just a quickie (ooeerrr!!)…I’m off for my rads planning first thing tomorrow morning and am really quite nervous about it to be honest. I’m not sure why I’m so nervous, or what I expect you guys to be able to do about it, but I thought I’d share it with you!
Am I gonna be prodded and poked by a million different people?? Will I feel like a bit of a freak show exhibition by the end of it all? I’ve felt so upbeat since I finished chemo but thinking about tomorrow is making me quite anxious to be honest.
This will be a breeze compared to your chemo.
There will be 2 people in the room. They measure you up using the scanner, give you the tattoos (usually 3 dots) and thats it.
When you go for your sessions, you will be pulled about a bit to get into the correct position. After a while, you know yourself if you are near to the perfect position or not and this will reduce the pulling and proding which is not painful.
Don’t be worried or scared. The worst part is doing the daily journey but it breaks up your day.
I had my planning a couple of weeks ago, and go for my first rads session tomorrow.
The planning was no big deal. I saw the doctor first, can’t remember much about that except I used it to ask some more of my never-ending questions. Then I went to an x-ray type room where I had to lie on the couch with my arms up behind my head (supported - think of the stirrups for your legs, but behind your head for arms), the staff moved me into the right position, then they took some pictures to work out where the radiation needs to be targetted (the aim is to hit the spot but try to miss as much of the lungs as possible). Then they gave me three tatoos - tiny dots, two in the centre of my chest, one above the other, and one below my armpit. They are so small I have to look to find them. I think there were three staff in the room at the time - all ladies in my case and very nice. I didn’t feel prodded or on show. The doctor came in briefly to OK what they were doing.
Finally I was given all my appointments for the 20 sessions. Two of them have to be in the morning when the onc is in the clinic but the rest were when I asked for them. I have them all at 3.30 so I can go on my way home from work, which is the most convenient time for me.
So nothing to worry about at all. I had been told to allow up to two hours for the appointment, but I think it took an hour and half of that was waiting to be seen in the first place.
Now yesterday I had my first echocardiogram, before starting herceptin, and that was altogether different. Different hospital, male radiographer, who had me undress to the waist with no privacy. I know they see everything anyway, but I felt very uncomfortable. And then I had to sit in a very awkward postion for about 20 mins. Very unpleasant
I understand what you are saying, and I know after reading some of the tales on here I am mortified as to what will happen. I think the best thing is to take it as it comes and don’t read too much beforehand, so far none of it has been as awful as we had imagined - and, even if it is, you can get through this.
hugs
I know exactly where you are coming from as I feel like asking the same question myself. I have my planning day next week as only had surgery two weeks ago, and am really nervous. I had chemo first starting in April 27th and had my last one on August 24th, then had my surgery on the 04th October. When I first got diagnosed I could have taken on the world but now I just feel so weak all of the time. I try so hard to be brave and have been so far, but this one last treatment seems to be scaring me more than ever. I know it will get through this as will you! We are very strong women!! I think I am scared that my wounds will not have healed in time for radiotherapy.
Hi! Kelly- good luck tomorrow, hopefully it will be ok for you. My dates have come through for all
my appoinments and onc meetings. As I have written on your other thread finish my Rads Boxing day at
10 am Thought I would be all finished By Christmas, we have certainly had to learn patience in this game.
You will be fine tomorrow, you have come on so much in this last 6 months.— best wishes Jeanxx
Hi Kelly
It will be JUST FINE tomorrow - if anything, the planning is just a bit boring as you can’t see anything! Lie back and think of England, Scotland, Wales, N Ireland - or the Maldives, Hawaii… When i was having the rads the radiotherapists had a Doris Day thing going on and I would listen along to the music, imagining Doris and Rock Hudson dancing off into the sunset. Que sera sera was a bit insensitive for cancer patients, I suppose, but anything that makes you think if something else is a bonus.
You’re on the final leg and rads is a breeze compared to what you’ve been through already. Can you treat yourself after the hospital tomorrow? Even a cup of tea is good - cos we couldn’t cope even with that after the chemo.
Good luck and let us know how you got on.
Sarah
XXX
Roadrunner
I’ve had several ECGs now and have had totally different experiences, from fully clothed and finished in 5 mins to a version similar to your own. I don’t understand why this is. I’m going to ask the BC nurse about it as I’m not going to accept the bare-all-for-30-mins ever again if I don’t have to.
Sarah
XXX
You’ll be absolutely fine. As everyone says, it’s a breeze, none of the machines touch you and the worst part is the daily travelling. You get quite a good banter going with the radiographers (as you see the same ones all the time) and we used to have a good laugh. Sometimes their taste in music leaves a lot to be desired, but that just added to my amusement. Honestly Kelly, there is nothing at all to be scared of, there are no yucky side effects, you might get a bit tired and your skin may go a bit red (neither of these happened to me), but that’s it. A lovely lady said to me ‘when you are having the radiotherapy, imagine it is filling your body with white healing light’, but you’re not really there long enough to think of anything! You can do this girl, it’s the easy bit.
Kelly
I had my planning last Thursday and start rads tomorrow. I did seem to have a lot of people in the room, all female except for my oncologist and he was only there for a couple of minutes. Only one of the people I didn’t know introduced herself which I thought was a bit rude. I won’t put up with that tomorrow but will demand to know who they are!! It was ok though as others have said. My arms were in the stirrups quite a while and when they said you can move them now, I said I couldn’t as they were so stiff! But the actual treatment will only take a few minutes so that shouldn’t happen again.
I have spent some of today trying to organise my rota of friends and neighbours who have volunteered to take me to the appointments, quite a task as I have 6 weeks of this and lots of volunteers.
I hope tomorrow goes well for you and I’m sure it will.
Hi Kelly,
Just wanted to wish you all the best for tommorow, I am sure you will be fine. Can understand you being nervous, I will be the same when my turn comes, but you have coped with alot and you will cope with this too. Keep Smiling!
Lots of Love and Hugs
Jillianxxx
thank you so so much for your responses, they are all very much appreciated! I’m soooooo sorry I haven’t responded before now, I have been totally maxed out and have had no time to log on.
The planning session was really ok, as you all predicted it would be! As I suspected there were a million people present, inc my onc, but they were all so nice to me. They told me exactly what they were doing all the time and were absolutely lovely. It was just a pain lying in that same position for a while!
So, rads start on Mon 5th Nov, I’m sure I’ll ‘remember remember’. I am having 15 and they said I will only be in there for around 10 mins each time so thats ok,
I hope all is well with those of you who have started rads now. Thanks again for all your support,