Last external radiation treatment?

deanna14
deanna14 Member Posts: 732
edited March 2014 in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1
Linda, hope that you were able to finish your external radiation treatments today as scheduled. Also hoping that this finds you feeling well. One more chapter closed! Only 3 more treatments and you will be finished with the planned course of treatment. Hoping by our next scans that we are waltzing with NED!
Also hoping for Chemo #6 tomorrow... I'll keep everyone posted.

Comments

  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980
    Got my 28th & FINAL round of EXTERNAL radiation yesterday!
    One more lap in this crazy journey behind me! The radiation techs gave me a little 'graduation' diploma yesterday, and I gave them all little goodie bags of cookies and little token presents. It was festive and fun and I am so happy now to get this week's break after going for treatments day after day for so long. Only the 3 rounds of internal radiation to go now, with a July 1 'end date' in sight and then I hope for a long (endless!) break from treatment! They told me that my July CT-scan would ordinarily be delayed in order to give the radiation time to finish working, but that they wouldn't delay with me, knowing I was worrying about that tiny lung nodule and I could plan on a mid-July CT-scan. The Physician's Assistant pulled up my scans and looked at them when we met Monday, and he said that Dr. Yuman (my radiation oncologist) was better and more experienced at reading scans than anyone else at the hospital (in his opinion) and had been a chemo oncologist before he became the head of radiation oncology. He said that if Dr. Yuman says it's nothing, I can be 99.9% positive that it IS nothing. That was very reasurring.

    I feel somewhat beaten down by all the external radiation, but no specific complaints I can put a finger on, just general mild weariness. I think my red counts must be down from the treatments, but they did no monitoring other than weighing me during the entire 28 rounds, so I don't know that for sure. I have no red skin from the treatments, was never nauseated enough to throw up or to take anything for it. I only took Immodium twice, otherwise able to keep the diarhea "okay" by watching my diet. I lost 9 pounds during the external radiation, even though I REALLY worked at staying hydrated. I never ate in the evenings so that I wouldn't have to get up at night with diahrea, and I kept my servings small when I did eat, so I think the weight loss is real and not dehydration. I had gained 15 pounds over chemo, so maybe I will be back to my pre-cancer weight by the time my internal radiation is over. That would be nice, getting me closer to being "me" faster.

    My hair is still very very thin and my scalp still shows through everywhere, but the hair IS coming in (a mix of curly whites and poker-straight blacks!) slow but sure. I can now see how I will look with my 'crew cut' hairdo I'll have in a month, and I think with dramatic eye makeup, big earrings, and a huge smile that I can pull it off. I plucked my eyebrows yesterday; they came in so wide and bushy! I think I'm on the mend!

    :D
  • deanna14
    deanna14 Member Posts: 732

    Got my 28th & FINAL round of EXTERNAL radiation yesterday!
    One more lap in this crazy journey behind me! The radiation techs gave me a little 'graduation' diploma yesterday, and I gave them all little goodie bags of cookies and little token presents. It was festive and fun and I am so happy now to get this week's break after going for treatments day after day for so long. Only the 3 rounds of internal radiation to go now, with a July 1 'end date' in sight and then I hope for a long (endless!) break from treatment! They told me that my July CT-scan would ordinarily be delayed in order to give the radiation time to finish working, but that they wouldn't delay with me, knowing I was worrying about that tiny lung nodule and I could plan on a mid-July CT-scan. The Physician's Assistant pulled up my scans and looked at them when we met Monday, and he said that Dr. Yuman (my radiation oncologist) was better and more experienced at reading scans than anyone else at the hospital (in his opinion) and had been a chemo oncologist before he became the head of radiation oncology. He said that if Dr. Yuman says it's nothing, I can be 99.9% positive that it IS nothing. That was very reasurring.

    I feel somewhat beaten down by all the external radiation, but no specific complaints I can put a finger on, just general mild weariness. I think my red counts must be down from the treatments, but they did no monitoring other than weighing me during the entire 28 rounds, so I don't know that for sure. I have no red skin from the treatments, was never nauseated enough to throw up or to take anything for it. I only took Immodium twice, otherwise able to keep the diarhea "okay" by watching my diet. I lost 9 pounds during the external radiation, even though I REALLY worked at staying hydrated. I never ate in the evenings so that I wouldn't have to get up at night with diahrea, and I kept my servings small when I did eat, so I think the weight loss is real and not dehydration. I had gained 15 pounds over chemo, so maybe I will be back to my pre-cancer weight by the time my internal radiation is over. That would be nice, getting me closer to being "me" faster.

