Surgery and Radiotherapy

HiIrms​ I am sorry to hear you’re going through this. Sending lots of positive energy your way.
I am conscious the treatment plans and recovery times are different for everyone, depending on their breast cancer type and presentation; but  I hope my experience gives you some insight.  I waited nearly 2 months between my lumpectomy and commencing radiation therapy.
Recovery from surgery was straightforward- I had neo adjuvant chemotherapy and the surgery was to remove the remains of a lump and take sentinel node biopsies (but lymph nodes left in place). I did not have to go back for a second surgery, healing was straightforward and it was about 6 or 7 weeks before I started appointments for my radiation therapy. 

Getting a definitive start date for commencement of radiotherapy was not straightforward - I heard from the radiation treatment centre about 1 month after surgery just to book me in for assessment by the oncology radiation specialist some weeks later. There was another appointment scheduled after the assessment to be “measured up” and have some target tattoos (9 little dots) and a briefing about breathing techniques. The breath holding is to move the heart out of the way (my lump was in the left breast). I was sequenced in and commenced about 2 -3 weeks later. 
I remember finding this  period of waiting and uncertainty difficult at the time. I was impatient to get cracking and get the 15 cycles done as I had another 11 chemo and immunotherapy treatments to go once radiation therapy was finished. I found the radiation therapy more tiring than I expected but I think the fact it was coming at the end of 6 doses of chemo and a long general anaesthetic for the lumpectomy was probably a contributor. 

Looking back (2 years later) it feels like hardly any time but I remember being puzzled about why it (seemed to me) to be a long wait and uncomfortable with feeling uncertain about other arrangements and commitments I was trying to arrange because I didn’t have clarity about the schedule for my radiation therapy. Sending you best wishes. 

I had 2nd surgery to get clearer margin on 2nd March and I am going to my  first appointment for radiotherapy next week which makes it 4 weeks since last surgery. I am not expecting to start immediately but possibly in the next couple of weeks. All the best for your surgery. 

Irms​ I had my radiation start about 7 weeks after my breast surgery (wide local incision). Which was a bit more than a lumpectomy. At staging they noticed a small infection which delayed the start. While I had a course of antibiotics. I knew i was having radiation. Hopefully the lumpectomy will heal quickly. My lab results changed the amount of radiation sessions. The public hospital cancer clinic I attended gave me a printed sheet of all my appointments. Starting with the chemo sessions before then once surgery was done the same for my radiation and specialist appointments. With radiation I attended 9 days a fortnight for 25 zaps. 
it took longer to get there and set up than actually time getting zapped.  I had left side breast  cancer so did the deep breath and hold which took a bit of setting up with my snorkel device. All of that was sorted at my radiation planning session. 
Positive thoughts for you on the upcoming surgery and radiation any other questions just throw them at us. We can usually answer from experience remember everyone is different but the same. 

Irms​ - In my case I had a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy (on my dominant arm side) as day surgery. 

The next day my arm movement was limited but with care I was able to use a keyboard and mouse and do basic things. I used my non-dominant arm for a lot of tasks such as putting away dishes, brushing teeth, etc. I was a bit tired. 

By day 4 I was driving a bit but getting out and about made me tired.

By day 8 I went back to work. I have a physical partly-outdoors job so I had to make sure to get my colleague to do any heavy lifting, and I took moments to sit inside and recover after walking around too much. A few times my legs felt a bit wobbly. It was hard and tiring but it felt good to be moving and doing normal things. 

There were a lot of weird sensations that happened in my armpit and arm so at times I had to grin and ignore it while face-to-face with customers.

As for radiotherapy, the Optimal Care Pathway says that radiation therapy should begin within 8 weeks of surgery for patients who do not have adjuvant chemotherapy. 

In my case, two months after the first surgery I had a second surgery to remove more lymph nodes - the surgery would have been sooner but my surgeon had holidays booked.  The recovery from that was more intense and I was off work for two weeks. 

6 weeks after the second surgery I began radiotherapy - that might have been a bit sooner too except we'd hit the Christmas/New Year's period.