December 2017 Radiotherapy

[Hufflepuff]

Hi everyone,

Just had my last rads, yaay!! The last 3 months feels like a bit of a whirlwind. I'm shattered but feel  fine physically, and slightly weird emotionally.  I still don't think any of this has quite sunk in yet! Now with the hustle and bustle of Christmas ( and both my children's birthdays!) I think it might all 'hit me ' in the new year.

I'm not going back to work until Jan as my job is crazy and I'm going to start with shorter shifts.

Best wishes to everyone having/about to have radiotherapy, you'll be fine.

Lots of love xxx

[Headandheart]

Hi Salimali

any kind of fluid is good, except caffeine and alcohol which are diuretic. I’ve been upsizing normal drinks and adding more water to soup, tea, green tea, decaf coffee as well as downing a glass of juice at other times and a bottle of water straight after treatment. 

I carried on working with reduced hours for the first two,weeks but then hit a wall of tiredness this week after 10 treatments and have been signed off. Luckily it’s then the Christmas hols and I don’t have to go back till 8th Jan so hoping I’ll be ok, if still a bit tired. People seem to say the tiredness peaks a week or two after treatment ends because the body is clearing away dead cells and healing. 

Three surgeries is a big onslaught on your body and takes some recovery too. I had 2 which was bad enough, and only just started feeling normal (but very unfit) before the radio started.  It’s a good thing you have a gap, I think. 

[Jill1998]

Welcome to the forum Sali !! Not sure about tea /green tea maybe other ladies will know , certainly water helps a lot with fatigue /feeling nauseous .The side effects from rads continue to build in the 2 weeks after you finish so maybe a good idea to take the next 2 weeks off to recover and see how you feel .I went back to work 3 weeks after finishing but I got an infection in my boob which set me back a little bit .Jill.

[Salimali]

I'm glad I've started to look at this site. Lots of fantastic advice already. I've had my tattoos and 15 sessions start on 2 January so 20 days from now. I've been given a gown to take in with me for each session. I was wondering what I can do to prepare. I'm sort of thinking of the 20 day marker as an opportunity to do lots before I am back in the medical world again. I had three ops before the results showed clear margins. I knew about moisturising and exercises but not drinking fluids which I'm not very good at. I need to increase my water intake but can I include Chinese green tea and herbal teas? Also how long would you recommend taking off work after 15 sessions of radiotherapy? Everyone on here is very positive about the experience. I can't say I'm looking forward to it but I will be glad to have it all behind me.

[I dont believe it.]

Had my pre radiotherapy CT scan today with treatment starting 27th December and finishing 18th January. 15 sessions in total but holidays are spreading it out longer. Got my little tattoos and did not even feel the little scratch that they mentioned so hardly anything considering the surgery already done.I was expecting black marker on my skin but they used a reddish pink colour. Does this go black does anyone know or is it just this hospital uses a red colour instead? Must admit once the crosses have been cleaned off only I will know where the tiny dots are as there are already other marks on the skin. Hoorah for freckles!

The team today were lovely, they were doing some training and did say to me first. It was good to hear the information being done and then checked. The trainee said the machine reminded her of an aeroplane starting up so when I was looking up at the beautiful sky on the screen above my head I just wandered off in holiday mode to stop me thinking about why I was there.

Keep posting everyone as its so helpful to see the information from those who have gone before.

[Jay68]

Congratulations Mono - have a fantastic Christmas and New Year! X

[Jay68]

I get covered with a piece of tissue paper most days! For dignity purposes only I was told!

Day 10/15 done today! Hooray double figures!! X

[ladybowler]

momo

Woo hoo and here are the bells ringing for you, well done thats it end of active treatment, enjoy not having to do that journey any more.  Remember that you will still have the effects of the rads for the next two weeks so keep on with your regime.

So happy for you

Helena xxx

[ladybowler]

Ruth

I never was, I would go in with my popper tunic on but when I had my treatment that was opened, no definitely no paper xx

[Hufflepuff]

Congratulations Momo! It should have been my last session today but I had to postpone yesterday's due to the weather. Last one tomorrow now.

Ruth, yes they always cover me with a paper towel. Not quite sure why this is! I assumed it was a modesty  thing, although you're exposed whilst they position you, so it makes no difference really. Maybe there's another reason!

Hope everyone is okay today xxx

[Justme41]

Congratulations momo, I’m sure you’re glad. Hope you have a good Christmas and a happy new year xx

[Justme41]

Ruth,

We get a cape over here, it’s more for them to move you easier on the bed but they cover my left side with it too. I thought it was originally for me to hide myself but you only walk two feet from where you get changed and seemed more hassle to wear it. Then the moving thing was explained so I be a good girl and wear it xx

[Ruth.J]

Congratulations Momo have a wonderful Christmas and New Year xx

[momo4169]

That's me done 😃. 20/20 and just left the hospital. So happy that I won't be doing that trip every day. The hospital is only 8 miles from home but the traffic is always horrendous so you can say goodbye to 2 hours every day.

