Hi Ladies, hope you don’t mind me butting in. I finished Rads at the end of February I have a full head of hair, and I can walk upstairs without puffing like an old lady. I am back to about 70% of how I used to be, although I have bad days that spring out of no where when I can be lacking in energy.
Keep going girls…This Too Will Pass
You should ask for it on prescription, as prescriptions for us are free for 5 years!
I had my first treatmnt yesterday and everything was fine. I met up with a lady who finished chemo at the same time as me and we compared notes. I’ve got more hair on my head than she has but she’s got eyebrows so I was a bit jealous. It’s maybe because we had different chemo regimes. Like me, she’s been told to keep well hydrated but is finding it a bit of a struggle getting enough fluids down as drinks of tea and even water still taste wrong. The rads only took a few minutes. I had a talk with a nurse to start with who explained exactly what would happen. She said the only cream they recommended was aqueous cream (I’ve got oodles of it as my husband bought me some from Superdrug and then I found they had it for £1 at Savers) which I can have on my skin while they are doing the rads. I was glad she told me as this had been puzzling me - I thought I’d need to wash it off beforehand. She also said, because of high demand for the machine, I might be asked not to come in for a couple of days and my treatment would have to be carried forward into another week, so I’ll just have to wait and see. I’m to have a gel pad over my left breast area for the first 5 sessions which she says will act as a sort of booster. It kept falling off even though I was lying very still.
My daughter came with me as it was my first time but I’ll go by myself from now on and it will probably be easier for me to go by bus rather than bother about parking as there’s a bus which goes from near my house. It was strange: my daugter was really upbeat and supportive while I was having chemo but she found yesterday a bit depressing. I think the chairs were too comfy for her in the waiting room and she went very sleepy. She’s been working 6 days a week and then doing volunteer work so I think it all caught up with her. I was worried she’d collapse on me before I got her home so it’s a good job I was feeling lively yesterday.
had my first rads today it was ok and quick but now my boob is so red if its like this after just one day then i dread to think what it will be like at the end of my last one
Now completed 12 out of my 15 sessions and so far so good. Skin is ok just have slight rib pain but only at night when i lay on that side. The worst part is the hospital keep changing my appointment time which is a right pain. Had a review on Friday last week and they said they would put a note to say dont change my appointment time by more that 1/2 hour. Went in today and they changed my last appointment by 2 hours - dont know why i bothered mentioning it. Braved the dentist today and only need a couple of fillings so onwards and upwards. Hair coming through nicely now - would just like it to be thicker so that i can dye it in time to go back to work in September hopefully. Hope all you ladies are coping ok with rads. xx
JAYNE
Finished 15 sessions today feeling ok but a little tired.
Had my treatment at the new Endeavour Unit at James Cook Hospital and the staff were excellent.
I used hospital transport and if I was ealy or late they fit me in for my appointment thay said that I should not worry about what time I would arrive.
I had the same staff every day and it was at the same time every day so they made it as easy and as pleasant as possible
Hi Ladies
9 of 15 completed today & first time with the gel pad which makes the machine treat the area close to the skin surface so that my MX scar gets a good dose. The downside is the skin is more likely to get a bit tender or sore now. Been very good so far& just been washing with Simple soap ( bar not gel) & moisturising with aqueous cream three times aday. Tend to have a snooze in tbe afternoon too. Saw my Onc whlst I was there for a quick catch up. He says the tiredness will be around for a while after thd treatment & can last weeks or months but intermittently. He said best advice is to rest when you come over tired. Have a quick nap & you’ll soon feel better ( not sure how you cope with this if you’re back at work lol…).
Hopeeveryone else is oK. So nice to not be having chemo anymore!
