Hi there, I have my planning appointment tomorrow, treatment starts mid September. Anyone out there who will be starting radiotherapy in Sept?
ANxious-Soul
Hello and welcome to the forum and particularly this thread.
I am sure that some of the ladies who started their rads in August and are finishing in September will be along shortly as well as those starting along with you.
If there are any questions you want to ask I am sure we will be able to help you
Helena xx
Hi there, l am waiting for my planning appt in leeds, hopefully this week after meeting the radiotherapy consultant and signing my consent and l was told that my radiotherapy should start around mid September as well. Taking time off from work now and probably for a couple of weeks after. Please let me know how you get on, l have a bit of a journey to get there each day, so not looking forward to that so much,bu thing’s could be worse xxx
Hi ladies
I started my rads yesterday, my planning appointment was 2 weeks ago.
Once you’re in position, they did all the work moving me, just asked me to flop. The treatment really is painless and there’s a lot less wriggling about than in planning.
I haven’t yet worked out how to get off the bed in a dignified manner, but I’ve 14 more attempts!
My schedule is daily, mostly evenings, and I’m able to drive myself as I only live 15 mins away from the hospital. Anxious-soul your driver may be right, a routine may be supportive.
I’ve 3 friends that have had rads before (different cancers) they all had long journeys, and said they were more tired from travel than from the treatment, so relax on your journeys to and fro. And you may want to plan very little for the weekend, to rest.
good luck ladies
Maggie x
CJP forgot to mention I started Tamoxifen a month ago, so far not gained any weight, I’m chubby enough already.
I had to come off hormonal contraceptives & change PMT meds at the same time so I’m chalking up my emotional roller coaster of a month to those changes and hoping my GP was right about it all settling down in a couple of months.
I’m very thirsty, which a helpful friend told me was ‘in my head’ (honesty some people) but I drink a couple of litres of water a day now - which can only help the weight management I think.
Maggie x
Hello ladies. I too have my planning appt tomorrow and start on 13 September. I am looking forward to sharing our experiences on this thread with you all xxx
CJP you’re right the support from those going through it too is invaluable, it’s just different to what family & friends can offer.
Day 2 done, still an inelegant dismount! The radiographer said no ones elegant, which made me smile.
Maggie x
Hello all. Yes it will be great to stay in touch and support and share with each other. I think you have to go through it to understand it … Maggie perhaps we should have a pact that we put elegant to one side for now ?? xxx
Good luck everyone who’s getting on the September hit list!!
You are in the right place for help, advice, rants and bellringing.
I finished rads nearly 8 weeks ago now (where has the time gone???) and life is getting back to normal. Sometimes it really does feel like the last 5 and a half months have been a dream.
I am one of the biggest stressheads ever BUT, in the end there was nothing at all to stress over and no massive side effects to note.
Keep well moisturised and drink heaps, thats the best advice I can give
???
Morning all,
wombat you made me laugh, which is allways a good thing! My husband has kindly pointed out I’m not hat graceful anyway… ??
lilac moon, great that you’re starting to get back to normal, really good to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Anxious-soul, there were no bells ringing during my rads. They were playing music though. I think some departments have a bell you can ring when you’ve completed your last treatment, mine doesn’t.
Teatime session for me today & then out for dinner.
Im struggling without deodorant, but keeping up with the the moisturising and hydration. Has anyone else been told to not use deodorant at all on the affected side?
Maggie x
Now talking of deodorant, no one told me anything about not wearing any. The only advice I had was not to shave under my arm.
But has anyone been given advice on a suitable one to go for thats less harmful to us?
Hello everyone- having completed 7 rounds of chemo, WLE and ANC I now have a CT scan on Monday before radiotherapy. Is this the planning session or will I have scan and then a planning session later? My oncologist said it would be a couple of weeks between CT and start of rads but I can’t remember if he said this was the planning session.
I have to have 15 +5 boosters. The hospital is about 45 mins drive - but across city so could take longer - that’s one of the things I’m not looking forward to - although hubby will be driving .
Hope it all goes well for everyone.
Bibi
Hello Bibi - CT is planning. I had mine today. Everyone was so nice and the tattoos are really pinpricks - I expected them to be the size of large freckles ???
Ladies- re deodorant - apparently the guidance has now changed and as long as you use a roll on and keep it to the arm pit it is fine.
Re cream for moisturising they say non-aqueous cream is best… I am going to use Aveeno Apparently it has shown that aqueous cream can dry the skin out ??!
Anxious sole & CJP now I have been for planning I am feeling a lot more positive about it all… I sort of rolled off the table so definitely no prize for elegance dismounts !!!
Hi everyone, l got same advice as Wombat Woo did on deoderant and non aquious cream. So glad you are feeling positive Wombat Woo! I have my planning on Tuesday morning, so probably looking to start 3rd week in September, if it’s two weeks away from planning etc. I think you get to a stage where you just want it to start don’t you,after all the waiting after surgery and results …funnily enough, this past week l have also felt more tired. Probably just everything catching up! Had a lovely walk with the dogs along the canal today, after we recovered from the 4 (me and 3 pooches) of us narrowly missing falling in as we were almost run down from behind by two silent cyclists, (no bells on bikes to sound the alarm)!!! Trying my best not to have any canal mishaps before Tuesday!! Love to you all xxxx
Hi ladies,
Well. my first week is done, and although a little more tired than normal, I’ve survived, and my dismounts are getting slicker!
I had an end of week review meeting after my treatment, mostly focussed on wellbeing not and I brought up the subject of deodorants etc… she, very sensibly, said we all need to heed the advice from our own onc deptartments as they know what the treatment programmes etc… shame as I was keen to try the non-aluminium one.
All my appointments are tea-time next week, which suits my body clock better than these early starts, good luck to everyone starting Monday.
Have a restful & well-hydrated weekend ladies…
maggie x
4 down 11 to go ?
Hi anxious,
I meant to say, in reply to your earlier post, we are hugely resilient & being really kind to ourselves is really important.
My weariness levels go up & down, so I rest when I’m tired.
Maggie x
Hello all - glad to hear your 4 down Maggie. You will have to create a diagram showing us howto dismount with style!!! Anxious I haven’t heard the podcasts what do you think of them??? So 13 days till I start. - just ready for the next step now
Have a great weekend all??
Hi All
My first rad is tomorrow. The advice here, especially about drinking enough, is very helpful. Re. deodorant, I was told to use one that has no aluminium. I’ve bought a Bionsen roll-on that claims to have 0% aluminium & I think I’ll stay with it after rads. Got it at Tesco.
After chemo I’m tired anyway, so I’m a bit fearful about the side effects to come.
Good luck tomorrow Dorabel. The only advise i have drink lots & rest when you need to.
Maggie x
Good luck tomorrow Bibi, I found my scan appointment really helpful as they’ve time to answer all your questions.
Sometimes the waiting feels harder than the doing doesn’t it?
Maggie x