Please can I ask some advice regarding radiotherapy. Some people I’ve spoken to have said it’s a doddle - others have said they found it worse than chemo!!
Having written the summer off as a rubbish summer (which it lived up to - with fornithtly dose dense chemo, weekly herceptin and loads of appointments with fertility experts, oncs, surgeons etc and booze tasting horrible and burning my stomach and just feeling a bit self concious in groups of people - not much time for fun!) I’m planning a big Christmas bash to get all of my friends and family together and hopefully raise some money for BCC (have already raised £2,500!).
My question is what are the chances of feeling up to it and actually being able to enjoy myself…? I was just designing the “save the date” invitations and then got cold feet. I don’t want to be too tired to enjoy planning and cooking, or off booze and unable to join in, or too self-concious with my hair and flat chest that I’d just feel horrifically embarrassed (although am getting councilling for this).
Radiotherapy can leave you feeling tired. The affect of radiotherapy can last weeks after the end of treatment. On the plus side, it will depend on how young and fit you are when you commence treatment, and how long your treatment takes. I think you’ll be ‘party-fit’ by Christmas so ‘enjoy’!
Sandytoes, you go mad with planning a fantastic party, and even if you end up sitting down a bit more than you might normally on the day/night, you’ll have a blast! And if push comes to shove, have a bit of a nap before the party starts (you’ll probably be all prepared and set up in plenty of time to allow a nap) just to recharge your batteries before you bop the night away.
This summer has been really tough for you, your regime is so harsh, but by Christmas the chemo should be finished which will be a HUGE pile of exhaustion off your plate, and rads doesn’t exhaust everyone. I certainly didn’t feel anything like as crap as chemo made me feel, don’t think I was extra tired really (well, relatively speaking I wasn’t!) Just as important, it’s a really positive thing to have something NICE to look forward to and put some effort into.
I’d say go for it! I’m half way through rads and so far - fingers crossed - it hasn’t been anywhere near as bad as i feared. I know the hard part may be yet to come. But it’ also important to ahve something to look forward to - enjoy!!! You can always rest afterwards!
Thanks guys. I will be halfway through rads, so still being treated. I just hate the fact that my onc keeps reminding me what a significant and aggressive cancer I have that I feel I should be grasping life with both hands, but the summer has just been a chemo slog, surgery will be over my birthday, so I’m determined to enjoy Christmas as I love it!! A bit of tiredness I can totally deal with, but not sure I could manage it if it was similar to the AC fatigue.
Also, has anyone managed to exercise through rads? Determined to get some fitness back, just unsure when to reinstate my gym membership…
Thanks for all of you help.
Ps - cm we need to organise a get together soon! Have been TAXed today, but will get back on it over the weekend. X
Sandytoes
I held a “beer and chilli” night for my friends 12 weeks after finishing chemo and 2 weeks after finishing rads. This was to celebrate me finishing active treatment, my friends brought their beer and I made a HUGE pot of chilli and a lasagne. I was still feeling tired but was determined to have a good time as I had had a tough time through treatment. I think you will enjoy yourself as I did- I had been off the booze too but made up for it that night!! It was also the first time my friends had seen my new hairdo as I greeted them minus my bandanas that had been attached to my head since January. Go ahead and design your invitations but don’t try to do all the organising/cooking yourself ask for help and you will be able to enjoy the night without being too exhausted- It’s good to have something to look forward to.
Lizz xx
But can you actually drink DURING rads? Or will you really suffer?
Maybe I should change it to a post-treatment/January/post-NY party… Just doesn’t really have the same ring to it!! And I’ve already starting planning all of the Christmas decorating!!
Sandytoes one weekend when I was in the middle of radiotherapy I went to two consecutive parties, one on the Friday night and one on the Saturday! It was fab actually, really gave me a boost. I felt okay to have a few drinks, not as many as I would have under normal circumstances (!) but I certainly felt okay to get in the party spirit!! And I just made sure I sat down lots. You may well be okay, just make sure you get as much help and rest as possible beforehand.
One daft thing that really helped was the second party had a silly little theme that you could do as much of or as little as you like - you had to wear something red. So I got a bright red wig off ebay and wore that! Meant I didn’t have to worry about my hair, and just looked like I was joining in with the theme instead of trying to hide anything! There were lots of friends-of-friends there who didn’t know me and would have had no idea I was having cancer treatment. Would something like that make you feel any less self-conscious about your appearance? Party hats or something?
Congratulations on the money you have raised so far that is amazing!
Sandytoes, a couple of times I rocked up to rads first thing in the morning to be greeted by a cheery “How are you today?” They didn’t bat an eyelid when I replied “well, I’ve got a bit of a hangover actually…”
Yeah, I know we’re supposed to live like hermits on a diet of stale bread and stagnant water, but it didn’t affect the rads and didn’t make me feel any sicker than a “normal” hangover, not like during chemo.
Jolly good! Will have the Sunday to recover!! Just don’t want to organise a party and then have to sit around just watching everyone else get stuck in while I sit on the periphery!
I walked into my Rads one morning after a very heavy night before and was told by a smiling therapist that a glass of wine is what they said was acceptable, I answered that as I don’t drink wine I swapped it for a litre bottle of Tia Maria, they fell about laughing and asked when we were all going to meet up for a night out.
Hi to answer your question re exercise and radiotherapy. Walked each day for about half an hour during the treatment but I had not had chemotherapy. I have been more tired since the treatment finished which was 2weeks ago. Just thinking of starting to swim and go to gym. We are all different in the way we react to treatment. Take care x