Radioembolizatiom?

My mom did Y90 for her liver tumors.  I started a thread here:  https://csn.cancer.org/node/312577

No real side effects for her.  No nausea or extra fatigue.  Only thing is that you need to lay flat for like a week mainly because they enter through the thigh's large blood vessels.

If you have any specific question then feel free to message me directly.

I have had the y90 treatment and am waiting to hearback about the follow-up.

For me, the treatment went smoother than the mapping.  But that could be because I knew what to expect.

I'm a little claustophobic. So getting the scans at nuclear-med after the first part of the mapping was a little challenging.  I think being still for that additional time contributed to my stiffness the folliowng days.  I did get some muscle relaxer med which helped but it started to wear-off during the 2nd scanning period.  

More of my details:

I was awake for both.  I had the choice of being "awake"  (loopy/groggy med) or totally out.  I had to be able to move my arms over my head and hold my breath for a few seconds during the first part of the mapping while being scanned.  Then return my arms back underneath the drape.  I did this over 8 times during mapping.  So being able to move my arms helped me feel less contained.  I also very slightly wiggled/flexed my toes, too, when I had to move my arms.

I had a towel support under my left knee while the right leg was flat.

For mapping session I was hooked up pretty quickly to IV fluids then groggy med.  So after the first part of the mapping and before i went to nuclear med I had to rquest a bed pan.  First time I've used one.  For y90 treatment, IV fluids and goggy meds were started after I got into procudure room and not until the doctors needed to start.  They gave me the option of starting anytime before that.  But I was still mentally comfy, so I waited.  I was not drugged during the draping or the mini-shave prep.  I also had the option of keeping my glasses on during the y90 treatment, which I did.  I could see a clock.  Once I was on the groggy meds time went by a lot faster when I remembered to look at clock.

I had to keep my right hip and knee flat for 2+ hours.  I was given an angioseal "plug" - a tiny thing, that is inserted into the blood vessel that was accessed. For the mapping I had to keep my left leg still for the addtional 2 long scans (maybe 18 & 24 min?).  For the y90 treatment, once I got back to the room I could move my left leg/toes while waiting on the minimum 2 hours.  During the wait time for y90 , the nurses tipped the bed a little so I could drink from a straw or even eat.  I also brought squirty container applesauce to eat. I also brought both times arnica gel to put on my lower back.  For the mapping I put it on when I got back to room.  For the y90 treatment I put it on in the room before the treatment while waiting for them to come get me.

The 2+ hour wait time is based on when you stop bleeding.  Some people may need longer.

I had a 1+ hour drive back home.  The nurse suggested I recline some and stretch right leg out.  On the way home from mapping I had to stop and walk around a little because I was getting stiff & achy.  Didn't have that issue after y90 treatment.

I had is a lift restriction for a week/10 days and 1 day wait for shower and avoid stairs.  I live in a split level so I had decide is it worth it to go up/down.

For y90 treatment, I was given 5 prescriptions-- 2 were required and the others were for side-effects.  The required ones were 7 day steriods for inflammations/swelling and a broad-based antibotic.  I was very fortuate that I didn't have the nasty side-effects.  Tums and Advil worked for me.  I still had the anti-nausea tablets from chemo, if I needed them (insteading of using the anti-nausea tablets I was given).  I was a little tired for a while after the y90 tratment.  But I don't know if that was the treatment or just my lack of being able to sleep well in general.

I would suggest easy to get into clothes and shoes & your underwear might get stained (going home) depending on how well you or nurses rinsed/wiped you off. I think during mapping using the bedpan "rinsed" me off more.  After y90 I cleaned myself.  I had advil with me both times at hospital.  For mapping I didn't think to ask/tell them I had Advil so I had to wait a while before they brought me a pain med.  For y90 I just boldly said/asked "I have Advil. Can I take it now?"

Good luck with your procedure.

KM2Illinois said:

I had Y90 Treatment

I have had the y90 treatment and am waiting to hearback about the follow-up.

For me, the treatment went smoother than the mapping.  But that could be because I knew what to expect.

I'm a little claustophobic. So getting the scans at nuclear-med after the first part of the mapping was a little challenging.  I think being still for that additional time contributed to my stiffness the folliowng days.  I did get some muscle relaxer med which helped but it started to wear-off during the 2nd scanning period.  

More of my details:

I was awake for both.  I had the choice of being "awake"  (loopy/groggy med) or totally out.  I had to be able to move my arms over my head and hold my breath for a few seconds during the first part of the mapping while being scanned.  Then return my arms back underneath the drape.  I did this over 8 times during mapping.  So being able to move my arms helped me feel less contained.  I also very slightly wiggled/flexed my toes, too, when I had to move my arms.

I had a towel support under my left knee while the right leg was flat.

For mapping session I was hooked up pretty quickly to IV fluids then groggy med.  So after the first part of the mapping and before i went to nuclear med I had to rquest a bed pan.  First time I've used one.  For y90 treatment, IV fluids and goggy meds were started after I got into procudure room and not until the doctors needed to start.  They gave me the option of starting anytime before that.  But I was still mentally comfy, so I waited.  I was not drugged during the draping or the mini-shave prep.  I also had the option of keeping my glasses on during the y90 treatment, which I did.  I could see a clock.  Once I was on the groggy meds time went by a lot faster when I remembered to look at clock.

I had to keep my right hip and knee flat for 2+ hours.  I was given an angioseal "plug" - a tiny thing, that is inserted into the blood vessel that was accessed. For the mapping I had to keep my left leg still for the addtional 2 long scans (maybe 18 & 24 min?).  For the y90 treatment, once I got back to the room I could move my left leg/toes while waiting on the minimum 2 hours.  During the wait time for y90 , the nurses tipped the bed a little so I could drink from a straw or even eat.  I also brought squirty container applesauce to eat. I also brought both times arnica gel to put on my lower back.  For the mapping I put it on when I got back to room.  For the y90 treatment I put it on in the room before the treatment while waiting for them to come get me.

The 2+ hour wait time is based on when you stop bleeding.  Some people may need longer.

I had a 1+ hour drive back home.  The nurse suggested I recline some and stretch right leg out.  On the way home from mapping I had to stop and walk around a little because I was getting stiff & achy.  Didn't have that issue after y90 treatment.

I had is a lift restriction for a week/10 days and 1 day wait for shower and avoid stairs.  I live in a split level so I had decide is it worth it to go up/down.

For y90 treatment, I was given 5 prescriptions-- 2 were required and the others were for side-effects.  The required ones were 7 day steriods for inflammations/swelling and a broad-based antibotic.  I was very fortuate that I didn't have the nasty side-effects.  Tums and Advil worked for me.  I still had the anti-nausea tablets from chemo, if I needed them (insteading of using the anti-nausea tablets I was given).  I was a little tired for a while after the y90 tratment.  But I don't know if that was the treatment or just my lack of being able to sleep well in general.

I would suggest easy to get into clothes and shoes & your underwear might get stained (going home) depending on how well you or nurses rinsed/wiped you off. I think during mapping using the bedpan "rinsed" me off more.  After y90 I cleaned myself.  I had advil with me both times at hospital.  For mapping I didn't think to ask/tell them I had Advil so I had to wait a while before they brought me a pain med.  For y90 I just boldly said/asked "I have Advil. Can I take it now?"

Good luck with your procedure.

Such detail will be very helpful to those facing the Y90 procedure. 

Thanks!

Tru