Finishing treatment

Hello Sunny! Do you have to face into radiation now or is your treatment complete? I will find out tomorrow whether I have to do Chemo in addition to radiation Not sure what result I'm hoping for as if the results say I need Chemo then it's for a good reason and for my own benefit..

Hi resolute,

I have had radiation already. I had a mastectomy first in November then in January I had radiation and then chemo. I am finished it all now except for the side effects of this round. I think I will be going on hormone treatment after this. I wasn't sure either if I would do chemo but in the end i decided on it. I am glad now as while it wasn't all that pleasant it wasn't too bad either, it's certainly been very manageable and the time has gone so quickly it was six rounds, one every 3 weeks. I was happy to do what the doctors advised as I recon they have seen all this before

Hello Sunny,

Glad you found us here and welcome! Not a club you ever wanted to join of course, but you have come to the right place. The girls here are just amazing

Well done for finishing your treatment! You might like to read an old thread, on this site

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=886

and also this amazing blog

http://journeyingbeyondbreastcancer.com/

All the best

Kath

Hi Kathleen
No, back in normal life it wasn't a club I thought of joining but now I'm here it's seems very warm and welcoming and informative. Thank you for the reading suggestions, it's good to get a recommendation because I get a bit frightened about it all.
I have found the chemo quite hard and I will be starting hormone treatment soon, I wonder if the side effects are bad ? and I wonder if you emotionally get over the whole process. I don't dwell on it and get on with my life as best I can but I feel fundamentally changed.

Many thanks

Hi Sunny,

I'm afraid that there is no easy answer to your questions. It is very easy to get frightened and overwhelmed by everything that has happened to us.

I think that as time goes by, you do move away from it emotionally, but the overall recovery process is a lot slower than I ever could have imagined. My treatment finished just a year ago and in September, I'll be 2 years from my diagnosis. Really, most days are good days and only the odd day now is not so good.

What helps? Avoiding letting the fatigue build up. Regular sport or walking to keep the moral up. And taking one thing at a time. I am getting better, heading in the right direction, but slowly. I try not to let that slowness get me down.

I guess you mean Tamoxifen or an Aromatase Inhibitor when you refer to hormone therapy. Concerning the side effects, just because there is a long list of side effects on the box does not mean that you will get all of them, or indeed any of them. If there is a history of blood clots or heart disease in your family you should inform your doctor to ensure you get the most appropriate treatment for you. Also bear in mind that not everyone gets side effects, though most get hot flushes I believe. I find that cod liver oil helps to minimise the hot flushes.

If you do get any side effects, remember we are here to help

Wishing you a good recovery.

All the best

Kath

Hi Sunny,

I finished my Chemo at the end of March and my Radiotherapy at the end of May. I felt a huge relief and had a holiday booked, I'm just back home. I am now waiting to see my Surgeon, Oncologist and Radiotherapist to see what happens next. I am on my hormone therapy and find it ok, but would just love to know if the treatment has been successful. Anybody know which doctor takes the lead at this stage?

Hi pink nails

I am not totally sure which Doctor takes the lead, I feel that it is my oncologist and then they refer to the others if necessary. I am sure the Brest care nurse could advise you.

Sunny