Info on internal radiation please, side effects?

I'm going next week Tuesday for a meeting with the Radiologist. She will go over the plan on my internal radiation treatments. I'm still recovering from the chemo treatments and I'm not looking forward to what the radiation treatments will bring.

Do they hurt? What about side effects?

Thank you for any info you can share with me.

Comments

  • Lou Ann M
    Lou Ann M Member Posts: 996 Member
    internal radiation

    i had two and it was the easiest part of the roller coaster so far.  Treatment lasted less than 4 minutes each time and I had no side effects from it at all.  My external radiation treatments (28 of them)were 25 minutes, long so this was a piece of cake.  Good luck, Lou Ann

  • Hybridspirits
    Hybridspirits Member Posts: 209
    side effects

    they had me get real cranberry juice for after the first.  what they failed to tell me was the pain i would have the first time i urinated.  but it sounds like not everyone gets that.  I was also told it could cuase diarrhea and fatigue.  My first appt was mesuring and judging for the right amount of radiation.  so i had to lay still for a long time.  i guess moving would throw off the calculatoin.  After all this the entire thing really didn't take that long

     

     

  • AWK
    AWK Member Posts: 364 Member
    I agree after everything else it was pretty easy.

    The build up and pre work were harder than the treatments.  Doctor had me drinking cranberry juice starting with topical radiation, through the brachytherapy and after treatment for a minimum of six months.  I got a little bloated for a day or so then settled down.  No burns.  You can do this!  Stay strong!  Anne

  • Sandy3185
    Sandy3185 Member Posts: 228
    Radiation

    I had three internal radiation sessions one week apart. So it only took 2 weeks altogether. Aside from the embaresment, it was a breeze. I felt no pain and no reactions at the time. The only reaction down the road was vaginal scarring. It is important to use the vaginal dilators as directed. If not, your vagina becomes tighter and both sex and vaginal exams will become more difficult and painful.  Good luck, Sandy

  • SettledSue
    SettledSue Member Posts: 55 Member
    Sandy3185 said:

    Radiation

    I had three internal radiation sessions one week apart. So it only took 2 weeks altogether. Aside from the embaresment, it was a breeze. I felt no pain and no reactions at the time. The only reaction down the road was vaginal scarring. It is important to use the vaginal dilators as directed. If not, your vagina becomes tighter and both sex and vaginal exams will become more difficult and painful.  Good luck, Sandy

    Radiation

    My experience was pretty much the same as Sandy's except that my result from not using the dilator is a shortening of my vagina rather than a tightening. The sides of the top third of my vagina are pretty much stuck together. 

  • frodolass
    frodolass Member Posts: 32
    I had three...

    I had three treatments. The treatments were not painful and I didn't have any problems after. The only issue I had that they tried to use a humongous cylinder thing and they had to go with a smaller one. It was pretty embarrassing, but not too bad.