Thanks [@Jeet123]‍ xx

Kiwirunner 

Hi ,hope your trip to the dreaded dentist went well ,and your tratment was as painless as it could be, I to always dread the dentist, I can't stand the feeling of having fingers and thing's in my mouth, as I can never seem to open wide enough lol,and i end up gagging. 

Well as for the E45 lotion  and another lotion I got Palmers coco butter,  so I took them both in ,and was told both were good to use. But I told them I'd googled the ingredients in the E45 lotion and it said one ingredient in the lotion was the same as the SLS, they disagreed and said it was fine to use. But I'd already seen a post on this Cancer chat forum where someone had posted the E45 lotion was not good to use as it aggregated the skin after radiotherapy, but the E45 cream not the lotion was better to use.  So I don't want to take any chances and have ordered a tub of E45 Cream . I've done 3 Radiotherapy sessions  now and have been using the Palmers cocoa butter, and its been fine .I was told not to use to much ,and dont rub your skin to hard, try to pat the creams or. lotions in,and dont put it on near the time you have Radiotherapy, use it once early in the morning  and once before bedtime..when showering  or having baths you can use soaps, shower gell but make sure you rinse your skin thoughrly, and never use very hot water ,just like warm water   The first Radiotherapy session took a while as they have to set it all up and get everything so precise.  I didnt feel a thing.  The second one was quicker 20mins.  Felt tired but i dont sleep well ,so could of been that. The 3rd  one was a bit tricky, as they got me onto  the bit where you lay, and got me into the  correct position , you lay with the arm up and into a clip  that holds your arm and wrist in place  ,obviously the side your bresst cancer was on ,mine was on my right side, so my right arm has to be held back above my head.  Well they go behind the screen and it took ages just lying there ,you have to be so still  you can't move at all. And then they cone into the room and they said I was not in the correct position I was half a millimetre out.  So they push my body this way and that only slightly, and move my arm a tiny bit ,move the board im lying on ( its movable) and take all the measurements again.  Then go behind the screen ,again taking ages, I'm getting very uncomfortable by this time but dare not move, then they come into the room again as I'm still half a millimetre out.  And it all had to be repeated again. ,i had an itch on my hip ,and they itched it for me  lol, as your not allowed to move an inch lol, it felt very strange someone else scratching my itch, I had to keep saying up a bit, down a bit  over a bit, yes you've got it, and they scratched my itch away lol.They go behind the screen for what seems like ages, checking evetything is lined up, and bingo, the machine starts up and starts to rotatate and do its thing. I must admit my arm and shoulder and hand was uncomfortable as i have lymphedema in my right wrist, hand and arm ,so that didn't help, but I guess ut diesnt always happen, just sometimes,and ud rather ut take a while to get it right.

But each time you don't feel anything as its going into your breast.  I think next week will be the one where I will start to feel any soreness to the skin ,as it will be 5 days worth of radiotherapy on the trot, where as last week it was wed/ Thurs/ Friday   as I started in the middle of the week. But yes I am counting them down 12 more to go now . Your time will come round quickly  29th March, I will be nearly finished by then as my last one is on the 30th March. Xxx

Hi [@Jassoscared]‍ oh wow thanks for such a fantastically helpful post! That is full of such good info - I really appreciate it.

Love that they had to scratch your itch for you. When I had my planning session in the scanner they were saying how important it is to stay super still and it sounds like you had to do it for quite a while during the set up. Well done you!
 

Mine is my left breast so I have the added complication of having to do the deep breath hold for 20 seconds each time. This is to lift my heart out of the way of the radiation beam so it doesn't cause long term damage to the heart. They practiced it lots of times with me and it was fine but on the actual days I worry about not doing it right. Eek. The machine cuts out though apparently so should be ok. Just the thought of it though.

Great advice re the creams and how to use them. Thanks so much for that.  Hope the tiredness isn't too bad for you.

Thanks for the good wishes re the root canal - it is actually tomorrow. I'm with you on the dentist. Four biopsies and the lumpectomy were fine to deal with for me but the noise of the drills and the feeling of all that stuff going on in my mouth at the dentist. Urghhhh. I have a small mouth too and it's hard keeping it open that long!

Fingers crossed that you sail through the sessions. Take care xx

Kiwirunner 

Hi  I'm glad my last post was helpful to you. Hope all is well with you. I had my fourth Radiotherapy today, it went well and seemed quicker than usual, but I was lined up correctly first time.  I close my eyes when I'm having treatment, I was counting the beebs, as the machine was making them .I counted thirteen in all. The beebs are when the radiation is going into your body .The radiographer told me  that even though the amount of beebs may differ  on each session, the same amount is radiation will always go in to you. 

I am feeling very tired now, so will try to have an early night. Oh and another tip  ,I was told to drink a lot of water, something I'm not good at,but will try my hardest to drink more  x.

