End of active treatment what now?

Hi Tracey 

Thank you for advice. Have appointment next week. Hope you are recovering well.

jodie??

Thanks Jodie, yes that was helpful. There is always something to learn during this process. 

Anne-Marie ??

Hi Jodie, go back to your surgeon and have a list of questions for him / her. If you are not satisfied, see your GP and make a future management plan. Glad that you're at the end of your treatment, sending you a big cuddle, Trace ????????

Thanks Doll

link was very useful..

jodie ??

Hi Anne-Marie

A bolus dose is where they place a flat jelly like mat on top of skin that is to receive radiation eg chest wall. This increases the radiation dose to the skin and tissue right bellow. Effectively this jelly mat acts like a second skin allowing the radiation beam to deposit maximum dose to the skin and tissue just under instead of deeper as it would without the bolus. Used post mastectomy not sure about use if reconstruction or if treating the breast.. 

Hope this helps

jodie ??

Hi Jodie, no I did not have a scan when I was diagnosed.

Wondering what bolus doses are? 

??

Anne-Marie

Hi Jodie,

My oncologist told me the same thing.  No regular scans or bloods.  We did have a long discussion about the sort of things to watch for, symptoms that I should have followed up if they occur in between routine follow up that will be shared between surgeon, medical and radiation oncologist.  It feels a bit weird to be cut loose after the intense monitoring through surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and now targeted therapy.  But the follow up is evidence based and there are clinical practice guidelines for  the follow up of breast cancer.  You can find them on the cancer australia website: https://canceraustralia.gov.au/affected-cancer/cancer-types/breast-cancer/life-after-breast-cancer/follow-after-breast-cancer

Thanks Anne-Marie

Yes we will get there. I have been fortunate enough to come through it all pretty well. All the best with radiation, I had 25 doses in total with 20 bolus doses. I had last dose 19/04/16 and my skin is almost healed.

Did you have a scan when diagnosed?

jodie ??

Hi Jodie, two weeks ago I finished chemo, it lasted for 6 months and will start Radiothreapy on the 18th May. Mon-Fri for 4 weeks. And was told exactly the same as you have been....no scans and no blood tests required after active treatment. I will see the surgeon three weeks after Radiothreapy finishes. And the oncologist early July.  My GP said she doesn't get involved whilst the specialist are seeing me ( except for other issues like a cold or other medical issues not to do with BC) she suggested maybe near to the end of the year she would do a health check to look at my vitamin levels etc. 

hope this helps a little.  You sounds like you have been through so much but come out so well. Great. I know we still have worrying times ahead of us but we WILL get there. ??

regards,

Anne-Marie