No more talk, Treatment starts today

Klynten

Well here I go. Radiation treatment starts today. OF course I couldn't sleep very well and have been up since 0345. Pretty nervous, but want to get it started. Yesterday was tough day, and busy. Had my finale radiation "planning" appt. Doctor freaked out when I told him I had teeth removed after my planning ct scan. He was worried about structures changes after the images, I had told him I was going in to have the teeth pulled, but he must have already realized that he was going to avoid my upper deck so he dismissed it. Which he did once he looked in my mouth at the visit, states OH, upper teeth are ok. I find my RO very nice and funny, I'll have a good time poking fun of him, he seems like he can joke right back. My planning CT found a couple new nodules around my parotid gland, the ENT doctor wanted a biopsy but they left it for me to set up and I didn't know r/t time frame so when the radiology company stated they wanted to wait till the 30th I said ok, my RO said HELL NO, your going today or there is no point in starting radiation and then doing the biopsy, makes sense, so I had them schedule me for today, then got a call last minute and was told to come in. So I had the biopsy. Much more swelling today and yesterday than last time I had a biopsy done. All well. Wish me luck with my mask, gonna take some xanax prior to the appointment, then tomorrow is first day of chemo. gonna take the rest of the week off work just as a precaution. Hope everyone is having a good tuesday. take care
Clinton

longtermsurvivor

Best advice I can give
is to just do this one day at a time. Just read your post having returned home from my seventh rad session out of 33 planned. It will all shake out in the end. Pretty overpowering when we look at the big picture, so its better to focus on a series of little pictures.

Best to you.

Pat

ratface

longtermsurvivor said:

Best advice I can give
is to just do this one day at a time. Just read your post having returned home from my seventh rad session out of 33 planned. It will all shake out in the end. Pretty overpowering when we look at the big picture, so its better to focus on a series of little pictures.

Best to you.

Pat

Head swirling
reminds me of my own treatment with the biopsy appointments and dentist appointments and chemo/girl and rad/man and work and home and damn what about just stooping for a moment to take care of me. Pat's analogy works well as you can only be in one frame of the movie at a time. Tomorrow will come tomorrow.

Skiffin16

Figured Out...
Sounds like you are well prepared...you'll do fine....just remember to stay well hydrated.

Take anything that pops up one at a time, if you're lucky they'll be few to none.

Best,
John

osmotar

Good Luck
Good Luck with your rad treatments, I finished 39 of 39 on Dec 30th. My routine before having the mask put on was to spray mouth with Stoppers4 aand then off we would go. I had them cut the eyes out sfter the trial run and everything was fine, no meds for anxiety required, but then again I was on the treatment table for 10 mins or less, more like 8 minutes, it went very quickly. The techs were great, and will help with the mask if it doesn't feel right once they have you in place, for some reason or maybe it was just in my head if the mask didn't lay on my nose just right then I would ask them to re-djust. Take a deep breath and before you know it will all be over.

Blessings,

Linda

sweetblood22

Clinton
Hoping that your first day went better than you expected. I hope that your treatment goes well with only manageable side effects, if any.

Klynten

sweetblood22 said:

Clinton
Hoping that your first day went better than you expected. I hope that your treatment goes well with only manageable side effects, if any.

first day done
Well it wasn't too bad, my nausea persists (mildly thank god) even with all the meds and the timed schedule. I'm pretty tired today but not to bad, the worst thing going on right now is these damn hiccups. I've had them off an on since I left chemo. Not sure if any of the meds can cause hiccups, will look them up on epocrates (a mobile program for nurses and doctors for looking up side effects and actions of meds). Getting ready to go into town for my second rad appt. The gals are really nice there, and I get to speak with the doctor today, so we will see how things go. thanks for the well wishes and I hope to keep everyone updated, and contribute as much as I can.
Clinton

Skiffin16

Hiccups....
Not that uncommon, many including myself had them and yes, they are more than likely chemo induced.

If you mention it to your chemo MD, they can give you something for them...forgot what it is at the moment.

My chemo MD is also a blood MD...she told me to communicate anything as for pain, discomfort or symptoms...she would have something for it, and she always did.

