SALLY: about the brachytherapy

Deblittleton said:

Thanks Sally
Hugs to you Sally. Good luck on Mon.

Debbie

Brachy #3 OK like #2
Hi, Debbie!
I had my 3rd & final brachytherapy this morning. Again, NO PAIN, just like brachy #2. I think the problem with the first round was the use of a cylinder that was just too large for my body. The catheterization went pretty well, too, though not quite as well as last week. This week, too, I was out in less than 2 hours. That included a long talk afterward with the rad/onc.

Let's hope yours goes well, too, this week!!
Sally

lindaprocopio said:

Deb, I honestly don't know.
I don't know enough about the various types of brachytherapy to know what they call the type I was given. They did use a cylinder that was initially inserted while I was on the 'positioning CT table.' I had an initial 'simulation' appointment before the brachys, where I had the initial CT-scan with this cylinder inserted. The simulation was the only brachy CT-scan where I had to fast beforehand and where they used IV-contrast for the scan. During the simulation I was fitted with a silicone-looking hollow tapered 'cylinder' (but closed on the tapered in that went in first and only open on the end that went in last). It was no more uncomfortable than a tampon, and was slicked up with a ton of lubricant, so much that I worried about it sliding out too soon if I coughed or clenched my muscles at all.

Then at each of the 3 brachys, I would start out on the CT-positioning table and they would insert the vaginal 'cylinder' there, line up my original psoitioning CT-scan film with a CT-scan they would do each time, sometimes jiggling the 'cylinder' to get it in just right. Then they would slide me and the board under me onto a wheeled gurney, careful to keep me exactly in position, and wheel me into the brachy room. On the days of my brachys, I didn't have to fast or have an enema or anything, and they didn't use barium or IV contrast for the 'day of' CT-scans. No catheter, no rectal marker, just the vaginal cylinder.

Then I'd wait, vaginal cylinder in place, in the brachy room, for the 'physics' doc to come in and tell me about the current half-life of the radioactive material and let me know how many seconds the radioactive material would be inside me (always less than 8 minutes). When the oncologist was ready, I'd be alone in the room and the radioactive material was inserted robotically into the vaginal cylinder. It never hurt at all; before, during or after the treatment. When all the whirring and blinking lights stopped, the physics doc would come in and geiger-counter me, and then the technicians and oncologist would remove the cylinder and help me off the table. From the time I entered the building until I left it was never more than an hour total.

If you can get this type of brachytherapy, go for it. Not only is it painless and less degrading, it is less damaging and just as effective. ((((HUG))))

i am getting the kind u have
let me ask...are u overed up during this procedures...or bare **** naked....

kkstef said:

YEAH!!
Sally....GREAT news....am so glad that this is now behind you and you can get on with your life! Dance on!!

Karen

Brachy #3
I thought my lucky day was going to be 09-09-09, but the machine broke down. So today I had my last brachy. It went very well. From start to finish it took 35 min including all the hugs and good lucks. I explained to everyone that worked in radiation what "Dancing with Ned" meant. They got a kick out of that. From Jan 20th to now has been a long time. Now all treatments are over.

Tonight Jim and I are going out to dinner to celebrate then back to friends' house for a champagne toast. I will toast you all that are dancing or waiting for that special dance.

Deb

lindaprocopio said:

Congratulations on being OUT of Treatment!
I am so happy to hear of you being OUT of treatment!! It is FABulous to not be 'doctoring' all the time! I am still grinning about it, and my last brachy was July 1st!

Celebrate closing the door in that chapter of your life. You're a bone-fide suvivor now and I hope that you will consider yourself CURED until some test shows differently, hopefully forever. Allow yourself to be happy and use your remission to regain your strength and vibrant health. I am smiling my face off for you!

I ditto LInda's comments.
I ditto LInda's comments. Congrats Deb. Enjoy life!!

Ro10 said:

Congratulations Deb
It is such a good feeling to be done with treatments. I am so happy for you. Glad you went out to celebrate. May you continue to celebrate for a long time. In peace and caring. HUGS to you.

Thanks
I am back from celebrating. Your words of encouragement and caring have meant the world to me. Thank you and HUGS to you all.

