Hi there! I thought I would start a new thread for those of us who don’t fit into the November dates. I thought maybe there might not be so many of us to be squeezed in before Christmas, and anyway if your rads are due in January or February it’s still nice to have a thread that includes those waiting as well. So we may be a select few, but the warmth of the welcome can make up for our lack of numbers.
I am seeing oncologist tomorrow. My Consultant told me rads early new year so should have an idea tomorrow . Will be pleased to have support. X
Good luck to you too. I am 15 rads over 3 weeks at least that’s what consultant said . Luckily no chemo for me x
I saw my oncologist for the first time last week, he was only interested in getting me to sign the consent forms for rads. Sadly that meant he never read my notes, but that’s another story, sigh.
Looking forward to getting radiotherapy out of the way, I will need symmetrising surgery to my other breast because I’m already noticeably lopsided, and the surgery can’t be done for 6 months or more after radiotherapy to allow for a bit more shrinkage.
Can’t wait to look and feel normal again.
Hello lovely ladies. Well after my op on 29th February and a breakdown of the wound due to lack of blood supply (I had a therapeutic mammoplasty) followed by chemo with a still open wound as they couldn’t wait any longer in the end I have now had my planning ct and am just waiting for my dates. They said about 2 weeks which is cutting it fine for Christmas as I’m having 15 rads and 4 boosters. Really good to meet others waiting too xx
Hi Bottyboo! You have had a rotten year, I hope you do get the radiotherapy done with before Christmas knowing you can start 2017 with it all behind you. I will have my fingers crossed radiotherapy is a much easier ride for you, chemo with an open wound sounds horrendous.
I had a therapeutic mammoplasty as well, did have problems with it being slow to heal, and had to have a re excision to clean up the margins which means the new shape wasn’t so good by the end of it all. And now radiotherapy is going to shrink it down some more possibly. But whatever, we do what we have to do, I am very grateful that I got to skip chemo. Just looking forward to getting the radiotherapy done.
I haven’t had a planning appointment yet but they say over the phone that I’ll start rads on the 30th and will do the planning and the rads together. I don’t understand how that can work, but that’s what they say, so I’m waiting for the letter. At the moment I’m feeling like they couldn’t organise the proverbial in a brewery and am expecting the letter will say something completely different, if it ever comes…
But it’s good to have a thread for those of us who are waiting as well.
Lady Bowler, that sounds like a really great a way to start back, they sound like a really great place to work.
Anne, yes, you’re a winter warmer, welcome! That schedule sounds like you’ll go right up to Christmas Eve. I hope your travel time isn’t too long?
So much for them telling me I won’t need a planning meeting, I was completely baffled by that. They’ve obviously realised their mistake, just phoned and said can I go in at 8.30 tomorrow morning. So hopefully it will be November 30th for me, if they confirm it tomorrow.
Hi all. Liking the group already! I have planning meeting on Wednesday and from oncotype appointment am thinking rads over Christmas up to new years eve. Hope so really and leave it all behind in 2016.
I also will need levelling up afterwards but onco doctor said I would probably continue to shrink for up to 10 years.
.maybe little long to wait me thinks 
there’s only so much of that cushion filling kapok a girl can endure.
I think Pollyp meant the surgery to the good side to even us up! So not some horrible part of radiotherapy lol!
Polly, I had one surgeon tell me I’d have to wait 2 years, the other one said 6 months. But I did see they say if you put weight on, the irradiated side may not increase, so you could become uneven again. Not you personally, much more likely me!
At the moment I’m just hiding in baggy jumpers and scarves, not too difficult at this time of year. But after the rads are done I’ll see the prosthetics people because I think there is some sort of silicone shell you can put in your bra to balance things up.
I think of the radiotherapy as a bit like microwaving, I guess things would shrink and change afterwards…some people say they didn’t notice any, other people say it was noticeably smaller and firmer. Hence the wait for the surgery to the other side, after the dust settles a bit.
Sorry ladybowler it’s nothing technical just a turn of phrase. My side which had the op is very different to the other. Little and large so to speak. Hopefully your doctor won’t be as clumsy with his words as mine was as when I took my top off he went …oooo are you pleased with them!!!
