Thanks Moya and TTM - you are right of course. Onc did say she’d be writing to GP! I was just confused that the prescription couldn’t be taken to ANY chemist - partly due to the stress of the occasion - 20 minutes to get 20 miles to another hosp for OH’s trauma clinic appointment - didn’t want to be hanging around for prescription for something I can’t even take for at least 4 weeks! Needless to say we were late, but it didn’t matter too much!
Hi,
Would like to join your thread. I had therapeutic mammoplasty and SLNB on 15th March. Have grade 2 invasive lobular bc. Had 2 areas close together in same breast which is why had to go for TM as total area too big for lumpectomy,but I wanted to conserve my breast - well half of it anyway! Just got pathology results and thankfully clear margins and no lymph nodes affected so no chemo, but have planning appt with onc on 12th April, looking to start rads by end of April as long as wounds have healed. Was prescribed Femara not Tamoxifen by consultant, as even tho’ I’m not yet 50, blood tests show I’m well into menopause - but my GP has refused to prescribe Femara as says it’s too expensive and will only prescribe a generic brand of Letrozole. Everything comes down to money in the end.
I am not looking forward to the journey to hosp every day as it’s a 40 mile round trip, but was so glad when I found out parking will be free.
As has already been said, just want this to be over so I can get on with my life, as so far 2012 has sucked.
Good luck to all.
Caroline
xx
For all of you starting Rads I recommend aloe Vera gel but it must be 100% and use it twice a day. No burning at all and skin still soft. Keep using it after and you might avoid the dark skin tone that follows. My homeopath tells me aqueous cream is the worst possible thing you could use but I can’t remember why! Good luck ladies x
ITA Aloe Vera is brilliant although my oncologist hates it.
Hi Caroline,
Welcome to the group. You must have felt such a relief hearing you had clear margins and no node involvement, I’m very pleased to hear it as we don’t read a lot of good prognoses here.
I’m sure your planning app. will go OK, I didn’t know what to expect but found the experience easy and painless. I hope it’s same for you.
I’ve read on the forums of a few ladies refused Femara by their GP’s, it’s not good is it when cost dictates what GP’s can prescribe? If Letrazole doesn’t agree with you then try being insistent, I hope you are OK though with Letrazole.
Carrie35/Kit20, thanks for your comments re AV. A pharmacist recommended it to me and when I mentioned it at my unit they agreed it’s safe to use and had no objections.
I hope everyone’s well, enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Libby x
Hi Caroline
Welcome from me, too. I have my planning session on Thursday, 5 April and then start Rads approx 2 weeks after. I have escaped chemo too and am on Tamoxifen. Like you, I’ll have a significant journey each day (60 miles round trip) but it’s a good main road, fortunately. Yes, parking should be free or, if I have to get a ticket for £2.60 then can use it for 8 visits (with a ‘chit’ I have been given from Onc Dept. Certainly, not paying for parking does help.
I’ve noted your post, re Aloe Vera, Kit20 and will check this out on Thursday. So far, I have got myself a tub of Aqueous from Boots. Interesting that the homeopath says aqueous is worst stuff to use. I’d be interested why, so I think I will take a trip down to my local Holland and Barrett. Could do a ‘test’ on part of my skin and Aqueous on the rest, eh? Now, that might be interesting to see if there is any noticeable difference. I’m for ‘boosts’ too, so am interested in the ‘best’ way to deal with my skin.
Anyone got comments / experiences re such a ‘trial’???
I’m interested as to why some women are put on Tamoxifen and others on Femara/Letrozole. I’m post-menapausal, so maybe that’s why?
JCJ, sorry to hear your OH has appts at Trauma clinic. I hope things are progressing ok with that side of things.
Hedonist, I love your word ‘smurf’ for your blue colouring. I have a blue patch, about the size of a 10p piece. Do you, or anyone, know how long before these blue areas disappear?
Thanks, Libsue, for your confirmation re a pharmachist recommending Aloe Vera.
By the way, I have an Aloe Vera plant. Presumably it wouldn’t be advisable to try using that??? It would be 100%!!! 
Take care, everyone
Hi - I have no idea how long the blueness lasts but someone told me they thought it might be months! How lucky you are not paying for parking - I still have to pay £1 which is a reduction. It should be free I think. I would also line to know why aqueous cream is not good. I must admit I do prefer the smell of Aloe Vera - re the plant yes you can use the plant but I’m not sure how. I think if you snap the leaves the goo bleeds out. I too am having a boost at the end and would like to give my skin the best care possible. My onc said they will be starting a trial soon offering one week only of radiotherapy - will be very interesting to see the results. I am taking Arimidex and am also post menopausal. Well when I say taking them - I am still working up to it. I am finding I am now obsessed with the detail -like - should I have a showers before an 8am session or afterwards - oh the decisions. LoL xxx
Hello, can I join you?
My name is Sue and I start Rads on 16th April. I am having it for 5 weeks, and assume this will be 25 (or 24 with the bank holiday), but reading this thread, I am no so sure. I have the time of my first session and will get the rest then. I had my planning on 20th March, but the delay is because I am off on hols for just over a week.
I was diagnosed in September, had a MX with immediate recon (witht strattice mesh)in October and then 3xFEC and 3xTAX which started in November.
I am also on Tamoxifen - the onc gave me the note to take to the gp at my appt in mid Feb and told me to start taking them 2-3 weeks after my last chemo.
