Last week of treatment

Hi Sam Daisybella 

It’s a tough slog, isn’t it? I remember some days I just didn’t want to go to the hospital and felt I just couldn’t do it any more. It takes such a lot out of you, and seems like you’ve suffered from a lot of the side effects. When I couldn’t have the brachytherapy and was told I needed another 7 radiotherapy I honestly was in tears. But somehow we get through.

The last week is that final stretch and you’re nearly there. I hope you’ve had enough help for the side effects up till now, and hopefully they will be better once treatment is over. My side effects got better within a couple of weeks after finishing and didn’t give me any other problems though tiredness was still a factor for me. 

Try not to let the”what ifs” dominate your thinking as you’ll usually have to wait 3 months for your scan to see how you’re doing. Remember too that radiotherapy keeps working in your body even after treatment ends, so while many ladies get a NED result on the first scan, others may not but will get rescanned maybe 3 months on and get it then. 

We all worry that it won’t be gone or that it will come back and certainly for me that fear still doesn’t go away, even though I’ve had a NED result twice after being through this cancer twice now. You wouldn’t have radiotherapy again as you can’t have radiation in the same place again, but just try to keep the positive thoughts that the treatment will have been successful for you this time. 

You’re so nearly done, and that’s a huge achievement-no-one understands how hard it is unless they’ve been through it. 

Sarah xx

I didn't know you couldn't have radiotherapy again I was asking the doctor last week about if they could see if it was getting smaller she said it gets inflamed first so gets bigger but like you said it's still working weeks after.  

I'm trying not to think about the end results but it is hard when I know its coming to the end.  I have my pre op for brachatherapy on Wednesday why couldn't you have that? I have to have 4 lots then mri scan Thursday im guessing that's for the brachatherapy not to see if it's going xx 

I'm just glad I have only 1 chemo left I've been really ill with that before I've even finished I feel I'm going to throw up or faint xx 

Xx

You can have radiotherapy a second time if it’s to a different part of the body, but not the same part.

The night before I was due to have the brachytherapy I had a pulmonary embolism brought on by chemo. As having the type of brachytherapy I was due to have involved having a general anaesthetic at the start, I wasn’t allowed to have the treatment as a general anaesthetic I was told at that point could kill me. So the 7 extra radiotherapy were done instead. If you click on my name you can read the full story of my cancer woes!

I’ve been able to have general anaesthetics since then, but the embolism went into my heart and then exploded in my lung, so it made things very dangerous at the time it happened and could have killed me on its own. I was very lucky. 

The scan for brachytherapy is to make sure the rods are placed correctly, but should give a good indication of how the tumour has been affected by the external radiotherapy/chemo. You are having a different type of brachytherapy to the type I was due to have as mine would have involved being admitted and having the treatment over 18 hours. 

Sarah xx

Hi omg what a nightmare you went through but glad your doing well now I love that you help everyone on here xxx x I am also getting put to sleep for brachatherapy and I'm not allowed to move for 24 hours for each one I find out more on Wednesday at my pre op I've never been put to sleep before so it's all new and bit scarey I only ever stayed been in hospital to have a baby that was 26 years ago 

You won’t be put to sleep for long-it’s not for the full length of the treatment. You’ll just be out for a short time at the start. I had never been put under anaesthetic until my cancer recurred and I had a biopsy done with a general, which was very short, then 2 longer anaesthetics for surgeries. I was the same-only been in hospital before to have my babies. So yes, it’s a scary thought when you haven’t experienced it before. 

The pre op assessment in my experience has not been a time to ask questions about your particular treatment-I’ve had 3 pre ops and they’ve always been done in a clinic with general nurses who are doing pre op assessments for patients facing all sorts of different surgeries. It’s things like heart check, mrsa, covid, height and weight checks-that sort of thing. For me each time it was kind of like a conveyor belt of patients going for one check after another. It’s to assess your fitness and suitability for anaesthetic/surgery, but not somewhere to discuss the specifics of what you were going to have done. That’s in the UK. 

Sarah xx

Hi

I finished treatment last Friday.  I feel like it’s hit me emotionally as you don’t have time to think when you’re going to hospital everyday.  I’m getting nervous for brachytherapy too  now. I’d filed it away at the back of my mind but I start next Monday 

Hi yes I've been more emotional this last week I'm really bad once I start crying I can't stop xx how are your side effects after your last chemo I'm dreading this one because I've felt worse every week and I've had really bad stomach pains this weekend xx I've not really thought about the brachatherapy until now have you had your pre op yet xx 

Hope everything goes OK for you xx 

It's mad we think we're the only ones that are scared I keep thinking to myself stop being soft but I am scared of everything and I'm not normally a person who shows my emotions but that's changed this week xxx

Hello, 

I finished my Brachytherapy about three months ago now, and I was so worried about having it, I almost didn't keep my first appointment. I was frightened about having injections put into my back. However, I went along and was treated very well, it wasn't bad at all. It's amazing how ones mind can make you so anxious about something......I hope your experience is as mine was. I will be having my a scan on 22nd May to see results 

I have just finished my last chemotherapy for another unrelated cancer (Lymphoma), so will be waiting on the outcome of that too ..........

Linda

I wasn’t too bad from chemo, in fact I think the steroids kept me going as I’ve really lost my appetite without them. Radiotherapy side affects have been  worse for me, I’m really tired and diarrhoea is still a problem.  My sore skin has really improved this week though. 
I had my pre op over the phone as the hospital I’m going to isn’t local to me. It’s a specialist centre so I’m sure they’ll be really good at getting you though it but I’m still worried. I’ve really struggled with staying positive I even worry about not being positive I think being diagnosed with cancer is just such a hard thing to process. I also wonder about menopause and how hormones are part of the anxiety 

hope all goes well for you x

Thank you for that. A lot of people say the same, I think  it’s the unknown which scares us. I’ve learnt the past few weeks I’m a bit of a control freak and I think that’s made it hard for me to just go with what I’m told and get through it. I can’t imagine dealing with 2 cancers, hope everything goes well for you. Waiting is awful isn’t it xxx