radaition starts monday

Hi Wendy,

Ah, the 'golden question!' - if we all knew what was ahead - would make our lives so much easier.

Hopefully, your radiation will finish (sorry Wendy cant remember if you are going to/or have had chemo - too lazy to look right back to the start of the blog) and your live will settle down a little.  Dont expect to get rid of the tiredness - it seems to hang around for a long time.  You will slip into the life of a cancer sufferer very easily (like we all do) and go off to all your doc's appts, test, treatments, etc without 'batting an eye'.  It seems to become the norm for us.  You will have your good days, but dont be surprised whan a 'bad day' creeps up on you.  Just 'go with the flow' and you will get through it.

Wish you well on your journey!  Hope your rad treatments are going OK.

Take care

Di  :)

I'm learning so much about radiotherapy. I would rather know a little about what's ahead & thanks for sharing you experiences.

Wendy

Hi Julianne

I think I am going silly!!!! (or sillier) - I typed a response to someone today (I'm thinking it may have even been you!) and when I checked I had two entries exactly the same?  I must have been impatient and pressed the Save button twice, hence two entries.  I thought how stupid I cant leave that, so I pressed the Edit button on one of the posts and it wouldnt let me delete it.  By this time I was pulling my hair out (slight exaggeration) so all I could do was put  a full stop and then Save it.  So now it looks worse than it did with the two entries.  I love my computer, but some days.........grhhhhhhhhhh.

I'm sure you will come across many more of my mistakes, sometimes the fingers work quicker than the brain, I'm sad to say.

Take care

Di  xo

Hi Wendy,

Judging by some answers from others on here regarding radiation burns, I dont think it is usual to burn excessively, but then again it's not unheard of (hope that makes sense!)

Last time I was in hospital for cancer related treatment, there was another lady who was in because of her radiation burns.  Maybe it just depends on your skin type.  I have very fair skin, and that part of me hadnt ever seen the sun, so maybe I reacted a bit more than others.  I was originally supposed to have 30 sessions (6 weeks) but it was cut back to 25 sessions as my skin was starting to go very red with little red pustule type things???.  The effects of radiation keep going up to 2 weeks after you stop treatment and that is when my skin broke down.  I have had severe sunburn over the years, I used to burn, blister and peel when I was younger and didnt have the sense to stay out of the sun.  However, even though the radiation burns are extremely red like sunburn, they dont hurt as much.  It doesnt hurt when water touches it like sunburn does.  The radiation nurses told me this is due to the fact that the area is usually numb from surgery anyway. 

You are given cream to rub into the skin several times a day during your treatments, but dont worry, if the burns are too severe there is other treatment and creams they give you containing lignocaine and I had to wrap the area in glad wrap (great look - haha).  The dead skin just sloughs off in the shower and this is good for the healing process.  Please dont be alarmed, I know all of this sounds terrible, but trust me it is bearable and apparently it doesnt happen to everyone.  Always best to be forewarned though (I think.)

I'm glad you have someone who can drive you if you need it, but I think you should be OK.  The treatment itself doesnt last long at all.  I used to travel 2 hours for a 10 minute treatment.  Ahh, the things we do, but we get there in the end.

Good luck.

Di  xo

Hi Di, I will only have a 15 minute drive back to my daughters so I'll see how I go. Her hubby will be home from work sometimes & he will be able to drive me then. You poor thing suffering from awful burns & loss of skin. Is that usual? Is it like severe sunburn? You probably did all the right things too, but still had problems. Oh well, I'll just have to wait & see how I go, especially towards the end.

Wendy

Hi Di,

dont you just love those accidental 'dont know what you have written moments'.

  I must say I laughed at the glad glad wrap.  You never know maybe someone will pick up on this word error and make a new glad glad wrap that will make you feel better and be "oh so glad glad that you used it"

keep making mistakes so i can keep laughing with you.

luv

julianne

Hi again,

Wendy I forgot to mention before that all of my probs started at the 'tail end' of my treatments and after radiation had finished, ie:  the awful burns and loss of skin, etc - but I'm sure if you take it easy you will be ok  with the driving.  Of course, it would be good if someone else could drive you occassionally, just to give you a break.

Di  :)

Thanks Di, now I can start to plan a little more.

Wendy

Hi Wendy

I drove myself to a lot of the sessions and didnt have any probs, re: seatbelt.  Just be aware that you will be tired, especially as the treatments progress.

Hope it all goes well for you.

Di  :)

Hi, I have this ahead of me & it's just so interesting reading what you lovely ladies have shared. So it is possible to drive yourself after the treatment? I thought the seat belt would be a problem. If I can drive that will make it so much easier.  It's going to rough being away from your family, but hopefully the time will pass quickly.  Good luck with the radiation treatment & look after yourself.  Wendy