Coping with driving for Rads daily???

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1

Hi

I’m due to start Rads 19 April and am wondering how I will manage to drive myself there and back, daily, stress over parking etc and cope with the possible tireness and/or possible skin issues.

The journey will take 3/4 hr each way, assuming no holdups or problems so not just a few mins up the road. I don’t have any friends/rels that can take me.

I’m actually wondering if this is a sensible thing to be doing or should I consider hospital transport even? Seems a bit over the top but, if I find I can’t cope with driving myself, I don’t have a ‘Plan B’ that can be implemented straight away.

Can anyone please advise, in light of how you felt during Rads?

Thanks

From a stressed out and very depressed lady!

Cheers

2

I had to have 30 rads over 5 weeks just following 9 lots of chemo so really couild not face a daily 50 mile round trip driving myself.My onc arranged for me to be driven daily to the hospital by a volunteer driver.Might be worth investigating if such a sheme exists at your hospital.
It does get tiring and as you have no-one to drive you I wouild see if there is any help available.

L xx

forgot to say I could not drive myself because chemo had left my feet numb so driving was a little dangerous!

3

Hi Chocdrop

I have just started my rads this last week, I’ve had 2 so far. I am having them every other day over 5 weeks. I have about 30 mins drive to hospital and I am driving myself. Certainly to start with it seems ok although I believe that the fatigue affects are accumulative but I asked about driving myself and they said it should be fine. But as in everything else, it affects different people different ways, why don’t you see how it goes and always allow plenty of time for parking so that you aren’t too stressed. I hope it goes well for you.

Weme

4

Hi Choc drop,

I started rads exactly 4 weeks after I had my last of 6 rounds of chemo. All my appts were scheduled between 8:30 and 9:30am so I was always driving in the rush hour. Although the hospital was only 15 miles away, I still had to get through traffic leaving and joining the M25 and cut across the North Circular in London.
I drove myself everyday. It was a pain, but it was doable. Some days I just wanted to sit and do nothing when I got home. Other days were not so bad.
If you accept that some days you will feel more tired than others, you will get through it no problem.
BTW, check if the hospital has special car park charges for people having regular treatment. It will save you some money.

Cherry

Edit: The journey times varied. The shortest time was 35 mins and the longest an hour and half when an accident closed the M25. Coming home was alot easier.

5

Hi ChocDrop

I had a 70 mile round trip each day for 15 sessions of rads and I managed fine. OH came with me once but only out of curiosity. Check out with your BCN or direct with reception about parking, it’s free at Preston but you aren’t guaranteed a space so I sussed out the nearest supermarket and on-street parking. If it’s really awful why not find somewhere quiet on a local bus route to the hospital and park there?

The main thing is not to worry about time. There is nothing worse than getting into a panic about being held up and discovering that they are running 80 mins late. The worst that can happen is they pop someone else in ahead of you. I jumped the queue once because a lady hadn’t turned up and they said they knew I’d be quick because I didn’t wriggle!

My Mum, on the other hand, had a volunteer driver to take her to St James’ in Leeds, they were based at the hospital where she had her mx and her BCN fixed it up for her.

Neither of us had any problems with our skin so don’t assume the worst.

Stay chilled (difficult when you are having a hot flush lying on the table) and good luck with it all.

xxxxx

6

Hello ChocDrop,
I had 20x Rads (5 were boosters) about four or five weeks after finishing 6x FEC. I had about a 20 minute journey there and back & I drove myself.
I worked until 2pm each day and then took a steady drive & gave myself plenty of time to park-which I think at the time I got more stressed about!
I remember one time I had a flat tyre and called to let them know I would be late and they were fine about it & told me not to worry & to get there when I could.
Yes, nearer the end of the treatment I did begin to feel tired but it was do-able. It just depends, as others have said, how you react to the treatment.
To be honest, the worst fatigue I’ve ever experienced in my life was not through the Chemo or the Rads but about two weeks after it was all finished and for a good couple of weeks.
Give it a go and just see how you feel.
Karen x

