Brachytherapy - Long-Term Side Effect

Kaleena
Kaleena Member Posts: 2,088 Member
in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1

Hi All:

I have just encountered one of the long-term side effects of brachytherapy.   I had surgery yesterday for a placement of a ureter stent.   At first, I thought it was due to the soft tissue mass that I have wherein my left ureter passes through it.   However, after surgery yesterday, my urologist indicated that she feels that the blockage was caused by scarring from my brachytherapy because the blockage was very close to my bladder.   Luckily, I was able to have the stent in.   It was a bit uncomfortable when I got home yesterday, but tylenol settled everything down.   Today, I am feeling better than I have for a long while.   When the doctor put the stent in, she said it was like a river from all the fluid that came out.  The stent is not permanently and I will have to have it removed in about 12 weeks and then replaced or if I have some other procedure done (ureter bypass).   But for now, I am just glad I am feeling better.  This past week prior to my surgery I felt so yucky.

Hugs to everyone.   Hope everyone is having a good day!

Kathy

 

Comments

  • ConnieSW
    ConnieSW Member Posts: 1,688 Member
    #2
    Enjoy

    feeling good.  

  • Judemo
    Judemo Member Posts: 172 Member
    #3
    ConnieSW said:

    Enjoy

    feeling good.  

    Things are a flowin!

    Kathy, great to hear your feeling much better!  I wonder if some of the symptoms you were having will go away now.  Great news! 

  • sunflash
    sunflash Member Posts: 197 Member
    #4
    Judemo said:

    Things are a flowin!

    Kathy, great to hear your feeling much better!  I wonder if some of the symptoms you were having will go away now.  Great news! 

    So glad to hear you have

    So glad to hear you have relief! This is great news indeed!

  • It happened to Me
    It happened to Me Member Posts: 206 Member
    #5
    sunflash said:

    So glad to hear you have

    So glad to hear you have relief! This is great news indeed!

    Hooray for You

    I'm so happy for you Kathy.  So glad you are feeling better.  Thank God for technology.

    Jeanette

  • Ro10
    Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member
    #6
    Kathy glad you got your stent

    It is so good to hear you are feeling better already.  I hope some of your other symptoms go away.  Hope each gets a little better for you.  You are one tough Lady.  In peace and caring.

  • cheerful
    cheerful Member Posts: 261 Member
    #7
    So Glad You Are Feeling Better

    Hi Kathy:

       So glad to hear that everything went well for you and I am glad that you are feeling better.  Hopefully, some of your other symptoms will go away.

       Hugs to you!

    Cheerful

    a/k/a Jane

  • Abbycat2
    Abbycat2 Member Posts: 644 Member
    #8
    Good news, Kathy!

    Good news, Kathy! I am glad to hear how much better you are feeling now that you have a stent. As Ro said, I hope your other symptoms disappear. How will the doctor decide whether or not to replace the stent or do the bypass surgery?  

    Take care and best wishes to you!

    Cathy

  • Kaleena
    Kaleena Member Posts: 2,088 Member
    #9
    Thanks everyone!

    Thanks everyone for all the wishes.  I am still happy to say that I feel good and not really having any stent issues as of today.  I haven't taken any of the medications that they gave me.   I was to take the one for stent discomfort, but it is mostly for men with prostrate issues and one of the side effects is headaches.  Since I am still experiencing these darn headaches, I didn't want to add to it.   I also went to my PCP yesterday, and my blood pressure is still up.   She wanted to start me on a pill but we decided to see if this stent thing will clear it up.  I go back in a month.   I was also referred to a neurologist for the headaches.   (I get them on my left side and my left eye gets halos and I have fogginess).   It could be migraines or the high blood pressure.   What my instincts are is there is something with my pituitary gland.   The only reason I say this is because when I had a brain MRI/MRA done in Nov of 2012, it indicated that my sella was empty.   From what I have read, an empty sella can be from the pituitary gland.   Benign conditions of the pituitary can cause the symptoms I am having.

    Any event, I am knocking these things out one at a time!   I should be a bionic woman when I am done - lolLaughing

    I really appreciate all the well wishes and great vibes!   You all have been a great inspiration to me!

