Radiation after lumpectomy

@Sister Great to hear from you & it's the best news i could receive today, to hear that you are feeling well & through the worst of this cycle with the end in sight!! It's great timing so you can enjoy this long weekend & celebrate how good you are feeling with some time in the sun & relaxing at the beach! I read your lovely post on the "Happy Easter" forum. It sounds like you will have some much deserved "you" time this weekend reading & choc eating! I did laugh when you described the egg hunt & it sounds like you & your hubby got the good end of the deal with hunting all the eggs yourselves which must mean eating them yourselves!!!! Look after yourself, relax & recharge now you are feeling better & have a wonderful Easter!! Thinking of you as always xxxx

 @arpie I didn’t swim either but wore the rashie when out for lengthy periods in the sun as much better cover than a t shirt and even so heat/uv caused the radiated boob to get quite hot/sore.

@Romla - many thanks for that - I don't plan to be swimming as it has a very rugged coastline.  But I'll be careful anyway!   ;)  I'll take a range of creams, I reckon! 

@arpie you’ll need a rashie on Norfolk as uv seems to “activate” the radiated breast and I’d also take Calendula with you. We went to Cairns 4 weeks after radiotherapy and I had to be careful with the sun. Enjoy your time Uk-ing !

@Anne65    I hope you aren't doing too much before your next surgery ..... make sure you allow sufficient time for recovery afterwards!  A few extra days off is better than going back to work early!!  To be sure, to be sure!  Re the forum - you could always pen a few words & they read it on your behalf?  I am sure your insight would be invaluable to others!

How FANTASTIC that your skin is not even red or that itchy after your rads, with the Mepitel being removed just now!   That is absolutely brilliant.  Hmmm .... maybe I should have gone 'chest up' rather than 'chest down'!    Nah .... not really .... even tho you are not 'red' .... can you still feel the heat from the rads?  Or after the 2 weeks since you've finished, has that heat also reduced now?  My sister was quite surprised at the high temp of my right boob compared to the left!  I am using more Calendula Cream and Aloe Vera than anything - and the 'hippy' pharmacist at the hospital actually suggested just using Olive Oil after my final treatment, even over the suggested BOZ cream which is rather stiff!   She also used to make up her own version of 'Cold Cream' using Rose Water, Olive Oil & Bees Wax .... but had to stop dispensing it, as the creams had to be identical throughout the hospital systems - and the other hospitals weren't compounding pharmacists!  :(   I've found a recipe for it & may a go at making it!  ;)  

I actually went into the last day of my treatment quite 'Gung Ho' & high spirited .... going Woohoo, Last Day ..... but once on the table, face down, I suddenly went really emotional & started sniffling & tearing up ..... with snot running out of my nose for the whole treatment & of course, I was unable to do ANYTHING until the treatment was 'over' - and the nurses gave me a tissue & a BIG HUG ..... It really caught me 'unawares'!  I hadn't expected it, even tho my Specialist had said it 'may occur'!   I was quite emotional the whole day, but slowly got 'over it' over the next 24hrs.  

The evening of my last treatment - the Rotary Lodge at Port Macquarie had the Rotarians from Wauchope coming in to cook dinner for the residents & management - and we were asked to stay on & join them and we really enjoyed the evening with them! I took a bottle of bubbly to help celebrate the completion of treatment!

I am still red, hot & itchy ..... (the original Red Hot Mama??)  I hope it lessens over the next 2 weeks, before I head off to Norfolk Island for the Uke Festival!!  Yes, I have 2 uke sessions on Tues & Wed, then 4 gigs the week after - prior to heading to Norfolk, but I LOVE being kept busy!  It beats twiddling your fingers, that is for sure!  My sister & brother in law are here just now & they play uke too, so will join me in my Tues night session before they return to Qld on Wed - the first time with my uke buddies since my treatment started in late Feb.

Thank you so much - My ankle has healed up beautifully (within 24hrs!!) and hubby is going OK tho still on regular pain control. It will take weeks before his ribs are less painful!  :(   

Well done on making your Hot Cross Buns, Anne, with such an emotional connection!  We cheated & bought some!  ;)  

I will be in discussions with the Onc Dr at Taree late in April/early May - re taking Tamoxifen or other tablets - and will be guided by him.  Silly not to give them a 'go', I guess?   We'll see how we go!

@Sister  and  @sandramj - thinking of you both ..... all the best xxx

Lovely to hear from you @Anne65 and to hear that you're healing so well. I think they use the mepitel at RAH - I hope so, anyway. I'm through the worst of this cycle now ( only 1 more AC to go!) and enjoying some sunshine at the beach, at last.