7

I had 20 rads and then 3 days off and then my partner started 25 sessions, although we shared the driving by the end of 10 weeks or so(mine was over Christmas and the new year) we had both pretty much had enough. We just had to go with the flow really, left plenty of time to get there and had a cup of tea and didnt have to worry about traffic or finding a parking space. My partners was a bit worse as he had to drink water half an hour before he went in so we seemed to be hanging around a lot longer. Although it was knackering by the end, it was doable, I think you just need to listen to your body and get some extra sleep during the day when you need it. Our journey was about 45 mins each way.

Anne

8

I agree with the others, although I do think may be its all more tiring if you have had chemo first, which I was lucky enough not to have.

The only real issue is parking, certainly where I was at Maidstone, as the staff had taken over the ‘oncology patients only’ car park!

Leave yourself plenty of time and dont panic if you cant park, I found there was quite a rapid turnover in the car park. When I had done one week, I didnt want to go again (I had a ‘been there, done that’ moment) but once I was into that second week I felt as though I was part of the furniture and it became routine.

I never was as tired as I thought I was going to be and luckily my skin held up, although it is very itchy now!

Anne you poor things, you couldnt even celebrate finishing. You must have been so relieved when it was all over.

Jayne x

9

I cannot drive due to sight problems so I am taking the bus. if you get too knackered you can ask the hospital to provide transport - you may have to wait for any ambulance. So far I have stayed with public transport, although it is three buses each way. I am halfway through and the travelling is a bit tiring but liveable with. My advice would be, let the housework go, and if you can buy ready meals or batch cook. I felt horrible on thursday so I had to get a lift home. Skin problems are so far not at all bad. I use H&B Aloe Vera after every treatment and E45 lotion after bathing at the w/ends when I am off. You WILL get through this and you WILL be OK.
Love
Kit

10

Of course everyone is different and you have to do what is right for you. I had a 60 mile round trip in December/ January and it wwas fine - the parking was free and .never a problem, I wasn’t tired and I quuite enjoyed the journey. Lucky no bad weather though.I’d say give it s go and see how it goes. I had chemo first by the way - to be honest rads were s breeze after chemo ! But if you find it hard then you can always ask for transport. Hope All goes well, love Mo
xx

11

Thanks, all of you. I’ve found your comments very reassuring.

Kit, you’re amazing! Three buses!!! Wow! You made me chuckle re the housework - I don’t ‘do’ housework!!! Actually, a friend came round and sorted me out last week. As for cooking, umm, another issue …

Bless you, so many of you have done this after chemo too! You’ve done so well, all of you. What a woose I must be, eh! I’m not really, but you know what I mean!!!

It sounds like it will all be ok. I do enjoy driving (hate being driven!) and normally the trip would be a doddle.

There are other issues around this too which are all contributing to me having a huge ‘wobbly’ the past few days, even to the point of wondering whether it’s actually worth doing it all. In actual fact, I’m too much of a chicken to opt out!!! :wink:

I wonder if, having had the Planning session last Thursday, and having now got the date of when I’m starting Rads, that it’s ‘hit home’ a bit as it’s since Thursday that I’ve felt like this.

Anyway, having got a starting date, I started to think more about getting there etc. My tolerance to stress is minimal anyway hence I try to have a ‘plan b’. Sounds like I won’t need one but I’ll speak to my Support Radiographer next week and explain my concerns to her. She will have dealt with this before, of course.

Yes, thanks Jayne, for pointing out that there is a quick turn around in Onc car parks (unless the staff have landed there! That’s not on, is it?) Parking is actually free if you have a Blue Badge, which I have so WOW - a perk!!! :slight_smile:

Anne, you must be having to cope with more than the ‘norm’. I do wish you and partner all the best.

Thanks so much. I do feel much reassured. I expect it will feel easier once it’s all underway, as it has previously.

I hope you all have a good Easter weekend, and a welcome break from your treatment.

