Just a quick update, I had my second session today and it was much faster. They told me today that an appoinment has been made for me to see my onc during week 3, I don’t know what that’s for as I have review appointments already made every other week, I will have to wait and see. They are putting a gel thing on me whilst I’m having rads, apparently that will make the rads apply more to the skin area which is where the cancer was.
Teresa, my weepy wound stopped weeping on Sunday evening, I think it must have just been where the scab fell off, it must have got caught on my clothes and perhaps it wasn’t quite ready but I didn’t say anything.
I’ve been trying to work this week but I still have problems with concentrating for any length of time and I get easily distracted.
Welcom Gail5 to our group of merry people, I hope you planning session goes well and the rads do their work.
Must go and write a report, it isn’t going to well at the moment and I’m meant to have it finished by the end of today - not much chance of that!
I hope you all have a great easter, though the weather has taken a turn for the worse, isn’t it so much colder now!
Hello again April folk. I just wanted to know if anyone has any advice about underarm hair removal during rads. My understanding is that shaving and waxing is not allowed but hair removal cream is ok. Although I wont chance anything during rads I am thinking about using the cream on the affected side now as my rads don’t begin until 16th. Anyone had any experience or advice to offer?
Have a lovely Easter. Marian xx
Hi Marian
I’m really not sure - I guess you are OK to use it now, but my gut feeling would be no during the rads as it would surely irritate the skin.
I am going to ring my onc on Tues before I go up to the hospital as I have some really niggly rib pain on the Mx side, which is worrying me - has anyone else had this? I wondered if it could be lymph or something? My GP didn’t have much of a clue! I guess they would pick anything up on the planning CT scan, as it will have scanned the area, but just more to worry about
Weme, glad your wound healed. I had a little bit of the stitch poking out the end of my scar and gave it a little tug, more started coming out so I panicked and cut it off!! Yeah what happened to the weather? Hope that wasn’t our summer!
Welcome Gail from the november chemo forum!! hope all will be well with this radiotherapy and it will help those stubborn tumours.
I’ve had a bit of niggly pain in the rib area, I just assumed it was all part of the healing process, my armpit hurts as well at times and my arm is still super sensitive in places. It all keeps waking me in the night when I roll over and I just wish it would all go away! Blasted bc, what more have we got to put up with?
Marian, I still have no under arm hair since it fell out from chemo, if you’ve had you lymph nodes out it advises against hair removal cream and suggest using electric shaver as the safest option so you don’t cut yourself, I wasn’t told anything at my rads session about hair removal, I suggest you ring and ask, if in doubt, always ask! Reading your post again, maybe it was waxing that wasn’t allowed… I will have to find the leaflet and read it again!
hi guys, started rads on tuesday 3rd april, had 3 so far not too bad my boob has swollen and is a lovely shade of red with the scar hurting a small amount but so far so good will keep you all posted as im have 20 sessions 15 all over boob and 5 on the scar area but if this gets rid of cancer my kids can have their mum back to nagging again!!!
Thanks Weme and Queenie for posting your experiences with rads, it’s so helpful for those of us waiting to start. I have my first 19th Apr, and will keep looking by to see how you are getting on. I’m having same as you Queenie 15 + 5. Wishing you both well, and I hope you don’t suffer too much. I understand rads are a walk in the park compared to chemo, the downside being travelling to hospital daily, but Teresa and you Weme (I think) are having rads every other day. Whatever our planning and how many sessions, we’ll get through it, we got through chemo and if we can do that we can do anything. We are all going to be so strong at the end of this bl**dy awful journey.
I start my rads on 18th at Addenbrookes in Cambridge. Thanks to those who have posted their experience, it is very reassuring. Will post likewise. So glad that i can finally see the end of hospital appts. Oh happy days.
Weme - Good to hear your wound’s getting better. I think I’ll be getting an extra dose to the skin area too, but not sure if they use a gel for this yet.
Weme/Teresa - Hope the rib pain settles down and is just part of the healing process. It’s only natural to worry about everything just now.
Marian - I’m also not sure about using hair removal cream. I think for rads it’s probably OK before you start but don’t think you could use it during. Might be OK if they’re not targetting under the arm area, which they don’t seem to do if you’ve had a full ANC, but probably best to check first. Must try to remember to add that to my list of questions for the planning session.
