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
love pops
Hi Everyone thought I would pop in to see how your all doing. I finised my rads a week ago yesturday (15 High Port) it went well pretty painless after the experience of chemo. My skin is a bit sore this week my nipple is very tender and a funny green colour but just continueing with the cream and keeping an eye on it. I do feel tired just had a 20 day break between treatments so that hasunt helped but all in all not as bad as I expected. Going for bone scan next thursday then follow up with oncoligist to decide medication so nearl all done.
Good luck to all who are still on the road the end is in site.
Big Hugs
Linda
PS My hair is still not growing cant wait to get it back will help to get back to normal. x
Hi Everyone
Just had day 2 of not going to the hospital after finishing rads last Friday! Great to have my time back tomyself. Skin still cooking so slapping on the cream & watching lots of Olympics. there’s so much on it’s hard to know what to watch next so just been sticking to whatever they are showing on BBC1 & 2.
Not nice losing nails is it. Second thumb nail
Nearly off. It’s a relief when it does finally detach as it’s a bit sore when coming off. Looks like all the fingernails & some toe nails will go tbe same way. Grey fuzz on head getting quite thick now but not long. What appears to be happening is that the initial fluff is falling out & beinf replaced by stronger hair hence the lack of length for the time being. I’m still just wearing my baker boy hats when i go out but don’t wear anything the test of the time.
Feeling a lot brighter now I’m not back & forth to the hospital butstill very tired. I must push myself though & start little walks to build up my stamina. Would like to climb the stairs again without feeling like I have the lungs of a 90 year old.
Twonky x
Hi. I’m almost finished; three more to go. My skin seems OK and I keep liberally applying the aqueous cream. All my toenails except the big nails have gone, and they’re discoloured and detaching themselves. My fingernails are just ridged so I’m hoping I can keep them. I’ve noticed my chin hairs have made a triumphant return but the hair on my head is still fine and fluffy. I can also feel a shiny bald spot at the back. I’m feeling a bit down at the moment even though physically I’m not too bad. I think it’s because my family expect me to be back to normal by now and I don’t know what normal is any more. I’m due to go back to work at the end of September so hopefully I’ll feel brighter then. Best regards to everyone. xx
Hi Ladies
I have one had 4 of 15 treatments, however I should really be on number 8 today and nt number 5. My lovely unit keeps moving and cancelling appointments which is really frustrating. Whether it is the rads or everything combined, I am really tearful at moment which is so not me.
I have the gel pad for all treatments so I have been told, this is evidently to protect my recon?
Have a review today, so think I will tell them how I am feeling.
I think I forgot how I thought things were going to be, as my last chemo was end of April, which seems as though it’s was so long ago. Mastectomy & recon were middle of May, and now. With rads I feel as though I am right back at the beginning. Iknow I’m not, it’s just the having to strip every day and feeling so undignified.
Sorry to rant, it’s just family and friends are all saying oh nearly there nealy done, and here is me thinking, I have a sore boob from recon, a very sore tummy scar as the rads have antagonised that and generally I feel crap. But I smile sweetly and say, yes nearly there… Lol
Hugs to Tedds & Lilac. I find it frustrating too when you tell people you have finished/ will shortly finish treatment & they seem to expect you to be’immediately ‘back to normal’. Doesn’t occur to them that your poor body needs time to heal. They wouldn’t expect someone who had just had an operation to be instantly well so I don’t know why they expect that after rads & chemo. Saw my doctor yesterday. She said ‘poor you, you must be exhausted’. I was nearly in years at the sympathy & understanding! She wagged a finger at me & said not to go rushing back to work too early!
I was told the gel pad was to fool the machine that there was more body mass at the treatment site & deliver a good dose to the top skin/scar area. I had half my treatment without & then had the gel pad added on day 8. The down side is that it then affects the skin more & I didn’t have any redness until the pad came into use. Apparently the scar is a danger area in terms of a recurrence.
Just trying to relax & enjoying the Olympic coverage!
Twinky x
Hi Twinky
Just back from rads and review, I stupidly burst into tears at my review, something that normally I wouldn’t do infont of anybody.
Came home phoned O H in tears,and he’s - what’s the matter, what’s wrong with you, and couldn’t understand that actually nothing is wrong it is purely a cummunalative effect of chemo,operation and now rads & tamoxifen, I do fel a bit daft, so I think that I might just blitz my house to release all of my tension.
Rant over, some tension has gone… Lol
Anne
Hi, just wondering, starting Rads in a couple weeks, (pre-assessment just 2 days after Tax ! bit too soon I am thinking! o well, we will see, my question is, Aloe gel, I know you can buy it in tubes, but I have a huge aloe vera plant, which is brilliant if I burn myself, takes the sting out straight away, but do you think this plant would be better as its coming straight from the plant? clear gooey stuff inside leaves??? or should I buy the gel???
