Hi all,
I hope you’re all doing well?
Yesterday I finished my last treatment. I’ve had 4 brachytherapy 25 external beam radiotherapy and 3 chemo. I was hoping to have a consultation with my oncologist before being discharged but it didn’t happen. I wanted to see if they had any indication of whether the tumour has shrunk.
I’ve been told that I will be contacted by the brachytherapy team in 4 weeks and I will have a follow up appointment with my doctor in the new year. I just feel in limbo about what’s going to happen next. I’ve spend the last 2 months just focusing on my treatment and dealing with the side effects. I feel physically and mentally exhausted and I’m looking forward to having the time off from treatment to recover and I’m trying not to overthink it. I’m proud of myself for getting through this I just wish I knew that I was all clear as that would be the best Christmas present ever!!
Xx
Dear Forest Fairy,
Many congratulations on finishing your treatment in time for Christmas! I know JUST what you mean about not being told anything - I think this is normal, sadly. None of the radiographers will tell you anything, because it’s not their place to, and there’s no sight or sound of your oncologist…. What I was told was that there was likely to still be some evidence of the primary tumour even after the brachytherapy, but that this should disappear in the following three months, because that’s how long the effects keep working in your body. So I guess that they really cannot tell you the outcome until the 3 month follow-up scan. You have to trust. I too was mentally and physically exhausted. I also had a urinary infection after the brachy which developed into sepsis and ended up in hospital 10 days after I finished… so my path to recovery was very slow. I lost a lot of weight with the sepsis and all my remaining strength - but I’ve recovered!
Be gentle with yourself - I hope everyone supports you in taking time to recover. If they offer you phone therapy with a psychologist - take it, you’ve nothing to lose. You did it. Bloody hard, wasn’t it! Let your body and mind heal, and let that brachy kick your cancer into the long grass… 
xxx
Hi Forestfairy,
Great to hear that your are all done well done you 
I had a scan prior to brachytherapy which showed tumour had reduced wasn’t told by how much just that it had reduced.
I had further scan 7 weeks after treatment and at follow up appointment was told it had reduced further. My next appointment is 23 February and I’m hoping by then there will be no sign of it.
I know how you feel treatment ends then nothing you are just left in limbo. Most people get scanned after 3 months but this can vary depending on where you are at my appointment my oncologist said that some areas are not scanning until 9 months post treatment, which I think is way too long.
@ForestFairy78 I’m nearly in the position you are in!!!
I was told before Braccy not to expect much info from the oncologists about shrinking etc etc…
However she did in almost passing conversation while I was lying in bed after my 1st braccy. Although it was limited, she said things had improved and the tumor had shrink. I dont know by how much… so i get that limbo feeling.
So I’m working on physically getting stronger and mentally. I’ve made the call to a counselling service provided by my employers.
Baby steps…
Hey @Shammy716 I was just thinking about you as I remembered we had a very similar treatment path. How are you doing? Thank you for letting me know what the process is, it makes sense when you think about it? I need to be strong and try and give my mind and body a break for a few weeks. Easier said than done when you’ve been consumed with cancer and treatment for the last 2 months.
Have you got much further to go with the brachy? How have you found out? Xx
Thank you for letting me know and helping me understand the process. I’m going to try and switch my mind off everything for a while and build my strength back up. Xx
Thank you @Jacks133 im sorry to hear about your UTI and being hospitalised with sepsis. It really doesn’t end after treatment does it? Thank you for the information and helping me to understand the process of what happens after treatment ends. Xx
I finished about 3 weeks ago. Did 28 Radio, 5 chemo and 3 Bracchy. I have to say I’m feeling really good as far as radio and chemo effects as they all but disappeared. Except the odd urgency for a poo!
I’m trying to have goals to aim for… like steps per day, sorting something in the house and when I want to return to work.
Hi, well done on finishing your treatment! I have just finished the exact same treatment of you by the sounds of it. I found it rough! My body didn’t want to tolerate the chemotherapy or the radiotherapy! I have been told that I’ll be contacted in the new year by my oncologist for a chat about how it’s gone and she’ll examine me too and about 4-6 weeks after the final brachytherapy I’ll get an appointment for a scan to see how well it’s worked. I have been told that they’ll leave it that long because all of the treatment is slowly working its way out of my system and its still doing its job in there so they’ll want to do the scan when it’s all gone. They’ve told me to rest and recover. I hope that helps somewhat. I do feel a bit like I’m in limbo still, I’ve had daily hospital appointments and now I’m just left on my own!
Hi Emj85,
Sorry to hear that you found treatment tough it really does seem to vary some really suffer while others get through it symptom free, its totally bizarre. But you have got through it so we’ll done!!.
I found treatment not too bad I am about 15 weeks post treatment I know what you mean about feeling lost. You go from 7 weeks of intense hospital treatment to nothing it does take some adjusting to.
I had phone call appointment after 6 weeks a scan at 7 weeks and follow appointment at 8 weeks which showed tumour had reduced and to return in 3 months. Physically I feel good but its hard to wait another 3 months to see if treatment has been successful or not but there’s not a lot I can do about it, I am back at work so that helps take my mind off things.
Hope your follow up goes well.
Take care xx
Hi all Happy New Year! Let’s hope 2022 is a better year for all of us 
So I’m week 5 post chemo, radio and brachy. Still waiting for something from my oncologist, so rang my doctor today to get some indication of what happens next? Left message with his secretary so we will see if I get a call back.
I’m supposed to get a call from the brachytherapy team but I suppose it’s the first week back so I will need to be patient. I’m using the dilators, trying to remember to do it everyday but brain and mind like a sieve at the moment.