    Oh and to answer Cathy's question about removing, etc., I am not sure.  I am to have a PET/MRI done Sept 3, 2014 and will probably see my gyne/onc sometime thereaafter.   If the soft tissue mass has grown, I will probably have them remove it and at that time have a urologist from there do the bypass surgery when they are in there.   Also, I won't get my biopsy results back from the stent surgery for about 10 days.     I do have to say that I get an eerie feeling with a physicians says "I know you don't have cancer" because that is what they told me at the start of this whole thing.   That's what my urologist said this time.  BYW I see the urologist in about two weeks.  

    Well I am off to a wedding today.  I hope everyone feels great and enjoying the weekend.  

    (((Hugs!!)))

    Kathy

  • Pat51
    Pat51 Member Posts: 130
    #10
    Kaleena said:

    Thanks everyone!

    Thanks everyone for all the wishes.  I am still happy to say that I feel good and not really having any stent issues as of today.  I haven't taken any of the medications that they gave me.   I was to take the one for stent discomfort, but it is mostly for men with prostrate issues and one of the side effects is headaches.  Since I am still experiencing these darn headaches, I didn't want to add to it.   I also went to my PCP yesterday, and my blood pressure is still up.   She wanted to start me on a pill but we decided to see if this stent thing will clear it up.  I go back in a month.   I was also referred to a neurologist for the headaches.   (I get them on my left side and my left eye gets halos and I have fogginess).   It could be migraines or the high blood pressure.   What my instincts are is there is something with my pituitary gland.   The only reason I say this is because when I had a brain MRI/MRA done in Nov of 2012, it indicated that my sella was empty.   From what I have read, an empty sella can be from the pituitary gland.   Benign conditions of the pituitary can cause the symptoms I am having.

    Any event, I am knocking these things out one at a time!   I should be a bionic woman when I am done - lolLaughing

    I really appreciate all the well wishes and great vibes!   You all have been a great inspiration to me!

    Oh and to answer Cathy's question about removing, etc., I am not sure.  I am to have a PET/MRI done Sept 3, 2014 and will probably see my gyne/onc sometime thereaafter.   If the soft tissue mass has grown, I will probably have them remove it and at that time have a urologist from there do the bypass surgery when they are in there.   Also, I won't get my biopsy results back from the stent surgery for about 10 days.     I do have to say that I get an eerie feeling with a physicians says "I know you don't have cancer" because that is what they told me at the start of this whole thing.   That's what my urologist said this time.  BYW I see the urologist in about two weeks.  

    Well I am off to a wedding today.  I hope everyone feels great and enjoying the weekend.  

    (((Hugs!!)))

    Kathy

    Glad to hear that you are feeling better.

    I am glad to hear that you are feeling better since the stent was placed.  I had brachytherapy radiation almost 3 years ago.  Recently I have had some pain around my bladder, especially when it is full.  I just had a GYN appointment and mentioned this to my doctor.  He said that there was nothing showing on a CT scan that I just had and said that he thought it was caused from scarring.  I thought that he was referring to scarring from surgery, but perhaps he was talking about scarring from radiation....never thought of that.  Thanks for the info and I am glad that things are improving.  I will be thinking of you. 

    Sending good wishes

    Pat

  • Kaleena
    Kaleena Member Posts: 2,088 Member
    #11
    Pat51 said:

    Glad to hear that you are feeling better.

    I am glad to hear that you are feeling better since the stent was placed.  I had brachytherapy radiation almost 3 years ago.  Recently I have had some pain around my bladder, especially when it is full.  I just had a GYN appointment and mentioned this to my doctor.  He said that there was nothing showing on a CT scan that I just had and said that he thought it was caused from scarring.  I thought that he was referring to scarring from surgery, but perhaps he was talking about scarring from radiation....never thought of that.  Thanks for the info and I am glad that things are improving.  I will be thinking of you. 

    Sending good wishes

    Pat

    Thanks!

    Thanks Pat for your good wishes!   My blockage didn't show up on my scan either.   I have a soft tissue mass which was what they thought was causing it.  However, my urologist said that the blockage was close to my bladder and felt that was from the radiation.

    I hope you are feeling better too!

    Kathy

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