Looking after skin during radiotherapy - I didn’t use any showergel/soap in the entire area. I used aqueous tub cream (just the cheap stuff from the supermarket) all through radiotherapy, but was careful not to come to my evening appointments with a thick layer sitting on the skin (I used to cream up every morning). I used deodorant in the day, but had a quick clean off before coming to appointments. Then when I got home I used to cream up again. All my appointments were in the evening - 7.00 onwards, that was best for me to get to after work. It was always quiet in the evenings too, roads clear and all parking restrictions lifted. Bonus! It will be a breeze after the surgery and all the other stuff, so don’t worry. The skin may well get red/brown/sore towards the end of treatment and for the 2 weeks after you finish. They will give you masses of advice on looking after it. Also, as Char says, skin will be hugely sun-sensitive from now on, so slather on the factor 50 on neck/chest area. Byeeeee Anna.
Hi beamers, another lovely sunny day
When I went weds to get measured up for my rads they said to buy either aqueous or e45, no deodorant, perfume (as will sting) and to use the brand simple shower gel.
I got a bit excited when he said I was having a free tattoo, but just 3 tiny dots…
I’m going to have my new boobs tattooed with flowers when I’m healed…
Must buy sun block is getting warm now!
Lou xx
Hey Pam, just make sure that you don’t arrive for appointment with cream sitting on surface of skin. I think they don’t want anything to interfere with the rads. Maybe cream up afterwards, when you get home?
Good luck. And Lou, my ‘tats’ are nearly invisible!
My skin is SO sun sensitive. A morning at the allotment, and I’ve got sunburn even though I was wearing factor 50… Love A
Hey PaulS, It is a tricky thing worrying about recurrence and feeling the black cloud over us. When I’ve raised it with my counsellor she directs me back to the positive scenario, the good stats and the effective treatments I’ve had and always to look at the most likely scenario i.e. no recurrence… she has been helping me to think of the ‘what if?’ negative scenario as the ‘wrong train’, and when thinking like this, I need to get off it and get onto the right train. Visual metaphor …Sounds bonkers but it works for me. Get off that train!!! I don’t think it helps that C is in the news so much right now, everywhere I look there’s another C story. And there’s a new TV drama series ‘The C Word’. I won’t be watching that one. I do think that the fears will gradually recede into the background, I can’t say what the timescale will be. I’m sure we’ve all got this personal struggle, and some of us will be better at pushing it away than others. Personally I feel quite angry. This f****** illness has had enough of my time, and I won’t let it have any more …
Keep posting if it helps. Love, Anna XXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx
Sounds like you are having a great time Den
Anna, I love the train idea! I’m about to hop on the right train…my mum also had breast cancer and she said at the time you think you’ll never stop worrying will come back, but after treatment and you are back to your old busy life you have less time to think about it and as you see you are healthy month after month the thoughts fade, until you don’t think about it anymore we are different and cope and think in different ways, but I get very anxious about it coming back…
Just in waiting room to see oncologist…
Xxx
Hey Pam, sorry that you are feeling low, but I can totally understand it. You are still in treatment, so you are in survival mode pure and simple. I did absolutely no gardening, walking, exercise, sport or anything especially nice whilst I was having rads. It took all my energy to get myself up to the hospital each day, to lay still on the table without freaking out as that huge great scary machine stared down at me, whilst trying not to think about what was going on in my body. Then you have to look after the skin, so cream on … Thinking about it, it was pretty much a full time job! So please don’t be hard on yourself, you are doing so well, you’ve got your head down and you are getting on with it. And it is crap, but not as crap as the chemo… The recovery bit will really and truly come next. There’s all the time in the world for getting your body back in condition, and to enjoy things like the garden once more. This summer you will feel like a different woman, and will be putting this behind you. I hope I don’t sound preachy but I totally know how you are feeling now and it won’t always be like this. Love Anna.
Oh dear Pam, big hugs to you, I could write reams of lovely encouragement like the other great ladies have done, but you are the only one who can decide to get off the negative train and get on the positive one, fantastic analogy by the way Anna!! It’s a very personal ride and we are all different, and some need a bit longer to deal with things and worry about everything no matter what happens,so if you need help changing trains then professional counselling will be available to you, you just have to ask, phone your bc nurse, or the unit, or your gp surgery,and tell them how you are feeling, you may need a hand changing trains but when you decide to do it you’ll feel so much better!!!
