OK am on session 8 of radiotherapy and trying to manage my expectations! I’ve had minor spikey sensations very occasionally since the beginning. After Day 3 the radiotherapist said, “no, you can’t be feeling that now, it doesn’t come til later”. To which I accepted “Ok then!”
They are getting progressively worse and more often and more painful, and quite deep, I had only read more about surface skin issues, the next radiotherapist said it was how the nerve endings reacted after surgery. I should add I was only breastfeeding 2 years ago, not sure if this affects it also.
Just wondered it if gets much worse throughout: I have 22 treatments to go!
Hi BB
I have had first one today,but had 3 boosters last week.Boosters are normally given at end but as I am going on hol I have had mine first,just to be awkward!!
This evening I have felt a little tightening, and things just felt different,thought I may have been imagining it.My bc nurse suggested a while ago that I get a little hand held fan,so I got one from the pound shop,and have been blowing that,whilst watching Big Brother,sad I know,but am an addict.Anyway it did ease things,but it is day one so see how it goes,14 more to do.
I am sure lilacblushes will give some advice when she reads this,the fountain of all knowledge,ha ha (only joking lilac)
Hi BB
This unfortunately seems to be quite a common problem, I’m not sure if it’s just rads people who suffer this, my onc said it’s nerve damage, I only started to suffer it a short while after rads began. I had my last rads on 3/12/07 and experienced pains on and off for approx 4mths, gradually reducing. The only time I get it now is if I do a lot of ironing. Although the other weekend my husband and I were away for a short break in Norfolk and we played 18 holes at a pitch and put course, the action of swinging a golf club caused pains which woke me in the night.
Good luck with the rest of your treatments BB.
Mary I hope yours go well too and have a great holiday.
Best wishes
Caz x
I suffered exactly what you are describing about after 8 sessions. The radiotherapy inflames the already inflamed scar tissue which then hurts - the inflammation is quite deep too, not just superficial. Sometimes it felt as though someone was sticking a needle in, just for a second, but it hurt. To be honest, I don’t think the pain got worse or they increased in frequency much after that. They were certainly liveable with and I never needed pain killers or to postpone rads. I think once you know what it is and not serious, you tend to not notice as much. I am now a month off radiotherapy and absolutely back to normal.
I started rads last week and got the spikey pains after the first two. I mentioned it to the rdaiographers and they just looked at me like I was from Mars.
At least I know I am not going mad!
Had my 4th today and now feel a bit itchy so I am hoping it won’t get worse as I have to do 25 and the 8 boosts in total!
It’s not got worse, but when my 3 year old jumped on me the pain went through the roof…she now approaches me rather carefully! So be cautious!
The NHS have been fab fab fab. I have a newish unit and am very lucky, it has been well thought through, parking etc. The staff are just great and very sympathetic. I recently mentioned my dizziness/brain fog, weeks of waves of headiness/headaches & raised glands. They said: “you’d better go to the doctor, that’s not due to the treatment”…they could be right I’m sure. But am fine, it’s Ok, my body’s battling i think.
In life there is nothing like personal experience. Exactly how I sense and feel the reaction of my body to it all is probably unique. I’ve heard how many people use positive imagery etc to battle cancer, and I am sure there is a huge power in it. When I exchanged with my superb Breast cancer care phone counsellor she said it took her back 6 years to exactly what she felt. So it’s a martian club at least!
Dare I mention my body “buzzes” at night when I try to sleep?!! I can hear it cooking, yes, I am going mad.
Hi rads anoymous !!! Getting the sharp pains last few days , they stop me in my tracks, hope I do’nt get one in the middle of s/burys OOHH OOHH!!! 16 down 9 to go. away this weekend Fri till mon am , tagging todays on at the end and mon late appt. Started tamoxifen , not to bad early days , so I wo’nt shout to loud. Thinking of you all … Lots of love Bobbiexxx If you have been watching the JEN / ANNEMARIE COFFEE THREADS WE FINALLY GOT TOGETHER ON MON 7th JULY> Hoorah!!!
Hi there rads ladies … this fountain of knowledge (lol) missed this thread when it appeared.
Yep - I still get the sharp spikey pains, mainly in my arm and it’s nerve pain … different to other sorts of pains, did get them ikn my boobie too but that seems to have calmed down to almost nothing now… of course the check-out queue in Asda is where most of these things happen.
I find the arm acts up if I do repertative stuff like ironing or washing windows. I tend now to set the ironing board up on a Sunday morning and just do little spurts throughout the day, windows I leave until absolutely necessary and restrict to one at a time.
What annoys me is that if you mention you are experiencing a pain or whatever to the rads team they coem out with comments like ‘oh that will happen but not for a few weeks’ … how can they tell you that you are not in pain when you’ve jsut spent the last half hour rubbing your boobie cos it was sore!
Yo Lilac you get every where. Im putting my tuppence worth in here as today 2 years after my rads it is bloody itchy around my rads area has been since yester day no idea why.
May be its the warm humid weather we have been having.