Breast tissue thickening after rads

[Judyjay]

Two years after surgery and radiotherapy my boob is finally starting to feel like me. It had got very hard and is now softening. I too had never felt the lump even when I was told where it was. A friend was told by her radiologist about boob hardening. At least it doesn't seem to be permanent

[amberstone]

Hi There thanks for letting me knw how you were with radiotherapy.  If I have a bit of a picture then I am not so scared when things are thrown at you.     I have been told today by the BCN that it was 3 weeks  (15 sessions) of radiotherapy another bit I heard differently not taking it all in but she said I will get a treatment plan on 30th June when I get results and radiotherapy starts 6-8 weeks after surgery.   I tld my Son I would be out of bounds for about 4 weeks and then back to  childminding!  BCN says  no always the way we plan!! I will let you know howI get on.  Take care X

[amberstone]

Hi there thanks so much for your time.   I understand Rads more now - will add it to my "PINK Dictionary". I have decided (today at least) that I have read enough to fry my brain and no more clear simple understanding of what I actually have got or am going to have!  I am leaving it all alone and just going for wound check on 23rd and then Results 30th June.   - or - should I keep ploughing through all the papers they give you and read up on it, but not being sure what I have until results day then not sure i am reading right thing?? Copy of GP letter to me states Grade 2 invasive cancer with high level DCIS ??? and would have to have 5 daily sessions of radiotherapy, do they do more if you need it other people seem to have had a lot of sessions?

I am worried about the after effects like you say fatigue peaked after treatment stopped.   I childmind my 21month old grandson 2 days a week and am wondering if I will have him and think I am ok and then something else like "fatigue" crops up and I have to let them down again.  No-one can say a set period of time needed to recover from this I have said I should be ok to have him in 4 weeks from Surgery??  I am so in the dark. thanks again take care whatever you do X

[Daltocat74]

Hey missmore - good luck for tomorrow. Hope all goes well.
Amberstone - completely get what you mean about it being a strange new language! Yes - rads are radiotherapy. Everyone reacts slightly differently so I can only tell you how I got on, but it really wasn't too bad. I had fifteen daily sessions plus 4 booster days where they target the exact spot of the tumour. There was a planning session beforehand when they drew on me with lots of felt tip to make sure everything lined up as you have to lie in the same position every visit. Two minuscule blue tattoos as well which helps them line the machine up. Just tiny dots, smaller than a freckle. Some days I was literally in and out in five minutes as you have a scheduled time and my hospital was pretty good at sticking to it. By the end of the sessions my skin looked a bit like it was sunburnt but I didn't really peel - got a fabulously crusty nipple though which fortunately is now back to normal (too much information!). The only thing I wasn't prepared for was the culmulative fatigue - probably partly due to travelling back and forwards but also down to the treatment. It peaked about 4 weeks after I finished treatment and I'm now back to normal. Hope it goes well for you and good luck x

[amberstone]

Hi everyone  hwat is "rads" is that radiotherapy? this is a total new language on here for me.

Can anyone tell me what to expect when I have to have radiotherapy.  I had my lumpectomy and lymph nodes surgery on Wednesday now I have all that over and done with I was wondering about the next step.   I have to see specialist on 23rd for results from surgery and then have been told I will have to have 5 days radiotherapy at the moment.

I feel ok from surgery 3rd day. 1st day was quite sore, still have the drain hopefully it will be gone Friday. Have had family today but feel so tired now and I have only been chatting must be the medication in my body also I have not slept through since before my Surgery.

Like I say I am wondering about the next stage now. take care everyone.

[missmore]

Ladies, still waiting to start rads but like you I never felt the lump that appeared as if by magic when I had my v first mammogram

still healing from surgery,  and seeing surgeon tomorrow

sheena

[Daltocat74]

Exactly the same as you ladies - I didn't find a lump which makes me doubt my ability to check for anything suspicious going forward. Really appreciate your replies. Not the sort of question you can easily raise as general chit chat at work but it's been preying on my mind!

[Jobey68]

I've only finished rads a week ago and my boob is a bit lumpy , I was told to expect it to shrink up up a bit and feel harder and lumpier as time goes on so I wouldn't stress your self out too much about it, I know it's hard not to, I didn't have a lump either so would have no idea what I was looking for so don't intend to go searching, of course if your worried get it checked out but it all sounds normal to me 😊xx

[eileen728]

mine is thick and lumpy too - I am only 4 months on from WLE and finished rads in May but everything I have read seems to suggest this is "normal" - well the new normal anyway. And I know what you mean about checking for lumps - never found mine in the first place though!!

[Daltocat74]

I finished rads 2014 after being diagnosed with bc last year aged 39. Trying to just get on with things and generally doing ok - back at work full time and trying to put it all behind me but I can't help but worry about the change to the radiated breast. It feels thick and lumpy in some places. I spoke to my onc who assured me it was just an effect of the rads but you know what it's like. I have that little voice that keeps querying 'but what if it's not'. Has anyone else had this side effect and if so, how do you cope with checking for lumps etc?