Sheffield/Chesterfield/North Derbyshire anyone???

Hi
I was wondering if there is anybody on this site from around my neck of the woods ( see title)? I was dx with grade 2 IDC on 31/07/09 and had WLE on 21/08/09. Currently awaiting rads and on Tamoxifen. No chemo planned as not spread.
My treatment has been in Sheffield and I live on the south side of the city, so can get easily into Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

I am 43, am an SEN teacher ( although off sick at the moment) and have two children of 12 and 9 (nearly 10!)

Would love to meet up with a BC buddy or two. My friends are great but they don’t really know what it’s like do they??

Hope to hear from you

Anna x

Hi Anna

I’m from Sheffield/Chesterfield area. I live in Harthill which is close to Woodall Services on the M1. I too had my radiotherapy at Weston Park although my surgery was done at Rotherham General which is where I go for my check ups. mammos etc.

I was dx in September 2007 so I’m 2 years further on than you. My cancer was grade 2. I had a lumpectomy, 25 rad sessions and now on tamoxifen for 5 years.

I’m much oldre than you though, 62 and my children are 40, 37 and 34.

It would be nice to hear from you.
Take care
Jan xx

Hi Jan and Anna

I also live in your area, Anston actually which is very close to you Jan. I was diagnosed August 08 and had a mastectomy in Rotherham General. This was followed up by 7 months of chemo and now I’m on my 5 years of Tamoxifen. I also have two grown up daughters, 39 and 35, and 4 grandchildren with another due in November. At the moment I am back to working full-time but hoping to reduce my hours so that I only need to work 4 days. It would be good to meet up if anyone is interested.

Jackie

hi Jackie

Yes we are very close, my son and daughter in law live in Anston so I’m often in the village.

A meet would be great. As Anna says friends are great, and mine have been truly wonderful, but no one understands until you’ve been there.

Who did your op at Rotherham. I had Miss Donlan, she was really great. Started off with Michelle as my BCN but she went on maternity leave and so I’ve got Stephanie now who is really nice.

I have 5 grandchildren. The youngest, who lives at Anston, is 7 months old.

Jan

Hi ladies,

Nice to hear from some other locals !!
Jan how did you get on with radiotherapy at Weston park? ( I am starting that soon).
Let’s see if we get a few more replies and maybe arrange to meet up ??

Anna x

Hi Anna

I did OK with my radiotherapy at Weston Park. All the radiologists are lovely. Parking is a bit of a pain. There is a small free car park but sometimes you have to queue to get a place. The good thing is that people are constantly coming and going so you don’t have to wait long.

I think the main problem is that you have to go everyday. It just seems to take your life over. I felt a bit sick for the first few sessions about 20 mins after I came out but it soon passed and after about 3 or 4 sessions it went away.

Do you have a start date yet? I didn’t start my Tamoxifen until I’d finished the rads.

If there’s anything I can help you with don’t be afraid to ask. If it’s a bit difficult you can send me a personal message. I’m obviously no expert but I’ll certainly help if I can.

Look forward to hearing from you

Jan xx

Thanks for that advice Jan !

I didn’t even know there was a car park there of any sort; I was thinking of parking on the other side of the park over the road and walking across. There are some streets round there with free parking I think…

I am going for the planning meeting on Monday but don’t yet know when the actual rads will start.

It’s not that much of a journey for me. I can be there in about 20 mins if the traffic isn’t too bad. I have asked for a morning apointment ( about 10 ish) if possible so I can go straight from dropping my daughter at school, then hopefully it won’t feel so much like it has taken up the entire day!!

I just wondered ( daft really…) do you wear a gown for the treatment, or lie there topless, or do they partially cover you with a paper towel thing or what ??

Thanks

Anna xx

PS Hope you’re having a good weekend in this fab weather !

Hi Anna

I think street parking is very difficult around there. There are so many hospitals and all the staff etc have to park their cars. My daughter in law works at Charles Clifford and she sets off for work at 7am just so that she can get a parking space. She parks somewhere over the other side of the park. You’ll be OK in the little car park, just leave some extra time in case you have to queue.

I was going to suggest that you go for your treatment as early as you can. I went late afternoon and ended up having to wait on occasions for 2 hours+ before I went in to the treatment room. People who went in the morning seemed to get in more or less on time.

