I’m new here. Just finished chemo (yippee) and have appointment today to set all the logistics in place for radio. I have this idea that compared to chemo it’s going to be much easier despite the 60k round trip to the hospital daily. I am due to finish in June when I want to go away for a work trip. Am I being unrealistic and underestimating how tough it’s going to be?
hi well done for getting through chemo. i finished rads at the end of jan and i have to say i was surprised just how wiped out i felt(and still do) i had planned to go back to work last week but there was no way i could have managed it. but everyone is different but you must listen to your body.
sue
Hi Trig
I’ve got my rads planning today as well. I want it to start asap but was told the 1/4/10 I need to get back to work as due to go on half pay too. We really dont need the stress do we! I suppose we have to accept we will feeled exhausted!
Julia xx
I’m 12 days into rads & have to say that apart from the odd achey tired muscles at night (think that’s the Tamoxifen)I’m fine.
I was expecting to feel completely wiped out already, but so far so good (apart from finding a recurrance already!!)
I’m hoping it continues like this for the rest of my rads…however many that may be!
I think it’s a lot like chemo in that everyone reacts differently.
Good Luck!
Hx
Hi
I’ve got my Rads planning too next week. Others I know who have been through it keep telling me how fatiguing it is. So i guess we just have to wait and see.
Like you Julia I am soon to go onto half pay and as a single mum i’m a bit worried about that too. As if we haven’t got enough to think about!
HC xx
Just to add my bit…Im on No.8 of my rads. I wouldn’t say its wiped me out…Im still managing fine in the day and am still able to run round after my 2 little girls all day. I will say though Im shattered once they’re in bed and am usually asleep by half 9…ten on a good day! I can cope with that though for a few weeks !!!
Good luck with your rads xx
Radiotherapy has a cumulative effect. I had 25 sessions and sailed through until around session 12 but then the fatigue set in - rising to a peak at around session 25. I continued to feel tired but less and less so for another month. I could function reasonably well on a day-to-day level but I’m not sure I could do a demanding job too. As a previous contributor has said - listen to your own body.
Good luck,
AlexG
I never experienced any tiredness from my rads (20 of them), and I had a 1 year old that was waking me at 5am every morning! Its a bit like tamox etc, some people are fine and others not so.
Hi,I know everyone reacts differently to treatment,but for me rads was a doddle. I had 33 and slapped on the cream and just became a little sore towards the end and for a little while after.The 4 buses a day for 6 and a half weeks was a pain though lol.I was also tired from chemo so didn’t notice any tiredness from rads, if that makes sense.
good luck with your rads love Mel xx
Hi trig
Like melly2 I also founds rads a doddle - don’t remember at all feeling particularly tired - the worst for tiredness etc was chemo, the rads was easy in comparison
Good luck
xxxx
I am on day 14 out of 25 rads. I am not as tired as i was on chemo. It is tiring going backwards and forwards to the hospital very day. Just listen to your body and don’t do too much. Ourr bodies have been through a lot, listen to your body and don’t tire it out.
Hi trie
Congrats on finishing chemo. Just to echo what everyone else has said we are all different. I had no tiredness with my rads (25) was very lucky - just slapped on the cream. I started putting cream on a week before they started and had no burning whatsoever. Mind you I am a bit of a sun worshipper so not sure if that helped.
As everyone says your body will tell you what to do so listen to it. The trips to and from hospital can be waring especially when you have a long way to go, so get pleanty rest.
Good luck I hope your experience with rads is like mine and you sail through.
Anne xx
Hi Trig
Just to repeat, I had no tiredness on rads (25), even when the radiographers were telling me I must be getting really tired. Had a lift to hospital each day though which probably helped. Finished about 3 & a half weeks ago, had no burning, & redness almost all gone now. Good luck with it all.
Hi all just to say I’ve finished rads in mid feb although did get the occassional day when I felt seriously fatigued didn’t have much of a prob and sailed through the 10/11 'cooking days quite well. Could’t use creams as it set up problem so had to grin and bear it. However my problems started 21 days after rads - split , burnt , mega fatigue etc so please don’t think your in the clear. Was told it is very dependent on dosage of rads and other issues such as ‘big breast’ can cause these prob. I’m only telling you this because you might be abit down if it comes later than you have been told. You do heal quickly and as soon as the healing starts the improvement both physically and mentally is rapid.
Don’t worry about the pace of others this is really a VERY individual thing No room for super women in this game read your body and don’t compare your progress with others - they have been very lucky. Good Luck
hi there
ive just done day 10 of 20 rads
i drive myself, an hours round trip
skin fine so far
so far ive been feeling better everyday as i started rads 3 wks after chemo and a hospital stay so still not over that.
have very achey legs, like ive been to the gym, but im sure thats not down to rads, maybe tamox??
just finding im falling asleep watching tv around 10pm where as i was watchng tv till midnight
still getting up for loo all through the night too
but compard to chemo this is better so far
Can I just say thank you for this thread and everyone’s contributions.
I’m due to start (I think) on 19th April and hoping I can continue going to work as I have done throughout chemo, so hearing about the mixture of reactions to it is reassuring. I am, of course, hoping that I will be one of the folk who find it a doddle!!!
I have some holiday booked before and afterwards, to give me some recovery time and will take sick leave where and when I need to.
Hi just a commment really for HC,Sue,and Julia most places of work pay you for 6 months but if you go back for just one day you get paid for a further 6 months if not you go on half pay this is how my place of work is anyway its not as if we asked to get cancer is it.
It may be worth your while investigating further. It would not be as if it was purposely done but you may feel you are able to go in and you find it to much you would not have to worry about your finances after all we have enough on our minds good luck.love Linda xxx
Rockinghorse, it depends on your organisations policy. Mine allows a certain time off sick over a rolling 12 month period, so going back for one day would not reset the clock, as such. I also get less due to length of service - in fact, was only due 1 month fully paid when I was diagnosed but HR increased my allowance to 3 months even though they didn’t have to. Not everyone gets 6 months at full pay.
BTW this isn’t why I have continued working throughout - I would have done this whether I had the option of 6 months off or not.
wow, what an amazing response to my query! Thanks to everyone who posted. Its nice to know there are women out there who know what its really like to be living this experience…
I had my first appointment with the hospital to start the process for the rads and was happy to learn that I will be doing 29 sessions rather than the 40 I was originally told!
Certainly hope be one of the lucky ones who don’t experience too much tiredness etc. I do remember hoping to be one of those women who had a painless labour when I was pregnant and didn’t get that - LOL, better luck this time?
thanks again everyone!
Hello Ladies
Finished chemo last week (yippee!!!) as veins too bad for final 6th… been contacted today re. my Rads planning which is on the 30th March with a start date still to be confirmed but hopefully it will be mid April. Any tips re. rads/Tamoxifen you can offer will be gratefully received or any forums that may be of use.
Also been offered IMPORT HIGH trial (on another thread) anyone here know/have experience of the study?
Leigh x