Good luck to all you ladies still going through it. Thinking of you all and wish you the very best for Christmas xx

[Ruth.J]

Yeah 5/20 done quarter of a way there. I am really tired but was going into it as I don’t sleep well normally.

One thing I wanted to check ladies while the machine is on are you naked upper half? I am sure I have read some ladies say that - I’m covered with a sheet of paper, the ones they put on the bed - was just curious.

Thanks Ruth xx

[ladybowler]

Mishy

It is easy to drop back into old habits, I even find now, 11 months (crickey I have only realised how long it has been) since I finished rads that if I do not take in enough fluid I will get fatigue. 

I try to always keep a water bottle full by my desk and use it as a reason to move away from my desk to fill it, but even then I can go hours without doing it.

Hope all goes well today for you and be careful if you have the snow out there.

Helena xxx

[Mishy18]

I think that is where I went wrong Helena i was really good at keeping fluids intake up during chemo but aa i can enjoy tea again i have slipped back into old bad habits not drinking enough water which is probably why i felt so rough today was exhausted and sickly have drank lots of water since and hopefully that will have done the trick i keep forgetting tea is a diuretic and its not ideal way of keeping hydrated
Im finding it ok day 3 tomorrow just need to remember ive nit long been out of chemo so i will be feeling tired xx

[ladybowler]

Mishy

You need to be taking in at least 2 litres of fluid a day whilsts on rads to help counter the dehydration effect of the rads and also to help with fatigue, that should help xxx

[Mishy18]

Haha hopefully you wont 😊 hoping this snow doesn't throw a spanner in for rads this week i want no delays bry everyone is thinking the same as me good luck in getting to apps tomorrow everyone
Michele

[Justme41]

Mishy,

Just see that some of you’s have gone through so much more than me.

For something so simple like eating and drinking, it’s hard to remember. I’m not wanting to acid myself but I’m more wired than tired, suspect I’ll crash at some point. Maybe during reflexology tomorrow lol

Angela xx

[Mishy18]

This is good to know drank plenty of water and tbe sickly feeling settled down i must remember to drink more tomorrow its my kast part of treatments too i was surgery then chemo now this bit going to lie feeling tired niw so can't wait till im finished!
Angela your def not a fraud don't say that 😊

[Justme41]

Jay68,

Yeah I remembered you did that first, a friend had her radio before her chemo. Guess everyone has their own plan. You’s have been through much more than me I feel a wee fraud sometimes. Glad to hear it’s a breeze

Angela xx

[Jay68]

Hi Angela - yes today was day 9/15 for me today and all is great! Mind you I started this journey with chemo followed by surgery (mx and complete node removal) so rads is a complete breeze for me....! x

[Justme41]

Jay68,

Thank you, Thursday will be day 9 for me so prob be 2 for me too then? Other then a bit of a sore nip it’s been grand so should be ok 😊 how you keeping?

Mishy,

I did for the first couple of days but I upped my water and made sure I was eating enough and it’s been ok since.

Angela XX

[Justme41]

Ruth,

That’s my mums side heart disease and heart failure and spent the last couple of years losing 3.5 st then to be told I get dads side stuff lol. I’ve been on low cholesterol and no salt from I was 10 because of them 😂😂😂 but seriously yeah you need to and we can all do stuff when we have to I guess xx

[Ruth.J]

Oh please no one be scared it is ok once you have the practice and they talk you through it. Xx

[Jay68]

Hi Mishy - no can't say I've experienced any nausea feelings. I do drink 2 litres of water a day in addition to my usual drinks.

Hope it was just a one off for you x

[Jay68]

Hi Angela - I only have two reviews - one after first 3 sessions and I have another review the day before my last one.  Basically they just ask how things are going from your point of view and if you need any information  They provided me with the sickness note that I needed for work and that's about it.  My friend, who's now finished, said in the last one they assess your skin and give you any prescriptions for extra creams that they think you may need as apparently the 2 weeks following rads are when the skin can react.  

It literally takes 5/10 minutes!

[Mishy18]

Dont know if anyone else has experienced feeling nausea aoorox 2 hrs after its only my 2nd one but i felt sickly on Friday too could jyst br a coincidence just thought i would ask my mam says i might need to drink more water or something was feeling fine apart from that sickly feeling x

[Headandheart]

Just to say, I’m doing breath holding but not with any tubes etc, just taking a deep breath and holding it for 20 sec as if I was swimming underwater, which is fine. That machinery doesn’t look fun. Just thought I’d say in case people reading this get scared - I read too many scary things before treatment began!

