Hi,
I have not posted on here for some time!
I start radiotherapy 13/10/08 and I am having 15.
Is there any advice? A little worried…
Thank you
Melx
hi Mel,
I’m starting mine on 15th Sept. so I’ve been for my “planning session” last week. The radiographers will give you a leaflet to read through which explains the process and you can ask questions, of course.If you lie very still, this only takes about 25 mins. I thought it would take longer. I did feel rather like a piece of meat, I must say.
At the planning session you lie on a bed/trolley in a different room from that used for the actual rads. They take loads of measurements around the area of your chest which is to receive the radiotherapy. They use a machine which shines a light on your skin. They also make about four or five little pinprick tatoo marks, with your permission, at various places around the area. You can hardly see them. It hurts a little bit, but not too bad.Not like having needles stuck in your arm for chemo!! This is to allow them to line us up correctly when we go for our actual radiotherapy, so that the rays only go where they want them to.The actual rad session only takes about 10 mins, I’m told. Most of that time being taken with lining us up into the correct position.
Others will come on here and relate their experiences, no doubt. In general, it must be easier than chemo,but I know it’s not always the “walk in the park” for everyone. Especially if you have to travel some distance each day. That in itself is very tiring as the weeks go on, I’ve heard.
Hope this helps you.
Best wishes,
Ann xx
Hi Anne, Im starting mine tomorrow, so will let you know how it goes if it helps, have to travel an hour each way on the train, then bus or taxi, got my tattoos!
Hi Mel
I really did find rads easy after chemo. Going every day is a pain but hey, compared to chemo what do you want? Just use the acqueuos cream as they tell you and you will be fine. Where are you? Barts in London were fantastic for me last year. I found I went “pink” after it all finished and itched a bit, but that was all. Anne was dead accurate describing the initial appointment. We all do, but try not to worry. If you have done chemo you can certainly do this.
Love and strength
Dilys
xxx
Hi all,
Thanks
I Dilys Nice to hear from you I hope that you are doing well…
I am hopeing that I can cope ith the daily drive!!!
Not to sure on the zapping bit…
Thanks
XX
Mel
XX
Hi Mel,
I don’t want to sound too flippant but when I had 30 radiotherapy blasts the most inconvenient things was the trip to the hospital every day. Mind you the Clinic was spot on for efficiency. I lathered myself in the cream they gave me and was fortunate enough to ‘tan’ rather than burn.
Good luck
Hi Mel
Didn’t realise it was you! How goes it? Are you ok? The drive will be more taxing than the zapping I reckon. It really isn’t a problem so long as you can lie where you are put for minute or so. How is everything else my dear?
Love
Dilys
Hi,
Had my tattoos today! the tean were really nice!
Will start when I get back from Spain!!! 13/10/08
What creams would you advice!
Dilys I am doing really really well - considering that they told me in mar 08 that I had 4 months to live as I had very bad liver
secoundaries then to go through more chemo that knocked the hell out of me, more tests, liver biospys, ct scans mri etc…
only to be told on the 18th july that sorry you do not have liver secoundaries but just a badly scared liver from what you have
been put through!!! So as you can imagine, everything back on tract and I am living life with my family to the full!!!
It will take me 20mins to get to Wolverhampton hospital as I could not bear the drive to Stoke so my onc at Stafford refered me there, so hopefully
it wont be such a bad drive.
How are you doing? It is just so nice to hear from you. Meeting some of the girls in brummie tomorrow!
Big hugs
xxxx
Mel
xxxx
Just worried about the burning bit as my skin is still pretty sensitive from the taxotere!
Hi Mel
What a roller coaster ride you have had! Jeeez it beggars belief that they cocked up on diagnosing you with secondaries. I can only imagine what relief you had when they got it right!
Anyhow…I have just had my 13th rad session and have 7 more to do, 5 of which are ‘boosters’. The sessions are going ok and my boob has just turned pink. I am lathering cream on a couple of times a day and also putting Holland Barrett’s 99.9% Aloe Vera gel on too. I use an emollient cream but I advise you to get whatever cream you are going to use checked out with the radio team. Make sure that it doesn’t have an ‘metals’ in it as this reacts with the treatment.
I have found that radio is a breeze compared to chemo (3 FEC, 3 TAX) but EVERYONE is different. Exhaustion is a key factor in the treatment but if you ensure you have a kip when you need to - all will be well.
Hope your treatment goes well
Anita
Hi all, Starting rads on 11th September so good to know a few others at the same stage as me now.
Rachael
Aloe vera gel absolutely brilliant for me, didnt get any soreness at all. Put plenty on! Zoe x
planning day mid september and terrified already, just had last chemo this week. Its the build up to the next stage.
Glad everyone doing well
xxx
Hi Me -
Glad you are doing well. It was scary for me to start rads too, but I have just completed 3 weeks of it. It goes by quickly. I am feeling well enough to go back to work and travel between home to work to rads and back home again…so trust you will too.
I’ve had a few tussles with the radiologist mainly because he is very focused and brilliant when it comes to the physics of it all (which is what we want!) but not a people person. Just persist if the cream they give you is not OK or hydrating the area. We have worked it out.
As far as the treatment itself, it is very fast. I found the more horrifying part was the mapping. It seemed very dehumanizing. So now I just go to Mamma Mia in my head as the machine whirs around me.
Good luck with the rest of your sessions.
Emily
xxx
Hi Mel
I finished rads yesterday. Compared to chemo it was a doddle, I was fortunate in that I live 20mins drive from the Royal Marsden and I planned my sessions for early morning or late afternoon so I could still fit the rest of the day around them more easily than if they were at lunchtime.
Take note of the ladies who urge you to look after your skin - start moisturising right now. I started on aqueous cream then switched to E45, mainly cos when I had to buy more cream I was in the supermarket and they only had E45, but I preferred it. My skin got really sore towards the end. Initially they did rads on my whole breast for 25 sessions, and the skin has healed amazingly quickly when I went on to boosts that only concentrated on the side of my boob. I wear lots of cotton t-shirts as they felt nice, and I went bra-less but speak to the nurse if you are worried or unsure about anything as we are all so different.
On a lighter note. People often mention the inappropriate music that gets played while you’re having rads. Last week one of the female radiographers commented that they always admire my shoes and wigs (I have lots) and then I realised the song being played was “you’re so vain” 
started mine yesterday, 1 down 14 to go! worse bit was getting there and back! The music was bizarre - heavy rock, wonder what Mondays will be
Hi Mel!
To be honest, it’s been the tiredness that’s really got to me with the rads, I’ve done 18 of 20!
My journey to the hospital is an hour each way, plus the hanging around when you get there, means I’m out almost all day it seems
My skin has held up pretty well, and has just begun to get a bit red and sore in the last few days
Hope it all goes well for you, Rebecca