I need to rant😠
I had 15 sessions 40.6 grays in total in July, left chest and left clavicle with lymph nodes. After I had extreme fatigue. Oncologist put this on my mental health. I told him I have depression and anxiety and panic disorder since 2017 and never had fatigue from it! I went to see psychiatrist. I am on antidepressants since February 2025 and was doing better up to radiotherapy!
Fatigue still there.
I am losing my mind. Severe insomnia, my depression got that bad like never before. I know something is off but I am gaslighted by oncology and gp - again they made me feel I am crazy😠. I told them that since radiotherapy I can see drastic decline in my quality of life. I haven’t left home in months! I can’t go for walk because walking 200 meters means I need to rest for half an hour - according to oncology team it is all in my head!!!
I did some research and there is very high possibility radiotherapy damaged my thyroid! It is irreversible and because my cancer is highly hormonal I will not be able to get treatment for it. No one told me BEFORE consenting to radiotherapy!!! They haven’t told me about exit radiation neither (80% is going through your body)! Oncologist said that beams are length controlled and going on angles which is bull because I had a burn on my back exactly where shoulder blade is - meaning it went through me, my lung and probably part of heart! Controlled and angled my ass😠
If this is rest of my life I want to get off this train, seriously.
I am angry for not telling me all this before I signed consent! I am angry with them still denying that it is from radiotherapy! I am angry because it will not get better and I can’t live like this! They treated cancer but patient is dead!!! What kind of medical approach is this?
Thank you
Really sorry to hear you’re feeling so terrible since Radiotherapy. I am due to have it in a few weeks and getting a little worried. Regarding your thyroid- you can have a blood test to check the Thyroid function. If it is underactive, you can be treated for it as the thyroid hormone is not the same as breast hormones- oestrogen or progesterone. Also, you can ask to have your heart checked with an Echocardiogram - you may have already had one pre-treatment? The results can be compared. Hang in there 
I have been on thyroxine for an underactive thyroid for 25 years. During my treatment, including radiotherapy which ended in March, I continued taking the thyroxine with no ill effects. I was also very fatigued following radiotherapy, which obviously came after chemotherapy and surgery. I am starting to regain my former energy amd stamina. It has taken longer than I expected and hoped but I’m definitely improving!
Hi
You can always ask for a second opinion from Oncology if they are not treating you well but not sure if that is true for GP.
Hi
Thank you, it is valid point but it would be like asking the same oncologist twice because the same team is in both major hospitals in my area. I have tried this route. I could go private but I can’t afford it as one consultation wouldn’t be sufficient.
What makes me mad that I do not get enough information to make informed decisions
Have you tried lodging a complaint with PALS? This is the patient advice and liaison service. I used them when I had problems with the service i received for chemotherapy and they were very helpful, and the complaint didn’t impact on the rest of my treatment.