Hi [@Jassoscared]‍ so sorry only realised now you messaged me some time ago. How are you doing now? Have you finished your radiotherapy? I do hope you are doing ok. *Edit* just remembered you have 15 sessions to get through. How many do you have left?

I had my first radiotherapy session today. Took a while to get me lined up and I just went to a happy place in my mind each time I had to do the deep breath technique and hold my breath while they counted me down from 20 each time.

It was only my first session but my breast is tingling like mad and feeling hot one minute and really tender. All normal I know but amazed it has kicked in already.

Sending healing vibes xx

I am not great at drinking water either but trying hard as they said it was important.

Kiwirunner 

Hi , only just popped back on here and saw your reply. 

Sorry your breast was sore after  your first Radiotherapy session ,and I know whst you mean about drinking water, I dudnt drink more ,as I find it hard to drink water, but give me a cuppa tea ,and im ok lol.

My first Radiotherapy session was ok,had a few twinges but nothing much. I was getting pain by the fourth one. Was putting tge cream on skin so not to red or sore.

I finished the 15th one on the 30 th March ,git my certificate, ( which was a lovely surprise( and rang the bell ,I was soooo happy it had ended. As I was getting very uncomfortable, and some.  They saud it would get worse within the next 2 weeks after stopping the treatment and then  I should start to feel better. 

Thry were right ,my breast dud get  very painfull and the redness seemed to come out,but it wasn't so bad I couldn't handle it ,I feel.really tired though, but it's doable . You will be getting your certificate  and thinking, I can't believe its over, I've sine it yay ,it's such a great feeling and puts you into.a really happy place .Good luck with the rest if yoir treatments, you've got this,and I know you will get there just as i did xxxx ps let ne know how you are doing .xx

Hey there [@Jassoscared]‍ nice to hear from you and congratulations on finishing your treatment - yay!! So pleased for you. Hope you are feeling a bit less tired now.

I had my fifth and final session on Good Friday (so a week ago). I didn't get a certificate or a chance to ring the bell (even though there was one there). I think it was because the department was all closed up on the Bank Holiday with just a few patients in. One of the machines broke down earlier in the week so they had to get some of us in that day instead. But the main thing is it is finished and that's a good feeling:happy:

I don't have any fatigue yet (but it is early days) and have even managed a couple of gentle runs on the days I haven't been walking. Will be some time before I get back to my old fitness but there is no hurry. Today though I've come out in quite an itchy rash to go with the general redness. It's bearable though so if it stays like that I think I will cope OK.

Now about to start taking Anastrazole for the next five years which is a drag. Have to remind myself that it is worth it to reduce risk of recurrence.

Good luck to you and thanks so much for your helpful and supportive comments. I've really appreciated it. Take care xxx

Kiwirunner 

Hello and big congratulations on also finally finishing your 5 Radiotherapy sessions. Great that you have felt well enough to go for a run too.

Because I hadb15 Radiotherapy sessions my breast is still quite painful  red and with few blister type spots scattered here and there ,and around the nipple is tender .I'm still  feeling tired ,but nothing I cant handle.

I'm on Letrazole oral chemotherapy hormone tablets, and I'm on these for 8 years ,which is a very long time. They do cause me to have pain in my joints and muscles, and they do make me tired and putting on weight.

So ive bought myself a smart watch,got it yesterday, and so far today I've done 4386 steps today  and a few other excercises, scince 4pm.yesterday I've done 7715 steps and burnt 481 calories. I know its not great ,as I should be doing 10,000 steps a day, but having Lymphedema I haven't been able to do much ,so am really unfit,and plied on the weight, but its a start Hopefully can inceasre steps etc everyday. Shame you didn't get certificate or ring the bell ,but the main thing is you got through it .xx

Hi @mrsmac77 hope you are doing OK. I did relate to your comment about lying there in your glory while they were trying to fix the camera. That happened on my last day of treatment - the computer wasn't talking to the machine and I was lying there like a dead fish feeling cold and naked until I had to hop down when they realised they needed longer to fix it.

I know how you feel about taking the Letrozole as I have just started Anastrozole which is another aromatase inhibitor that does the same thing. I was so anxious about it (more than all the other bits done so far) but I took the plunge and started them on Saturday and no effects so far, although I know it is early days.  

I'm also wondering about the long term effects of radiotherapy. My breast is still sore and swollen (and quite a rash) so will have to see if it settles down and shrinks over time. I'm quite grateful to have kept my boob in the end so am trying to be accepting of what may happen.

Good luck with the start of your treatment - that time will roll around quickly. I had a about a five week gap between surgery and starting the radiotheraphy as I know they like things to heal and if you had an infection too they probably had to factor that on. Take care x