Genie bras Anti depressants

[Debster2016]

Morning all I hope we're all in the pink at the moment?

I gave a couple of questions if I could ask for shared experience please?

I'm looking at getting genie bra/s for during radiation as I want to be prepared for my skin getting sore - even tho I don't know how it will react yet! 🙄 - and I can't see how to put one on even tho Ive looked online for this 😳😝.

Do you really gave to lift your arms over your head? I'm still struggling with this. And is it going to rub the skin as I pull it down into position?

Ive got my dates, I start May 25. I have 15 appointments and it's weird but 13 of them are at different times of the day! From 12.10 to 16.55! It's a bit mad 😅. But it's strikes me as a lovely team. Luckily for me it's a different hospital to my surgery so I have a new team taking care of me for a short while and as such I get physiotherapy WOHOO!!! And! I've been to see their lymphodaema nurse! Which is also missing from my surgery hospital.......

My other question is with anti depressants. I've been taking Sertraline for 2 months and last week at at review with my gp was told that it interacts with tamoxifen making tamoxifen less effective. Has anyone else been told this? So I have to come off the Sertraline and cannot take the other ssri's which have proved effective on me in the past, like escitalopram and citalopram. Does anyone know of an alternative please?

Thank you ladies, wishing you a good weekend. May and it is still cold! 😄😎🌂🌥.

I've found a Local Food and Drink Festival for Sunday, I'll be taking my pocket money!

All the best xxx

[Jennymary]

With regard the arm it will get stiff. Mine did but had two sessions of physio when I finished. With the antidepressants I'm in the same boat, except I'm on prozac. Gp rang me and after seeing here I'm going to slowly come off them. Currently on my break in work so will send a more detailed reply later

[Jennymary]

Hi Deb, I had lumpectomies, and my radiotherapy was in January 2014, I was given a list of dates and times, frequently timings changed, I had complete node clearance in my right arm, and for the rd you lay with your arms in the 'surrender' position, ie level with your ears, by the end of the first week I couldn't raise my right arm straight up in the air, the radiologists were lovely and helped me put my top on afterwards as I couldn't raise my right arm to do it, the left got slightly stiff but nowhere near as bad as the right, after my 15 treatments (3 weeks) I visited my BCN who referred me for physio, I had two sessions, can't remember how far apart, but gradually, over time, I regained full movement.

With regard the antidepressants I was put on Prozac after losing my dad a few years ago, I went on tamoxifen in December 2013 and oncology knew about my other meds, all has been going well until about ten days ago when I received a call from my GP who said there may be something in the Prozac which stops the tamoxifen working properly (I was diagnosed September 2013, no chemo clear mammograms in 2014/15/16) but she gave me the option of going onto another antidepressants or coming off them, I've chosen to come off them as life is pretty good at the moment, so we're reducing the dosage over the next 4 weeks and seeing how I get on. Hope all this helps, enjoy the food and drink festival tomorrow and good luck with your radiotherapy xxx

[Debster2016 in reply to Jennymary]

Hi Jenny thanks a lot for your message it all sounds positive. I do remember you liking your radiotherapy to climbing a mountain, having a naughty picnic on top then coming back down again, that was inspirational thk u 😌. I've had my planning session and don't have to raise my left arm at all luckily as it's still got venous cording and stretching it is still painful.

I've no plans for contact with my BCN - they don't refer to physio anyway - but the radiographers at my planning appt referred me to the lympheodema clinic who saw me the same day and the nurse said she could refer me to physio if nec! This is because the radiotherapy is being given to me at a different hospital from my surgery & BCN! How lucky! She has also sent me an appt for lympheodema clinic all of which has lifted my spirits from the despondency of the continued cording and lymph present in my affected arm.

Hey best of luck coming off Prozac what a positive thing! Genuinely well done for your confidence I wish you all the best with that.

Perhaps something new has come to light recently re tamoxifen/ anti depressants? Lucky of us!

And the festival was better than I was expecting! And I spent all my pocket money.

Bests Deb 😘

[CancerkickerKathy]

I haven't done radiation. As for genie bras the way it worked for me was I step into it. Hardest part for me was getting it over my big hips and belly. Good luck with everything.

[Debster2016 in reply to CancerkickerKathy]

Excellent, thank you Kathy. Have to wait n see re my bottom half! 😂

[Hidden]

Genie bras go on easily,you just step into them and pull them up,you can wear them with or without the pads,(I still wear them now,as the pads give me a better shape) they may not look the best,but if you get the right size they are very comfortable.

My only concert was the sizing,I'm a 40 D,and had to send what I thought was the right size back,as it was to small,my size is xxx, forgot to say,there are lots of bras that look like genie,but the sizing will be different.

Good luck and I hope all goes well.

[Debster2016 in reply to Hidden]

Many thanks Parker1438, I have a bit of time to try and get the size right. I am relived to step into it, and yes I see there are other other types a ailabe which is helpful.

Thank you, no doubt I'll post during treatment!

[Linkj]

Hi Debster

I had a mastectomy in March with full nodal clearance, we have spoken before and you have been such a support. I am a physio and so have worked very hard on my range of shoulder movement and learnt a lot in the process but good old standard techniques work the best. Massage the scar, chest and arm for at least 5 minutes, I use bio oil, then do lots of small range movemnts, arm swinging, circling etc, if you lean forward resting your good arm on a slightly bent knee it will be easier, go just to the edge of range that hurts and gently just tease at it. The arm will now be warmed up, lots of shoulder circling, pulling shoulder blades back and together, then bend your elbow and place your hand on top of your shoulder and write the largest imaginary alphabet in the air that you can at the side with your elbow, push right into the pain at every stroke, hard work but really working, I nearly have full range at 8 weeks, much less pain and interestingly much less numbness though that may be just healing or it may be nerve stretching. This takes about 15 minutes twice a day. Hope it helps, if this doesn't make sense come back to me. The alphabet is good because lots of sweeping strokes and time controlling as 26 letters!!!

Good luck with the radiotherapy and let us know how you get on, being ahead of me on the treatment course your encouragement and advice have helped.

Is your food fair in Kent as my town also has one today?

I had my first FEC -T on Friday and apart from being hyper with the steroids and not sleeping coping fairly well.

Lin x

[Debster2016 in reply to Linkj]

Hi Lin what a helpful reply thank you very much 😊. I actually wrote a reply to you yesterday but my device froze and I lost it!

I am genuinely glad to have helped you this far, I know it can make a difference to how you feel.

Happy to say I usually spend 3 minutes massaging myself twice daily withoil but happier still to go to 5 minutes 😀. Circling is good, can do and the alphabet too. Thanks millions. TBH i now do my exercises x2 per day (up from once) and am stretching cords and think it's working! Of course it should be, it's just that I was so disillusioned I didn't believe it would. So far so good 👍🏻😄. I ver much appreciate this advice Lin thank you, and I sure others will too.

The food Fabre was in Shaftesbury and it wa excellent! Lots of cider and farm produce, my favourite food and drinks!

Glad to hear the 1st treatment is ok so far, I've was too. Do also keep us posted, web pleased to help out and advise when you need.

All the best Debbie x