Nothing to worry about at that 1st meeting if mine was the norm. Just a bit of get to know you and form filling really. Let us know how you get on x
Hi dizzybee. Ahhhh makes sense with the connection to microwave I never thought of that. I’m with you on the scarves and layered cardis are a bit of saviour. I’ve always been one for lots of pattern on my tops and find this helps disguise a little. X
Had Onc app today. Basically just verifying what the Consultant told me. Then went on to say rads in 3 to 4 weeks and over Christmas and New Year. Oh I was so hoping not to start until New Year. After 2 ops within 3 weeks, shingles 10 days after ( which is ongoing as more spots have appeared after 3 weeks ) then my fibromyalgia flaring up because of all this . Went back to work Thursday which I am finding really tiring. I was thinking lovely, 11 day Christmas holiday break to build up my strength and energy before rads. Partner was going to take me away for a few days break between Christmas and New Year . NOT !
Rant over !! I Know I must appreciate I have a lot less to worry about than many of you and must be grateful rads sooner rather than later.
Going off on a tangent does anyone know how I stand if signed off sick over Christmas period when I have had to save 4 days holiday for that period and bank holidays ?
I really am normally a positive optimist person. So hate feeling like this.
Boobywoo, I agree with Lady bowler, you’ll have a sick note to cover that period, so at least you should come out with some annual leave for when this is all over. I had a similar situation when I was still working, got signed off sick and the note covered a period when I was on holiday. I got the annual leave back despite having gone away as planned. But the best people to ask are the HR team.
It’s a shame you’re not getting the time off over Christmas, we all need to feel we get some time off for good behaviour! But they can’t be running over the bank holidays surely? So you would get till the Wednesday at least. I hope you have family geared up to wait on you hand and foot if you’re in the middle and end of treatment, make the most of it while you can!
Thank you ladybowler and dizzy bee xx
Hello all, just got back from my planning appointment, the one they said I didn’t need and wouldn’t get…
I was surprised at how quick it was, we were in and out in about forty minutes. So I’m measured, scanned and tattooed, 3 little dots.
The worst thing was being topless in a freezing room, you’d think they’d remember to put some heating on for us bathing beauties!
The radiologist and both technicians were women, I’d been stressing out in the car on the way about showing my scars to strange men, it’s silly to get upset about it, but I did really mind.
So first session is on the 30th, last one is the Wednesday before Christmas, so now I can plan when I can do things. Praise be, at last!
Lady Bowler, if you were involved in the finals you must be a very successful bowler! So good job you did hang on a little longer.
Dizzybee and ladybowler
Glad to hear you are both on the starting blocks. My planning appointment is this afternoon so hopefully will have a date then. Im expecting it to run over the holiday period.
I have got it in my head to be stressed about the scans today. Just worried they will find some other little surprises!
Oh well, and as with the rest of this, we deal with things as they arise eh.
Anyway here’s to my first ever tattoo!
Polly, I’m not sure anything else would show up, isn’t that an MRI scan? Anyway, I’m sure there’s nothing to find!
The only concerning thing about the scan was when it made a noise like an aeroplane taking off! They did say it could be noisy but I wasn’t expecting that.
I expected the tattoos to hurt more than they did, it’s no worse than having a injection, not as bad as that really. But I hope your room is a lot warmer than mine was, I was freezing.
Good luck for today, tell us how you got on!
Lady Bowler, it’s not a good time of year to be wondering when you’re going to start is it? Hoping they’ll tell you quickly. But it seems the units stay open between Christmas and New Year. Still, the sooner we start, the quicker we’re done.
Hi all, one more step along the road we go. Planning meeting yesterday went well all marked up and ready to start on 8th (which means over Christmas but on the up side finished before new year)
It was warm in the room thank goodness.
Well done you lady bowler returning to work. That’s my big dilemma at the mo. I have a stressful job in a school. In theory I feel I could manage a staggered return but this time of year lots of bugs etc in primary school and I’m already exhausted so don’t want to catch anything before rads. For the sake of a couple of mornings before they break up for holidays. I’m very lucky work are leaving it up to me no pressure but I can’t shake the guilt. Another appointment this morning so off I travel again have a good day all
Polly, if you’re already feeling exhausted I think you shouldn’t even consider going back to work. I went to a well-being session last week which was for women who’d finished treatment, but they sent me along because the gap was so long since surgery. There were women there three months after they’d finished radiotherapy, still talking about being exhausted, and they were told it could take another three months more to really recover.
So you need to be good to yourself before you start, because you’ll probably have fewer problems in the long run.
It’s this darn guilt thing again, thinking we ought to be able to do things.
I saw the counsellor today, was very nervous that she’d tell me to pull myself together or that I’m over reacting, but she was lovely. So I’m much happier than I was a week ago, a combination of the antidepressants and some sympathy!