Is There a Best Time of Day for Radiation?

mollieb
mollieb Member Posts: 148
in Breast Cancer #1
I am having my radiation simulation on Friday, and I figure they will want to set my radiation schedule. I go to work every day so I would like schedule it for early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Assuming I have a choice, is one time better than another? Thanks. Mary
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Comments

  • pattimc
    pattimc Member Posts: 431
    #2
    afternoon for me
    I had mine scheduled for 3:30 every day. One of their last appointments. I worked all day then went to rads and home.

    It worked for me and my work schedule.
  • joannstar
    joannstar Member Posts: 403 Member
    #3
    I had mine first thing in the morning
    at about 8:15 (there were 2 people before me). I usually was able to get to work by 8:45. I liked mornings because their schedule wouldn't be too backed up so I didn't have to wait.
    I had 33 sessions...and got sore and tired, but no peeling or oozing like some other sisters have reported.
    Good luck,
    JoAnn
  • LoveBabyJesus
    LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
    #4
    I have mine in the morning,
    I have mine in the morning, before work. This is why: If I am too tired I would rather leave work early to go home, then to go to radiation feeling tired. :)
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #5
    joannstar said:

    I had mine first thing in the morning
    at about 8:15 (there were 2 people before me). I usually was able to get to work by 8:45. I liked mornings because their schedule wouldn't be too backed up so I didn't have to wait.
    I had 33 sessions...and got sore and tired, but no peeling or oozing like some other sisters have reported.
    Good luck,
    JoAnn

    I had mine scheduled around
    I had mine scheduled around lunch time so that my hubby and I could always go out to lunch somewhere, a park, a restaurant or lake...somewhere peaceful for just the two of us.


    Sue :)
  • grams2jc
    grams2jc Member Posts: 756
    #6
    After work for me...
    but several of the ladies did their treatments on their lunch break. It is whatever works for your schedule and when you can get into your rads ctr. I don't think time of day plays a role in the effectiveness of the treatment. I liked after work because I drove an hour to get to trtmt and I didn't have to worry about making up time at work, also I wore baggy shirts after trtmt and goopy lotion and didn't have to worry with a bra until the next day.

    Good luck with your rads,

    Jennifer
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #7
    grams2jc said:

    After work for me...
    but several of the ladies did their treatments on their lunch break. It is whatever works for your schedule and when you can get into your rads ctr. I don't think time of day plays a role in the effectiveness of the treatment. I liked after work because I drove an hour to get to trtmt and I didn't have to worry about making up time at work, also I wore baggy shirts after trtmt and goopy lotion and didn't have to worry with a bra until the next day.

    Good luck with your rads,

    Jennifer

    Early for me...
    When I went through it two years ago, my appointment was for 8:30AM....doing it again, due to a recurrence and my appointment is 9:00 AM...early works best for me....I always show up early and usually taken early....this morning I was walking to my car at 8:55AM...! As someone stated, early morning, if you can get it, it's less likely for them to run behind....plus, I want it over and done with so I can get on with the rest of my day....

    Keep us posted!
    Hugs, Nancy
  • mamolady
    mamolady Member Posts: 796 Member
    #8
    If you are going to work
    If you are going to work right after, bring your moisturizer (or what the RO wants you to put on the area) with you so you can put it on when you change.
    I didn't work so I had mine at 10 am to leave the later and earlier appointments for people that needed them.

    Cindy
  • sea60
    sea60 Member Posts: 2,613
    #9
    Mary,
    since I worked through the radiation treatment, I found it best to do my daily treatments after work so I could just go straight home.
  • butterflylvr
    butterflylvr Member Posts: 944
    #10
    sea60 said:

    Mary,
    since I worked through the radiation treatment, I found it best to do my daily treatments after work so I could just go straight home.

    I scheduled mine on my lunch
    I scheduled mine on my lunch break. I guess it depends on if you plan on getting in your full eight hours. I thought the extra half hour from my lunch break allowed me more time to work before and after. As far as treatments go... you won't be effected one way or the other as far as your body goes. Exhaustion is the biggest side effect but that never really hit me until I was home and settled in.

    Good luck with rads..
    Lorrie
  • ladyg
    ladyg Member Posts: 1,577
    #11
    Hi Mary
    I worked during my rads as well. I did mine in the afternoon so I could work, go to rads and then go home. Of course in my case I had to drive 25 miles each way so afternoons worked best for me. Good luck with your rads. The time will pass quickly and you will be done before you know it.

