July Zappers

[Pinkbaglady]

Hello koshlake57.
I was advised I could use any products in the Simple range for bathing/showering plus aqueous cream. And deodorant fine but not a spray, in case any sprays on to the boob.
Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

[koshlake57]

I would also like to join this thread if that's OK.  I'm in the same situation, had my planning session yesterday with the radiotherapy starting on the 20th July.  I am worried about the sore/burnt skin but guess there is not much I can do about it, other than use the cream.

Did all of you who are going through the rad. give up soap and deodorant on that side?

Like Sharnie, I've booked my holiday to Canada for the 13th Aug, 6 days after the end of my treatment and I thought, who cares if I'm tired.  I'll just be with my family in a place I love.

[Pinkbaglady]

Hello Tussie. Hope you can enjoy some nice, well-feeling days before you start your rads.
riversidedawn, sorry to hear your hubby is being so unhelpful. Lunches out are always good!
I'm ok so far, been a bit tired but that might well be due to the excessive heat.
Planning to go and stay with a friend who lives in France next month. I went last year and had a wonderful time. She and her hubby have a very relaxed lifestyle in a remote location so it will be a perfect way to recuperate from all the treatment.

[riversidedawn]

Hi Tussie, welcome to our group. You definitely need that rest period after chemo, I ended up with 12 weeks as fitted in an expander implant in between! As everyone says, it really is a doddle after chemo (so far 2 down!) Just the travelling which is a pain as I'm sure it is for most of us - who has a radiotherapy centre nearby??

Pinkbaglady with you every step of the way. How are you feeling so far? I'm  doing this breath hold technique with goggles, snorkle and nose clip... all very odd!!

[riversidedawn]

Blinking chuffing heck. Joys of marital bliss, not. Tried to tell him about my positive development on chasing up my redundancy money and half way through the conversation he says "oh look how swollen my knee is"! Then later I ask if he could do the school run tomorrow as I'm getting up at 6.30 to get kids sorted and out by 7.40 so I'm home for my taxi at 8.20... I said it's a bit of a faff running back and forth. He just laughs in that sarcastic "it's worse for me" kind of way....... he gets up at 7, dives in the shower and out with not a care in the world. Thanks for listening, rant over !!!! Had a nice lunch with a friend today, another one tomorrow, and out for dinner with neighbours tomorrow night to mark the start of rads so he can sort dinner and the kids. xxxx

[Tussie]

Hi all July Zappers! I have come to join you if I may. Had my planning session today, tattoos in place( my first!) and will start on 20th July. Finished chemo 2 weeks ago so I suppose they give you a bit of time to recover after chemo and boy do I need it, still very weak! Sounds like you who have started get on fine with the radiotherapy so that is reassuring . x

[Pinkbaglady]

Hope the prom goes well Sharnie. How very annoying that your appointment was delayed. Hope you can still go away to Greece. Can you ask your onc her opinion?
I've done 2 now riversidedawn as well and finish the same day as you.

[Sharnie]

You will be done and dusted when I start! I just had a phone call - my first rads is 8.12am on the 21st - will be thinking of you! I have to have 23 sessions - which includes 8 boosters - not sure why - I will ask next week! I was originally told 15 sessions. At least I will be able to rest for a week once they are finished! Cornwall is lovely - it may even be as hot if not hotter than Greece if this heat wave continues! Keep me posted how you are getting on and good luck!

[riversidedawn]

Started rads yesterday, all going well. 2 down, 13 to go. I finish on 21st July Sharnie! And then I go away 3 days later too - but just down to Cornwall.

[Sharnie]

Rang the hospital today and I am booked in the system! I have my planning appointment next Thursday and start radiotherapy 21st July which means I will have my last one 3 days before going on holiday - am a bit concerned about this but guess I will just have to cover up well and stay in the shade, bit annoyed really as did tell the department I was going away and they said you will be finished well before your holiday. Can't cancel now either as its all paid for and its a family holiday too - six of us going. Anyone else been away this close to finishing rads?

[Sharnie]

Hi my daughters prom is this Friday - exciting! She had her nails done today, they look lovely. I think I will be an emotional wreck on Friday night! I still haven't heard from hospital about starting my rads, it's three weeks tomorrow since my appointment with onc so think I will ring tomorrow as they told me I should hear within a couple of weeks. I just want to get on with it now! Hope all you ladies are doing well with your rads.

[Pinkbaglady]

How was your daughter's prom, Sharnie?
Are you ready for the start tomorrow, Riversidedawn?

[Sharnie]

Hi Pinkbaglady - I'm off to Zante. Didn't want to cancel as its a family holiday to celebrate my mother in laws 70th. Still waiting for my appointments to come through - hope I hear soon! I have a busy week next week as its my daughters prom and I'm off to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix with my dad for his 75th birthday - it's all happening!

[riversidedawn]

That's a good tip Pinkbaglady. I just want to have my first aid kit handy as it's a long and twisty drive to civilisation!!

It's great to feel better after the hell of chemo. I seem to feel better each day, but I'm still so exhausted and I feel my life revolves around BC. I worked reduced hours, and continued with yoga throughout my treatment, but then got made redundant. Now I need something else to focus on. Let's get through rads then I have the summer off with the kids before job hunting!

[Pinkbaglady]

Whizzing through and saying hello to Sheena, Sharnie and Sandra. Not on here much atm as I'm catching up a bit on my life, now I feel so much better after the chemo. It's SO good to feel fairly well again! Really hoping that the rads don't knock me back too far again.
Where in Greece are you off to, Sharnie?
Sheena, hope you find out soon whether you need chemo or not. It's horrid the waiting game.
Sandra, hope the seroma, clears up very soon.
Riversidedawn, my onc told me if going away in this country, to take my file with me and if necessary a local Dr would see me if I had any sort of problem.