Still looking for some pure Aloe Vera as H&B had sold out when I was in there last week. I did get some Aloe Vera deodorant, which is metal-free to not interfere with the rads. I think it is the right stuff - the nurse was due to call me about it, but she hasn’t yet.
Welcome Sue
I’ve got Planning session on Thursday, then start Rads a couple of weeks after that, so could be the week after you start.
Thanks for the tip re Aloe Vera deodorant (aluminium-free). I’ve about to order some so hope it’s ok as it’s slightly perfumed, it seems. I’m not having axilla zapped though, so think it will be ok. Will check it out on Thursday.
Hope you have a good holiday. Will look out for your posts re your progress
Take care
Hi Hedonist
Thanks for your advice re the Aloe Vera plant. Yes, if you cut a thin slice off, the ‘goo’ is there. It’s lovely and cool so it will be good to use some of that.
Wow, Rads for one week! That will be brilliant. I’m going to be on the IMPORT High trial whereby having less rads to the larger area and more intensive rads to area where tumour with the boosts all being done in the 15 sessions, rather than the current 23 sessions (although I appreciate some centres are doing RT slightly differently). There is an IMPORT Low trial that is well underway now, or even finished but the Low was for people not requiring a boost.
So, it’s changing all the time, isn’t it?
Re whether to shower before or after, I’ve not given it a thought. As it will take me at least 1 hour from shower time to session if I were to go straight away, I don’t think it will make too much difference to me. I think I will avoid creaming before the session and then just lather it on afterwards and at night!
Hope you, and everyone, have a good week
Cheers
Hi all,
this thread seems to be gaining some momentum now which is great!
I had my planning (after Monday’s cancellation) on Friday, was there, seen and out in 10 minutes - got to the waiting room and there was NO-ONE else there, so went straight in. Got my blue roll for privacy (?!!!) PRIVACY??!! I ask you! lol. tattoos painless and quick. Funnny how all units are different - they said any moisturiser as long as it is unperfumed, so aloe vera fine. I had to sign a form saying I wasn’t pregnant! As if! Haven’t been that close to husband in months. I hope there will be a time in the not-too-distant future when I am “up for it” again. Sorry if tmi.
i am going to use diprobase and H&B aloe vera, apply liberally at frequent intervals.
Just went to docs and am now proud (?) owner of a tamoxifen prescription, but I am toos cared to start taking it so haven’t been to the pharmacist yet.
SO the rads start 10th April, 3 that week, 2 the next, and so on until 13 sessions are done (and 5 weeks are over with). My gear-changing arm still not brilliant from the surgery, and it’s a 35 minute trip so I have got a little rota of willing friends to take me there and back, which is fab, as it also means I will have some company 
Of course it all starts in the Easter holidays, and so I am packing the children off to my parents and mil for the week as otherwise I would have had to find somewhere for them to go as well, and I can’t trust them at home together as they are likely to kill each other! All oncology patients get free parking at our unit, which is great, as long as there is actually a space available!
So welcome to all, let’s hope this part of the journey will be relatively painless and quick!
love
Teresa xxx
Teresa
LOL at the “up for it” comment. My husband is hoping similar (about me, not you). I had to sign to confirm I wasn’t pregnant too. The most amusing one was when i had 2 nuclear scans a week apart, 3 weeks after surgery and i had to confirm at both that I wasn’t pg. It seemed pretty unlikely between the 2 appointments, but I guess they can never tell.
I was nervous about starting taking the Tamoxifen, but the flushes are only a little worse than on chemo and the irritability/mood swings are really not my problem. Everyone else has just learnt to duck
Sue
I’m liking your style, Sue!!
xx
Just thought I’d say hello to all the April Ladies - I started in March so I post on the March thread but I will finish my rads hopefully on the 12th April.
Big hugs for all of you
Mary M
Haha me too Sue xxx
Thanks for stopping by, mgsm
Not long for you to go now. Hope all goes well for the March ladies. I expect you will enjoy the Easter break, eh? Have a good rest.
Hope all April ladies are coping OK and can enjoy the Easter weekend
Cheers
Hi All
I’ve just got back from my first session, it wasn’t too bad at all, they sat me down and talked me through what would happen first then took me into the room, I was in the actual treatment room for about 20 mins and then off back home again. Just a bit of paper to cover me for modesty reason, but you soon learn that there isn’t much room for modesty when you have BC! I’m back again on Thursday for my next session.
I hope everyone is doing OK.
Weme
Good to hear from you Weme. Glad all went well! My turn this time next week. I assume your weepy wound sorted itself out? Busy this week and next as kids off on easter hols, but will be in touch.
Everyone else OK?
x
bump…
I’ve been waiting until after my clinic review to find out whether I’d be joining this thread or the surgery one next. I had neoadjuvant chemotherapy to shrink my bc tumours as I have swelling from oedema and thickened skin that needed to be sorted out before I can have my Mx. Chemo appears to have shrunk the cancer but not enough to operate on yet, so I’m having rads first in the hope that this will do the trick.
My planning session is on 10 April and will start 4 weeks of treatment on 24 April. Seems a long way off just now but expect it will come round fast.
I’m also likely to have monthly Zoladex injections and Tamoxifen but onc wasn’t about yesterday so waiting to find out if I’ll have this at the same time or after rads.