    Hugs,
    Georgia
  • mollieb
    mollieb Member Posts: 148
    #12
    Thanks, Everyone
    Thanks so much for the advice. I will see what time they have available. I suspect morning would work best for me, but I will try to be flexible if they don't have a morning time available. Mary
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #13
    at the start of it all my
    at the start of it all my job said do what you must don't worry..that lasted 3 days in to radiation (which was at 10:00 daily) I work 15 mins from cancer ctr...3rd day called in and said you can't leave anymore and they wouldnt' not let me move my lunch hour from 11:30 to 10:00! I went to treatment and had a melt down-the staff was great and they changed the schedule aroung to fit me during MY "LUNCH" hour. TOOK a lot of my shoulders with that nice helpful changed.

    Denise
  • mollieb
    mollieb Member Posts: 148
    #14
    disneyfan2008 said:

    at the start of it all my
    at the start of it all my job said do what you must don't worry..that lasted 3 days in to radiation (which was at 10:00 daily) I work 15 mins from cancer ctr...3rd day called in and said you can't leave anymore and they wouldnt' not let me move my lunch hour from 11:30 to 10:00! I went to treatment and had a melt down-the staff was great and they changed the schedule aroung to fit me during MY "LUNCH" hour. TOOK a lot of my shoulders with that nice helpful changed.

    Denise

    So Far, So Good . . .
    I am blessed with a wonderful employer (and we are a small not-for-profit, not a lot of money to throw around). I want to minimize the time I'm away from work just because I want to be able to get a lot done and because I don't want to abuse their kindness. When I was hit by a car in the middle of all this treatment, I was out for five weeks solid and they paid me for the entire time. After I was back for a few weeks they suggested that I cut back to 30 hours a week -- not that I had been working anywhere near that for months! They picked 30 hours because it's the lowest amount that will allow me to keep my health insurance. If I don't feel well, I can work from home. Sometimes I make up for lost time on the weekend, again, because I don't want to take advantage when they have been so good, and because my work is interesting. The hospital is only three miles from the office (and about two from my home), but I'm in the city and have to take the elevated train or bus, so it's at least half an hour each way, counting walking to and from the stop and waiting for the train. If I can schedule radiation for the beginning or end of the day, that means only three rides on public transportation every day instead of four. I am leaning toward early morning, if it's available, because if I only make it through part of the day I can just go home and sleep, instead of having to drag myself over to the hospital.
  • dbhadra
    dbhadra Member Posts: 344 Member
    #15
    mollieb said:

    So Far, So Good . . .
    I am blessed with a wonderful employer (and we are a small not-for-profit, not a lot of money to throw around). I want to minimize the time I'm away from work just because I want to be able to get a lot done and because I don't want to abuse their kindness. When I was hit by a car in the middle of all this treatment, I was out for five weeks solid and they paid me for the entire time. After I was back for a few weeks they suggested that I cut back to 30 hours a week -- not that I had been working anywhere near that for months! They picked 30 hours because it's the lowest amount that will allow me to keep my health insurance. If I don't feel well, I can work from home. Sometimes I make up for lost time on the weekend, again, because I don't want to take advantage when they have been so good, and because my work is interesting. The hospital is only three miles from the office (and about two from my home), but I'm in the city and have to take the elevated train or bus, so it's at least half an hour each way, counting walking to and from the stop and waiting for the train. If I can schedule radiation for the beginning or end of the day, that means only three rides on public transportation every day instead of four. I am leaning toward early morning, if it's available, because if I only make it through part of the day I can just go home and sleep, instead of having to drag myself over to the hospital.

    I'm doing 28 rads
    And scheduled for2:30 in the afternoon as that goes around my work schedule well. It also seems to be a slow time of day so I have not yet had to wait at all, they seem to run on tine. Tomorrow I will have completed the first week of treatment, one week down, 4 1/2 to go !

    Laura
  • CAchick
    CAchick Member Posts: 277
    #16
    joannstar said:

    I had mine first thing in the morning
    at about 8:15 (there were 2 people before me). I usually was able to get to work by 8:45. I liked mornings because their schedule wouldn't be too backed up so I didn't have to wait.
    I had 33 sessions...and got sore and tired, but no peeling or oozing like some other sisters have reported.
    Good luck,
    JoAnn

    Morning
    I didn't have a choice of afternoon...at that time they were all taken by people who entered rads ahead of me. I did mine at 8 AM and got to work about 8:40. It worked out OK for me. Best wishes,
    Sybil
  • mollieb
    mollieb Member Posts: 148
    #17
    dbhadra said:

    I'm doing 28 rads
    And scheduled for2:30 in the afternoon as that goes around my work schedule well. It also seems to be a slow time of day so I have not yet had to wait at all, they seem to run on tine. Tomorrow I will have completed the first week of treatment, one week down, 4 1/2 to go !

