Kiwirunner

Hi just read your post asking about Radiotherapy  tiredness, I think it.depends on how your body copes with it. I'm due to start 4 weeks of Radiotherapy  Monday/Friday  on the 10th March and ive recently had the CT scan and tattoo dots  done,well one tattoo dot as I really didn't want any,they were going to.do two,but I said " I could cope with one  so.i was given one at the side ,so it doesn't show,plus a pen mark ( which is covered by tape) in the middle of my chest.  I did ask the question about tiredness, and was told it wouldn't make you feel.that tired on the first week,but tiredness if your going to get it, will start on the second week,as would any of the other side effects if you was to get any. So that's all i know for now .Was also told that if my.skin gets sore, to use a unperfumed body lotion or cream ,so ive orderd some E45 body lotion, which im hoping will help if I.do get sore from.the Radiotherapy. .Hope all goes well.for.us and anyone who is also having Radiotherapy.  X

Hi yeah its depends on individuals differently 

I was feeling quite tired after the surgery all the way to radiotherapy 

My radio therapy was for 5 days as you said , it didn't feel much difference tiredness wise to me 

But the breast was got quite tender after 4th session then after two weeks strat getting back to as it was 

But as you are saying you are already going to work after surgery so if you are feeling ok then might be alright 

Sorry I know not much help 

Jeet 123

Hi [@Jassoscared]‍ thanks for your message. Good tip re the E45 cream - thanks for that. Interesting to hear you managed with just one tattoo dot. Was it painful? I have never wanted to have a tattoo so needing those tattoo dots for radiotherapy was news to me until yesterday when they explained it to me. I'm going to go with it as I hope that means everything is lined up well. Just another thing to deal with eh?! New developments on this cancer roller coaster every time. Sending lots of good wishes to you too as you go forward with your radiotherapy xx

Thanks [@Jeet123]‍ for letting me know about your experience. So hard to predict isn't it but glad to hear it has been OK for you. I'm surprised at how tired I have been after the surgery and my breast has started aching today on my first day back at work - I spend so much of the day typing emails and I wonder it it is just having the low level sensation of pulling as a result. Feels weird being back at work particuarly as I only had the cancer confirmed on Friday after two long months of tests - the surgery was treated as the definitive biopsy in the end. So much to catch up on and I'm not in the mood. A colleague emailed and said they hope I had a nice time off. If only they knew! Hope you are doing OK with your whole situation. Take care xx

Hi kiwirunner 

I think it would be good to have at least one week of if not too to recover properly i think rest helps to recover quicker !!

Jeet

@Jeet123 thanks. That sounds like a good suggestion xx

Kiwirunner 

Hi ,sorry for late reply  only just seen your  mention of me, so replying now as cant sleep so wrote a poem on here  Radiotherapy poem and your reply.. 

I was only ment to have 2 tattoo dots  anyway, so as one of them would of been right in middle between both breasts, it would of been noticible, so was pleased when they said " I didn't have to have that one done if I didn't want to",So I just had one at the side of my right breast, and I was marked with pen and a clear sticker put over the pen mark ( which was a x mark).

And yes it did Hurt,not going to lie,but only for a bit whilst it was done, stopped hurting straight away though so very doable, compared to what we've allready been through. I start Radiotherapy  today, can't sleep its now 3.30 am . I wish you so much luck too,please let me know how things go for you . We've got this, we are nearly there, good luck xxxx

Hi [@Jassoscared]‍ thanks so much for replying, especially at 3.30am! I hope your first session goes well today. What side is yours on? Mine is left hand side so I had to all the deep breath practice during my CT plannng session yesterday. So glad you only had to have the one tattoo dot. I was given my three yesterday - one of each side of my torso and one right in the middle of my two boobs. One on the side of my body is so tiny you can hardly see it, the other on the other side is round but a few mm wide. The one in my cleavage though ended up being even bigger and is splodgy looking - about half a cm big. Bit disappointing but I'm trying to just think in the big scheme of things it is OK.

Will be thinking of you today - you are so nearly there and you are right, we have got this! Take care and good luck! xx

Hi kiwirunner.

Sorry your tattoo in the middle of your breast is bigger than you expected, thats where was due to have my second one,but opted for a pen mark x instead with a sticker over it. Hopefully in time it might fade a bit.  My first Radiotherapy was ok,but I know each one will get harder, but good news is im only having to have 3 weeks of it  instead of 4.So 15 in all. 

They give you lots of information and lots on skincare. I brought E45 lotion, but i dont think it will be any good ,I should of got the cream not the lotion ,I had shower and then read the information and it said do not use moisturiser that has (SLS) Sodium lauryl sulphate, E45 lotion has got in it Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, so I googled and asked if there was any difference in the two, and it said they have the same ingredients, so I went and washed it off.im now confused as to what I can actually use,I bought 2 bottles if it lol.i have some Palmers  cocoa butter formula  lotion with added vitamin E ,it's hypoallergenic  for sensitive skin,I bought 2 bottles of that to use on my Lymphedema which I have in my right hand wrist and arm. So.i checked the ingredients and think that ones ok. But ill check tomorrow with Radiotherapy staff. I wish they would just give you a list of what you can use and what you cant, would make it so much easier lol. Anyway hope your OK, and your treatments go well. Let me know how you are .xxx

Hi [@Jassoscared]‍ thanks so much for the message. That is quite a milestone to get your first session out of the way and now you can keep ticking them off and counting them down. 1 down, 14 to go. Before you know it, it will be 14 down and 1 to go :happy:

Thanks too for the really useful info re the creams. That sort of detail is so helpful. I asked about cream to use at my planning session and they said "any  body lotion you normally use is fine - you don't want to use one you are not familiar with". That seemed very loose guidance, particularly as you were told not to use anything with SLS in it and you had bought two bottles already - boo. Weird how the guidance seems to differ so much?! Will be keen to hear what they tell you when you ask today.

I'm fine at moment - quite good to have a mental break from all the regular appts as nothing now until radiotherapy starts on 29 March. Apart from having a root canal on Monday - dreading that more than all the breast cancer treatment to be honest haha.

Hope it goes well today xx

Hi 

They said to me Diprobase moisturize is quite good but have been using the Dermol lotion and that is good too !!

Jeet 123