    My hair is still very very thin and my scalp still shows through everywhere, but the hair IS coming in (a mix of curly whites and poker-straight blacks!) slow but sure. I can now see how I will look with my 'crew cut' hairdo I'll have in a month, and I think with dramatic eye makeup, big earrings, and a huge smile that I can pull it off. I plucked my eyebrows yesterday; they came in so wide and bushy! I think I'm on the mend!

    :D

    Yea!
    I am so glad that you have completed another leg of the journey and the last leg of the journey will be over before you know it. It is a mixture of emotions! I will be interested to hear your thoughts when you finish... you have such a way of putting your thoughts and feelings into words. Like "mild general weariness"... that puts the finger exactly on how I felt with radiation. I was able to do whatever I wanted to do until my body was done and when it was done, it was done and I had to rest.
    I believe that you are going to be relieved when you have your next CT scan. Sounds like you have a lot of experienced doctors saying that the teeny tiny shadow on your lung is nothing. I think you are a lot like me at this point, skeptical. All along this journey we have heard the rosy story to find out that our story was the horror story. You told me yourself that most of the time this is not the case. These doctors do have the experience and usually their suspisiongs are correct. I know that my doctor was just as shocked as I was to find out how advanced my diseased was. My family tells me that he was devastated, even angry that he was so wrong when he came out of my surgery to talk to them. Believe, have faith that your doctors are right about this one... it's our time to get the rosy story!!!
    I have quite a bit of hair, can still see that scalp a bit. It is also a mix of curly whitish/grey hairs with straight dark brown or black hairs. The eyebrows are very dark and I have super stubby eyelashes! It will be interesting to see if it all begins to fall out in about 14 days?! At least I know that it will start growing pretty quickly in about 4-5 weeks. My hair has always grown quickly and is very very thick. I have been having to shave my legs and underarms.
    You were always "you" inside and the outside is just bonus. Keep that positive attitide and that BIG smile... it makes you an amazing lady! Thanks for being a part of this group... it wouldn't be the same without your positive and supportive attitude!
  • shortmarge
    shortmarge Member Posts: 291
    deanna14 said:

    Yea!
    I am so glad that you have completed another leg of the journey and the last leg of the journey will be over before you know it. It is a mixture of emotions! I will be interested to hear your thoughts when you finish... you have such a way of putting your thoughts and feelings into words. Like "mild general weariness"... that puts the finger exactly on how I felt with radiation. I was able to do whatever I wanted to do until my body was done and when it was done, it was done and I had to rest.
    I believe that you are going to be relieved when you have your next CT scan. Sounds like you have a lot of experienced doctors saying that the teeny tiny shadow on your lung is nothing. I think you are a lot like me at this point, skeptical. All along this journey we have heard the rosy story to find out that our story was the horror story. You told me yourself that most of the time this is not the case. These doctors do have the experience and usually their suspisiongs are correct. I know that my doctor was just as shocked as I was to find out how advanced my diseased was. My family tells me that he was devastated, even angry that he was so wrong when he came out of my surgery to talk to them. Believe, have faith that your doctors are right about this one... it's our time to get the rosy story!!!
    I have quite a bit of hair, can still see that scalp a bit. It is also a mix of curly whitish/grey hairs with straight dark brown or black hairs. The eyebrows are very dark and I have super stubby eyelashes! It will be interesting to see if it all begins to fall out in about 14 days?! At least I know that it will start growing pretty quickly in about 4-5 weeks. My hair has always grown quickly and is very very thick. I have been having to shave my legs and underarms.
    You were always "you" inside and the outside is just bonus. Keep that positive attitide and that BIG smile... it makes you an amazing lady! Thanks for being a part of this group... it wouldn't be the same without your positive and supportive attitude!

    YAY Linda
    Almost finished, this is so exciting. I can hear the happy feet dancing!

    MIND, BODY AND SOUL!

    Hugs.
  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980
    Thanks, Deanna & Marge!
    You two (and our missing Peggy!) were with me since the beginning of this journey, and I love you both. I don't know how I would have gotten through this without you to share my fears and challenges with, and I really hope that we will stay connected as we move together into full recovery from our treatments. I feel all sentimental and mushy about you ladies today!

    I suddenly had black hairs on my LEGS when I was bathing last night; I swear they were not there the day before! I shaved them off with joy. Strange because the hair on my legs, pre-cancer, was always thin, sparse and transparent, very very blond. Pre-cancer, I was always one to shave my legs EVERY night as a part of my bath routine, (ever the optimist I guess. HA! Never know when you might get lucky!) Hair to wash, legs to shave,...I may not be able to get a bath anymore "between TV shows, during the commercials"! It's all so surreal, in a very happy way, to begin to recapture your daily little mundane routines.

