Radio after chemo

Hi 

Are you worried about the side effects of radiotherapy?
Your oncologist should have gone through the risks and benefits of the treatment.The treatment itself is usually quick….about 15 mins…and painless.You don’t see or feel anything and just hear a beeping noise.

As you need treatment on your left side you may need to hold your breath during treatment for up to 25 seconds.This deep breath in moves your chest wall away from your heart.Some people don’t need to do this because of their anatomy.It is worth practicing at home before your planning appointment.Start with a breath hold of 10 seconds and work upwards.

Your skin will get pink as the treatment goes on.You will be advised to moisturise your skin regularly.Opinions on which moisturisers to use differ but generally you should use one which is unperfumed and alcohol free.

It is best not to wear an underwire bra as this can rub your skin.Cotton crop type bras were the best for me.

Just take the RT one day at a time.Usually you will see the same team of people every day and they will look after you and address any concerns or worries you have.Please don’t be afraid to ask them questions .

if you have any specific questions before you start please ask as I was a radiotherapy radiographer for over 35 years.

Re Letrazole…..I’ve been taking this since July and to be honest the first few months weren’t great but the side effects did improve over time.I have had acupuncture for the hot flushes arranged by my oncologist which has been amazing.I take the tablet at night as it works better for me.I haven’t had any mood swings at all but my joints ache a bit so I keep walking so I don’t stiffen up.

Different brands of Letrazole seem to work better than others for some people.

There are lots of threads on here about Letrazole with hints and tips on coping with it and it is a question of finding what works for you.Some people don’t get any side effects at all.

I hope these ramblings help you

Take care

I found radiotherapy a walk in the park compared to chemo! Though I had the accelerated version - 5 days whole breast and 5 days booster, which means not as much daily travelling.

Rads did make my scar a bit harder again and everything was a bit red and discoloured for a few weeks, but it was absolutely fine. They said to me the radiation peaks 2 weeks post treatment and your skin/cells heal by about 6 weeks. Not exposing the area to sun is lifelong but I was never a sun bather.

I was put into menopause as part of treatment, which I found very intense, which is very common for people in medical menopause. When I started exemestane a few months later, I didn't notice any difference with menopausal symptoms, though I did have painful joints, especially feet, if I sat for too long or first thing in the morning. That settled very quickly with activity (a few steps and it was gone) and has pretty much settled so I don't really get that any more. They said to me it takes about 6 months for the side effects of AIs to settle and then most people are fine after that. I started exemestane in April.

I started exemestane every 2nd day for a month to get used to it (my idea, not my oncologist's).

One thing I did before starting exemestane was to look up reviews on Drugs.com and filter on all the 10/10 ones and not read any others! It put me in the right frame of mind for starting.

That's interesting to hear Exraygirl about people's physiology being  different and affecting whether they need to breath hold when having radio on the left side. I will have some radio on my left in the new year and was curious about the breath holding technique and can see how it works. Does tumour location make a difference also out of interest?

Since being diagnosed I have become hyperspace of my body in a way I wasn't before (as do many of us!) and became aware that the right side of my rib cage is higher than my left  with more prominent ribs at the top. Never noticed it before ( why would I?!) I got worked up about it ( as you do!!) but was reassured by my surgeon it was perfectly normal and she had the same. Crazy how our mind plays tricks and anxiety explodes but understandable I guess

X

Hi

yes tumour position can be a factor in breath hold or not especially as some centres now give partial breast treatment for small early tumours.

That's a good idea about filtering  reviewsBeatthebreast. I find I can read 10 positive things and the 1 negative sticks.. I think I will adopt that approach although am trying to reduce my searching 

I've started exemestane to and am 3 days in. I was anxious but apart from a headache which has now gone I'm OK so far. Stiff but was already due having stopped my HRT 6 weeks ago. Odd bits of naseau but not sure how much of that is fatigue right now

I went through the menopause at 45 ( I'm nearly 57 now) and have 7yrs without HRT so suspect my oestrogen levels are low naturally. I think you are right that medically induced menopause are often more intense

Main issue for me currently is feeling fatigued as speedy diagnosis and surgery/ Results in 5 weeks catching up with me so giving my head time to process and heal as that needs to catch up with my physical healing 

X

Thank you everyone for the practical tips and comments  xx

Thanks everyone for the practical tips and comments - really helps me get my head in the right place xx

Hi, my personal experience was that radiotherapy was soooo much easier than chemo, both the actual treatment and the side effects. I am also post menopausal without really realising it, so am on Letrozole. I am 3 months in and very few side effects, just a bit stiff now and again.  

if you have time, check out my blog, it really helped me to write it all down. Link to blog