[Ruth.J]

Angela

It was a bit scary for my practice but I know it’s the best option for me to protect my heart. Surprisingly heart disease in all my dads side of the family - our great Norn Irish diet😂

[Justme41]

Ruth.

I’d panic if I had to do that I think or maybe I’d concentrate. I prob look petrified while they’re doing it but tbh I’m concentrating on my breathing as have asthma and dodgy sinus (deviated septum) and now this cough. They let me cough in between switching the machine this morning which helped.

Helena,

Thank you, thought it was just a wee chat to see how it was going but wasn’t sure. My nip felt like it had been burnt or something last night but seems ok today

Angela xx

[ladybowler]

Angela

I had two during my rads, although I was supposed to have three they missed telling about one.

Basically the rads review nurse just checks how you are doing and will look at how your skin is.At my last one she gave me some polymem dressings as my nip was rather sore and the fold underneath was a bit red so she said to use it to give a bit of protection.  Also she checked what cream I was using, at the first one she told me to stop using the alo vera and only use the E45 cream and keep it in the fridge

xxx

[Ruth.J]

https://goo.gl/images/nARYLn

[Ruth.J]

Angela

I have been alternating fresh orange juice and water terrified to get the cold as I have to do the deep breath hold with breathing tube in my mouth peg on my nose so doing everything to keep the bugs at bay xx

[Justme41]

Ruth

Thanks. Radiographer mentioned that I was down to see someone on Thursday. They had mentioned a weekly review last week but as I had only started I didn’t need one. Was just curious lol I’m dosed atm and have a bit of a cough but they don’t seem concerned with it or maybe it’s not for them to worry about.

Angela xx

[Ruth.J]

Hi Angela

I don’t know not having weekly review. I should see my oncologist mid way through but will actually see him this Thursday just after 8 treatments as he is going away for Christmas. Think it’s just a check in and then he has to mark me up for where the boosters will go. Will let you know if it’s anything else
Ruth xx

[Justme41]

Glad everyone got sorted this morning.

Can I ask what happens at the weekly review?

Angela xx

[ladybowler]

Hufflepuff

Oh thank goodness for that, I was sure that they would not want you doing that journey when you were nearly finished xx

[Hufflepuff]

Well done Ruth on making it to your appointment.  Go and put your feet up now.  I phoned first thing and they said it wasn't a problem to add this session on at the end. Phew, I didn't have to risk life and limb on the country roads! Have finished the Christmas wrapping instead and can have a nice day with my children.

Hope everyone is ok xxx

[ladybowler]

Ruth

Oh well done you, at least you can rest now for the day xxxx

[Ruth.J]

Hi all,

I emailed last night and they replied saying someone would be there from 7.30am so dropped eldest at work carried on have had treatment and back home. Feel exhausted but at least it’s done. Good luck everyone xx

[ladybowler]

Hufflepuff

I am sure they will be able to accommodate you in that, especially with the distance you have to travel and the weather is improving from Wednesday.  Be careful any way xxx

[Jill1998]

Feel for any of you having to drive in this dreadful scary weather - there doesn't seem to be a problem missing a couple of days over Christmas or if machines are being maintained /repaired so you would like it would be ok to postpone for a couple of days til weather improves .Hospitals must be struggling to get staff in too .

[Hufflepuff]

Thankyou both for your replies.  That's a good idea to ring first. We've also now got more snow forecast for this morning and it's really windy out there, not to mention the ice! Am terrified at the thought of driving all that way alone tbh. I only have 2 sessions to go, maybe I can do today's later this week.

Take care everyone xxx

[ladybowler]

Hufflepuff

I would ring up before you leave to see what they say as they may suggest cancelling it because of the weather, as it will probably depend on how many staff get in as well xxx

[Justme41]

Hufflepuff,

I left early last Friday when we had snow thinking that I would be able to get there early in case someone who was travelling from a distance couldn’t. They were just working through who was there and understood about the weather. You’ve a long journey, be careful and good luck for tomorrow morning xx

[Hufflepuff]

Hi all,

In response to some of the posts earlier today, I'm also quite anxious about making it to my appointment tomorrow.  It's really snowy here and I'm doing the 70 mile round trip alone. Not even sure my car will make it out of our little road! Kids are delighted to have a snow day. Luckily my sister who lives close by is a teacher and also has a snow day, so she can look after them. I really didn't want to have to take them with as well!  I guess I'll have to set off early and drive slowly.

Good luck and take care everyone xxx

[Justme41]

Ruth,

I’ve just seen your reply, whitehead is lovely in the summer, dads friend used to have a cottage in Eden, remember going to it when I was younger

Angela xx

[ladybowler]

Angela

Dont you just hate it when it does that, you can mark it as not spam xxx