My onc has decided it would be a good idea for me to start on Tamoxifen just now so just need to wait a few days for the letter to come through to my GP. No mention of Zoladex so keeping quiet as I’m just getting used to not having the Neulasta jab after chemo now.
Don’t be worried, rads are not too bad and the s/e are liveable with. I know it is difficult but try to keep excercising your arm, particularly stretching it. I took two painkillers and excercised it while I was recovering and it helps prevent cording. As far as I know the rads should not make it worse.
Back from a week of grey weather on holiday (apart from Thurs when the sun on the deep snow was beautiful!) - gutted after the lovely weather the week before! Wednesday, when we had 3" snow, we were completely housebound as OH recuperating from badly broken leg - caused by slipping on ice, 9th Feb! - and I’m normally neurotic about ice and snow, and even more so at moment. Our cottage was at the top of a VERY steep hill, so getting the car out was out of the question too! Thank goodness they ploughed and gritted so we were only stuck in for one day!
Got home today to find a BT answer message, left on Wed, from UHCW telling me to ring to confirm my rads planning appointment. Can’t ring til Tues now cos of the Bank Hols. Grrr! I hope I haven’t missed it. Onc said last week that it would be 3 or 4 weeks! Our holiday dates have been on all my forms since diagnosis in January!
RE shaving dilemma. Onc BC nurse told me to shave using electric razor, and not to use ANY deodorant. She said to use aqueous cream (of course a homeopathist won’t recommend that - it’s readily available and dirt cheap!) and to use pure Aloe Vera cream IF NECESSARY - but she said not to buy that yet because it is expensive and I may not even need it. I was also told to shower before rads sessions using only simple or baby soap. I saw somewhere that Sainsbury’s pure soap was Ok, so I’ve already bought that, but she wasn’t sure about that. I’ll have to check the ingredients!
Sorry about the bad weather conditions, JCJ, and how maddening to have missed the call from the Hospital, I’m sure they’ll make an appointment soon, my planning app was abt three wks before my rads sessions started.
I forgot to mention to all - my BCN recommended I start to use aqueous cream before my rads sessions start as the more moisturised the skin the less chance of burning/breakouts. I was also told deodorant is a no no, baby wipes to freshen up were suggested. Oh, and told to use aqueous for washing in the boob/underarm area.
I’m fortunate as since being post menopausal I’ve hardly had underarm sweat, previously I had a BIG problem and used deodorants which contained aluminium chloride, they were very effective but, I do wonder if they were a cause toward my BC - my tumour was right of my right breast very close to underarm.
Hope you don’t mind if I join this thread, having been on ‘starting chemo in Oct’. I’m hoping to start rads in April but have been unavoidably delayed because of all suitable staff being on holiday when I’m supposed to see them.
Had a bilateral mx and anc on Mar 9th after neo-adj chemo. Post-op I didn’t see my surgeon for results (as he was on holiday) but another surgeon who said there was a good chance I wouldn’t need rads as chemo and surgery had been so succesful; but I would have to wait to see a clinical oncologist to find out. However, no appointments available for a fortnight (because of staff holidays), so I had to wait again. When I finally went last week, I had a bit of a breakdown when I was told that of course I’d be having rads - never an option; but I left without having signed anything as my arm movement is very limited because of cording (despite doing all exercises) - and the one physio who can deal with it is on a 2 week holiday. Aaarghhh!
So I may have to move to May thread.
Also, just ready to return to driving and lots of walking and got sudden acute sciatica on Saturday, with very numb/weak leg. So no driving and can hardly walk. Hoping it’s not anything to do with BC.
Am also put on weight at a rapid rate. I eat quite frugally and have been the same weight for years - but 3/4 of a stone in 3 weeks? What’s going on? I’m just on Herceptin at the moment. Anyone had this?
Hi saskia,
I remember you from the october forum, glad to hear from you again. You are in about the same position as me, starting rads 5 weeks after surgery. I start tomorrow and had op on 1st March. I too have had awful cording, but I keep stretching it and it is getting better - I have had to stretch it way beyond the comfort zone, but once I had a snapping sensation and another couple of times I had some kind of grinding feeling and it’s much improved. I am convinced the pain I am getting near my ribs is cording in the trunk area, as it too is worse when I stretch it out. I hope that’s all it is! Hopefully you will start rads in April along with us Sorry to hear about your sciatica too - it is more hassle isn’t it? Hope someone else can answer your question about weight gain. Have you started tamoxifen or anything as well? I have heard that can cause weight gain.
