thanks folks - ive got some 99% aloe vera gel and have started usuing it - my treatment not due to start til end of may
will investigate deodrants
thanks for all tips etc
claire
hi ladies,
thanks for the advice everyone, i will get the 99% aloe vera gel,
i will probably use simple products, shower gel and moisturisers,
glad to hear that its not like chemo, the thought of that scares me…
maybe our paths will cross at the QE we need to wear a badge or something so that we can identify each other lol
all the best everyone love liz xxxx
Won’t it be great if we do have a chance to say hello? Perhaps later on we can compare appointment times.
Cheryl
Hi cheryl,
yes once i get my official appts, we can liaise and have a coffee or something,
it would be lovely wouldnt it?
you watch the radiotherapy department will be full of us lot off here lol,
love liz xxx
The place will never be the same again.
Cheryl
watch out QE!!!
bump to see if anyone else going to QE for rads in near future???
been to QE today for CT scan/tatoo etc. journey yuk - selly oak usual nightmare for traffic. everything at rads centre very well organised and staff lovely.
cant believe i stayed still for the whole of the scan - its very strange isn’t it? quite noisy and as if something whizzing around me - i shut my eyes
tattos almost invisible on me - one under eacharmpit and one inbetween my boobs - hope they can find tattoos - i am quite dotty anyway on my skin so hope they dont line up to one of my moles n not tattoo. wondered if tatooing would sting but it was just like a little scratch
surprised to be told to not use aloe vera gel during rads cos it is mentioned a lot on the forums- can only use E45, aqueous cream and simple bars of soap not simple shower gel
start actual rads on thursday 26th may
claire
HI, I think the reason many women complain of the tiredness and fatigue is that many of them have a long journey (or even a fairly shortone) to have treatment. This in itself can be so tiring, day in, day out! Try to eat a varied and balanced diet, lots of green veggies and drink lots of fluid too. I am having 3 weeks radiotherapy soon (have planning on the 25th May) but have tips from sister in law who has now finished hers recently. Tiredness was her only side effect, a bit sore, but just like sunburn. Luckily, I have only a 5 minute drive to my hospital which is just down the road from me, so I am lucky in that respect, I could walk I suppose, but get free parking anyway. I have already been told not to use anything on the boob prior to treatment, but I am generously putting E45 on it now so that it is moisturised. I think if your skin is dry at the beginning, it may crack, but if it is supple and moisturised well, then it may stay OK. I am a bit worried about the staying still thing too, what if I sneeze?
chris
I was told last time that some aloe vera gels contain ingredients which could react badly, and I suppose they don’t really have time to check everything that everyone might bring along in such a large centre. I wonder if it would be ok to put it on over weekends, so long as it was washed off carefully. I certainly used it before and after my last course of rads, especially on the scar. The gel we have is supposed to be very pure (got it in Spain).
I’m sure they are going on the better safe than sorry prinicple.
Cheryl
I just did not use any deodorant until all the post-rads soreness had gone on that side. I am convinced I did not smell!
Biggest tip I can pass on is: after a shower or bath, lie down and dry your armpit and under your breast with a cool hairdrier.
starting tomorrow…anyone else going to QE at the moment?
claire
Not for two weeks. I had the scan on Monday. I’ve asked for mornings after the rush hour, so perhaps our paths will cross.
Cheryl
hi everyone,
been for the planning today, start rads on 9th june i too have asked for an early appointment so who knows we may meet, we should wear a flower or have some other way of spotting each other lol,
all the best ladies, sizzle away !!! love liz xxx
first one done - in there for about an hour in total. well organised. it took a while today for nurse/radiographer to check details/explain stuff etc.but wont have to do this again. actual treatment took about 15 mins and most of it was adjusting my position on the bed etc. waited for about 15 mins to go in.
it wasnt uncomfortable - just need to lie still but i just feel as if i dont want to play this game - didnt want to be there at all!!
I was trying so hard to be positive about being there but then the nurse gave me tomorrows appointment- seems they only give appointments a day at a time - not good when relying on friends to take you on an hour each way trip across Brum, and be home for kids afta school. He gave me 4pm on friday - which would mean crossin brum in the rush hour!! and this is despite “late morning” preference for appointments being on my notes.
i cried then, cos the friend due to take me tomorrow would not be able to do that time as she needs to be home for the school run. the nurse must have wondered what on earth he was dealing with - a sobbing woman. Anyway he gave me a slot mid morning instead but with the message you will hjave to wait a long while. i have no apps for next week as yet which is difficult for me to deal with n plan being on my own with kids - I hope i dont have to go through this every day for 5 weeks. it was worse than the actual treatment.
cheryl/elizabeth tracey - i will find a badge or something to pin on to my top so that we can identify each other
claire x
Hi ladies, I started my first RT at QE on Wednesday (14 left to do), next week am there in the afternoons, Tuesday at 2.30, Wednesday at 2, Thursday 5.40 p.m. (one of the rooms is out of action on Thursday and Friday 2.30 p.m. If anyone else has similar times, give me a shout.
Karen from Sutton Coldfield
Hi little angel - jo here
just joining in here as am on same regime as you time wise. 2 down now & already pink & sore. at least it’s the bank hol so getting a 3 day break
people have mentioned hydrocortisone cream - would we get that prescribed or can you just buy in & would chemist hand over on explanation or quiz an hour before??? - some can be a bit heavy handed on the should you be having this scene???
hi jo - i really dont know about creams etc. i have got to the stage where i dont know what advice to accept from hospital - ive been using aloe vera gel prior to rads but then when i went for rads planning the nurse said No - although others at other hospitals have used it.
all i am using and (on instruction of hospital) is simple soap and aqueous cream althogh nurse on friday said are you using aqeous cream? i said yes and she said it wont stop skin burning
i just dont know what to do for the best.
i havent had a brill start to rads due to worrying about times of appointments and getting lifts etc
Hi Little angel,
I was told that the hospital weren’t allowed to “recommend” anything other than aqueous but accepted that aloe vera (as near to 100% as you can get, i had 99.9% from Holland and Barrett) is good and probably better. Certainly it worked for me. I had 20 rads and barely burnt at all. Used aqueous to moisturise later on as I got drier skin and the heavier cream felt like it was helping but slapped loads of aqueous on and seem to have got away without too much discomfort. Hope it works as well for you xxx
Hi Ladies,
May I butt in? I finished 20 rads last Wednesday and everyone has commented how well my skin has held up even though I’m quite fair. The hospital (private) gave me aqueous cream before I started but were happy for me to use aloe vera gel as well, so I used aloe vera morning and lunchtime and aqueous in the evening. Half way through when my skin started to go pink,the hospital supplied me with aloe vera gel. They recommended going bra less whenever possible and when I needed to wear a bra, to put in a silk scarf where the skin was likely to be rubbed.
Saw the clinical onc last week. She said the skin would continue to “cook” and so continue using the aloe vera for 2 months, if it became sore to buy hydrocortisone cream from any chemist, gave me some sterile gauze pads to use if the skin broke and said to ask GP for gel pads if necessary but I haven’t needed any of this. Am wearing my ordinary bras all the time now,skin is faintly pink and occasionally itchy but otherwise as before.
Hope this helps. Loula