After eight chemo.treatment, followed by a WLE I have an appointment for planning tomorrow. I am due to have rads to lymph nodes, under arm and breast area. Just wondered how anyof you got on with the planning session as I believe you are there for some time and are marked up.
Best wishes
Alison
Hi Alison
I had my planning done last week and started rads this week. I can only tell you what I had done, yours may be different but I wouldn’t think so as I had a WLE too. There is a lot of shuffling you around on the bed to get you in the right position. The radiographers drew on my too and gave me two tiny liitle tattoos, permanent markers. This was done by a fine needle which I barely felt. Then, once they have you in position with your arms over your head, you go through the CT scanner. This only lasted a couple of minutes and again was fine. This is so they can see your major organs such as lungs and heart and where your originial tumour was to ensure they line up everything properly. All in all, I was there for about 25 minutes. It was absolutely fine and the actual radiotherapy I had on Monday was fine too. As long as you can lie still for a few minutes, you will be OK. There is some good info on Cancer research about rads planning.
Good luck
Cathy
x
Hi Alison
My experience is pretty much the sam as Cathy, except I had three tattoos. Started last week, 4 sessions down, 13 to go. Already noticed the difference, skin in breast area feeling sensitive and scar area more delicate. All the best for your planning session, Alicex
Hi there
Thank you for your replies which have helped alot. Its good to know exactly what will happen.
Best wishes Alison x
I am ditto what alice had … 3 tattoos (one between my boobs and one each side… I asked for hearts and flowers but got dots!
Came out looking like an ordanance survey map with all the felt pen marks.
My planning session lasted about 40 minutes in total … also had to get marked up for my booster sessions … this was just a doctor putting a big circle round the tumour site (another felt tip pen but he hed green!) then they took a poloroid of my boob.
I’ve just completed session 16 of 30 (including 4 boosters).
Good luck
Thanks lilacblushes, your post was a great help.
Best wishes Alison
Glad to have been of some help . How did the planning go? When is your 1st zap?
Your posts were a great help at the planning session because the staff did not say alot. Now got my three tattoos! It all felt quite strange but bearable ! It felt like I was an extra in a science fiction film!
My first zap is Tuesday at 8am, most of my appointments seem to be around this time which is good because it leaves the rest of the day. My last session will be on May 23rd.
Beast wishes
Alison x
Good luck for Tuesday - something I was not told about at the planning was that my 1st zap was actually a dummy run where they x-rayed rather than zapped, this was to double check the measurements etc- everything was done exactly the same as my zapping sessions except they used the x-ray side of the machine instead of the other end. They also take x-rays periodically throughout the treatment (I gt mine weekly), again this is just to check the measurements etc. I assume this is standard in every unit and not specific to the Beatson where I am getting my treatment.
My last zap is 29th April and I am counting down the days … have even got a count-down on my bebo page 
Hi Alison
Hope everything went Ok. I told you lies. I thought I only had two tattoos, but when I looked carefully with my glasses on, low and behold, three!!! You have also just cleared something up for me Lilacblushes, because I have just started my rads on Monday. I thought it was weird that the one after the first was the different way round to the initial one. That explains it. No-one said a word to me and of course, I didn’t think to ask. I thought they just wanted a bit of variety!! I tell you what, I feel absolutely knackered this weekend and I have only had three lots. Might just be coincidence?
Cathy
XX
I was a little unnerved this week as photo day for me is Wednesday … until this week they did it Wed/Thurs?fri… had a little panic thinking that they had found summit so asked … turns out that they were just checking everything cos my images were ever so slightly out … as in mm’s out not a country mile. They explained that they have tolerances for being out and mm’s is not a problem. They further explained that the most common reason for being out is that the patient breathes at a different time and there is no need to worry… all they can see on the x-rays is skeletal images and not soft tissue so they are not taking extra pictures cos they are concerned about a nasty tissue mass or whatever.
I was ok for the 1st few weeks of my treatment but I’ve heard of others who are wrung out after the 1st couple of sessions. Obviously we are all different and I think anxiety plays a part of it. I’m well into the swing of things with it now - I go in, I get them out, they zapp, I put them away end of!
Hi ladies
Actually my first session was both xray and zapping, they explained as they went. I am a little concerned as chest is tight this w/e, getting wheezy and a little breathless yesterday, maybe I am just getting a bug or something. Off to get some air in my lungs. Have a good dy Alicex
My onc told me that a lot of ladies develop a hicky cough during rads because the top of the lung gets a bit zapped but that this generally is a temporary thing and clears up after rads are finished. Good idea to keep an eye on it tho and see the relevant medical person if it is bad.
I will be interested to see what happens on Tuesday as on my schedule it says New Radical[NOP] I bumped into the trials nurse and she said something about two planning sessions so will have to wait and see!
