Staging

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Comments

  • wiveliscombe
    wiveliscombe Member Posts: 50
    #22
    Staging
    Hi Cheyenne,
    I am also stage 1 with minimal invasion and it seems like I'm getting the same treatment as you and starting tomorrow! We will have to compare notes! I have been reading your posts and the replies hope you feel better about it all now, you will do fine.I feel very prepared and actually not really anxious, nothing I can do about it anyway! I lost my husband last year to cancer and was his caregiver for 2 years and went through his chemo so it is bringing back some sad memories but know he is watching over me and I'll be OK
    Will be thinking of you tomorrow
    Louise
  • ppaseka
    ppaseka Member Posts: 70
    #23
    Dog Girl said:

    Staging
    Cheyenne,

    I'm sorry you've had issues before you start treatment. This board wasn't up when I went through tx in 2009 (coming up on 3 yrs post tx and NED), but I had a good team of doctors and nurses and techs. I was able to meet with the NP at my med onc. office to get the lay of the land, but some of it you just learn as you go through it.

    I would be surprised if they didn't push steroids and anit nauseau meds before the chemo. Make sure you get a script for anti nausea pills before you leave the first day if you don't already have them. Some more pratical tips: I had a port, but I was still hooked up for the 5 days. I found that if I put a stool next to the shower and put my pump on it and kept my back to the shower head I had pretty good flexability. You will definitely want to have a hand held shower nozzle with as long of a tube as you can get. My pump was too large for a fanny pack, so I used a backpack type of purse. Try to go into rad tx with a full bladder. This will help lift it up out of the rad. field. Make sure you have no creams, lotions, anything on your genital/bottom parts when going into rad. as they can exacerbate burns. Once you skin starts to react to the tx (2-3 weeks in probably), just take your creams, etc... with you and put it on in the bathroom right after you finsh your tx for that day. And if you've had a full bladder, you'll probably need to pee anyway! The tx is very standard as you've probably determined by now. However where I think the drs & nurses, et all can be very helpful is managing your side effects. Everyone is different. Just remember that hardly anyone has not side effects; hardly anyone has all the possible side effects; and most of us had some of the side effects to varying degrees. I really didn't know a whole lot going into tx either, but I figured all these people had gone to many years of school/training for this, so I had some trust in their ability. However I am not shy about asking questions and you don't be either. If you are having an issue be sure and call in to the drs office (you'll probably have to leave a message for the nurse) and don't wait until your next scheduled appt. This site will "hold your hand" and we will tell you what has and hasn't worked for us. You'll probably learn something that will help you. Our unofficial motto on this board is "Weeks for years." so try to keep that in mind.

    Treatments
    Our Rad Onc told my wife to make sure she stayed covered with both the Aquaphor and Silvidene cream even during radiation. He said the the cream does not act as a "baste" she endured 28 pelvic radiation treatments with only the usual side effects to worst one being severe diarehha. The burns externally were minor compared to the internal burns.
  • mxperry220
    mxperry220 Member Posts: 496 Member
    #24
    ppaseka said:

    Treatments
    Our Rad Onc told my wife to make sure she stayed covered with both the Aquaphor and Silvidene cream even during radiation. He said the the cream does not act as a "baste" she endured 28 pelvic radiation treatments with only the usual side effects to worst one being severe diarehha. The burns externally were minor compared to the internal burns.

    Creams
    My radiation oncologist emphasized to have all creams removed during my radiation treatment. I did not ask why. I just did what they told me to do.
  • RoseC
    RoseC Member Posts: 559
    #25
    muddy said:

    a few words
    well frist im sry if im doing this poorly.im new to this site haveing hard time.
    well i see you have 3 years 3 months im looking for some kind of time line of the recovery.
    i had colon mass and limp notes removed and bag removed not on any treatment just did 5 month ct. im not good at and this reading and typeing is there any vioce chat rooms?

    thanks tim

    Hi Tim
    No, sorry, but there's no voice chat available. How're you doing?
  • Angela_K
    Angela_K Member Posts: 374 Member
    #26
    mxperry220 said:

    Creams
    My radiation oncologist emphasized to have all creams removed during my radiation treatment. I did not ask why. I just did what they told me to do.

    I was told by all doctors, nurses, staff to remove both prescribed and OTC creams thoroughly before radiation treatment and don't use any creams containing zinc as it interferes with the radiation. Just fyi.

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