    Laura

    Let me know how it goes
    For some reason, I am much more worried about radiation than I was about chemo. I guess the idea that it's every day and that I might be too fatigued to do anything is worrying me. I had my simulation today, and I am so busy at work that I was already stressed, then I sat in the waiting room for more than an hour, then the tech would not agree to support my bad arm (won't go over my head due to shoulder replacement). I told her that I don't have the muscle strength to just hold it by my side without support, that it would undoubtedly start shaking and mess up the picture, even if I didn't move it on purpose. The resident came in and said he would rig some sort of sling, then while he was out of the room she made me put it by my side again. I was arguing with her that I wouldn't be able to hold it in place through the entire CT when my doctor came in and said "She is NOT going to tell us what to do!" But she continued to argue with him, and whenever he was out of the room she tried to get me to hold it in a position I couldn't maintain. Finally, I just told myself I have had more pain for longer periods of time and I could get through this. But it didn't help my radiation anxiety for her to be so difficult. I absolutely LOVE my radiation oncologist, which is a real plus. I am sure he let her have it, and I am really glad she is not the radiation tech who will be working with me once treatment starts.

    So I will follow your progress -- it will help me know what's coming.
  • jendrey
    jendrey Member Posts: 377
    #18
    mollieb said:

    Let me know how it goes
    For some reason, I am much more worried about radiation than I was about chemo. I guess the idea that it's every day and that I might be too fatigued to do anything is worrying me. I had my simulation today, and I am so busy at work that I was already stressed, then I sat in the waiting room for more than an hour, then the tech would not agree to support my bad arm (won't go over my head due to shoulder replacement). I told her that I don't have the muscle strength to just hold it by my side without support, that it would undoubtedly start shaking and mess up the picture, even if I didn't move it on purpose. The resident came in and said he would rig some sort of sling, then while he was out of the room she made me put it by my side again. I was arguing with her that I wouldn't be able to hold it in place through the entire CT when my doctor came in and said "She is NOT going to tell us what to do!" But she continued to argue with him, and whenever he was out of the room she tried to get me to hold it in a position I couldn't maintain. Finally, I just told myself I have had more pain for longer periods of time and I could get through this. But it didn't help my radiation anxiety for her to be so difficult. I absolutely LOVE my radiation oncologist, which is a real plus. I am sure he let her have it, and I am really glad she is not the radiation tech who will be working with me once treatment starts.

    So I will follow your progress -- it will help me know what's coming.

    ...
    @ mollie - next time just tell her no. No, I'm not going to. End of story. I've been in a somewhat similar situation and you won't believe how effective just saying no really is!
    And arguing with the doctor - bet she doesn't last too long there...

    I had my radiation in the morning and I'm not a 'morning' person! But, it worked for me. =)
  • Tux
    Tux Member Posts: 544
    #19
    jendrey said:

    ...
    @ mollie - next time just tell her no. No, I'm not going to. End of story. I've been in a somewhat similar situation and you won't believe how effective just saying no really is!
    And arguing with the doctor - bet she doesn't last too long there...

    I had my radiation in the morning and I'm not a 'morning' person! But, it worked for me. =)

    best time for rads
    I worked all day, then went to rads. It was a 25-mile drive each way; then I went home to rest & eat supper; then back to work to finish up anything from the day & to get ready for the next day. (I was a teacher.) Afternoons worked best for me; my rads staff did not seem to ever be behind, so there was no waiting.
  • DebbyM
    DebbyM Member Posts: 3,289 Member
    #20
    grams2jc said:

    After work for me...
    but several of the ladies did their treatments on their lunch break. It is whatever works for your schedule and when you can get into your rads ctr. I don't think time of day plays a role in the effectiveness of the treatment. I liked after work because I drove an hour to get to trtmt and I didn't have to worry about making up time at work, also I wore baggy shirts after trtmt and goopy lotion and didn't have to worry with a bra until the next day.

    Good luck with your rads,

    Jennifer

    I had my rads in the
    I had my rads in the afternoon as I don't like to get up early. LOL


    Good luck!
  • skipper54
    skipper54 Member Posts: 936 Member
    #21
    Tux said:

    best time for rads
    I worked all day, then went to rads. It was a 25-mile drive each way; then I went home to rest & eat supper; then back to work to finish up anything from the day & to get ready for the next day. (I was a teacher.) Afternoons worked best for me; my rads staff did not seem to ever be behind, so there was no waiting.

    first thing in the morning
    I liked being early because they couldn't get behind on the schedule unless the machine broke down. I'd go to Curves then on in to rads then home to shower. BUT I didn't work. My husband's cousin is a teacher so she went at the end of her day. A friend who didn't go to the same center took the first available and asked to be moved up as people ahead of her finished. That's okay if you're retired and can flex like that.

    Sending you lots of good wishes. You'll be surprised at how fast the time goes.

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