About to enter survivorship

@youngdogmum I think the strong young lady that joined this crappy club 7 months ago is now wearing a superwoman cape after what you have been through both mentally and physically.  You have remained so strong and supportive to so many others - you are very wise beyond your years.  I was fortunate to not have needed chemo or rads after my mastectomy just straight onto the hot flush bus with tamoxifen so have no advice for you on what to do after your treatment ends.  Maybe after your holiday returning to work may help you resume a normal life again - albeit a new normal, is part-time an option until the new year?  Good luck this week with your final rads treatments then it’s time for you to rest and recover xxxJulie

Well done, @youngdogmum  - BIG pat on the head - tho be prepared for some 'emotion' on your final Rads Day - it caught me totally by surprise!  They had been a continuous part of my life for 4 weeks - and I blubbed big time on my final session!!  NOT a flattering look, I can assure you, as I was face down & couldn't move a muscle to wipe my dripping nose!!  LOL

Yep - it is always a tough 6 months - a whirlwind  of emotions of diagnosis & what is happening, the procedures & outcomes - which comes from the overall experience of having BC.

Just be aware that you will continue to 'cook' for some weeks after Rads has finished - so it is VERY important to keep all the lotions & potions up to the affected areas.  Slowly, they will become 'less warm'!  With Spring in the air - make sure you wear 'sun safe tops' - so that the Sun's rays can't burn the affected areas (which may also include your lower neck, depending on the angle of your treatment.)   

You may experience tiredness/lethargy in the following weeks - I didn't - but many do.  Be kind to yourself - looking at taking an extended break after your active treatment ends, is a great idea, if you can.  I went on a nice holiday to Norfolk Island as my 'reward' for getting thru all the active treatment!!  Jump onto the Otis Website & see what 'holidays' may be available thru them over the next 4-6 months.  These are 'holiday homes' that people only use now & then during the year (usually holidays) and they generously make them available to BC survivors for a free 'break'! I had one in April, at Thredbo! It was terrific - and you can take family or friends with you as well!  So maybe look at late Nov/early Dec or even January/Feb - so you have another nice break to look forward to after your Bali Trip! (Make sure you cover up there!!)

Keep yourself busy in doing things you love doing - it will take your mind off everything else!!!  All the best with your AI, which will probably start within the month ...... fingers crossed you don't get the side effects that some of us get - I am on my 3rd AI now ........ 

Take care xxxx

Congratulations.
I went back to work around 8 weeks after chemo. I waited until I felt ready and then I returned at half time and gradually increased over 6 months. I took a holiday about 8 months after treatment as I fekt ready to do thus. Just listen to yourself. I've never fully reclaimed my vitality and have stopped trying presently as it just exhausts me if I overdo it. 

@youngdogmum  Wow! has it really been 6 months since we first met you?  You're still strong but maybe it's coming from a different angle now...  Some cry at their last appointment - I probably scared the treating team as I whooped with joy!  Make sure you keep moisturising and protect your skin.  I got myself a long sleeve rashie to protect against sensitivity from the rads and from sunburn to the whole arm (but I only wear it when it's really bad burn days or out in it for too long I have to admit). 

As for work, if you can, give yourself a decent break after treatment. I really wanted to get back to work as soon as I could.  I wanted to go back to being "normal" and have something else to think about.  I also needed the money.  Besides which, I didn't consider that I was legitimately on sick leave anymore since treatment was done.  So I finished rads in September  and went back in October for Term 4.  I knew it would be hard but I wanted to be back in the thick of it.  In hindsight, that was a big mistake, although the money bit wasn't.  I should have waited for the new school year.  My memory was shot and I was absolutely exhausted.  All I did was struggle through each work day and had nothing left outside of work.  What I should have done was spent that time after treatment looking after me, regaining my strength and fitness, improving my mental state and resilience, and using any extra energy for my family.  Twelve months later, I'm still paying for that decision although it is getting a bit better.  So, be as kind to yourself as you can be.

@youngdogmum Congrats to you! That is the milestone we all look for. You must be feeling all sorts of emotions.
i cried on my last day of rad!!! The nurses said it was normal as i was now being left to my own devices & didnt have the daily care & support around me that the nurses gave me. i guess its like being let free but sometimes we are a bit scared as for the last umpteen months we have been surrounded my different medical staff to keep a constant check on us.
keep the creams & lotions going for at least another 3 weeks as the rad peaks then. Also, keep covered in the sun for that period.
As for pampering yourself, well, i did go out for a beautiful lunch with my family to celebrate on my last day of rad but then I went back to work the following day.........i always seem to put work first but it was good to get back in my normal routine & to forget about all that I had been through. I didnt have chemo & didnt end up having any medication so I was very lucky & didnt have the side effects that many have to endure.
I am probably the exception so give yourself as much time as you need as we are all different. If your work is full on then a break might be just what you need but it sounds like Bali will be here before you know it so kick back & enjoy & few cocktails by the pool & RELAX. Get plenty of massages/facials/pampering & enjoy. Love & hugs xx

Congratulations @youngdogmum  you have well and truly earned your holiday!

Yes congrats ! to you @youngdogmum ,enjoy your hoiday and if it works for you , take the rest of the year off and start afresh in 2020 . All the best x

Hi @youngdogmum. I am probably not the best person to ask. My experience of 'survivorship' has been pretty shit. I have copped a lot of AI side effects, am having a difficult menopause, and the depression that commenced during treatment has not lifted.

So, with that in mind, my advice to you would be to take the rest of the year off and focus on rebuilding your strength and fitness, and take some time to gently heal your spirit. Be very kind to yourself. BC doesn't finished with your last treatment. Take a holiday, treat yourself, explore something new, reconnect with something old. 50% of people diagnosed with BC will develop depression and most of those will be diagnosed in two years after active treatment.

Time and self-care. K xox

Listen to your own instincts. If a small voice is telling you to take more time off, then it is worth listening to. My small voice said 'try and keep everything as normal as possible' - it was good advice for me and I was lucky enough to be able to follow it. A week off after surgery then back to work. Might have been awful advice for someone else. Holidays are a great time to think about longer term plans and possible changes - I made some of mine about 12 months after diagnosis and they were good moves. Cancer has really no redeeming virtues but going through treatment is a sharp reminder that what doesn't kill you makes you strong. You are still you, but tested,tempered and stronger. Best wishes.

Thank you everyone for your words, as always. I met with oncology yesterday and he as written my medical certificate for another 4 months. We (hubby, doc and myself) have agreed if I feel emotionally ready to go back before then I will. It would be nice to have some fun money but at the end of the day, we're not starving on my husbands wage but not swimming either ha ha.. 

I agree with everyones statements, "do what's best for you". I feel like I've earnt this time to enjoy, exercise, go swimming again soon! As I said to Onc yesterday, my entire adult life has been hospitals (Mum sick with cancer, straight to university to become a nurse, full time work as a nurse, diagnosis...)

Work will always be there and yes, I can return part-time on a return to work basis and increase my hours as I feel fit.
Because I now live an hour's drive from my job (I was in the process of moving during diagnosis for anyone who doesn't remember) I will be on the lookout for jobs closer to home and if something suits, I think I'll take that as a sign I'm ready to rejoin the workforce. 

Onc said I can start using the words "had cancer" instead of have. What an exciting time. Ive decided to start with letrozole next week and see what happens. Commencing venlafaxine today, fingers crossed it helps the flushes!!

Final blast today, will post before and after pics for any future women keen on seeing how radiation affects the skin :)