Alisonx
once again, Lilacblushes, you have cleared something up for me - I think I will hire you as my communication expert during rads! I have a terrible cough which started on Monday and I think probably down to rads on lungs. Also, I am sure what you say about anxiety has a great role to play in the tiredness. As it becomes more routine, i am less worried and therefore it won’t take it out of me so much. its all the little bits of niff naff and trivia, like where to park, getting the timing of the journey right, wearing the horrible gown, sitting in the waiting room which always seems to be full of the cast of Dawn of the Dead etc etc.
I will sail through next week.
Cathy
xx
Does this communication job come with a good rate of pay ???
Must say I am a bit jealous of the fact that you get a gown. I just get a ‘modesty blanket’ which is actually just a bit of that paper they put down on the examination beds… although when you lie there, arms above the head, boobies on display for the duration and they come along and drape a bit of paper over your stomach I fail to see where the preserving of the modesty comes into it!
I’ve not really got the hassle of the parking issue - I have a team of voluntary drivers taking me back & forth so parking is their problem … traffic can be a bit of a hit or miss too so we tend to err on the side of caution and if we are mega early it means we have coffee before I get zapped. My rads unit is very good with regards to timing tho … they tend to sort of just take you in the order you arrive and on a couple of occassions when I have arrived well ahead of time I’ve actually been zapped and am out of there before my appointment time.
The waiting room scenario can prove interesting tho … sometimes I am quite happy sitting in the waiting room ppl watching - I tend to try to work out who’s the patient and who’s the comer-alonger to offer support person. There are some who, as you say, could quite easily take up a role in horror film and I tend not to try to strike up a conversation with the ones who are barffing into cardboard bowls.
The pay is negotiable, as they say!!!
Do not under any circumstances, become jealous of my gown. On the first couple of appointments, I too had the scrap of rag draped over my left (good) boob as a teensy bit of modesty. It soon slipped off onto the floor to remain there for the duration whilst I had my boobs out on display for anyone who was interested. They explained that the gowns were being stolen (surely not - there are some desperate pervs out there!) so were in short supply but they would do their best to find me one. On Wednesday, they handed me this gown with a big smile. I thought they were being nice, until I took it out and soon realised they were laughing because they couldn’t wait to see me in it It is huge. I mean marquee sized. Now, I am no Amy Winehouse, but neither am I 29 stone. This gown would fit me and all the rest of the waiting room in it. However, so as not to seem ungrateful I have worn it. It is so big, my boobs stick out the armholes so is no better. It also stank of BO so I have boil washed it in the hopes it would get rid of the smell and shrink the bloody thing. Smells ok, but still massive. Oh well. I too like to guess at whose got the cancer and who isnt. Am wrong lots of the time so I have come to conclusion the companions either are handpicked to look as ill as the real ill ones, or they may have struck up a wonderful friendship whilst waiting to be zapped and now are inseparable. To date, there is no-one that tickles my fancy in terms of striking up a life long friendship and I agree, that it would be bad manners to try and talk to someone as they are in the middle of puking. Have fun with your rads. Will think of you with your boobs in the air. How is your itchy whatsit doing now?
Cathy
xx
Well I have laughed so much at your last post Cathy that I have had to change my undergarments … a damp patch would not help with the itchy do-daa … having said that the itchy whatsit has started to behave itself now that my monthly has finished.
I read your ost out to my son (the 18 yr old who is being worriedly well behaved this week … just waiting for the next nasty surprise to show it’s face… if I get to Wednesday with nothing to swear about I will consider it a good week)… he giggled grand style and declared that we are sick in the head… I said no we are sick in the boobies.
Good luck with gown shrinking adventure… have u tried sticking it in the tumble drier for 17 days on high? As for the sickos who steal them, perhaps they are hiring them out for weddings and barmitzfas (spelling??) … seems a fair enuff way to recoup some of the over-spending on the day to day budget. At least the BO problem was easily solved with a good wash… must admit with my appointments being late in the day and not being allowed to use deo I pity the radiographers when they have to stand up wind of my pits… mind u the buggers are getting their own back by burning my boobie so I would say we are equals.
Like you I have no discovered the love of my life in the waiting room but I can live in hope…
if nothing else we could hide behind the bike shed and compare scars.
Thanks for all the info and insights into Radiotherapy. I have one more chemo session (CMF) the last treatment of 7months! My planning appt. is near the end of May. I have been worrying about it for ages! Thanks for all the info Lilacblushes . I feel less apprehensive now!
marjep
Glad to have been able to give you some insight into the rads Marjep. good luck with it all when your planning session comes round. Do you know how many zaps they have planned for you?