    I still have diahrea pretty bad from the pelvic radiation rounds, and fatigue sets in before the day is over. Anyone remember how long after pelvic radiation until that ends? It's not horrible, but it's worse I guess now that all 28 rounds are cooking away in there. I'd love to have it gone before the 17th when internal radiation starts. Those 3 internal radiation rounds may be Immodium days, if not.
  • deanna14
    deanna14 Member Posts: 732

    Thanks, Deanna & Marge!
    You two (and our missing Peggy!) were with me since the beginning of this journey, and I love you both. I don't know how I would have gotten through this without you to share my fears and challenges with, and I really hope that we will stay connected as we move together into full recovery from our treatments. I feel all sentimental and mushy about you ladies today!

    I suddenly had black hairs on my LEGS when I was bathing last night; I swear they were not there the day before! I shaved them off with joy. Strange because the hair on my legs, pre-cancer, was always thin, sparse and transparent, very very blond. Pre-cancer, I was always one to shave my legs EVERY night as a part of my bath routine, (ever the optimist I guess. HA! Never know when you might get lucky!) Hair to wash, legs to shave,...I may not be able to get a bath anymore "between TV shows, during the commercials"! It's all so surreal, in a very happy way, to begin to recapture your daily little mundane routines.

    I still have diahrea pretty bad from the pelvic radiation rounds, and fatigue sets in before the day is over. Anyone remember how long after pelvic radiation until that ends? It's not horrible, but it's worse I guess now that all 28 rounds are cooking away in there. I'd love to have it gone before the 17th when internal radiation starts. Those 3 internal radiation rounds may be Immodium days, if not.

    I already can't remember!
    The mind is a wonderful thing as I already can't remember when I began to feel better after radiation. Mine ended right before Christmas and there was so much to do that I think I pushed right through the fatique. I never had much by way of diarrhea, I did have a lot of stools and they were soft. When I had to go, I had to get to the bathroom. I really can't remember how long it took for that to improve, so I think it just gradually went. I also took a long to time add back in the whole grains, fruits and veggies gradually. I don't know what "normal" is as I had constipation issues for a long time prior to diagnosis. Seems like I have a lot more stools now, so I don't know if it is a side effect of treatment or what should have always been my normal. Good luck, hang in there... you are almost DONE!
    Love and hugs,
    Deanna
  • nursey420
    nursey420 Member Posts: 52 Member
    deanna14 said:

    I already can't remember!
    The mind is a wonderful thing as I already can't remember when I began to feel better after radiation. Mine ended right before Christmas and there was so much to do that I think I pushed right through the fatique. I never had much by way of diarrhea, I did have a lot of stools and they were soft. When I had to go, I had to get to the bathroom. I really can't remember how long it took for that to improve, so I think it just gradually went. I also took a long to time add back in the whole grains, fruits and veggies gradually. I don't know what "normal" is as I had constipation issues for a long time prior to diagnosis. Seems like I have a lot more stools now, so I don't know if it is a side effect of treatment or what should have always been my normal. Good luck, hang in there... you are almost DONE!
    Love and hugs,
    Deanna

    we've come a long way baby
    Do the happy dance Thank GOD we all made it thru Life is good and greating better
    Lisa
  • joannem65
    joannem65 Member Posts: 17

    Got my 28th & FINAL round of EXTERNAL radiation yesterday!
    One more lap in this crazy journey behind me! The radiation techs gave me a little 'graduation' diploma yesterday, and I gave them all little goodie bags of cookies and little token presents. It was festive and fun and I am so happy now to get this week's break after going for treatments day after day for so long. Only the 3 rounds of internal radiation to go now, with a July 1 'end date' in sight and then I hope for a long (endless!) break from treatment! They told me that my July CT-scan would ordinarily be delayed in order to give the radiation time to finish working, but that they wouldn't delay with me, knowing I was worrying about that tiny lung nodule and I could plan on a mid-July CT-scan. The Physician's Assistant pulled up my scans and looked at them when we met Monday, and he said that Dr. Yuman (my radiation oncologist) was better and more experienced at reading scans than anyone else at the hospital (in his opinion) and had been a chemo oncologist before he became the head of radiation oncology. He said that if Dr. Yuman says it's nothing, I can be 99.9% positive that it IS nothing. That was very reasurring.

