 3 times a day, but I still got very dry skin which started to peel off like bad sun burn on day 5. I was using Aveeno , but after the peeling I upped this to flamigel RT which is expensive but can be got on prescription if you have a good GP. The peeling stopped after that. Now, 8 days post RT, side effects havent got much worse, just a little more tender, feel slightly less flexible when I do my exercises. The one SE that is annoying me post RT is itchiness, which is driving me a little mad! I’m currently experimenting with different anti histamines to see if anything helps. I’m guessing for you fatigue may be the biggie. For me it eased off after the first few days, but we are all differnt and I know you suffer with it anyway . wishing you all the best xxx
There’s a few of us starting on kadcyla in the next month or two - there’s a seperate thread for it here Kadcyla 2026 Group - #114 by dilly