Deb

kansasgal said:

Deb - So Thankful You Were With Me
Debbie - It's been wonderful to have you with me during the DOWNS and then UPS of our brachytherapy. I'm delighted that you have completed your regimen. I'm almost there. Only 2 more rounds of chemo. The next is 9/18 if my blood is OK.

Truly, it has really meant a lot to me to have you by my side. - Sally

You are almost there
That's great! Only 2 more to go. It won't be long then it is time to celebrate! I'll be thinking of you 9/18. Good luck.

brachytherapy
Hi

I didn't know there were other types either, I just finished with my 25 external, and 4 internal treatments... but I had the whole nine yards, the cath, the bowel marker, plus the CT Scan - following that was the room without a view and a little seed.

My question is, Why do you neeed to use a dilator daily?

Ro10 said:

Scar tissue can form from the radiation. Some onocologists recommend the dilators, and others, like mine, said as long as you are sexually active you do not need the dilators. He said the scar tissue can form within the first six months after treatment. I have not had any problems so I have not used the dilators. Linda however uses hers daily. You need to see what your radiation onocologist recommends for you. In peace and caring.

My Brachy starts next week
Ok girls, very nervous about upcoming brachy treatments. I'm thrilled and thankful that no other treatment after surgery was needed but still nervous. I go Monday afternoon for the set up (I guess the C-Scan and whatever else they need to do). Then Tuesday morning is my actual first treatment. (Total of 4 treatments, 2 per week)

I work with children and I am on my feet the whole time at work (3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon). At this point, I took off the rest of the day and told my manager that I may not be able to work the next day and she's been great.

Using A Dilator
Hi Linda

I was browsing the board the other day and came across a message from a lady whose husband had invented a new type of dilator for her to use. She said he made it for her because it was too painful for her to use the regular kind of dilators. It was called Cool Water Cone. She was kind enough to send me one in the mail free of charge. They do have a web site and I have tried to find her post on here since then so I could thank her and let her know how it is working for me but evidently they took her post off. Maybe they thought she was advertising them or something. Anyway, if any of you out there are having a problem using the hard plastic type of dilator, these are made of some type of material that is 90% water and you keep them in the refrigerator to keep them cool and you don't have to use any kind of lubricant with them, just run them under cool water and insert. For me they are more comfortable for sure. I wish I could find her post, I can't even remember her user name or I would search under that. I am going in for my yearly exam on Friday and I am going to ask my gyn about using the hormone cream like you do. For now I was prescribed Vagifem to insert twice weekly but doing it your way makes more sense to me. Glad you didn't have the trouble I am having. It has been 4 years and it is still painful.

susie1143 said:

My Brachy starts next week
Ok girls, very nervous about upcoming brachy treatments. I'm thrilled and thankful that no other treatment after surgery was needed but still nervous. I go Monday afternoon for the set up (I guess the C-Scan and whatever else they need to do). Then Tuesday morning is my actual first treatment. (Total of 4 treatments, 2 per week)

I work with children and I am on my feet the whole time at work (3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon). At this point, I took off the rest of the day and told my manager that I may not be able to work the next day and she's been great.

Susie - How are you doing?
Hi, Susue!

I've been thinking of you since you posted that you were scheduled for brachytherapy this week. Both Deb and I had such a horrible first treatment followed by two essentially pain free treatments. Now every time I hear of someone heading down that road I start to hold my breath and send a fervent prayer for no pain!

How are you doing?

I have completed chemo and brachytherapy. I had my very first CT scan last Friday and see the gyn/onc tomorrow for the results. I sure am hoping for NED! I have never had a CA-125, so I still don't know if it might have been a marker for me. I hope my blood work from last Friday will show that my low and high counts are back in the normal range! Peripheral neuropathy, fatigue, and memory problems persist.

I'm glad to read that you only need the brachytherapy and not the chemo. Like Linda and several other fabulous fighters on this site, I am a faithful user of my dilator. Both my radiological oncologist and my regular gyn/onc recommended waiting 2 weeks after the final brachytherapy session before starting to use the dilator. I use mine daily. Since I was diagnosed with both Type I and Type II uterine cancers, I DO NOT use ANY hormonal lubricants.

Good luck!

Sally