Hi

Hi Julie23673480ee

Welcome to the forum, I'm Daisy53 one of the Community Champions on this forum.  I'm sorry to hear that both yourself and your partner have been diagnosed with cancer.  There is no right or wrong way to feel about your diagnosis as well as your husband's, it's hard enough going through cancer yourself with it happening to your partner at the same time.

At your appointment your consultant will go through what's going to happen during radiotherapy.  The first thing that will happen is that you will have an upper chest CT Scan so that they can get your measurements for the Radiotherapy machine, if you are having radiotherapy on your left hand side they may practice what is called a Breath Hold with you to protect your heart and lungs away from the radioactive rays.  Once that is done you will be given a start date.

When you start radiotherapy you will have to remove your top, they will give you a gown to cover you up while you walk from the dressing room to where the Radiotherapy machine is.  They will then get you to lie on a scan bed and they will line you up according to the measurements they took at your scan.  You won't need to move at all the machine will move around you and whoever is doing your radiotherapy will talk to you through a microphone as they can't be in the room with you while you are having radiotherapy.  The whole process should take between fifteen and twenty minutes. You will be seen by a radiotherapy nurse at the start of your radiotherapy, then once a week while you are having radiotherapy and on the last day of your radiotherapy.  They ask you how you are getting on and have a look at the area to make sure it looks ok.

It will be important to deep the skin around the radiotherapy site moisturised to prevent it from drying out.  Just don't put any moisturiser on the area to be done before your radiotherapy session as that can form a barrier which means the radiotherapy won't be as effective.  Drink plenty of fluids before and after each session.  The sessions are usually five days a week with a break at the weekends.

Wishing you the best of luck with radiotherapy.

Best wishes

Daisy53

Hello

I didn't want to read and not comment.

Wishing you all the best .I identify with the snapping.its good to talk it through.Talk to GP or here, it all helps till you get back to being you.i never had radiotherapy, but I can see you've been given great advice.

As you said everyone has their own journey

Look after yourself and all the best.

Thank you. Will I be able to drive afterwards. My local hospital doesn't do radiotherapy so I have to go to addenbrooks in Cambridge which is a 45 minute drive away, commuter links aren't great and I don't have anyone nearby that could take me every day. Think that's worrying me more than anything right now. 

Hi, you could ask if the hospital organises a transport for patients, sometimes this is possible.

Also, if you want to chat, rant or just have a listening ear, you can always call the lovely folks at the MacMillan chat line on 0800 808 0000 and they'll be happy to support you. Best wishes 

Thank you. I did have someone call me last week but I felt ok then. I will give them a call. And thank you I will ask about transport. 

Hi Julie23673480ee , so sorry you have so much to deal with.
I had 3 weeks of radiotherapy back in 2019 when that was the norm. Although I did have friends driving me there and back some of the time, mostly I drove myself and could have done it all the time. It was nice to be driven and to have the company, but definitely not essential. My journey was similar. Do of course ask about transport though as you have so much to contend with atm. 
Although my rads were at Mount Vernon, I visited the Maggies Centre at Addenbrookes about a year after, and then had a course of ear acupuncture there to help with hot flushes. I’d really recommend going there, it’s so lovely and supportive. You can phone first or just turn up, or that was the case back then. 
Good luck with it all, sending love and a big virtual hug, HFxx