When you get to the hospital go in the side door which is just inside the little short tunnel on the right. As you go through the door immediately on your right are some curving steps they are down to the cellar!!! where the radiotherapy department is. It’s easy to miss and go wandering off into the main reception area.

When you get downstairs you’ll be in the reception area. Report to the desk and then you wait in there until someone calls you to go through to the next waiting area. When you get in there you go into one of the cubicles and take your clothes of your top half and put them in one of the ‘supermarket’ type baskets which are in the cubicle. Put on one of the short gowns and go back into the waiting area, taking your basket with you, and wait in the sitting area for the machine you are going to be treated on.

At your setup session you go to the same place. You again put on a gown but the changing room is in the setup room itself so you don’t have to go into the cubicle or use a basket. You will lie on a bed with a machine similar to the ones which give the treatment and you are measured and the radiotherapy area marked out. I had tatoos, one in the middle of my breasts, one on each side at the bottom of my breasts. These ensure that exactly the same area is treated every time.

They will give you your list of radiotherapy sessions at your setup. They will be differing times but around the time you ask for. I think that when you see the doctor, which I think is after the first two weeks and then every week you go in the afternoon. (can’t remember properly)

You will probably get quite sore from the treatment, it affects your skin. I would start slapping the aqueous cream on ASAP to keep your skin in good condition. You can’t use perfume or any perfumed products on the radiotherapy area while you are having treatment so you’ll need some shower gel/soap which is unperfumed.

I found that it was uncomfortable to wear a bra but some of that was because my scar is in the crease underneath my breast. I got some of those little strappy tops from M & S with a secret support in. They were very much more comfortable.

It would probably be a good idea for someone to go with you for the first couple of times until you know the ropes - oh and take a book or DS :slight_smile: (love mine, got me through many a long wait at hospital) if you’ve got one just in case you have to wait.

The treatment itself, mine started exactly a week after my setup, only takes seconds. It’s given in two doses from each side. The longest job is getting you lined up with your tattoos on the machine. You are in the room on your own while you are being treated the staff can see you on a monitor so if you have a problem they can come a rescue you. The treatment is completely painless. You don’t feel anything at all.

Right off to my son’s for my dinner now. It’s usually Mum who’s cooking so today makes a change.

If there’s anything else Anna please ask.

Oh forgot when you lie on the machine bed for your treatment you have your short gown thing on and they just fold it back as much as necessary for your treatment. They are very mindful of your modesty. Really lovely people.

All the best for tomorrow. Let me know how you get on.

I’ve rattled on a bit. I hope you can make head or tail of what I’ve written.

Love and {{{hugs}}} to you. I’ll be thinking of you tomorrow.

Jan xxxx

Hi All

I found it alot easier for my partner ( or anyone else that was available ) to drop me off and then pick me up as i was never more than about 20 mins start to finish, all Weston Park staff in radiotherapy and chemo unit are lovely as is my onc Dr Bridgewater who i now see at Barnsley breast clinic…
Mizzy xxx

Thanks for that great info Jan and mizzy.It’s really helpful to know what to expect. I only just got used to finding my way around the Hallamshire hosp and now have to get used to somewhere else!!
Will let you know how I get on.

Take care

Anna x

Hi

Don’t post on here to much these days, I live in Sheffield near crystal peaks, I was dx in December 2007 grade 2 and had lumpectomy and 25 session of Radiotherapy at Weston park,I did not have any Chemo but had my ovaries out instead, in May 2009 was told I carried the BRAC2 gene, if I can help with any question you have just ask.

Debra

Hi everyone

Sorry I haven’t been on for a couple of weeks.

It would be lovely to meet up Jan if possible. As you say it’s good to talk to your friends but they don’t quite understand how you are feeling. It’s so easy to just say that you’re fine when really your head is all over the place. I was also supposed to have Miss Donlan (she’s lovely isn’t she) but she went on her hols to Ireland just at the wrong time. I had her understudy Miss Dudani, also very nice, instead. Ann is my BCN and nothing is too much trouble for her.

If anyone else is interested in a meeting please feel free to come along. Not sure where or when but suggestions are welcome. I work full-time at the moment, so it would need to be either at the weekend or early evening. Looking forward to hearing your ideas.

