Feel better that I am not the only one that needs a nap. 
I only started Rads last week but this afternoon when I got back from the hospital I went for a kip and slept for over two hours! I canāt believe after just four sessions itās the Rads causing the tiredness, so it must be me just got into the habit of that afternoon nap.
Why do Rads cause so much tiredness? perhaps I should ask tomorrow.
I also need to start doing something about the extra weight Iāve gained. Sometimes I donāt care - and then I catch a glimpse of myself and shudder! I have such a big stomach now, not that it was a flat one anyway, but itās just so big and bloated. The Onc said the Tamoxifen can also cause weight gain, so Iām thinking I MUST do something now to keep it under some sort of control. I used to walk daily which did the job but I canāt seem to muster the enthusiasm to go back out there and start again.
Blimey! I sound a bit down donāt I? āMemo to self - sort yourself out!ā Maybe I just need the better weather to come and a few more weeks rest?
karen
Just had first rads yesterday. Karen, if itās any consolation I was fighting back tears all day. Suddenly felt I was on a very lonely journey despite all the support Iāve received from family/friends/neighbours. Have you been seen more quickly or do you still have a long wait?
Also, I started Tamoxifen on Saturday and wondered if feeling very emotional is a side effect, though Iāve heard that the side effects donāt kick in straight away.
Hugs to all feeling tired
Lilac x
I think the reason rads make you tired, is because the rays are damaging cells, your body is working really hard to repair these damaged cells, thus making you feel tired (or something like that). Iām 2 weeks post rads and still really tired!
As for weight gain, Iāve just started doing the davina body buff dvd, as I needed something to motivate me! Itās really good split into different segments so you can exercise the parts that are a problem.
Hugs to everyone suffering any se
Xxx
I found that if I forced myself to go for a walk each day during and after rads, I felt SO much better. And Iām not an exercise junkie - more like a chocolate and red wine junkie. Maybe the increased circulation helped the cell repair process? Donāt know, but I got through rads without any tiredness - just p***ed off by the journey to and from the hospital and the number of times they were running late for no real reason. I also found that doing the BCC recommended exercises really helped to reduce stiffness. By the end of treatment and for several weeks afterwards I was doing them several times a day, and even now (14 weeks or so after rads) I still need to do them twice a day.
Sarah x
Lilac - I am getting through quite quickly really. Only had five sessions so far but only had to wait 15 minutes at the most so far. The biggest stress Iām having is getting there in plenty of time to find somewhere to flippinā park!
CrazyCat - I have been thinking about Davinaās fitness DVD for a couple of weeks. Think I might give it a go - I have to do SOMETHING!
Sarah - no-one has mentioned doing any exercises to me during rads. Is this because I only had a lumpectomy and not masectomy? or have they just forgotten to tell me I wonder? Iāll ask about them tomorrow.
Hope all are coping well.
Karen
Hi everyone.
Last one for me yesterday!
The rads dept did tell me to have 30 mins of excercise everyday as it would help me feel less tired and I did better for it once I started doind it and didnāt need to snooze. They said would feel tirder and may go pink after finished but tiredness should get better after 2 weeks/a month after end.
Karen I had a lumpectomy too, and you should be doing the excercises. They gave me the leaflet from here and I do them 3 times a day with meals (not whilst eating!)
I was lucky as my rads dept didnāt make me wait at all and, twice, I got called in as walking down the corridor to waitng room!
Donāt know about Tamoxifen tiredness as only just starting as waited until the end of rads before starting.
I had lumpectomy too, rads never mentioned doing arm exercises, I wasnāt even given any at hospital after my op!, thank goodness I regained full movement almost immediately .
Wendy, bet your glad too have finished, Iām still tired nearly 3 weeks after finishing !
Hugs to everyone x
Hello all, can I join in? I know a few faces already, we did our chemo together ( virtually that is). Hi ladies.
Had my first rads treatment today, one of twenty. Expected to be in and out, but was four and a half hours including travelling. Filthy weather to drive in too, I am exhausted alreadyā¦
I expect it will get quicker, I do hope so! I drove a measly 75 miles, not as far as some!
Nobody has mentioned exercises to me either Karen. I will ask tomorrow too, but let me know what your people say.
Best wishes
Rusty
Hi Rusty
How did it go today? Did you get a fetching tunic? Mine is gorgeous pink! which is fab cuz pink really is one of my fave colours.
75 miles is a lot of miles to drive for a 10 min appt!! Itās no wonder you feel tired! four and a half hours all in - good lord!! That is almost like going to work for the day! LOL!!
Karen - the only exercises I have been told about is arm exercises - I was not given or shown any exercises mind so I am making it up!! One of the radiographers said to me that my arm/shoulder might get stiff as its put in an unnatural position every day. For me general housework is good enough exercise!!
Well I hope rads is going well for everyone.
Rusty I hope the weather is nicer for you tomorrow - well for all of us actually who have to drive.
