••• January Radiotherapy Club 2020 •••

sorry to hear this,

im now half way through my 20 planned sessions, I haven’t had any SE so I can’t help. 
I’m hoping this will last but we all know things can come at us without any notice through treatment.

Remember, you got this far, you are almost there now, hold on xx

The radiographer is adamant it's not the rads...yet it's in the list of side-effects and I read about someone who was given antiemetics by their rads unit before they started...so it can't be unheard of! Maybe just a coincidence...I feel slightly better this morning. Thanks folks x

Hi, I’m afraid  the radiographer is wrong. Nausea and vomiting is listed on the NHS site as a side effect of radiotherapy.. I’ve had two lots of radiotherapy. The first was 15 sessions and I sailed through it with no problems at all, apart from some tiredness. The second was 5 months ago and I had 5 sessions. The first one put me into A&E overnight, and after the second I was very nauseous, with a lot of quite violent retching, but no vomiting. The department provided those little bowls for people to use if they were sick in the department, and the staff provided me with anti emetics, one to take straight away and then gave me a prescription to take home. My rads were done in the BRI (Bristol).

I've always been told to have anti sickness before havingn radiotherapy inwasngiven it before hand when inpatient and took some last Tuesday before I had radiotherapy on my t part my back. I'm still getting flare up pain or normal pain on my back so I've upped slow release morphine to 40mg on day now which think helps me xx

Hey all! And for those about to start their radiotherapy, a positive experience! 

Im now 16 sessions in of a scheduled 20, 15 normal sessions and today first of x 5 boosts to tumour site.

So far it’s been a very uneventful experience, I may have just been fortunate but I’ve had very few noticeable side affects to date. My boob is slightly pink by Friday but back to normal by Monday, I’m not in pain and haven’t experienced any other symptoms.

I returned to work and the gym for my mental health, this may be a factor but I don’t know. I apply E45 Lotion immediately after treatment and at night but I’m not doing anything else.

I am aware not everyone is this lucky but I wanted those about to start to hear that not all of this treatment we have to suffer is horrible. 
This has been manageable, the drive to Leeds from York has been the worst part and the painful Herceptin injection every 4 weeks is definitely a bugger! 

good luck newbies and fellow radders x

Hi 

Do they give you the Herceptin phial to warm up in your hands prior to injection ?  It is stored in a fridge and depending on how long it has been out prior to being used, it stings more when still cold...

Hope the 5 Boosts are equally uneventful 

Although these would be a more welcome option.

G n' J

They haven’t so far but I’m gonna hide it somewhere warm for 10 minutes now

I had my treatment in Leeds too and had practically no side effects. Have developed a selection of small brown patches under boob and a slightly flaky nipple since, but can't  say more tired or anything. I actually wondered if the NHS was saving money by not switching machine on lol. I had a similar journey from NE of York. Definitely worse than treatment!

Thanks for this! It's so nice to read about a positive experience when I have this coming up after chemo. It's made me feel loads more positive about the next bit of the process. Can't wait to get back to the gym... I'm walking miles every day but it's just not the same! Xxxxx

2 weeks of rads done...only the slightest nausea at times this week and boob a wee bit swollen and tender to touch today...no redness or anything. My unit (Edinburgh) gives steroid cream to apply after treatment and emollient twice a day.

I have a 45 minute drive which hasn't been too bad at all...apart from the day someone jumped off The Queensferry Crossing and traffic was tailed back...very sad.

On Monday I'm taking my caravan to a site just 5 minutes from the hospital at Cramond shore...so a nice change of scenery for the week...and short drives :)