Has anyone tried the actual plant gel???
Thanks
Wendy
Sorry can’t help re aloe vera plant gel, except I know one of the ladies I had chemo with was going to use it - just a bit surprised you’re having rads so soon after tax. xx
Hi ladies
I finished rads a week ago on Friday. Can I please just stress that you need to continue your care routine when you finish as the effects of the treatment continue for about 2 weeks afterwards. I’m definitely still cooking & feeling a bit sore now but at least my skin isn’t broken.
Take care
Twinky x
Hi. I’ll second what Twinky says. I finished last Friday, no problems at all with my skin during treatment. I was advised to keep putting on cream and not to put on deodorant for the next 2-3 weeks. I’ve been very good with my skin care but my skin is starting to feel a bit hot and sore, also a bit itchy where my scar ends near my armpit. At the hospital they said the only thing they recommend is aqueous cream but I’ve also got some 99.9% aloe vera gel, so I’m going to try that today. I’m waiting for some more fatigue to kick in as well. xx
hi all just got my last 2 rads to go and my breast is already so red and so hot puting cream on but dont seem to help think i will trythe aloe vera see if thats eny better xx
Hi Ladies
I am now four weeks post rads and cannot agree more about keeping up or even increasing skin care.
Likeslilac - I found the aloe vera gel a lot better than aqueous , it really cools and soothes the hot and itchy feeling. Please do not do what I did and absentmindedly scratch!!
My skin gently peeled after about two weeks and is now almost back to normal. Today is the first day I have worn a bra for six weeks, a very soft one, put it on this morning to see what would happen and am going to take it off when I’ve finished this, have not liked going out braless at all.
Tiredness was at a peak two weeks after but am now feeling the effects less and less. I am back at my part-time job but am taking it easy and resting when at home. However I have not had chemo so you all may take a little more time time to fully recover.
Best wishes
Off to the doctors this afternoon. Am 11 days from finishing rads but an area of skin at the bottom of my arm pit has broken after my shower today & tbe radiotherapy dept has e mailed thd name of the creams I need to be prescribed. Was thinking i’d got away without too much damage! Hopefully it will sort itself out soon…in the meantime I will be walking around topless with my arm raised to help the air get to it…
Twinky x
So sorry to hear that Twinky, hope the creams soon sort you out and you get better quickly.
Perhaps I got off lightly?
Best wishes
Hi Ladies
I have been to be marked up for starting my radiotherapy next week on 15th August. Is it ok if I join this forum or do I need to start another one. Have found it very helpful reading all your comments and advice to each other. I have adenoid cystic carcinoma in my left breast which isn’t a normal type of breast cancer - it usually appears in the head and neck - as my OH and sister say, “Trust You”. I am having thirty sessions of radiotherapy as this is how they usually treat the problem when it appears in a salivary gland.
It was a very strange experience today laying on the scan table, naked from the waist up with three radiographers looking at me and marking me with pen and sticking stickers on me, but I think it made me realise that something is happening to me now. Think I have been in another world for the last few months and have finally realised what’s happening.
Is there any point in starting to use E45 cream before I start my treatment?
Hope everyone is ok, Heather x
Hi Heather & welcome. Of course you can join us…the more the merrier! They do sayout helps to start pampering the skin before you start so go ahead & slap it on!
Inow have my intrasite gel for my broken skin but it came in a weird container & I have no instructions! Help…
Twinky x
hi heather i have just finished my rads today found it ok just a pain going every day and i only had 17 found the first week my boob was fine but after that it got very red and sore i used E45 then went on to use aqueous cream which i found better also keep it in the fridge it cools ya boob down aswell im now tryin aloe vera as alot of people on here have said its better than the orther 2 it seems to cool me down more will see how it gose and twinky hope the cream you have sorts your skin out and gets u better quick pam x
Hi Twinky…I’m on rad 17 of 23 and have intrasite gel for broken skin. The radiographer told me to apply it to the area when it was completely dry twice a day. If wearing a bra, helpful to put a dressing over the gel and in the comfort of your own home to let as much air get to the area as possible!! Following tips on here, I keep all my creams in the fridge…hope that helps a little? Xo
Hello July and August Rads Ladies
I am 12 days into my 18 rads and am trialling a cream called Xclair instead of the standard aqueous cream. It’s going well, no pink skin at all and on free prescription too. Does everyone know that prescriptions are free for 5 years after cancer has been diagnosed. Just a form to complete for the exemption card.
I found a brilliant bra = Bravado Body Silk Seamless (John Lewis) soft and supportive for bigger boobs; actually a nursing bra with pockets and removable shape pads, I put both on the same side so you can look a bit more even after WLE. I wish I had found it sooner. Nice and soft under the arm near your SNB scar.
Jecky
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