Chest radiotherapy

[Teats4twins]

I've just had 5 days of radiotherapy to my chest after a single mastectomy. I am wondering how other people felt after this and how long it took until you started feeling semi normal again? I don't feel quite as fatigued as I thought I was going to, but feel very foggy headed and in a daze, with an on and off headache, did anyone else feel like this?

Ooooh! Normal? I’m a bit over 6 months since treatment finished (surgery x2, 6 months of chemotherapy, radiotherapy x10). My experience is that recovery is not linear. V kind & experienced radiographer said 2 months for the radiotherapy fatigue to lift.

Don’t underestimate the emotional and mental impact of diagnosis and treatment. Be kind to yourself. This too will pass

@GrannyGoggles thank you! I don't think ill ever go back to 'normal' since diagnosis, it's all been a bit of a blur. I've had 2x surgeries as it came back within a month of lumpectomy. Triple negative at 29 and I've got twin toddlers who keep me on my toes so I'm hoping to find a new kind of normal as soon as I can! Best wishes to you

I was a little over confident after the higher dose radiotherapy over 5days. I completed it 2weeks before returning to work. I only work two days a week ( fairly high stress healthcare). After my second day back I went to climb the stairs at work to get changed and literally climbed up on my hands and knees. I had a long nap most afternoons and for about a month was exhausted.
I think it was partly a physical response and partly the mental kick back after months of high anxiety.
What people don’t realise is that your full diagnosis develops over time, so although you learn of your cancer diagnosis initially the extent and treatment plan comes in dribs and drabs. You live from one appointment to the next in a state of continual anxiety.
Once the treatment is over it’s like coming down from an uncomfortable high. Your body has been subjected to continuous adrenaline hits and it leaves you exhausted.
As time goes by you gradually come to terms with the diagnosis and treatment, but then just to add insult to injury you have an annual check up when you go through it all again.

I think it took about six months to feel physically better and I’m still working on the mental side nearly 3 yrs on. I am a natural optimistic but also a pragmatic person so I don’t go around with a black cloud hovering just above my head, but inside I’m still scared.

I have not embraced the pink, and I try and avoid the whole “I’m a survivor” club. I just want to move forward and not hang on to the “I’ve had cancer, look at me “ identity.
I suspect some women become the centre of their universe for the first time and want to hang onto that, I hated the attention and the sympathy breast cancer afforded.

I am very polite to all those who give me helpful advice. In Twitter there is a big cancer community where they refer to non sufferers as cancer Muggles which I think is a good description. When my DSis had breast cancer I could not understand why she didn't embrace life and celebrate life, I get it know.
I am very different from my DSis, but like her I certainly felt no urge to become a life loving wonderful person, who shits glitter and spreads happiness all around.

PS be kind to yourself. The housework can wait, enjoy your toddlers they have no concept of what you are going through but their cuddles are very healing.

I was 57 but the hardest part of cancer was telling my DS17 who was just starting his Alevels. I think most cancer patients find it easier to deal with what they are going through than their loved ones who struggle.

My DSis was 32 when she was diagnosed, 24 yrs ago, she had triple negative and had radical mastectomy with a rebuild. She had a short course of chemo before surgery ( cut short because it was having no effect on the tumour) but back then radiotherapy wasn’t used. She celebrated her 56 birthday a couple of months ago with no recurrence. It is very flippant to say stay positive but there is a much higher chance that you will be around to see your toddlers reach adulthood.

@Angrymum22 thank you. I can relate to a lot of what you have said. I'm definitely not a glitter shitter! I've just looked at each bit as another job to get done. It took 6 months to persuade me to have a second CT scan as I was so afraid of more bad news but braved it and it all looks clear. Fingers crossed it carries on that way! It's really helped to hear how your sister has had no recurrence after having triple negative with minimal treatment too. I made the decision not to have chemo as the doctors said it may not have any long term benefits, which was a tough decision. I'm pretty optimistic mostly, don't have much time to mope with toddlers to run after. A blessing that they keep me so busy I guess! All the best to you and your DSis.

