After treatment

suz64

My radiation treatments ended last month and I seem to be having more difficulty now than with all of the chemo. My chemo lasted for 12 weeks and I had 17 days of radiation and boy, did it kick my ****.
I still have a sore throat. I lost my voice for 3 1/2 weeks. I am so tired and draggy. I still cannot eat certain foods. I am irritable and feel depressed.
It was never this bad with chemo. I was tired, yes, but not like this. Even my radiation doctor is surprised because I seem to have experience all the way out there symptoms, like losing my voice, getting those "stripes" but after the treatments were done and persistent dry skin in the area that was radiated.
It really seems like my body did not care for this treatment. With chemo, I did get sick, but just a few times and I was tired, but my energy picked up within a week after treatment.
And they just did a baseline of my thyroid and one indicator is a little low, but the other one which should pick up to compensate for a low thyroid is okay.
So, I am frustrated. I am tired of being a lump and having no energy. I am suppose to wait, but I am wondering if something else is going on.

81193

i had the same symptoms as yourself.it took me a long time to regain my strength. i still am not what i use to be before cancer,and its been almost 10yrs.i think for most pts.radiation treatments are harder on them than chemo.my body did not like either to much.but the radiation made my counts go down just as much,sometimes more.i felted like a dish towel.my throat stayed sore the whole time and my skin was so sore.i am just now starting to have symptoms of my thyroid slowing down.its not enough to take meds,but i have all the symptoms.i hope that you start improving soon and start feeling well. i hope i have help you alittle.take care.

positive

Everyone has different effects, so you should not expect to feel like this forever. You should focus on nutrition and exercise. You have been a through a tough road and its over now. You need to give yourself more time. My dad had HD stage IIA and is going on his 6th treatment. I understand what you have gone through. You put up a great fight and beat the pants off of it. You were obviously stronger than the chemo and rad. Time heals and you will see life will get better each and every day. I promise!!

stepet

Hi Suz64, I am 37 years old and finished radiation treatment for hodgkins last March. I was not prepared for all the side effects! I had no chemo, and thought that this would be an easier route, boy was I wrong. I had everything that you describe and then some. I lost 40 pounds during radiation because I couldn't eat, I had thrush almost from the very begining and I threw up every day no matter what I did to avoid it. It takes a long time for these effects to go away. I still have some swallowing issues, I still get sludge in my throat and I don't have enough saliva to wash anything down, so I drink water all the time to help get things down. I didn't start eating real food again for about 4 or 5 months after treatment. Hang in there it does improve. I don't think people expect all these side effects from radiation, but they do exist! Things do get better, keep laughing and this to shall pass. Good luck and God bless S

Brettw

I had 27 radiation treatments. I was burned had the swallowing problem, radiation kicked my butt. You will get better just relax and know that you will be better, I was told that most people who dont survive cancer dont actually die from the cancer but from the treatment, I found thjs to be true after working on the cancr unit after I was able to work.