Breast Cancer Now Forum

Dear Fitzpmb,  Sorry too hear you are feeling sick. Are you drinking plenty? It could be the dehydration effect of the zapping as it can be the same as having sunburn. I'm also on Tamoxifen but apart from night sweats and the onset of my menopause, I've had no issues with it.  As for the after effects once zaps have done, I didn't fair too badly. My chest area from where my treatment area finished and my untreated skin started, got very itchy, a bit like pricky heat but that calmed down after 10 days.  And apart from the skin on my nipple drying out and falling off, all was well!!!! Just drink heaps and take it easy xxx   ... View more

Hi Vic2000,  Good luck with starting your rads xxx  I was going through it this time last year and I can't believe where the time has gone!!  Thankfully it was a beautiful summer and my 2.5 hour round trip to the hospital was better then if I'd had to do it in the dead of winter. My partner drove me everyday, gawd bless him, and I say that because it was the World Cup and he's a huge football fan but still insisted on taking me even if it meant missing some parts of the games!!!!  I swore by Aleo Vera gel for straight afterwards and then AV cream during the day. It was one that I got from my local natural health food shop. The sunburn it came out at about the 12 session mark. I had 15 rounds plus 3 boosters. To help with the itch I took hayfever tablets and a friend gave me a brill cream from America (Gold Bond-) which took the itch away.  As it was a lovely summer I got away with wearing baggy tee-shirts and no bra, so no need to change at all, just went in the rads room and striped off there and then. I was always in and out in less then 10 mins.  Drink lots of water and be careful when you bath or shower as having the water too hot cam make the area flair up, also pat ypurself dry rather then rubbing as again this will help your skin settle. Just use heaps of moisturiser. The worst of the redness came out after rads had finished and it was a good few months until everything faded. I got nerve pains in my boob for a while, like little red hot needles being poked in, and my poor nipple looked like it was going to drop off!!! But with a lot of care and a trip to get supplies from the breast feeding section of Boots, all was well.    Thats pretty much it in a nutshell. And everything i needed to know I got from this forum 💞 💞 💞 💞 💞 💞 💞 💞   Good luck xxxx   ... View more

Thanks Evie,   strange how a year down the line I'm needing the forum again. This place was my lifeline this time last year and as a result I made some lovely friends and we all keep in touch by a private FB group. But feel a bit out of sorts at the mo, probably as Im thinking "this time last year" so Im trying to dip back in here and help others now going through what I did.  ... View more

So glad I found this thread. I just had my first year mammogram and thankfully no cause for concern. My next appointment now isn't until the 9th Nov with Onc/BCN and then a letter re my second year mammo came Friday (freaked out for a mo as letters from the hospital always put me on edge) and its for the14th May next year.  I'm not so sure where my head is at the mo but finding this thread and the recommend books means I'm off to order them.  I'm trying to find a new direction for my life and maybe some books will focus my mind.  Many thanks again xxxxx ... View more

Hi Julie,  Looks like Im about a year ahead of you. Had my surgery for lumpectomy and lymph nodes on the 3rd May last year and started rads on the 13th June.  As well as my onc appointment at my local hospital were the procedure was done, I also went to Mt Vernon in Watford for a 2 hour induction session where heaps was explained to a group of 5 of us. I had to travel there every day, just over an hour each way. In the end it all went really well, not too much skin damage, possibly due to the fact I used heaps of AV gel.  In truth I found the whole process fascinating and slightly unreal!  A year down the line I've had my first mammo and there was nothing of concern thank gawd. So from here on in its a case of getting on with living and moving on.  Im the biggest stresshead/drama llama I know, but I got there xxxxx ... View more

Been a while, but here I am, can't believe it will be a year on Thursday that I started rads. Where has the year gone?? For anyone starting this month, GOOD LUCK!!!!! Aloe Vera gel was my saviour.  A year down the line I'm still a bit numb in my lumpectomy area and get the odd pains in my boob that feel like I'm pressing a bruise even when there isn't a bruise there, but apart from that things have settled.  Just try to take each day as it comes and talk with your BCN and rads team if there is anything you're worried about. They're the professionals!! ... View more

Well done Fezzy xxx you got there in the end!!! Keep drinking lots and continue to moisturiser. Even now, after finishing rads in July, I still get some discoloration under my boob and across my chest where the rad zone ended. But I still drink as much as I can and still moisturiser within an inch of my life and alls good. Reading through recent posts, everything sounds so familiar, which is good, as these worries and twinges are common for all of us. This is the best place to come for support from others who have been through the same. I'm also 4 weeks in to my HOPE course. If your MacMillan centre offer this, go for it. I'm with a lovely group and although we have had different diagnosis and treatment plans, we all have the same worries and concerns so its good to share. Take care all, keep going, there is light at the end of the tunnel xxxxxx 🎀 ❣ 🎀 ❣ 🎀 ... View more

