Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi i should have had 5 weeks radiotherapy. Covid changed that but I was told the one week fast forward course would be the new normal and would have been brought in soon to the Uk anyway.  America had been doing this for some time. I was given the option of continuing with the longer Treatment so I was not put under pressure.    As for trials on this way of doing things, I think there is info on the net.  I have found having to make decisions re my cancer treatment stressful and in the end I trusted my oncologist.  Ask the questions of the experts, if the reassurance is there and you feel comfortable with what has been recommended then you have done your best.  I wish you well with your treatment.  Xx ... View more

Coffee Bean I'm pleased to hear your Radiotherapy has finished.  It goes so quickly doesn't it.  Rest is important with lots of cream on the boob and surrounding area.  If you have any side effects that concern you ring the contact telephone number you have been given to discuss.  I rang my radiotherapy nurses when my boob seemed to be getting more irritated after using E45.  All sorted with a recommended change of cream.   Wishing you well with your recovery   Wings     ... View more

Hi CoffeeBean   All went well with my one week of radiotherapy.  I am retired so could rest. I would say you will need to give yourself time to heal, lots of Aveeno with oatmeal or something similar.  I used E45 to start with but my boob didn't like the lanolin in it.     After the Radiotherapy my collar bone, boob plus under boob and under arm needed lots of cream.  I put it on after the Radiotherapy whilst I was in the hospital and more when I got home.  Drink lots of water.  If you are going to have any side effects they can happen for up to 2 weeks after the Radiotherapy and hopefully improve after that time.  My skin is still very sensitive and I am careful when showering, no rubbing of skin and no direct shower on to the chest area.   As for going back to work, allow yourself time, you will be tired and it's quite strange when the treatment finishes and there's no investigations or treatment.  The time you will need off will depend on what your occupation is.  If I had been working, I would have taken off 4 to 6 weeks off.  I am feeling much better now but still suffer with fatigue, I think with all that has happened in the last 5 months, I deserve to take it easy.   Sending you hugs and love ....  Hope your radiotherapy goes well with a speedy recovery     ... View more

Cree I hope all goes well for you with your radiology, the NHS staff are wonderful at reassurance and kindness. I was informed by radiology nurses that the 1 week treatment was going to be the new normal, it had just been brought forward due to the coronavirus.  Raise any concerns you have with your oncologist, I was lucky my oncologist listened and tried to answer all the questions I had. I had a small notebook with my list of issues I needed answers too, she laughed when I produced my notebook, pen in hand, ready to take down her answers! She said having a notebook was something she would use.  She didn't always have the answers to my questions, but she was honest.  The next step for me is hormone therapy, an issue as I had a DEXA scan which showed osteoporosis in my spine and the tablets prescribed are not good for bone health.  More decisions on the way forward! The thing I am concentrating on now is trying to have less stress in my life, to not worry about everything and anything, in the past I spent far too much time and energy worrying about things I had no way of changing!  In my case I feel the high stress levels I had been going thro in the last 3 years impacted  on my health.   I am going to try to relax a little, give myself time to heal,  as now I want some peace. To all of you going thro breast cancer I send you strength and love.               ... View more

The trip to hosp daily for 5 days was not the cause of my fatigue.  My husband took me so I could just relax on the journey there and back.  I have found hosp staff always try to put a positive spin on things, I appreciate they are only trying to reassure as they realise most of us going thro this scary journey are bewildered by what is happening to us.  My take on the fatigue is that for weeks I have been trying to hold it together, have been thro the diagnosis, biopsies, scans, 2 wide incission lumpectomies (after first lumpectomy  consultant not happy with margins) so needed to be sure!  Then the 5 days of radiotherapy with coronavirus in the mix. I also have lung disease bronchiectasis,  so fatigue is understandable. All this and finally  after weeks of hightened anxiety,  I'm at home with no hosp appointments!  Now is the time that my body has let me know it's ok to have fatigue, it's ok to rest and the wonderful thing is it's time to let my poor old body repair.  I do think the 5 days of radiotherapy has made me tired but it's all the other things in the mix that has contributed to the fatigue.  We have to be kind to ourselves.  I am retired so am able to rest.  I have accepted that I will have good days and some wobbly days.  I try not to worry about things I cannot change as this uses up energy I need to move forward. I wish you well especially as you have ME in the mix.               ... View more

Hi I was recently offered the 1 week radiology  instead of 3 weeks plus 1 week of boosters.  Apparently this will be the new normal format but has been brought forward to cope with coronavirus.  I too have lung disease and my oncologist was concerned 4 weeks of radiology would be too harsh.  I was concerned about reduced treatment time but did my own research online and decided to go with it.  I would add that I was not pressurised into this reduced format and could have continued with the 4 weeks.     I have completed my 1 week of radiology.  I found it ok, I understand I probably had about 60% radiology in that week, so treatment was harsher but side effects were doable.  I had skin irritation, swollen boob and oddly more skin irritation on my collar bone area.  I had chat with radiologists as I was using E45 as a cream to help but unfortunately it turned out that my boob did not like this cream (lanolin??) So it made my skin irritation worse.  I went over to Aveeno lotion sensitive with oatmeal which was much better.   It's been 3 weeks since radiology.  My skin is still easily irritated, I have changed my washing liquid to Fairy (other brands are available).  Be careful when you shower as not a good idea to have full force of shower on boob.  Pat dry only and cream on the whole area also under the arm area.  Fatique is a big issue at present.  My boob area is painful, shooting pains come and go but I take paracetamol if needed.  Again doable.   So all in all I feel things went ok, I feel I made the right decision with advice from my oncologist. I have as an add on tweaked my diet to give me the best chance going forward.  I wish you well.     ... View more