@Sister @arpie Hi guys & Happy Easter. Thinking of you both & hope you are both feeling OK. Thought I'd let you know that it's 2 weeks since I finished my rad so i could take off my Mepitel film last night & my skin is AMAZING. NO PINK OR REDNESS AT ALL!!!!!! My left side looks exactly the same as my right side so you wouldn't even know I had rad treatment. Not as itchy now the Mepitel has come off but I do get the occasional itch. I am using Calendula cream now for a few weeks just to keep it well moisturised. I recommend Mepitei to anyone who gets a chance to use it. It is fiddly & starts to peel a bit but the nurses check it every day during treatment & tend to it & even though you leave it on for another 2 weeks after, it doesn't matter if it starts to peel as the treatment has finished. You do get used to having it on but it felt great to have a shower last night with it off!! I am so lucky with my skin. I wonder if you would be able to use the Mepitel @Sister, when you have to go through rad? I am feeling OK & getting back to normal life...... for a while anyway!!. A little tired but trying not to do too much. Worked 4 days this week & 3 the week before & have coped OK. Doing 3 days next week & then 2 days the following week before going in for my next op on Friday 13th!! I will have 4 days off the week after my op & just go back the following Friday if i feel OK. Apparently 48 hrs after the op can be quite painful & you also get bad neck, chest & shoulder pain which is referred from the gas caught under your diaphragm following the op so it might be a good idea if I take a few days off work!  I rang the rad centre & put in an apology for their patient forum/discussion group that they invited me too. It is 2 days before my op which means my hubby would have to take an extra day off work to take me over just for that. He is already having 2 days off to take me over for the op as I have to be over there the day before for my bowel cleanse! The staff at the rad centre were wonderful & totally understood & I think it would be better for me to be home on the Wed. & start preparing for my next short stay in Adelaide! @Sister Hope you are going well with your treatment. Think of you all the time & hope you are feeling OK. Look after yourself & take things easy as you have been through so much. Keep ticking those days off! I wish you love & strength as you continue with your treatment. @arpie I guess by now you are FINISHED your rad treatment. Woohoo to you!! I bet you are playing the strings off that uke right now celebrating at the festival. Hope you are enjoying yourself & having a great time. I hope you are feeling OK & don't overdo things as your symptoms continue to peak 2 weeks after you finish treatment so get some rest time in for yourself. I hope the Relay for Life goes well & you are able to participate in that also. You really have a lot on at the moment so don't exhaust yourself & give yourself time to rest & recover. Hope your ankle has healed & that your hubby is feeling better too!        Lots of love to you both & I hope you & your families have a great Easter & have a chance to rest, recover & pamper yourself. My hubby & I made Hot Cross buns today. It was the recipe of my late father who was a baker. Very emotional making them today & remembering how my sister & I used to "help" him bake when we were kids! Wonderful memories. They tasted OK but not as good as his!!    Wishing love & strength to everyone. take time out for yourself this weekend & reflect on the amazing job you have done in surviving & coping with this disease. We should all be so proud of ourselves in the strength we have & the courage to fight on! Hugs to everyone xxxxxxxx

@sandramj Thinking of you & hoping you are feeling OK following your bad day the other day. Sometimes emotions just take over without warning & leaves us wondering what or why we are feeling like we do. Thing is, we can't control them sometimes & just have to learn to live with them & deal with them the best we can. Hugs to you & may it give you strength to know your posts & words of wisdom bring light to those feeling dark & smiles to many faces. You have been through so much yourself yet you give so much wonderful advice to us so a BIG thankyou for being you & know you are cared about by us all. Have a Happy Easter, take care & look after yourself. It's OK to have a bad day as long as there are many, many more days that are good & filled with love & laughter. Hugs xxxx

sorry @Giovanna_BCNA that didn't work - so I took it to mean I wasn't supposed to post that and after writing it all out I guess Id 'downloaded' most of my emotions around it so that was enough.  The Universe or my Angels did what they thought best - delete the 'unnecessary'.   :)
Couldn't find the "Drafts" just You have NO bookmarks.  Never mind - Found out the port post was a scam and closed that open file in my brain.   Thanks for your help  :)

Hi @sandramj

Sure, click on discussion page, on the right hand side of your page you will see my bookmarks, my discussion and if you have any drafts, you will see my drafts.  Click on my drafts to complete the draft and post.  Hoping this helps