It is so hard making appointments, the services are so vastly overstretched aren’t they? My onc’s secretary told me he has 1000 patients on his list, and there are about 6 consultant oncs there. An incredible number of peopoe with cancer needing treatment.
Libby I am using no deodorant at all which is quite liberating, if somewhat damp!! I’m pretty sure I don’t smell, but we’ll see how it goes during the summer.
Eeeek wish me luck for tomorrow, ladies - will let you know how it goes.
Hi all, I’d like to join this thread please. I start 3 weeks of rads tomorrow and will be interested to hear of others experiences with skin irritation etc. I’ve read that doing exercises during rads helps with mobility, shoulder, arm etc is this right? I had lymph node removal surgery Dec with complications from seroma & haematoma so its taken until now to have rads. I finished chemo in Nov. I was diagnosed on 12th April 2011 so its nearly Ist anniversary since diagnosis.I’m feeling ready to put this whole experience behind me now after rads so I’m hoping to get through this without too many problems. I had mastectomy/expander implant so not sure if irritation might be worse on skin, burning etc. I’ve been using aqueous cream in readiness on mastectomy/implant side and I’m also using 99% Aloe Vera as I’ve read this is really effective. Has anyone else been using creams to prepare skin?
I was rubbing e45 cream into my wound and arm (I am hoping that the massaging of the arm may help with the sensitivity in the area) but since starting rads last week I have invested in some aloe Vera lotion which I am now using. They recommend you take any creams or lotions into our dept for them to check the ingredient out, the said you can use aqueous cream if you like where we are but dont hand it out.
Good luck with your first session tomorrow Teresa, maybe we may catch up with each other at some point.
I’ve been using aqueous cream Jube in preparation for rads, my sessions start 19th Apr.
Teresa, good luck for your first radio tomorrow I’m sure it will be fine, can’t be anything like as bad as chemo can it! Do let us know how you get on, and what creams etc you’re advised to use.
Just got my planning appointment: Friday 13th! Oh no! Original mammogram was Friday 13th Jan and I passed a comment about that (in jest, I’m not really superstitious - that backfired!:() It looks like it could be May before I actually start. Maybe I’ll have to start a May thread. It’s all the waiting that gets to you isn’t it?!
Hi All
Last week and counting down to first rad next Monday. Yes the waiting is so tedious - you just feel like everything is on hold. I had my surgery on 17th Feb and didn’t have chemo so thought I wod be well underway by now. I guess on the positive side I have had plenty of time to exercise and moisturise LoL. So Pleased your first session went well Theresa.
Is anyone swimming? I have found swimming really helpful as it stretches my arm and shoulder. I asked if swimming was ok during rads and have again had conflicting advice - BCN said no and radiographer said it was ok so long as I rinsed off all the chlorine. I might give it a go - anyone else wanting to swim?
Marian x
Saskia - Hope you get your appts sorted out soon. My unit phoned me last week about my planning appt in case the letter didn’t come through with the Easter holidays and it still hasn’t arrived, so just as well they did.
JCJ - Good to hear you got your date for planning appt. I’m sure the date is nothing to worry about this time.
Libby - Your comments on underarm sweat has me wondering whether that might be a positive SE of Tamoxifen. Hope so.
Teresa - That’s great your appt was on time. It makes such a difference when we spend so much time at the hospital.
Jo - I’ve also heard it helps to keep up the exercises but as I’ve not had surgery yet I can’t speak from personal experience.
Had my planning session today and tattoos done now. Was a bit disappointed as thought I’d get my first treatment on 24 April but looks like the first one is a verification check to make sure I’m lined up properly for the machine. Won’t get my first zap until the next day. Not sure what happens if I’m not, it’s a bit late to remove the tattoos now.
I get to have a day off for my birthday on 14 May. Also for 15 May - maybe they think I’m going to have a big celebration and need another day off to recover, but expect it’s just a coincidence. Last treatment day should be 24 May.
