Your Radiation Treatment

Ladies,

I will begin radiation treatments on Thu., 12/13/01 with 23 external and 5 internal. I have some questions:

Nausea: How soon did it start? How long - occasionally, every day all day?

Diarrhea: How soon did it start? Again, how long - after each meals or all day? Is it manageable, especially if I have to work? Will I still have diarrhea on the banana-rice-applesauce diet? I have Imodium A-D on hand. What else should I stock up on?

Skin: Did you use cream/gel prior or after each treatment to prevent any irritation or did you wait until irritation appeared?

Work: Did anyone work full-time throughout treatment or reduced to PT only?

Oncologist tells me my first internal will take about 4 hours with each treatments being less. I assume the 4 hours includes pelvic exam, physicist calculation and x-rays with the actual radiation being only a couple of minutes? I don't think the oncologist means 4 hours of radiation in my system, please clarify.

Thank you.

Hello, ok so you are starting your treatments soon. First of all not everyone experiences all the side effects that you are told about.

Nausea, can't say that I was nauseous at all during my treatments.

Diarrhea, the first external treatment I did have a bout of diarrhea but I think this was more from nerves. I suffered more from constipation.

Skin, now this is a tricky one as it is important not to use anything on your skin unless you ask the radiologists as some creams can be metal based and have a severe reaction with the radiation beams. I tried every single thing that I was allowed to. Aloe vera gel worked for awhile. I was given sorbolene from the oncology nurse which did help for a little while. They suggested salt baths as well which were ok at first but as time went on it stung too much . What did work also ( and I dont know if it is available over there ) was calendula tea. I made a strong brew , put it in a fairly large dish and sat in it It is supposed to help burning but I can tell you that it certainly soothed it . My radiologist was ok with me doing it. I found wearing loose undies and trousers made life abit more comfortable... and as time went on .. when I was at home no undies at all

I dont work outside the home but I just went about my daily business each day. Up in the morning , housework , treatment come home etc etc. I did find that I was a little more tired than normal , not sure if this was the treatment or the travelling each day. Anyway, if I was tired , I rested.

I had a different internal than you will be having so I dont know much about it. I was very scared of it before but really it wasnt too bad.

My worst side effect was the burning and swelling. It was not a nice thing to have to go through and sometimes I didnt want to finish. I would come here and cry and cry and the girls cheered me on. Thats what we will do for you . Anytime you need some support, whatever kind, please remember we are here. Hope all goes well for you and keeping you in that special place in my heart reserved for my 'cancer girls' much love always x x

A friend who used to be an oncology nurse suggested AquaPhor (I think that's how it's spelled - it's a gel type lotion) for another friend who was having radiation treatment. She got it at K-Mart and said it was the best stuff and the only thing that helped - maybe check with your doc about it.

Hi,
As Robyn said.......remember it is different for everyone. I had no nausea or diarrhea, nor did I have a problem with my skin externally..............but boy did I have a problem when I did go to the bathroom, number one or number 2 . It was painful, the doctor does try to give you comfort with all sorts of meds. The side effects usually begin at some point in the middle of your treatments, mine seemed to have begun sooner. again we are all individuals.
I worked full time as a teacher during my treatments, I believe working is not a problem, again it depends on you. I wish you the best of luck and please don't forget to keep us posted on your progress.
My internal was not like yours, mine was similar to Robyn's, so I can't tell you about that one.
Valentina

hi dragonlady ,
the radiation treatments are not too bad... I suppose the side effects are different for everyone... I have finished my external ones... I had dirrhea the first day .. but I think that was nerves... After about a week or a week in a half I did begin to have loose bowels... nothing unmanageable.. I learned what to eat and what to avoid.. fried foods usually passed right through me.. I worked part time the entire time... had lots of fatigue..I think more of the tiredness came from traveling to and from the treatments.. and then going to work.. I had my treatments early in the morning and then went right to work... and usually came home and crashed for a nap...lol...
I didnt have problems with my skin until about the 15th treatment or so... i bathed with a soap called basis.. and did not rub the area... i am overweight and didnt notice that i was burning in the fold of skin below my belly... the dr perscribed silvadine.. and that did wonders... I also burned on my backside..
If you would have asked me then about the treatments I prob would have whined and said how bad it was... but in retrospect.. it was not bad at all... I guess with the fatigue and the sorness I was feeling a bit overwelmed... after the treatments were over the symptoms went away rather quickly... oh one thing I would stress... drink lots of water... and cranberry juice... and gets lots of rest.. .your body is being bombarded every day with radiation and you need the rest to recoup....
I just had my second internal treatment... the first time did take 4 hours... the second about 3.. so it does get better.. the actual treatment takes about 10 minutes... it is more uncomfortable than anything...not really painful..... and the only side effect so far is a bit tired... but then again maybe i am just lazy...lol... I do notice that I have to use the dialator... the radiation treatments tend to cause the vagina to shrink... but the dialator helps... if you have any questions or want to talk just mail me.... i dont mind.... Sondra [email protected]

Ladies,

Thank you so much for replying and for your support. You do not know how much I appreciate this site. It has certainly calm me through my surgery, which was not successful, and now through my impending radiation treatments.

Just wanted to give you a and remind you that we are all here for you!