Likw mentioned, I initially took Xanax for the first few days, but got used to the routine of the mask and rads fairly quickly and no longer needed them.

Best,
John

Marty36

Skiffin16 said:

Hiccups....
Not that uncommon, many including myself had them and yes, they are more than likely chemo induced.

If you mention it to your chemo MD, they can give you something for them...forgot what it is at the moment.

My chemo MD is also a blood MD...she told me to communicate anything as for pain, discomfort or symptoms...she would have something for it, and she always did.

Likw mentioned, I initially took Xanax for the first few days, but got used to the routine of the mask and rads fairly quickly and no longer needed them.

Best,
John

Hiccups were the only time I
Hiccups were the only time I called the doctors after hours because I couldn't stand it after a day. They prescribed a muscle relaxer I took once and never had them again. My oncologist always emphasized that they can always help with the side effects and there is no reason to suffer.

Mikemetz

Klynten said:

first day done
Well it wasn't too bad, my nausea persists (mildly thank god) even with all the meds and the timed schedule. I'm pretty tired today but not to bad, the worst thing going on right now is these damn hiccups. I've had them off an on since I left chemo. Not sure if any of the meds can cause hiccups, will look them up on epocrates (a mobile program for nurses and doctors for looking up side effects and actions of meds). Getting ready to go into town for my second rad appt. The gals are really nice there, and I get to speak with the doctor today, so we will see how things go. thanks for the well wishes and I hope to keep everyone updated, and contribute as much as I can.
Clinton

Rads coping strategy
Everyone probably has their own coping strategies for getting through the radiation treatments. But, the idea is to find one, whatever it is, and keep to it. The more routine you can make it, the better.

I was in the mask and on the table for about 22-25 minutes a session, which first sounded like an eternity. I took Atavin for the first few sessions, but didn't want that to be my only coping method. After about 5 sessions I came up with the strategy that I use when I'm on long flights, and stopped the Atavin. I quit thinking about how long it was until it's over (both on a daily basis and the whole number of treatments), fought the urge to fidget, breathed evenly, and tried to separate my mind from my body. That is, I thought of some place that gave me great calm, closed my eyes, and went there. I have never meditated, but I imagine it is something like that. Every once in a while I would feel one of the 'zaps' and wake up a bit, but was able to get back to that place in mind quickly.

The one strategy I can guarantee that won't work is to talk yourself into how horrible it is, count the minutes and treatments, and allow the stress to build up.

Mike

Skiffin16

Mikemetz said:

Rads coping strategy
Everyone probably has their own coping strategies for getting through the radiation treatments. But, the idea is to find one, whatever it is, and keep to it. The more routine you can make it, the better.

I was in the mask and on the table for about 22-25 minutes a session, which first sounded like an eternity. I took Atavin for the first few sessions, but didn't want that to be my only coping method. After about 5 sessions I came up with the strategy that I use when I'm on long flights, and stopped the Atavin. I quit thinking about how long it was until it's over (both on a daily basis and the whole number of treatments), fought the urge to fidget, breathed evenly, and tried to separate my mind from my body. That is, I thought of some place that gave me great calm, closed my eyes, and went there. I have never meditated, but I imagine it is something like that. Every once in a while I would feel one of the 'zaps' and wake up a bit, but was able to get back to that place in mind quickly.

The one strategy I can guarantee that won't work is to talk yourself into how horrible it is, count the minutes and treatments, and allow the stress to build up.

Mike

CD Music..and Initial Xanax, LOL...
You're right, by the time you have went through all of the radssessions. You'll know every position, click whirl and hum of the machine.

For me, I took Xanax for about the first week, then I was good to go without. I just had to learn the routine I guess.

I took a CD and they would play it for me....

I knew that within 4- 5 songs tops, I'd be done for the day....

LOL, one thing though, one day for whatever reason, it got stuck and kept playing the same line over, and over, and over...drove me nuts...I lost my timing.

Rads days are like the movie Groundhogs Day....

Same thing over, day after day, after day, after day....

Best,
John

Jimbo55

Clinton
Best of luck with your treatments. Good advice to take it one day at a time. Hope its a smooth ride for you. Stay Strong. Cheers.

Jimbo