Take it easy
BIrd
xx
Hi everyone - I have been doing my exercises from day one of my lumpectomy. I was sent a dvd from this website along with the leaflets. My arm is back to normal and on the dvd it mentions doing these exercises while having rads. Also I sent off for some Radiance cream and Rads tablets from the Penny Brohn website. Not sure if I can use either as have to check with my onc although they said at PB that they were ok. They have natural ingredients and the tablets are supposed to give you a natural energy boost through treatment and the Radiance cream you can use after rads (fed up with aquas cream.) Also natural Aloe Vera gel is good and very cool. Just wondering when others have started rads after surgery. I had my lumpectomy on November 19th and am still awaiting my appointment to start. Saw the onc on the 5th January and am still awaiting my start date. I have started my Tamoxofin and I did have the choice of waiting until rads had finished but I know so many people that have done the same that I am comfortable to do so even though the jury is still out on that one. Always welcome your advice and I hope my comments help others. Love to all xxx
Hi springblossom I started Rads 4 weeks after last chemo had my planning session and dummy -run 1st My oncologist said to start tamoxifen same time as rads which i did and so far so good .I had 20 sessions and towards the end under my boob it very slightly started to peel ( as if sunburnt and pink) so in addition to aqueous cream i was given hydrocortisone 1% from oncologist and worked a treat you can also get flamazine if it blisters but fortunately i did not need it .Aloe vera gel is good aswell but has to be 100% pure.they check your skin at each session so dont worry they will give you any creams you need .Hope it goes well x Julie
Well, they didnāt seem to be bothered about me doing exercises unless I was āhaving troubleā with my arm/shoulder, which Iāve not had all along. Maybe because I stayed active from almost immediately after the lumpectomy - op on the Wed, girlie weekend in London on the Sat & Sun for a start! I had to go to my own Doctor to beg her to give me a āback to workā certificate as the Onc at the hospital had signed me off for absolutely weeks!
Iāve also worked throughout Chemo, apart from the week immediately after each session, and now Rads - although I am on a reduced timetable and leave at 2pm each day.
I do get tired and usually end up kipping in the chair for half hour around about 5pm - which is probably when I should get out walking to wake myself up and lose the tummy weight.
Rusty - I donāt know how you cope with that journey each day. I stress enough about the 20min drive I have to make to my hospital and then back again.
Karen
You are lucky, icy-k. I didnāt have any trouble with my arm after surgery but found that the rads stiffened my arm up and am doing the excercises from here and that āreleases itā. (they do a leaflet as well as the DVD.)
Springblossom, that does seem quite a long wait but I think that they have 4 weeks after you see your onc to start.
Slightly less tired today and havenāt need a snooze (yet!)
Throughout all of this treatment and diagnosis this is the first day that I have lost faith with the medics. I was diagnosed on the 21 October. Had lumpectomy on the 19th November. (2010) Had appointment with the onc on the 5th January 2011. Have had no appointment for the simulation until I realised the long gap in between op and radiotherapy. So have rang the radiotherapy reception and the oncs secretary to see when all this kicks off. I now have appointment for the simulation on 17th January. And they have given me my appointment for my first radiotherapy on the 25th January. Now if I hadnt rang where would I have been. Apparently I had a letter in the post for the simulation (not received) and they werent going to start rads until February until I said my op was now over 9 weeks ago. Could anyone tell me how many weeks post op should rads star NICE says 31 days. Am worried they have left the rads too long. When does the rads cease to be effective post op. Am I unduly panicing. xxxx
Hi Springblossom,
I too had to chase my appointment for Rads, I had my op on 20/08/10 but didnt start rads until begining of december, I had to called Onc secretary she said it would be sorted so waited and still nothing so called BCN and she chased it up, apparently because I had to go to diffrent hospital for Rads my notes got lost in the middle?? It does make you wonder what if I hadānt chased this up I think I would still be waiting, also Rads nurse did say the length of time I waited would not cause any further problems. Hope this helps
Take Care
Vicky x x
If NICE says 31 days, then they have 31days. I wouldnāt worry though as the rads are a mop up of any stray cells so is intended more to protect you against the cancer coming back rather than actual treatment. Ring your BCN if you are worried. Wendy x
Thanks girls for your input. For the first time today I have relaxed knowing that the time limit doesnt make any difference. Goodness Vixyliz you waited from August to December - almost 4 months. I mustnt panic as anyone would think I was going on a world cruise and couldnt wait - not radiotherapy. Thank goodness for this website. Love Ann xxx
You can always call the helpline too, if you have questions you want to raise. Theyāre very good.
Hi Bird I looked for you today but I didnt see you. I was reading a book too, so probably didnāt see everybody. Appointment tomorrow is at 11.12 and I am coming with a friend, when is yours?
Have looked on the internet for advice re exercises and found this: scielo.br/pdf/rbfis/v13n2/aop015_09.pdf
It is a study that clearly shows that women doing exercises had less ācomplicationsā and more range of movement, at least six months after rads.
I did my exercises religiously after my op, and ended up with bad cording anyway. It has gone and I have full movement now, so probably just as well that I did do the exercises. I had Physio throughout which helped a lot and did exercises three times daily.
The study has an illustration of the exercises the women in the study performed. I am going to do those in the absence of any other information.
X
Rusty