Radiotherapy July 2014

[Atat]

Hi
I thought they'd created a new car park? Perhaps still not enough. It's a shame since one of the main reasons for building the hospital there was so there would be enough parking unlike the old site.

Any tingling, warmth has diminished over the weekend. Have been using cream provided by rads dept. It's good that it's provided. I was expecting to have to buy it.

It will be good to get another week over with. Feeling really upbeat about it, at the moment! Have a good week - look forward to your posts.
Atat

[maggyblue]

Hi Atat

The people attending the centre where the radiotherapy is done are advised of 2 car parks they can use but when I have been there during the day they are not only full but there are cars on double yellow lines, on the grass, everywhere they can get on to. My husband drops me off outside the hospital and waits in a lay by. My review on Friday is later in the day so hopefully we will be able to get in the car park and he can come with me. Hope all goes well for you next week.

[Atat]

Pas. My hospital says we can use Bionsen deodorant. Roll-on only, not spray in case it goes over breast. You can actually get it there. There also provide aqueous cream, so need to buy. All very different from my first hospital!! They also provide folders so all info relating to your diagnosis and care plan are in one place. Has anyone else come across this.
Atat

[Atat]

Hi
Just seen other thread where you say it was 9 June. Re Parking, do they not offer you pre- designated parking places? Did they give you a reason for the length of time you had to wait? It does seem to vary tremendously between different hospitals.
I'm glad that week one is over!
Atat

[Atat]

When you have your op at the N and N, Maggyblue?
I think we are at the same stage, only I'm having 18 sessions, 15 plus 3 boosters.
Atat

[maggyblue]

Hi

I have just started my radiotherapy at N&N and I also felt a bit nauseus after the sessions and am going pink already. I am off for session 3 this afternoon. How did you get on for the rest of the course of treatment? Hope August is proving a good month for you.

[Sisterjayne]

Thanks for your reply Pat, I think realistically I may be pushing my luck ,a quiet week at home will probably be my best option ! X

[Trisha_51]

Hello Sisterjayne, I finished my rads nearly 16 months ago and I did feel very tired for a few weeks afterwards but that could have been due to the over 50 mile round trip each day as well as the treatment. Although I had very few problems with my skin other than redness and itching a lot of ladies find that skin problems start after they have finished rads and not during: this is because you continue to 'cook' for some time afterwards. Going abroard so soon after you are due to finish may be a bit risky but only you can make that decision. Best wishes for the rest of your rads, Pat x

[Sisterjayne]

Hi, Just wanted to ask a question to you ladies who have finished your treatment . I'm day 8 today out of 15 and my son has asked us to go to Spain for a week on sept 1st , so I finish if on schedule on the 20th aug and I'm wondering if I should go , will the tiredness hit me ,this would be just over a week after I finish and I just don't want to be so far away from home and suddenly feel very exhausted as I would not like that! I'm in a dilemma ,I've told my husband to go and il have a quiet week at home which part of me thinks may be more sensible , travel can take it out of you and on fri I felt quite depleted after doing too much and I felt 'faintly' and had to lie down so that's my only worry!! Hugs xx

[alice45]

Yes, Simple soap and bodywash - lovely texture.

[Atat]

Thanks. Were you able to use Simple soap or similar?
Atat

[alice45]

Yes, I was told no deo on the side being treated during the weeks of rads and for 3 weeks afterwards. I found some baby wipes with no alcohol in which I've been using for between shower freshening which seem to work well, even in this hot weather.

[Atat]

Am I correct in thinking that no deodorant can be used during treatment?

[alice45]

Morning ladies, hope you are doing well. I've finished - last booster was yesterday. A bit red and itchy, but still slapping on the aloe vera gel, and have been told to continue that for another 2-3 weeks. Threatened tiredness hasn't arrived so far, but I've been told to 'take it easy' over the next few weeks or it might!

Best wishes to all.

[patricia4]

Hello all

Finished by 15th treatment today, hooray. I do have a very red area, and they have given me some cortisone to put on it after acqueous cream. The seroma has definately hardened.

I have been very tired with the treatment, and have just been going with the flow.

I have a CT body scan next week, so that is reasurring.

I am going away for six weeks if I can to Scotland, my only problem is the zoladex injection due on 7th august, but I have found a way around that hopefully.

good luck everyone

[alice45]

Hi ladies, just returned from the last session of week 2 - halfway through. Skin slightly pink but otherwise OK. Waiting for the tiredness to arrive, but feeling fine so far. Good luck to all - hope any problems are temporary.

[Atat]

Hello Dormouse
I had WLE on 19 May, re-excision on 16 June, oncologist appt due on 7 August, ? Radiotherapy Sept. Been told there's a back log!!! And then there's a bank hol in August!!
Am so fed up about it as I've seen literature that says local recurrence rate is increased the longer you have to wait.