Cheers

12

Hello there

I am starting rads on the 19th myself and as I have a round trip of 110 miles daily my Onc booked me accommodation for the duration of the treatment at Clan House in Aberdeen, so I can stay if required. Might be an idea to check if your trust can do the same for you.

Good luck and all the best for your treatment

Alanaa xx

13

Hi Alanaa

Thanks for your reply. As long as I don’t get too tired, I’ll be OK. It’s just that I wanted to know if tireness was a significant factor.

I shouldn’t need to stop-over but, if I do, I have relatives there so hopefully, they would help me out!!! However, I have reasons for needing to be back home each day so hopefully that won’t be needed.

I’m pleased to hear you have been booked accommodation, should you need it. It sounds as if you have a more difficult, and definitely further, journey that I do.

As I say, all your posts have been very reassuring and I thank you all for responding.

I hope you are all having a good Easter break.

Cheers

14

Hi Alanaa

Was thinking about you as I haven’t seen you post for a while. I hope that starting rads means that your wound is fully healed and that you are doing well. It’s great that you have accommodation available as a back up.

Moya xx

15

Good afternoon Moya

thank you for thinking about me. My wound is now doing very well and I am at hospital on Thursday to get my marking and the pre-rads checks. Hope you are doing okay and that you had a nice Easter.

Hugs to you all from

Alanaa and Fat Cat xxx

16

Hi there

Originally I was going to have rads in one hospital but that was 50 - 60 minutes drive away (and husband needed car for work) and going by public transport would have taken even longer as I would have had to get a taxi to and from the station - all in a nightmare and very expensive too.

So I asked to have my rads in a different hospital which was close to my Mum’s and I stayed with her during the week and had a short stress-free bus journey each day.

I had to wait a couple of weeks longer to have the rads but to me it was worth it.

As you don’t know how you’re going to feel why don’t you find out about hospital transport as a back up? I can’t think of many treatments that would be more deserving of using hospital transport than chemo and rads so don’t feel its OTT. Also some GP practices have volunteers that will drive people to hospital appointments - I didn’t find this out until after all my treatment was finished!

Tiredness can increase over time during rads. I found it helpful to go for a coffee after each treatment before I did anything else.

Hope it goes well
Elinda x

17

Hi ChocDrop

I had 3wks of rads at a hospital about 45/50 mins drive away. On the first day I had the hospital transport which was a car that picked three of us up but didn’t like the journey at all as the driver did way over the speed limit on the motorway. This was a common complaint in the radiotherapy waiting room. After that I drove myself and ended up being a taxi to two other patients who I met during treatment. I found the whole experience fine apart from that first visit and didn’t get tired at all.

Good luck.

Lemoncake
x

18

I also drove myself every day having had chemo - 45 mins each way on a good run. I was fine. No tiredness. Just a bit boring!!

19

Hi Alanaa
I drove myself each day for 20 treatments. Journey was about 45mins each way across Leeds. Parking was Ok and free but it’s a long time ago now. It was summer which means weather was good.
I just made sure I had some good music on very loud to keep my spirits up. I was also driving my sons top of the range Focus which aslo cheered me up.
I did meet up with a few who were on hospital transport and that sounded like a nightmare as it seemed to take all day as they were brought in groups so they had to wait for each other. Must admit I wasn’t doing much else so tiredness wasn’t a problem.
Good luck
Chinook

20

Hi girls

Thanks for all your help.

I spoke with one of the girls at Radiotherapy yesterday and she felt I would be fine driving myself but if I felt I would prefer to be driven, even maybe a couple of days of the week, I could have hospital transport, door to door service!

She was so kind and helpful. Hopefully, I’ll be ok to drive. It seems that it isn’t necessarily a problem. I’ll only know once doing it. Not long now - a ‘dummy run’ next Thursday (I think because I’m included in a trial) and start treatment sessions Monday week, 23 April for 15 sessions and not the 23 sessions that it might have been.

So, thanks all of you.