I’m feeling great, almost normal really, nails are gross, hairs about 1 and half inches long, but the hot sweats are easing and like you Pam I’m not totally knackered anymore!! I saw oncologist last week, see surgeon every 6 months, see oncologist every 6 months for 5 years, have first mammogram a year after the diagnosis one, so that’ll be in June, I’m back to my normal fitness routine, not going as mad as I did for 20 years though, fat lot of good it did me eh lol!!
For my holiday in Portugal I’ve got insurance with our bank account, but doesn’t cover anything bc related, but that’s fine, as my oncologist said " you can call yourself disease free now, ", I don’t feel any side effects would warrant insurance, don’t think they’ll pay out for extra hot sweats on the beach ?, take care girls, remember “don’t let a bad day or two make you think you have a bad life!!” Lots of love xxx Sam
Hey Den, what about caffeine shampoo - Alpecin? They do a lady version now, presumably less manly that the original which whiffs like Brut. It made my daughter’s hair grow like crazy when she fancied growing out a bad dye job … also you can massage the scalp 5 mins every time you shampoo, and that stimulates the wee follicles. I have chin length, straight, blonde hair. About half my usual head of hair and very fine and wispy … the new stuff is also very thin and soft, like toddler hair! Boy is it easier to manage than my old, ultra thick wavy barnet! So silver linings all round eh? Roll on holidays … Portugal sounds lovely Sam. Just what the doctor ordered. We are off to Poldark-land, it’s all filmed just where we go. Love Anna.
Hi everyone, I know I’ve been absent for a while, sorry. Just wanted to drop in and share the joy…it’s my last radiotherapy session today, wooohoooo!!! I absolutely can’t wait to be out of treatment and left alone to get on with things. I have a lot to do, a lot of it, like you Anna, involves weeding and planting Just love getting out on my allotment , it is definitely the best stress relief and I’m super excited because I’m getting a new shed for my birthday next week, hahaha!
I refuse to worry about recurrence or anything like that. If this journey has taught me one thing it is to sieze the moment and not try to second guess the future, be it half an hour’s time or half a year. And to spend more time appreciating all the good little things.
Wishing you all good, rapid hair and nail growth, and lots of love,
Congratulations Ness!! Great feeling isn’t it, enjoy every second of your allotment, I’m the same with my garden, and I’m also the same on the outlook of life, I simply refuse to be wasting time worrying about the future, instead I spend time enjoying it!! Lots of love xxx Sam
Hi Sunbeams!! Just finished watching The C Word… What an amazing and very real look into the world of chemo for the civvies!! Lisa Lynch was an inspiration for me through my little sisters C Roadtrip, and then for my own, we are all different and that’s cool, I find watching things like this are fabulous for perspective, especially when you balance them out with 8 out of 10 cats does countdown,!! No guarantees in life, love or low bridges, just enjoy and decide to be happy, positive and all that good stuff,nanight girls xxx Sam
Couldn’t watch it either PaulS. Too chicken! I’m not great handling the less positive outcomes regarding BC. I know it’s a real story and that upsets me too much. Too many resonances with my own dear sister. I’d like to see a drama with someone putting BC in the past, and going on to live for another 40 years … now that’s what I call a really great story! Anna X
I couldn’t watch either. After other BC news over the weekend too, I’ve had a very wobbley weekend and not feeling great. Need to find my positive train again. Good luck Pam with the rest of your rads - your nearly there ?. Take care everyone xx
I did watch it, it was hard being so close to home but glad I did. Great actress and very moving.
How are you all? Rad nearly finished now Pam have you joined one of the radiotherapy groups on here? I found it quite helpful to hear how others were managing it.
Started jogging again last week, wow hard going but will get my fitness back again. Can’t believed how quickly the days go by. Back working and running around after the kids. Have a good day ladies. We are all amazing xx
Hey beamies, good luck gals doing the rads … you are amazing. Nutty, you OK? You sound down. Hope spirits lift, what a fecking rollercoaster… ps new hair now long enough to stick straight up - like a mohican! I look so wierd. Love Anna.
Just love getting out on my allotment , it is definitely the best stress relief and I’m super excited because I’m getting a new shed for my birthday next week, hahaha!