Radiotherapy

Hi lm 5 years post diagnosis. The most important thing l discovered at the end was the fatigue l tried to be like wonder woman and just kept going l honestly could have fallen asleep in the car.l wish ld taken some time out at the end to rest but l was to bloody stubborn. Lol l found a gel freezer pack which l would take with me frozen and ld lay it across my boob as l drove back to work it was great for cooling the breast down adean xc

Hi Shazs an important issue for me was getting an appointment as early as possible in the day . 
I worked thru rad therapy and arranged appointments first thing in the morning usually around 830 am which was the first appointment of the day at peter mac which luckily for me was an 18 min walk from work. I would have therapy and be back at work just after 9 . It was somewhat surreal to be a patient one minute then back to work but it helped me stay sane. Sometimes I would have a later appointment and I found there were delays as I guess things go wrong over the course of the day.  The rad therapy staff were amazing for their compassion and friendliness.

Hi ShazS,
i hope your surgery went well!
I am a Radiation Therapist (but new to being a cancer patient). The first step is to have your planning session, this involves lying you down on a specialised board with your arms above your head, everything can be adjusted to suit you so speak up if something digs in etc, the 2 therapists will take measurements of your breast and do a bit of technical talk to each other and some drawing on you, you will have a quick CT scan and then usually some little permanent tattoo dots are given, this helps to ensure you are in the same position each day. The planning session is the longest session at about 40 minutes and you may also see nurses on this day which will go through side effects of treatment, these mainly being a skin reaction similar to that of sunburn and fatigue, they will also recommend some cream for your skin usually sorbelene but moo goo and qv are excellent too. The treatment itself is very quick, In and out within 15 mins, most of this is taken to get you back into the same position as your CT, the main thing is to stay still, don't help them to move you and breathe normally, the machine rotates around you, doesn't touch you at all, you don't feel or see anything during the treatment, just hear a bit of a buzzing noise, the therapists are watching you on monitors from outside and can communicate with you via intercom if needed. I hope this helps, feel free to ask me anything else

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@Joannie, Oh you poor thing double whammy . Gee when I read some of the ladies stories I just go wow and strong and wonderful each and everyone of you are. To also be so caring and positive to bring us newbys aboard I thank you and the warm welcome it brightens my day up. Um my surgery is the 28 th this month then I am guessing radiotherapy after . Sharynx 

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@Romla , thanks for your tips and advice . Take care Sharynx

@ShazS is very important to put cream on treated area 3 times per day and usually for 3 monthly - I used Dermaveen but Sorbolene is also used.Worst part of actual treatment for me was constant daily travel - I had no real side effects until it ended than was engulfed by tiredness for about a week.My skin held up pretty well which surprised me as am very fair skinned.

Hi@Molly001, Thanks Molly and yes it is helpful. Sharyn

Your radio oncologist will discuss all this with you before you start. They like to make sure you're really clear on everything so you can sign a consent form. The treatment itself is painless, a bit like a scan. Reactions can vary, but most common are skin reactions which can be anywhere from a slight pinkness to quite severe skin breakdown. You will be monitored really closely, like a few times a week, and nurses will assist you to care for your skin before, during and after. Hope this is helpful.