Talking of councilling, I start my HOPE course tomorrow. This was organised for me through the MacMillan centre at my hospital and my BCN. Sp many people say how well I look and how well I've done to come through everything these past 6 months, but its the stuff inside my head that now needs fixing and thats the bit no-one sees. If the help and support is there and its offered, take it xxxxxx ... View more

Mavit, I started to take my Tamoxifen 3 weeks before rads started. My onc never even mentioned waiting till after rads. I thought that if I have to be on them for 10 years, I best crack on!!! ... View more

Fezzy, I was also told about the cream acting as a barrier. My sessions were at 6 every evening so I just made sure I didn't put any cream on after 2. And even then I used a wet wipe just before going in, just to freshen up. Putting the cream on earlier gave it time to sink in. I'm still using Aveeno twice a day although I used Aloe Vera cream and gel during treatment. My boyfriend drove me to all my appointments so even though it was an hour each way, I could just sit back and let him carry on!!! There were times when I stressed about being late and missing my slot, as we had to hit the M25 at 5:30pm (!!!!!!) but I just called the unit if I could see us being late and they just swap me with someone who was already there. That said, my unit had 12 machines, not everyone in use at that time of the evening, so there was a bit of leeway and there were times I got bumped up the waiting list just to get us all through and give the staff an early night!!!!! ... View more

Just dropping in to see who is on the latest wave of Rad treatment!!! Fezzy, Im so glad that the system kicked in and that you have your dates 👍 👍 👍 I finished rads 16 weeks ago now and it feels like a lifetime has passed since then. Mine were at a hospital about 30 miles away and going on the M25 threw a spanner in the works, but most of the time it was a clear run. 2 and a bit hours round trip and sometimes for a session where I was in and out in under 10 min. Still to this day apply Aveeno although through treatment I used Aloe Vera moisturiser and gel. The gel was lovely and cooling straight after my treatment. To this day, if I have a hot shower or bath, I can see a very faint pink line of were the rads ended half way up my chest, but apart from that everything is settled. I used to take a couple of paracetamol about half an hour before my treatment just to ward off any armpain but I was ok throughout so Im not sure if it was the tablets or mind over matter!!! And drink lots of water!!!!! Good luck 😻 😻 😻 ... View more

Great news xxxx Everything is so much better once you have your dates and an idea of what you are working towards. I was a mess of snot and tears at my planning day but in the end it was all upset and stress over nothing. Not that rads is nothing, i just mean I wasted a lot of energy stressing when i didn't need to. All the self care I needed to know during rads I got from this forum. I got all my dates at my planning session and they started 2 weeks later. So hopefully you will be starting before the end of the month. 😊 🦋 😊 ... View more

Sochi, All i can say is that I wrnt back to work fulltime 3 weeks after my lumpectomy. Worst mistake ever. My head hadn't got used to the idea of what i was going through (diagnosed and then surgery within 3 weeks) and at my rads planning everything just crumbled. I took 6 weeks off over rads and for recovery and then returned on a phased return. Im back to fulltime now but I really take it easy and work from home whenever possible. I really do think that people at work, who know, see me looking fit and healthy and forget that I'll be in recovery for another year. So just put yourself first. Don't be pressured in to going back before you feel ready. Going back too soon really set me back until I just listened to my own heart and body. ... View more

By date, I meant for rads, or will you find that out next week? 🌻 🌼 🌻 ... View more

Hi Fezzy xxx yep, all good here. 12 weeks since the end of rads and although still some stuff going on with boob settling down, no ongoing problems of note. I had my final appointment with the BCN team last week and Im now looking to start a HOPE course early Nov. Just a 6 week group theraphy to sort the old gray matter out. Any news on a confirmed date?? 🦄 😊 🦄 ... View more

Dear Fezzy, just catching up on the forum and wanted to see how you were getting along. So glad to hear that you have a date and things are starting to move along. Get drinking heaps of water and stock up on the moisturiser!!! 🦋 🦋 🦋 ... View more

Well done Maggie 🛎 🛎 🛎 🛎 🛎 🛎 😘 Remember to still take it easy for the next few weeks while things work their way through your system x ... View more

Dear Fezzy, Im glad that you are starting to get answers. My rads were at a totally different hospital to my surgery/onc team, but it all kind of worked out well in the end as I was able to book the same time slot every day for all 18 sessions. Looking back now I feel a right twat for getting so worked up over it all, when in the end I actually enjoyed the sessions (!!!) as everyone was so lovely and took the time to chat even when I knew I was the last body of the day and they wanted to get home! ... View more

My rads were always early evening but i never put any moisturiser on after mid day. I think i remember being told not to use any barrier type creams up to 3 hours before treatment as it might affect the rads getting though. I also used to wipe the area with a wetwipe before i went in just because!!! ... View more

Dear Fezzy, I had my surgery on the 3rd May with rads starting 6 weeks later on the 13th June. It seems stardard practice for it to be 6/8 weeks so that things can heal. You've done the right thing by gettingv8n contact with your BCN but follow this up first thing Monday if you haven't heard. Maybe just an admin slip up but even so. Good luck xx ... View more