Breast Cancer Care Forum

Enjoy your holiday.  ... View more

Good to hear from you Liloc. All is good here, I feel like a human being again and not a "cancer patient". I go back to work next week so I'm making the most of being a lady of leisure before reality bites. Oncology appointment in the middle of August, I'm hoping I'll be discharged, or whatever it is they do when you reach the end of active treatment (not including hormone therapy).   Hope everyone is well, xx ... View more

How's everyone managing in this heat? I went out to water my plants, even though I had the treated area fully covered I could feel my skin getting sore.   I didn't feel sick during treatment Fitzpmb, but since starting Letrozole I have been queezy, so maybe it's the Tamoxifen affecting you.   Over half way through for you jac67, nearly there.    Good luck with your treatment joycehanq.   I've had a bad week, feeling so tired and run down. I thought it would be easier now I've finished radiotherapy. Mind you the aftercare leaflet I was given did say to expect to feel tired for up to two weeks after treatment.      ... View more

@Nervousnellie wrote: Is being in the sun an issue forevermore?    Nervousnellie The leaflet I was given by the radiotherapy department says "The skin in the treatment area will always be more sensitive to the sun. Please wear a high factor/sun block cream in warm weather".   To what degree the skin will be sensitive in the future I don't know, hopefully someone who had treatment a long time ago will know. I do know that I got the smallest area exposed to the sun for a short while and that is what caused my itchy rash - which cleared up quickly with hydrocortisone cream.   Good luck with your treatment xx ... View more

I was told that the after effects last for a couple of weeks. I feel really lucky that things went well with my treatment. I hope it goes as well for everyone else xxx ... View more

Hope all goes well for everyone this week. It's my last session today. I have been very lucky to have avoided side effects - other than an itchy rash last week - fingers crossed it stays that way.   Onto the hormone therapy next.    Hugs to you all xxx ... View more

Does anyone else get an itch the moment the radiographer has lined you up? I'm sure it's psychological but it happens every time for me. ... View more

Jac67, I hope it continues to go well for you. Bay, I'm sorry it's still tough, but I'm guessing you must be almost finished soon. Liloc, that's a blow for you to have to do more chemo.    I only have 2 sessions to go now and fortunately the hydrocortisone cream did the trick and my skin has settled down, although under my arm where the lymph nodes were removed is swollen, but I feel lucky that I have got off so lightly (so far). Zoladex injection this afternoon, so here comes the menopause.   A man rang the bell today, it was quite emotional cos everyone was so happy for him.  ... View more

That's good to hear Bertcat xx ... View more

Did you ring the bell in the end? Even if you didn't, I hope you're both doing OK, and how nice to know you don't have to do those daily trips to the hospital any more.   Good luck to you on the next step of this journey xxx ... View more

And there is still reconstruction as well. I was told immediate reconstruction wasn't possible due to needing radiotherapy. But I can't afford anymore time off work (only get SSP) so I'll stay lopsided for a while longer.   We'll get there, though it might not feel like it at the moment.    Hugs to you all xxx ... View more

I'm sorry you still have a way to go Jaybro. Even though I still have a week to go I don't feel like ringing the bell either. Once radiotherapy is over I start Zoladex and Letrozole. I put off starting them because I didn't want to go through the menopause and have Letrozole side effects while coping with the radiotherapy.   I guess this is going to be our life for the foreseeable future, but hopefully it'll stop the cancer coming back though.   I know what you mean about the insomnia Bertcat, although I like this time of the morning and I'm sitting in the garden listening to the birds.   Good luck to you both with your last session today xxx ... View more

PS, Jaybro, is it your last session tomorrow?  ... View more

This morning I woke up with a red, itchy rash. The radiographer said it was a skin reaction to the treatment and gave me some hydrocortisone cream.    How is everyone else getting on?  ... View more

I'm just out of session 9 of 15. The end is getting closer. Hopefully those of you who will be starting soon will be fine. I'm OK so far, occasional little tingles but so far so good. It'll be interesting to see how things go next week as I've been told that the side effects can start between session 10 to 14. The only thing that I'm struggling with is fatigue, but I have a lot of driving to do every day so I think that's the problem. Even the breath holding isn't as difficult as I thought it would be.    Good luck to you all. Hopefully the rain will stop and we can enjoy the weekend.  ... View more

Liloc, your journey on Friday sounded a nightmare, worse than mine. I was going to take the train yesterday, but wonderful rural train times meant there were no trains between 2pm and 4pm so I drove - took an hour and a quarter.   Bay, sorry you're still having a rough time, hopefully it'll improve for you.    I'm starting to feel like I've got a bit of mild sunburn on my chest now, so I've been moisturising like mad. I meant to buy some Aloe Vera but when I was in the Supermarket yesterday I forgot. My parents are visiting for the day today, and my dad has offered to drive me to the hospital, so I'm looking forward to not having to drive.   Good luck everyone for today.  ... View more

Here we go again, another week of treatment. Good luck Jaybro, Bay, Liloc and anyone else having radiotherapy this week xxx ... View more

I was so tired yesterday, but I'm not sure if that is because the hospital is 30 miles away, so I've been doing a lot more driving than usual. Friday was a nightmare because it took me an hour and a half to get there because of a bad accident that closed the road. I had managed to call the centre to let them know I'd be late. They were so nice when I got there because I was stressed by then.    The treatment is going well so far, just a few tingles on Friday night. I'm using Aveeno cream, but Aloe Vera sounds good, so I'll look for some and put it in the fridge like suggested.    Bay, I'm sorry to hear things aren't good for you, I hope they get better soon.  ... View more

Hi Gill and everyone else.    I've just had my third session (of 15) so far so good. Hope everyone else having radiotherapy this month gets on OK.   Carrie  ... View more

@Jewels994 wrote: I too am worried about travelling to rad appointments. My situation is different to you though. I don’t drive and neither does my husband. The hospital is about 12 miles away, but there is no direct bus route. The bus stop for the first bus is right outside my house but regular services don’t start until 9:30 am and are then only every 30 minutes but are not very reliable. The cost of the bus tickets is about £9:00 each per day and as my husband will be travelling with me it works out about £18:00 per day. We’ll probably have to buy a monthly ticket which will work out cheaper at about £220 for a 4 week ticket. I was told if I don't feel well enough to drive I can contact the radiology dept and ask for hospital transport, but the downside is lots of waiting around. But it could be a better alternative for you, as Nicky said.  ... View more