[patricia4]

Day 9 of treatment, because I have seroma (fluid on the mastecomy site) radiotherapy is becoming more difficult, my measurements will have to go of to a physist to see if they need to compensate the radiation accordingly, or have to be rescanned and remeasured.

I have had severe chest pains mainly at night and have had to sleep or try to sleep sitting up ( I had lots of pains in my sternum since the mastecomy, but its getting worse.  Saw the nurse today, who said to take paracetamol, they said its probably anxiety.  But it fills like a foot on my chest area, I do have some problems with breathing too, but I have a growth on my thyroid which tend to press against my neck, which makes it uncomfortable too.  I will be having a CT scan soon hopefully.

from having mastecomy to radiotherapy treatment was 9-10 weeks. Having my soladex injection for the first time tomorrow then i can start the hormone treatment leconsale.

The chest area is very red, I have been putting on acqueous cream at least three times a day.

Hopefully 1 more week to go.  It is tiring, but Im not working so it must be hard for those who have to work and run a home and family. My thoughts are with you.

[Dormouse]

Not at all.. I had just over 2 months from surgery to radiotherapy. My op was on 2nd May.

Are you having a long wait?

[Atat]

Really sorry to hear this. Do you mind me asking how long you had to wait for treatment?

[Dormouse]

Hi Ladies, I started my rads on Tuesday, at the N&N in Norwich, and have just had the 3rd one. Already my breast is prickly and warm and I have stabbing in the wound area. Oddly from about an hour after the first session I was feeling queasy, it went away by mid afternoon then started up again after dose 2, I mentioned it today and the radiographer said it can't be anything to do with the treatment, but same again, about an hour or so after and I'm feeling queasy.
Is anyone else experiencing this?
Also already tired, but the drive, parking nightmare and drive back in rush hour (1hr 15) is no doubt adding to this. Not sure that I am going to be able to carry on working as I had planned.

[Cat5]

One week down, two to go!

Skin starting to get red and warm, not sure if it's the hot weather (Central London has been a nightmare), need to wait and see. Was rubbish at the DIBH today, just couldn't hold it enough, hope Monday will be better.

Hope everyone else is doing ok.

[patricia4]

Hi Ladies

Great to hear from you.  Day four completed.  Yes I have a bit of shoulder and neck stiffness.  The setting up big is getting quicker.  It felt very warm on the area today, they are using a bola, but today they didnt put any tissue between, it shouldnt make any difference hopefully.

Saw my oncologist yesterday, and he has agreed to me having a ct scan as well.    My ovaries are still working so I will need soladex injections every 28 days plus lexonsale tablets.

I have a headache today too and feel very sleepy, but then again I missed out on an whole night sleep on tuesday night, so its probably from that.

Getting into some sort of routine with the treatment now. 

[alice45]

Good morning, ladies, I also started on 30 June so all treatment bar one will be in July. I'm London based so just half an hour on the tube for me to reach the hospital - my sympathies to those with long journeys.

My hospital recommends aloe vera rather than aqueous cream - funny how they're all different. No problems so far apart from shoulder stiffness from having to keep so still for so long...

Best wishes to all, A

[Angie55]

Hi Pat
I finished my radiotherapy at the end of April with not to many problems. I used aqueous cream and even took a small pot with me to apply while the skin was still warm from the Radiotherapy. I did use Aloe Vera, from Holland & Barratt which is as close to 100% as I could find that was near the end when I developed a small burn in my armpit. I also used a cotton hankie to cover the burn to stop the friction and rubbing especially when driving. Also keep hydrated. Any more questions just ask. Good luck to all ladies starting in July.
Take Care
Angie. X

[Cat5]

Hi Patricia
I also started rads yesterday, in Central London. So far, no soreness but I am putting loads of cream on. One tip I had when it goes red is to put cooled camomile tea on it! I've bought some tea bags but haven't needed them yet.

I am tired but that's probably due more to the 3 hour round trip travelling time rather than the rads themselves.

Hope your pinkness settles down.

[patricia4]

Hi

Seeing that there have been thread for May and June Radiotherapy treatments.

I thought I would start one for July.

I started my radiotherapy on monday 30th June 2014 at Colchester hospital, Essex County hospital.

Staff seem to be friendly, first day the machines were broke and were running 1 hour late, today I actually got in 5 minutes before my time and was finished within 20 minutes.

Even though its my second day I noticed some pinkness on the skin, hope its not the start of soreness.  I do have a seroma and think I have at least 500ml of fluid in there.  I have had a mastecomy 9 weeks ago I had 550 ml of fluid drained of two weeks after the surgery.    The oncologist said it was better for me to leave the fluid there, rather than have it drained before the radiotherapy, because the fluctuation of sizes for the measurements.

They told me just to use acqeos cream, I asked about aloe vera but they said they dont recommend it.
If it starts to get hot and red is there any other recommendations to help.

Good luck to those starting this month.


Pat