Working through radiotherapy

Hi,

I’ve looked on here for information about work and radiotherapy and can’t find anything.

I’m wondering if anyone has managed to work through rads? I’m on reduced hours at work anyway so am not very stressed by it. I may be starting rads at the end of next week and would really like to see if I could work through as much of it as I can. I was fairly well on chemo, other than sickness for 3/4 days afterwards and am hoping to be OK on rads too.

The other thing I wondered was; my boss seems to think I can’t work with kids during rads (I’m a teacher) because I’m radioactive. I’ve NEVER heard this mentioned before.

Any one have any info on either query?

Thanks,

Jo

Hi Jo,

One of the first things I asked before I had my radiotherapy was can I still see my granchildren (aged 4 & 12 months) I am happy to tell you that they said I would not be radioactive at all and it was fine to see the girls - I do remember my mum having radiotherapy about 6 years ago and was advised then not to take my daughter round because she might be radioactive.

I worked through radiotherapy, it only took half an hour out of my day - I am lucky to live very close to my hospital. I was still tired from my chemo, don’t think the radiotherapy made me more tired, but it effects everyone differently. My mum (68 when had treatment) was very tired on radiotherapy, her sister (70 when had treatment) was fine, and I have been fine (I’m 47), and I finished treatment about 4 weeks ago.

Hope all goes well
Tracey xxx

x

Hi
I worked through my Rads was working 15 hours a week and was still tired from chemo, Rads did not make it any worse
and you should be fine round children
best of luck
Louise

If you can do it, you are definitely not radioactive! I found I got really tired with rads after the first week and couldn’t do it, but good luck.

Ah, thats great, thanks! I’ll phone my breast care nurse to ask about the immune suppressed thing.

My boss said something to me about being radioactive. She had rads a few years ago so maybe she got that impression then.

I know I will probably end up being off work towards the end (I’m having a month of rads) but even if I could work thru half of it, its less sick leave I have to take.

Thanks again,

Jo XX

Hi I worked through my rads 25 sessions until the last 5 only cos of radio burns. Use a lot of Aqua cream throughtout the day.

Good luck

Lx

There are different types of radiotherapy, some of which involve being injected with radioactive substances. I suppose in theory these could make someone very mildly radioactive, but the x-ray treatment we get doesn’t. (If you want to cheer yourself up, listen to Radio 4 on iplayer, Case Notes at 4.30 yesterday, about chaps with prostate cancer having radioactive injections…)

I managed to work about half way through rads, but be prepared to take a week or more at the end. If you can build up your hours/duties after that it will help you get back sooner. I managed to arrange lifts to and from work my first week back and had a reduced load for a while, which really helped. It can take 3-4 months to feel 100%, though.

Cheryl

I wanted to work, but the travel and sometimes the wait made it unpredictable. however they were good about arranging the appointments either at beginning or end of day which helped. I ended up having to have some time off,though, purely logistical, nothing to do with the rads themselves.

HI, I am a nurse and I worked all the way through my radiotherapy. My consultant was more than happy for me to do so, I just worked on reduced hours as I had with my chemo. You are not radioactive!
Used Aloe Vera and Aqueous Cream, which really helped.
Carole

I’m hoping to work at least half way through. I know by the end I may have to stop.

Someone on here mentioned that rads may lower my immunities which would mean it wasn’t a good idea to work with kids so am checking that out with my breast care nurse.

I just think, work takes my mind off so much of what is to come that it is a really good thing. And why stop doing somethign that is a good thing!

Thanks ladies. Will keep you updated!

Jo XX

Jo i think youre immune system is more compromised during chemo than Rads but I felt the fatigue was more with Rads especially towards the end and more after funny enough x you are not radioactive and dont have to avoid children with this type of external radiotherapy

Hi Jo,

I worked throughout rads but had a week off afterwards as I was very tired. It is usually a case of practicalities around timing of appointments and distance to the hospital. I managed to get appointments mainly at the end of the day so I could go to work and then drive down to the hospital (it was a bit of a distance)mid afternoon.

No, as everyone says - you’re not radioactive. It is the same sort of radiation as having an x-ray, so the staff have to keep out because of the cumulative effect in just the same way as happens in x-ray departments.

Good luck!
Eliza xx

Well, just spoke to my breast care nurse and she said that if I feel well enough there is no reason I shouldn’t work through rads. Ye ha! I hope I am OK doing it. I’ve used up all of my full pay sick leave and as I’m BRCA1 positive, need further surgery so need to save my 1/2 pay sick leave to cover me for that.

I’m really pleased! My choice.

Jo X

Hi all,

This has been very helpful to me too. I thought chemo would make me icky (hopefully for a few days max) but it’d be rads that will make me tired (cumalatively + a week or so at the end). This thread just proves that we’re all different and I’m just going to tackle each step as it happens.

Thanks again xx Chris xx

Hi Jo - I worked throuh my Radiotherapy. I went onto reduced hours, leaving work each day at 2pm and going straight to the hospital for my appointments. It was fine, but I did get tired during the last two weeks and even more so in the week after I finished!
I also work in a school with 11 - 18 year olds and wasn’t told not to go in by the Onc or the school.
The only time I was told not to go near my little grand-daughter was when I had that blue dye injected in my breast at the very beginning of this journey, but that’s a different type of radiation altogether.

Karen