Twinky x
Hi
I’ve just had my 4th out of 15 treatments and so far so good. I’ only need one more with the gel pad and my skin is OK, just feels a little warm at the moment. I’ve been applying aqueous cream liberally. I only know at the end of each session what time my next appointment will be; so far they’ve ranged between 12.30 and 3.30pm. I had a very long wait yesterday but it was partly my fault. I’ve been used to waiting for ages to see the consultant at my own hospital and I just assumed this was what was happening at New Cross. Anyway, after nearly 2 hours I asked the receptionist what was happening as I needed to get home to collect my son from the school coach. It turned out, when I first turned up at the reception desk, the receptionist hadn’t ‘queued me in’ on the computer so the radiology staff hadn’t known I was there. I felt such a fool for waiting so long. All went well today and I managed to travel to the hospital, have my treatment and get back home, by bus, in under two hours.
Hi everyone. I am due to start Rads on the 7th of August so it has been interesting reading your posts. The thing that’s puzzling me is that I’ve to have 25 sessions? I had mx with immediate recon on 29th May. I noticed no one else mentioned 25 sessions and wondered if anyone could shed any light on this for me??
Doodles if you look back to earlier threads - think it’s either starting rads in February or it may be March, there are some ladies on there who had 20 or 25 sessions. I don’t know why. I assumed it must be due to the hospital and/or the machines. Maybe you get a smaller ‘dose’?? The rads info I was given at dx stated 3 to 5 weeks radio therapy.
Starting my radiotherapy in a couple off weeks so good to read you experiences. Am pretty fed up of chemo side effects so pleased to hear that this may not be so bad, most worried about the tiredness as am fatigued now.y
Hi Ndean
Like you I started rads still feeling fatigued from having chemo; last chemo treatment at the end of May. I’ve just finished my first week of rads and I’ve been OK until today, when I have to admit I felt really ‘off’ and so tired I just fell asleep for a couple of hours. I’ve perked up again now though. Perhaps it was a combination of tiredness from the rads and end-of-week-itis.
Thanks likeslicac for saying how it has been for you. A good short sleep can be a tonic. I use a relaxation cd from the hospital every day and find that helps me as well, 1,2,3 relax is my mantra!
Hope you get though the next few weeks ok.
Doodles - I had mx and immediate ld flap recon on 21st June. I am starting my rads on 20th August and am also having 25. Maybe it’s because of our surgery.
Jane
Hi I finished my rads last week.
This week Im really sore under my breast, I’ve got a dressing
On but instead of a green or yellow goo on the
Bandage it looked brown. I’m using mepilebad readings they
Stick to the skin.
Is this normal it’d still really sore and stings
Other than that I’m fine.
Any advice would be good.
Love fran
Ooh Fran, send you a gentle hug! I have two more to go. Just starting to glow in the area. I find slapping on cream & sitting topless in front of a fan rather pleasant! Just 2 rads to go. I finish as the Olympics starts.
Went to bed with nearly departed thumbnail wrapped in a plaster. Awake to a flapping plaster & no nail…yuk! Need to play hunt the nail.
Twinky x
Fran - is there a BCN who can check your sore area? Doesnt sound good to me. You could try going to the doctor or asking to see the nurset at your local surgery. You really don’t want a nasty infection x
Twinky
Hi Fran I finished my radiotherapy just over a week ago and my breast looked fine .
Four days after finishinf it suddenly became very sore underneath and the shin began to split my radiographer had sent a letter to my doctor explaining what to do if this happend. They prescribed flamazine cream which is used to treat burns. It soothed it immediately that was two days it still looks sore but it does not hurt.
Hi well I dont think the dressing I have helped
They were sticky and so I took it off and it
Had blood on it so I might ring the dr Tom and ask
For some of the cream because it’s really sore
The problem is that the radiography nurse doesn’t
Work on Fridays and my bcn has not been in touch. Since jan.
Anyway I’ll see how it Tom.
Thanks ladies xxx
Hi Doodle
I have also been told I am having 25 fractions, I think i saw something whichsuggested that15 fractions are what they will be going to work to soon, i think different oncologists have different regimes. ihad lumpectomy injan and recently finished chemo doesnt it take a long time