[SARN66]

Thanks Riversidedawn, 

I think my Seroma will be similar, only had it drained yesterday morning and already filling up again!

Hospital will soon be like a 2nd home!!

[riversidedawn]

Sandra, I had a seroma after my mx in September. Had to be drained nearly daily for a couple of weeks - such a pain. I hope your's clears up quickly and you can get on with your treatment.

[SARN66]

I have got my post op appt tomorrow, the pre op plan was that I will start Rads 4 wks after surgery which would be approx 9th July.  Will find out more tomorrow.  I have seroma under my arm that  needed draining yesterday and will need doing again at end of week, Im hoping that wont put my Rads back but I think it probably will.  

Not much I can do but go with the flow, glad you have your date now so that you can plan the next couple of months.

Sandra x x

[riversidedawn]

Sharnie, we're just off to Cornwall so waterproofs and fleeces more the order of the day!! But you never know last year was hot! Greece will be lovely, def stay in the shade.

[Sharnie]

Hi - where are you off to? I'm a bit concerned too as we are off to Greece which will be hot - I'm going to get some really high factor sun cream and a nice beach cover up. Even if I have to spend a week in the shade at least I will be relaxing - going to fill my kindle up with new books! Aloe Vera gel is really cooling - I usually use this instead of after sun so I might stock up on that too!

[riversidedawn]

He Sharnie, I'm not 48 and pre menopausal. My rads are due to stop 3 days before we travel! Very nervous about that but plan to organize antibiotics, flammazine etv just in case!

[Sharnie]

Hi all - can I join this thread! I had wle and SNB on 11th May, grade 2 ductal 12mm tumour removed, clear lymph node. I have had an initial appointment with oncologist but am awaiting my planning appointment. I am having 15 sessions followed by 8 boosters. I was told initially I would be having 15 sessions and was a bit shocked to be told I would be having more. I have a holiday booked the end of August which I told the onc about - he said my treatment should be finished by then. I hope I get my appointment soon - want to get on with the rads now! I was going to cancel the holiday but surgeon said not to and it would be a good week away at the end of my treatment. I have been suffering from palpitations and feeling faint since starting tamoxifen - been to see gp today and he told me to see how I am over next few weeks. He did mention my blood pressure was slightly low and wasn't impressed when I told him I had been on a 20 mile bike ride yesterday! I was a very active person before cancer took over and am desperate to get back to my fitness routine. I'm 47 by the way and post menopausal. Good luck with your rads everyone! Let you know when I get my date to start.

[riversidedawn]

Sheena, I had op, chemo, recon, rads x

[missmore]

Hi pinkbaglady
just read your post and that you have had to have chemo before rads. I am waiting to see oncologist and to make a decision about whether or not I have chemo. First plan with surgeon was op, then rads and tamoxifen but post surgery now saying chemo should be strongly recommend
Thanks
sheena x

[riversidedawn]

We're staying just south of bude. Husbands brother in laws cottage - been there lots of times, kids love it and we cross over with cousins a couple of days. Just need to be prepared for rads burns etc as a bit out in the wild!!

[Pinkbaglady]

Chemo at home sounds an excellent idea!
I live in a village which is roughly half way between Swindon and Bath. The journey to the Hpl in Bath is a tedious, awkward drive and one I particularly dislike. I can get someone to take me some of the days but not all.
Yes, had my planning appt. I didn't have any soreness with the tattoos.
Where in Cornwall are you going. I love Cornwall and hoping to go in September for a much needed holiday.

[riversidedawn]

Gosh, where do you live? Bath seems a long way from Swindon!!!! My surgery and all appointments were just 10 miles away in Hitchin. I have Bupa cover through my husband's work so had chemo at home .... how cool is that??!! But radiotherapy is an hour's drive away so I'm really lucky that my oncologist has arranged taxi service - I was going to turn down the treatment until he mentioned this! Have you got friends / hospital transport? I gather we may get tired as treamtnent goes on. I'm due to go to Cornwall on holiday on the Friday after rads finish (Tuesday!!!) looking forward to it but dreading it in case I have a bad reaction, Let's wait and see. Have you had plannin session yet? Tattoos were a bit sore!!!

[Pinkbaglady]

I had my surgery in December - WLE and SNB. Chemo started end of January and finished 5 weeks ago. All my treatment so far has been in Swindon but there is no radiotherapy unit there so I have to go to Bath for this part of the treatment.
Yes, I'm looking forward to August too!

[riversidedawn]

Nice to meet you Pinkbaglady! Where are you having rads? I'm at the Cancer Partners centre in Elstree. Have you managed to avoid surgery completely or will you have to have it after rads? Not spoken to anyone without surgery!

Amberstone, I had reconstructive surgery (expander implant) on 20th May so the surgeon gave me 4 weeks to heal before expanding (last Thursday), rads planning today and when rads start it will be exactly 6 weeks since surgery. I think you may be a bit behind us, but you never know! Hope you're healing well

I had a single mx back in September with implant, then started chemo at the end of October. Unfortunately my wound wouldn't heal during chemo and the implant got infected so it was removed in Deccember. Finished chemo early April, so hopefully this is the last leg of this terrible journey.

Onwards and upwards, roll on August!

Dawn

[Pinkbaglady]

I am starting on 1st July too. Dreading the journey every day! Sorry I can't answer your question amberstone as my rads are following on from chemo not surgery.

[amberstone]

Hi there I have only just had surgery can you tell me how long it was before you could start your Radiotherapy?   Good luck with your Zapping I might nt be far behind you so may be following you I have been told when I have rads it will  be 15 sessions.

[riversidedawn]

Just home from rads planning, due to start on 1st July x 15 sessions - anyone joining me?