Chemo

Hi Poodlegirl

Congratulations on finishing your chemotherapy! I also have TNBC and finished my chemotherapy yesterday. I had my surgery before chemo and will be having a planning meeting next week for 10 days of radiotherapy probably starting between Christmas and New Year. Like you I'm looking forward to being able to taste my Christmas Dinner!

All the best

x

Hi latchbrook,

Congratulations to you too hope you get through the next couple of weeks with not to many side affects ! Fingers crossed we can enjoy Christmas   Good luck with your meeting let me know how you get on. 
Best wishes xx

Hi Poodlegirl 

I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas and, like me, were able to taste the meal and wine!

I had a date through of 19th December for my radiotherapy planning meeting and then on that morning got a phone call from the hospital to say that the scanner had broken down and they'd have to delay my appointment until the 30th .

As I was supposed to actually start radiotherapy on 5thJanuary I expected this all to be delayed further. However, at 8.30am on the 20th I got a phone call from the hospital to say the scanner was fixed and they were trying to get local people in that day. Twenty minutes later I was on my way!

The actual appointment lasted about 45 minutes. Firstly a nurse went through all the side effects that could happen and gave me the chance to ask any questions. Then I was taken to the scanning room where two male nurses looked after me. The first one went through what would be happening and then left the room while I stripped off my top half and put a gown on. They then both came into the room and positioned me on the scanner and the machinery around me and explained what would happen.

I'd read that tattoos might be needed to mark the area that would be treated but nurse one explained that wasn't necessary as the scanner they had was very modern and everything was measured, etc electronically. I had to lie there with my hands behind my head for some scans and then also lie there holding my breath for up to 20 seconds for other scans. The holding your breath technique apparently moves your heart out of the way of the radiotherapy beams. Once all the measurements were taken I was free to go.

x

Hi there,

Had a very quiet Xmas tbh did manage some lunch and the taste buds are improving but sickness and nausea are an issue which is very annoying! Other than this I’m feeling more human. 
I went to see new surgeon yesterday and a contrast dye mammogram is arranged for Tuesday morning then pre op assessment 11th and I’m booked in for surgery on 17th but not sure yet what the surgery will be as the results of the mammogram are needed. Hopefully a lumpectomy  but will face whatever. 
Your hospital trust have worked differently to ours but the end product is the same  How many sessions of radiotherapy do you have and is over a week? X

Hi Poodlegirl 

From talking to others in the chemo suite I think it depends on various factors as to whether you have chemo before or after surgery. Some of the women there were due surgery after their chemo whilst others were like me and had already had surgery.

I will be having 10 sessions of radiotherapy starting on 5th January. They are daily sessions, but not over the weekend. The first 5 will be to the whole breast and the second 5 just to the tumour bed.

x

Hi latchbrook, 

Chatting to the surgeon on Tuesday and he was saying some have surgery before chemo/radiotherapy my first consultant said he’d take the lump out but after their team meeting it was decided to go straight in with chemo    Shall see what the results are after Tuesdays contrast dye mammogram what the op will be  Fingers crossed it’s a straight forward lumpectomy  

Good luck on the 5th and the following treatments hope all goes well for you x

Allthe best with your radiotherapy latchbrook   All things considered it was the easiest part of my treatment (although my Trust doesn’t do tumour bed boost - odd how treatment is so dependent on what the local consultant thinks is best). 

It’s good that you get to find out how well the chemo has worked. Here’s hoping it’s shrunk enough for them to just remove what’s left of it. 

Thanks Coddfish 

Yes, I think the one thing I've learnt since being diagnosed with breast cancer is that the consultants don't seem to follow a set plan but each trust seems to have their own ideas. I know that there'll be NICE clinical guidelines but it sometimes makes me feel a little bit uneasy thinking "what if my consultant should have suggested x or y or z" instead of what they did choose as my treatment plan.

All the best for 2023 to you and I hope we all have a better year ahead

x

Hi coddfish,

I'm hoping to goodness the tumour has shrunk won’t know anything until the consultant phoned me on the 9th. Fingers crossed just need to look ahead   
Happy New Year x