Day 1 - Phase 2

You're Late Already...
Post time stamp has 7:34....

Good luck, you shouldn't really notice anything for a few weeks..more than likely.

Though my throat started trying out after a week or so..usually about 3 hours or so after the rads session.

Best,
John

osmotar said:

Post Stamp..and late
Must adjust for time zone differences,,,your still 3 hours ahead of me , AZ doesn't follow daylight savings time.

OOOO IC
You are right, probably depends on where the site (CSN) is located also....so does your time stamp for this thread say 7:34, or 4:34?

You are now entering the Twilight Zone.....

Actually more like the movie Ground Hog's Day...

For the next nearly 38 days, it will pretty much be the same thing, day, after day, after day, after day.....

Then you are done...yipeee...

JG

Hal61 said:

Starting Line
Hi Linda, best to you. My experience with 35 rads with the mask was, I didn't really notice after the third or fourth visit. Put yourself somewhere else once the mask is on. I always had confidence my RT techs would be there if I raised my hand. Once I had communicated that to them, I was at ease. Then you drift. I knew the sounds and positon the machine would be in as I neared the end. They cut out my eye holes too. It was pressing on my eyelids. Not a big deal. Best to you.

Hal

I imaged
radiation, personified as little guys on bulldozers, cleaning up the cancer. Every session. Seriously.

Linda,
I know you can do
Linda,
I know you can do it... I have 5 treatments left! It affects everyone different, and I hate to say it on here, because I know a lot of people have had a rough time, but my side effects have been “reasonable” all things considered. One thing the doctors and everyone has told me is my positive attitude of kicking this things butt is a positive! I have had a sore throat, but nothing more than an irritation. I started taking Advil every 4 hours, but have not had to hit the hard stuff yet, this week could change that. Fatigue, dry mouth, and no taste have been the worst part of it.

Nothing tastes good, everything taste like flour. Even stole some Skittles from the trick or treat basket last night and they tasted like sticky flour, yuck. But I can still swallow, no breads or dry stuff, keep it wet! Like John has said before, pancakes and a lot of syrup is good.

I will give you a list of what I do, you can take it for what it’s worth, but it seems to have worked for me.

Carry a bottle of water with you all the time and drink non-stop!
Every morning before my treatment I washed my neck with the soap they have you use before surgery (or dial).
Every weeknight I put Aquaphor (ointment for radiation burns) on my neck before bed, usually while my fluoride trays are working.
Every weekend night I use Vitamin E lotion on my neck at bed time in lieu of Aquaphor. Both are available at Walgreens.
Brush my teeth 5-6 times a day.
Go to bed earlier than normal.

I was able to work full time until the 4th week then I cut back to 32 hours. This week will probably be a little less.

This regimen may not work for everyone, but it has work for me.

We will pray for you! Oh by the way, I pray the entire time I am masked for my family, the docs, the technicians, and just give thanks that we have the technology to make this easier then prior years. It calms me to the point they are taking the mask off before I realize it.

Prayers your direction!

David

osmotar said:

Home again home again
John your last posted listed at 4:49;

Nanacy, Hal, David, John & longterm...thank you all for your kind and most appreciated words of encouragement. It was 18 mins in and out the door, my sister and neice had to stay in the waiting room, but when I got up to go onto the session my neice who calls me Ahe, said wait , she handed me her woody doll from toy story, katie ( my neice), woody and I go way back ( long story for another time) so woody is what I held during the session. I know that right now I'm on top of the world thru this treatment, chemo was to put it mildly kind of a breeze with a few minor bumps, and that these rad session even though they are short, the side effects may ( or may not) kick my bum from time to time and this too shall pass.

Blessings and light to my new family of head and neck survivors.

Linda

Hi Linda

It don’t take long but it sure cost a lot, glad to hear you made it through the first day

Take Care
╠╣ONDO

osmotar said:

Adivan (sp)
Read an older post by you about meds for anxiety;even though the doc gave me a script I only used it the first day, tried yesterday with out and did just fine. I think for the time being I'm going to go without using anything for anxiety.

Linda

Xanax
Xanax was my drug of choice...and prescription.

I did take it for about a week...first two days I took a whole one, but later in the evening was draggin. So the next day or two I halfed them, then quarterd.

By the start of the next week I was use to the routine and didn't need them any longer.

I'm one of those that can't even stand to have the sheets on the bed tucked in...my feet feel confined and I just have to uncover them.

So to strap me to a table with a mask squashing my face was pretty freaky..I hate being bound or constricted.

But, I got through it and never looked back, LOL....

John

osmotar said:

3 down - 36 more to go
Like you from the time in the door to out the door is just about 15-16 minutes.They have trimmed the area around my eyes twice and even though the mask is tight it feels find, I realized yesterday that if the nose area squishes my left nostril a certain way the mask is positioned properly..strage things we think about ..LOL. They use a rapid arc where I have treatments, once the table moves me in position and the treatment starts the arc moves from right to left once, left to right once and then back to the right I'm done, vewry little noise if any that I hear. They only use a pad under my knees, I've had lower back issues for years I may ask if they have any type of wedge that could be used for the lower back.Prior to going in I take a good drink of water and then spray my mpouth with biotene spray and make sure my lips have a littl aquaphor (sp) on them.

As for eating my favorite foods doing that now, and know that once some of the side effects happen they may be out of the picture, the main focus I have is not to loose 20% of my body weight, my sister and niece who are here with me know what we all have to do to keep me swallowing and hydrated, we joke about some of the concoctions we can make in the blender, as well as the liquid supplements of glucerna/200 calories per can.

I meet with the rad onco every wed along with his nurse, they have a list of questions that will be asked every week, and have already told me not to be brave when it comes to pain.

I know that this isn't going to be easy, but one day at a time, one foot in front of the other, life goes on and I've got tooooo much to do to not go through this. I have trust and faith in the tad onco and the hemotology onco that they know what their doing and will be with me every step of the way.

Thank you for the best wishs.

Linda

Hi Linda

Just wishing you well as you continue through your treatment, remember there are a lot of use here keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. Thanks for the up-date

Take care :+})
╠╣ONDO