Kids back at school, hubby back at work and then there’s me…. Waiting…. trying to find anything to occupy my time and not think whether I’ve still got cancer or not!!
My mental health has taken a real hit this week as everyone gets back to their routines and I’m in what Limbo!!
Eating healthy, trying to take a little bit of exercise anything to increase my serotonin levels.
The positive news is I’m not in pain and the bleeding has stopped so that’s great. Im trying to be thankful that I’m not waking up in the middle of the night taking pain killers.
I do think I’m going through early menopause though as I’m having intermittent hot flushes and sweating at night! Has anyone else experienced this? Do I go to my GP or speak to my oncologist?
Sorry for the vent but I feel that this is the only place I can speak honestly. Much love 
Hi,
Happy new year to you. It’s good to hear that you are no longer in pain but I know how you feel once treatment is over all focus is now on has it worked? Unfortunately all we can do is wait for some they will know at their 3 month scan for others It’s longer. Could you get some counselling that may help. You feel like you can’t move on until you have that positive scan result, you worry it’s not going to be positive and what will happen next. We are all in the same boat and it is very difficult. I am back at work full time and each day I try to keep busy and most of the time I don’t think about what will be. I just hope the day will.come when I no longer have to think about cancer and I can get on with life.
I am 55 so was already have hot flushes but since treatment they have got worse. I am hoping to deal with it naturally but you are younger so I think you should speak to.your GP and the hospital when you get your follow up.
Take care xx
Hi @AMF thank you for replying. I didn’t know about a 3 month scan as no one told me. I was expecting a consultation with my oncologist before being discharged from the hospital after my brachy. The only thing I was told by the RN was they won’t be able to scan straight away as they will be too much inflammation. That doesn’t really help and I kick myself now for not asking more questions. I was just so relieved that the treatment had ended and desperate to go home.
I guess I need to speak to my work and see if I can go back to take my mind off the waiting and not knowing.
The hot flushes are causing me some sleepless nights but I’m not overly concerned about them. Anyway thank you again for replying and putting my mind at ease. Xx
Hi,
If you contact your CNS they should be able to give you estimates of when you’ll be scanned. They usually contact you 6 weeks after treatment ends to see how you are getting on this is most likely to be telephone call due to covid, but you can call them if you are worried about anything
As I said most hospitals scan after 3 months but in some it’s 6 months, when I went for mine my doctor said some areas are not scanning till.9 months post treatment which is too long in my opinion.
I think it’s just the “not knowing” that is causing me to feel stressed and anxious.
You go from having care and treatment everyday for 7 weeks (in my case) to nothing!
I think it’s exacerbated because sadly we lost my Aunt on Monday to cancer. She had been going to the doctor, having scans etc for 12 months and they kept saying it’s not cancer! She went into hospital Saturday afternoon with stomach pains and was told she has cancer in all her lymph nodes. She passed Monday morning.
I will call my nurse and see if she can put my mind at ease!
I’m also going to see if I can go back to work and do a few hours just to have some routine and normality back. Xx
Dear ForestFairy,
We are all shocked to hear about the passing of your Aunt - how awful to be ignored and then to only get a diagnosis when it is too late to do anything. I can quite imagine why you are feeling so anxious and unsettled for your own health too. AMF is right - contact your CNS and ask what happens next and when you will be getting your three month scan. This is normal procedure. Radiotherapy (especially the brachy) goes on working actively for about 3 months so what is shown/not shown at that scan is crucial. What we’re all hoping for is NED - no evidence of disease. The GOOD thing of course is that you have been diagnosed, have been through treatment, and have a good chance of putting the cancer behind you for good. I don’t think you ever completely put it out of your mind, and it’s important to know that your follow-up is in place. Do contact them and again, so sorry about your Aunt. Xx
@Jacks133 thank you for responding. I do think my Aunt dying has made my situation so much more real and raw if that makes sense. What I’m learning through all your wonderful advice and support is that it’s normal to have a 3 month gap before next scan as the treatment is still working which is a good thing. I will call my nurse and see what she says. Thank you for your kind words xx
Hi ForestFairy,
So sorry for your Ant, indeed it is very shocking that they figured out it was cancer at a very late stage! Regarding menopause, You should speak to your oncologist doctor about the side effects of the menopause and he can refer you to a menopause specialist to discuss. Regarding the treatment, you should be contacted in 3 months time after you finish treatment for an MRI and CT scan to check the treatment results. In my case, it took me 6 months to get the all clear as adenocarcinoma responds slower to treatment than squamous cells. Hope all the best! And congrats that you finish treatment xx
Hi Maria, thank you for replying and your condolences regarding my Aunt. I have an appointment today with my doctor so I will discuss everything that is going on with me today. I can ask about my scan and when they think it will be. I think it would have put my mind more at ease if they explained the next stage in the process, then I wouldn’t have felt so lost and confused. Thanks to this forum for all your words of advice and support.
So I’ve just come back from my consultation at the hospital. The doctor confirmed that there would be a scan at 3 months from now to see whether the tumour is still present. She explained that the treatment is still working and will continue to work for a few months which is why they can’t scan yet. She wanted to do an internal examination which I wasn’t expecting and was quite nervous about. She was very gentle and said I was in control so if it hurt at any point she would stop!
It didn’t hurt at all to my relief! She then went on to say that it feels completely different to the last time she examined me and although it’s early days the indication is the tumour is shrinking!!!
I think I’m in shock and not sure if I can believe it. My hubby cried, I rang my mum and sisters and they both cried. I feel a bit numb!