Jackie

Hi Jackie. I’ve been over to Anston a few times visiting my son, daughter in law and new grandson (he’s totally wonderful) and thought of you. It’s very true that it’s much easier just to say that you’re fine when really you’re not.
It would be good to meet. I’m retired now so I’m pretty free anytime. At the moment I go swimming on a Tuesday evening and have the odd evening when I’m tied up. I’m probably starting dancing classes!!! in our village hall on Wednesdays later this month and I’m on holiday at the end of the month.

I’ll send you a PM with my details.

Love and smiles to you

Jan xxx

Hi Anna

I keep thinking about you. How are you doing?

Jan xxx

Hi Jan

thanks for all your help with the radiotherapy issues. I went fot the planning last Monday at 3.20. That was a pain. The queue for the carpark took half an hour. We couldn’t find the side door as there are no signs on the outside of the building saying “radiotherpay dept” ( or if there are I haven’t seen them !). Once we found it, your instrutions about the staircase etc made sense and were great.

The onc was runnimg late and so I had about an hour wait after getting changed and by the time we left the place was virtually closed.

My actual treamment started this monday and my appointments have been at 10 or 10.20am. The first day I parked over the other side of the park, lots of spaces for only 20p an hour. However I noticed the hospital carpark was not that busy, so have parked there yesterday and today with little or no queueng.

The staff are lovely (very young aren’t they all ??!)and everyting has happened as you explained. I have not had any side effects yet and going over there is a bit like going to work for me as most of the journey is the same !

I am in room LA9 and there are Winnie the Pooh stickers on the underside of the machine !!

Thanks for your support, hope you are doing ok?

Anna x

Hi Anna

Glad you’re doing OK. As I said before I think you’ll do better time wise in the morning than the afternoon. It was about 2 weeks for me before I got any skin reaction from the treatment but lots of people have nothing at all. I do hope you’re one of them.
I agree finding the Radiotherapy Dept is a nightmare which is why I tried to explain it to you, although probably not very well.
When I went for my set up I couldn’t find it at all and the place was so busy I had to wait ages at the main reception to ask someone by which time I was frazzled because I thought I was going to be late for my appointment!!!
Yes all the staff are very young but really nice. The first time I went for a treatment there was a young girl there waiting for her radiotherapy. She was probably only about 11 or 12. She was laughing with the staff and saying that her treatment area itched like made (which is another side effect). I felt so humbled. Every time I started feeling sorry for myself, having to go every day, I thought of her and bucked myself up.

I hope you get to the end of your treatment comfortably.

I’m doing very well thanks. My friend just called on her way home from the hospital and she’s clear on her first mammogram. Yippee.

Keep in touch

Jan xxx

I presume you are talking about Westom Park Hospital, I finished my treatment there on the 25th August, and have had absolutely no side effects at all, only pinkness but considering I have exzema I was concerned as to whether I would get any reactions, but I didn’t.
I thought all of the staff were very good and kind, I was mainly in LA5 and LA8.
Hope all of your treatment goes as well as mine

Hi Dejay
I think I have messaged you before ?? Are you up Barnsley way and have a newish little grand daughter ?
I had a really nice young girl doing my rads today. She told me I didn’t look old enough to have a 10 year old daughter !! ( it’s my daughter’s birthay tomorrow). Not true,but kind of her to say so !!
Anna x

I am not certain what happened but I thought I had gone down on the lnext line, but possibly I may be repeating myself. Yes, I live in the North of Sheffield and Barnsley is probably about 15-20 mins away.
I was diagnosed a week before my granddaughter was born, so it has been a funny year.
I was very lucky with the treatment, I was in mainly LA5 and LA8 and never had to wait, my appointments were mainly in the morning but I had a few which were turned 6 O’clock!!
I have had a follow up app with Weston Park, and then I have another app due at the Royal Hallamshire in January next year.
I have just come back off holiday, I had to cancel the one we booked in July because of the treatment.
Hope your treatment goes as well
Regards

I had a great evening last night Jan. It was lovely meeting you and good to be able to talk about things that most people don’t understand. It would be great if we could do this again and also if anyone else would like to join us.

Take care

Jackie xxx