T-minus 10 days and counting

jteasley
jteasley Member Posts: 6
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Due to the medical facts and some of contributors here on this site, their encouragement, stories, etc, I decided to take the radiation. I was fitted for my IMRT mask Thursday 12/03. The final tweaks on the mask occur 12/16 and I suspect radiation treament to begin no later than 12/21. Your stories and comments are truly inspirational AND factual. Everyone has their own journey and reaction to the treatment, including healing. I thought it might be theraputic for me to post a daily log during treatment here if that is appropriate?? If that kind of detail is inappropriate at this site please advise (you old timers). LOL Wish me luck and my luck/hope/prayers to you.

Comments

  • train-nut
    train-nut Member Posts: 101
    #2
    My Compliments
    Glad to hear you are going to rid your bod of the damn thing once and for all. I'd be interested in a blow by blow description of the total eradiction of your cancer. It would be a big help to those considering or about to begin treatment. The "vets" could offer the benefit of their experience and some encouragement. It's a generous offer on your part. Wishing you the best of health, Rich
  • Scambuster
    Scambuster Member Posts: 973
    #3
    Good Work
    Glad to hear you are opting to fight the disease and I'm sure you will beat it.
    My IMRT treatment went 7 weeks. They played nice music in the treatment room which relaxed me and I usually zoned out almost to sleep state.

    I had food troubles starting about week 2 and had the PEG in week 3 so see how you go with the eating as some people manage to eat all the way through. The rough patches were weeks 3 through 5 then they eased back on the IMRT as they made a new mask and only treated a very tight area.

    Keep a support network around you. Keep in touch with the people here to let us know how you're doing and to ask questions as you will have some. Learn about your medications as you go and use whatever it takes to get you through.

    You will have some rough patches but you will get through them and look back on the darker days.

    Remember the folks on these pages have lots of stories and help to share.

    All the best JT.

    Scambuster
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #4
    preparation
    jteasley- get everything in order ahead of time. I did not, and the first weekend got very bad. If your Dr. thinks you will need Morphine- get it. Magic Mouthwash- get it. I got a Xanax prescription from my regular Dr., and got into a thing with a 1/2-tablet less than an hour before my rads. I was getting zapped 20 places/session, and had prior issues with my windpipe. Are you also getting chemo? If so- definitely, prepare your arsenal w/the forementioned.
    You are doing right. I watched as the two lumps on my neck got smaller, until they were gone. The treatment I went thru did a number on them, and I am alive over a year after the two tumors appeared, and have been back to work for the last 7 months. You are making the right decision. It can be nothing more than a bump in the road that maybe does a little damage, but doesn't keep you from going forward at full speed, after awhile.
    As for a daily log- it is your call. I wouldn't. What one goes thru, or at least what I experienced, is not the sort of thing which encourages others to go thru it. It's the trenches, jteasley. For me, there was over a month of days that nobody but I could appreciate. Check-out my profile for the particulars on my treatment. DO NOT for a minute think you are making the wrong decision. Us vets are proof you are making the right one. And, definitely, keep us informed on how you are doing, and any concerns you have. It's not gonna be a walk in the park, but that is very much what makes it all worthwhile. You will find this to be true. We are all with you, if you let us be.
    kcass
  • SmithMama2
    SmithMama2 Member Posts: 48
    #5
    journaling
    I found it very helpful to journal my experiences with my husband's cancer. CaringBridge is a free site that you can use, and if you send a link to friends, family, (and this group too) people can visit it regularly for updates about how you are doing. I found it overwhelming to say the story/updates again and again to family by phone, so this was a great way for them to get info about my husband on a regular basis.

    Another option would be to post a log/blog on your profile page on this website. Go to "Click here to create or update your member "About Me" page" at the top of the screen, then click "blog" and you can create your journal there. A few members have extensive journals on this website, but certainly most folks don't take advantage of this option.

    I would say that generally this website is more for questions and answers, and certainly for updates as well, but less about day after day journaling of experiences. Some folks post a lot, others only rarely. Good info is shared, and I often grab a paper and pen while I read the entries to note questions to ask my husband's doc or ideas that are shared that are helpful to my husband's recuperation.

    I wish you luck as you begin your journey to cancer-freedom!
    Karen

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