    I feel somewhat beaten down by all the external radiation, but no specific complaints I can put a finger on, just general mild weariness. I think my red counts must be down from the treatments, but they did no monitoring other than weighing me during the entire 28 rounds, so I don't know that for sure. I have no red skin from the treatments, was never nauseated enough to throw up or to take anything for it. I only took Immodium twice, otherwise able to keep the diarhea "okay" by watching my diet. I lost 9 pounds during the external radiation, even though I REALLY worked at staying hydrated. I never ate in the evenings so that I wouldn't have to get up at night with diahrea, and I kept my servings small when I did eat, so I think the weight loss is real and not dehydration. I had gained 15 pounds over chemo, so maybe I will be back to my pre-cancer weight by the time my internal radiation is over. That would be nice, getting me closer to being "me" faster.

    My hair is still very very thin and my scalp still shows through everywhere, but the hair IS coming in (a mix of curly whites and poker-straight blacks!) slow but sure. I can now see how I will look with my 'crew cut' hairdo I'll have in a month, and I think with dramatic eye makeup, big earrings, and a huge smile that I can pull it off. I plucked my eyebrows yesterday; they came in so wide and bushy! I think I'm on the mend!

    :D

    woooHOOO!!!
    Gee this site is FULL of good news tonight!
    Another step completed toward a total recovery.
    You're an absolute angel, your positive attitude, beautiful smile and many words of encouragment! You're an inspiration to all.
    Enjoy that new hair -- my is totally different texture than pre-chemo. I love the little curls - all I have to do is wash, towel dry, a dab of gel and out I GO!!! It's wonderful.
    May God continue to bless you with good health.
    Hugs, hugs and more Hugs!
    Joannem65
  • daisy366
    daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
    nursey420 said:

    we've come a long way baby
    Do the happy dance Thank GOD we all made it thru Life is good and greating better
    Lisa

    congrats, Linda
    Terrific that you are finished with yet another leg of your treatment.

    Re: the hair thing. I now have a reprieve from an onslaught of hair growth!! Chin hairs have calmed down. The face "fur" has been erased with cream (I still have on my neck). I guess the hair follicles must be happy too!! Hope your hair follicles are more tame than mine were.

    mary Ann
  • bonniesue
    bonniesue Member Posts: 124 Member

    Got my 28th & FINAL round of EXTERNAL radiation yesterday!
    One more lap in this crazy journey behind me! The radiation techs gave me a little 'graduation' diploma yesterday, and I gave them all little goodie bags of cookies and little token presents. It was festive and fun and I am so happy now to get this week's break after going for treatments day after day for so long. Only the 3 rounds of internal radiation to go now, with a July 1 'end date' in sight and then I hope for a long (endless!) break from treatment! They told me that my July CT-scan would ordinarily be delayed in order to give the radiation time to finish working, but that they wouldn't delay with me, knowing I was worrying about that tiny lung nodule and I could plan on a mid-July CT-scan. The Physician's Assistant pulled up my scans and looked at them when we met Monday, and he said that Dr. Yuman (my radiation oncologist) was better and more experienced at reading scans than anyone else at the hospital (in his opinion) and had been a chemo oncologist before he became the head of radiation oncology. He said that if Dr. Yuman says it's nothing, I can be 99.9% positive that it IS nothing. That was very reasurring.

    I feel somewhat beaten down by all the external radiation, but no specific complaints I can put a finger on, just general mild weariness. I think my red counts must be down from the treatments, but they did no monitoring other than weighing me during the entire 28 rounds, so I don't know that for sure. I have no red skin from the treatments, was never nauseated enough to throw up or to take anything for it. I only took Immodium twice, otherwise able to keep the diarhea "okay" by watching my diet. I lost 9 pounds during the external radiation, even though I REALLY worked at staying hydrated. I never ate in the evenings so that I wouldn't have to get up at night with diahrea, and I kept my servings small when I did eat, so I think the weight loss is real and not dehydration. I had gained 15 pounds over chemo, so maybe I will be back to my pre-cancer weight by the time my internal radiation is over. That would be nice, getting me closer to being "me" faster.

    My hair is still very very thin and my scalp still shows through everywhere, but the hair IS coming in (a mix of curly whites and poker-straight blacks!) slow but sure. I can now see how I will look with my 'crew cut' hairdo I'll have in a month, and I think with dramatic eye makeup, big earrings, and a huge smile that I can pull it off. I plucked my eyebrows yesterday; they came in so wide and bushy! I think I'm on the mend!

    :D

    done(linda)
    YAY, congrats and I know you will feel better soon and all side affect will be a vague memory. Thanks also for all your great feedback and positivity.