@Angrymum22 Thank you for relating your and your sister’s experience. Particularly encouraged by your sister’s recovery from TNBC as that’s ’my one’. And no glitter or pink cheerleading at this house either. I am resistant to the idea of being defined by my survival ship/victimhood/cancer journey

I was quite quick with radio and didn't really have any effects, remember swimming a mile a week after before realised you were supposed to wait but some get hit with extreme tiredness and obviously much harder if working rather than at home though maybe not with twin toddlers. Chemo effects lasted much longer.

The 5 days is a higher dose and is a relatively new treatment. It's roughly equivalent to 3 weeks.

I had one day of exhaustion on the Saturday and thought I was ok; there's a delayed impact which can hit 2-3 weeks later and last a few weeks.

I found this happened and it dragged on for a bit, perhaps another 3-4 weeks (though I also had started tamoxifen and also wasn't on the best level of thyroxine I could have been.)

It wasn't linear and it would hit from no where. Very odd!

I was off work though - I took a chunk of time as I had to come off hrt, have the op, start tamoxifen and manage the thyroid levels as well as recover from the op and I knew I couldn't work (part time) and be a mum to two young children.

I do think that my immune system was affected though. I had a terrible flu virus about 2 months after the radiotherapy and was really very ill. Weirdly no other colds or other bugs - I think diet and exercise helped there. I've had a slight cough this last week; first thing besides the flu bug in over a year. (Diagnosed a year ago.)

Yeah, no glittershitting here.

I'm positive and have got stuck into healthy living to enable me to feel physically as good as I can, especially to help sleep and stress, but "it's" not over and tamoxifen is making other health issues more challenging. That's more of a day to day difficulty and more emotionally draining than having had cancer and being a "survivor" etc.

@Ikeameatballlunch they started me on tamoxifen 5 weeks ago too. Even though my estrogen levels are at 3 and classed as TNBC they said its just a precaution. Honestly finding its having such an effect on me. Terrible mood swings, the worst dry skin ever, to the point my lips are peeling constantly and my fingers are splitting. I'm waking in the night soaked through with sweat and itching all over.

Nausea has taken over me today. I keep wondering whether I'm coming down with something or is it the after effects of radiotherapy. The constant worries!

Yes I’m a woman who has had cancer. I don’t really feel like a survivor since at no point during treatment did I feel like I was dying. Most women nowadays are the same, early detection and treatment means that if you are stage1/2 post surgery the cancer has effectively gone. All other treatment , chemo, radio and hormone is adjunctive.
I was lucky to have surgery soon after diagnosis because the “stars aligned” or rather my individual biopsy dictated that surgery then possibly chemo and finally radio were the order of play. My surgeon put me straight onto anastrozole at initial diagnosis ( possibly because my health care background meant that I was fully aware of the pros and cons).
I remember waking from the anaesthetic and feeling immense relief when my surgeon said they’d removed it all and there was not sign of spread to my lymph nodes, this was later confirmed by biopsy. At that point it was gone in my mind.

I didn’t really fancy chemo and was lucky to have a low oncotype score.

I work in health care and I’m now much more aware of other women who have had breast cancer. Three of my regular patients were diagnosed around the same time. It is incredibly common but most don’t have it tattooed across their forehead. They just want to move on and put it firmly in the past.
The majority of women don’t broadcast their diagnosis. I think when you are going through it it is a very private battle, and it’s common to downplay it to discourage too much sympathy or pity. Until you go through it it is impossible to describe the constant hysteria bubbling under the surface. I hate it when people tell you how sorry they are to hear you’ve had cancer. It’s like they’ve already planned their outfit for your funeral.

Two months after I finished treatment my DH had a stroke, this deflected attention from me so I was able to get on with my recovery at my own pace. In fact people ask me how I’m dealing with DH’s stroke and have completely forgotten the cancer.