How long after your Hysterectomy did you have your 1st Brachytherapy

Denise66
Denise66 Member Posts: 81 Member

For the women who only had Brachytherapy, how long was it from your surgery to your first Brachy?  

I had my Brachy exactly 11 weeks post surgery  I’m wondering if I had waited to long for it be effective  

 

Comments

  • TeddyandBears_Mom
    TeddyandBears_Mom Member Posts: 1,811 Member
    Denise66 - I had chemo and

    Denise66 - I had chemo and brachy but wanted to let you know that they can't do brachy therapy until the vaginal cuff is completely healed.  I think you are fine with your timeline.

    Hope this helps.

    Love and Hugs,

    Cindi

     

  • Denise66
    Denise66 Member Posts: 81 Member

    Denise66 - I had chemo and

    Denise66 - I had chemo and brachy but wanted to let you know that they can't do brachy therapy until the vaginal cuff is completely healed.  I think you are fine with your timeline.

    Hope this helps.

    Love and Hugs,

    Cindi

     

    Thamk you.  I read an article

    Thamk you.  I read an article that said the cuff off was 9 weeks.  If you wait longer than 9 weeks, it's less effective. 

  • zsazsa1
    zsazsa1 Member Posts: 565 Member
    I was encouraged to do it as

    I was encouraged to do it as soon as I could, but my cuff took a long time to heal, because of the chemo.  Here I am 5 months out from surgery, and I haven't started radiation yet.

  • BluebirdOne
    BluebirdOne Member Posts: 654 Member
    Two months.

    i had surgery 7/26/18 and started brachytherapy on September 25, 2018, sandwiched between chemo. . I never heard that it would be less effective later, it wasn’t discussed. I believe that the sandwich regimen was important. 

  • Tamlen
    Tamlen Member Posts: 343 Member
    My brachy took place halfway

    My brachy took place halfway through chemo and started 4 months after surgery. My gyn onc said she wanted to be absolutely sure the vaginal cuff was healed before brachy.

  • Soup52
    Soup52 Member Posts: 908 Member
    I had surgery Oct 15, 2015

    I had surgery Oct 15, 2015 and 5 weeks of external radiation started in Dec. sometime with internal radiation in Feb.

  • ConnieSW
    ConnieSW Member Posts: 1,677 Member
    I didn't have the sandwich method

    my brachytherapy was after the completion of chemo. I had surgery at the end of March and brachytherapy in October. 

  • Kaleena
    Kaleena Member Posts: 2,088 Member
    Almost a year

    i had my surgery in September and after Chemo (6 months) finished in May.  Then I had the brachytherapy in August.  So it was 11 months

  • EPH56
    EPH56 Member Posts: 18
    Hysterectomy to Radiation

    I had my hysterectomy in Sept 2017 and started 25 external vaginal (3 internal) radiation treatments Feb 19-April 6th, 2018.

  • Primavera
    Primavera Member Posts: 231 Member
    Having brachytherapy soon

    I'll be having 3 sessions of intermediate radiation, one every Friday, starting May 31st, about 7 weeks from hysterectomy. No other previous treatment.

    Radiologist did a pelvic examen exactly one month after the hysterectomy and said I'm healed and ready for brachytherapy. I did find out I had some pink spotting the next day or so. I'm a bit afraid, but there's not much I can do.

  • Forherself
    Forherself Member Posts: 961 Member
    Primavera said:

    Having brachytherapy soon

    I'll be having 3 sessions of intermediate radiation, one every Friday, starting May 31st, about 7 weeks from hysterectomy. No other previous treatment.

    Radiologist did a pelvic examen exactly one month after the hysterectomy and said I'm healed and ready for brachytherapy. I did find out I had some pink spotting the next day or so. I'm a bit afraid, but there's not much I can do.

    You are afraid

    because it IS scary.   Im glad you are here because you can talk to women who have experienced the treatment and can answer your questions and concerns. I think you will find most women here think there is a lot you can do if you have questions or concerns.  Ask.  

  • Primavera
    Primavera Member Posts: 231 Member

    You are afraid

    because it IS scary.   Im glad you are here because you can talk to women who have experienced the treatment and can answer your questions and concerns. I think you will find most women here think there is a lot you can do if you have questions or concerns.  Ask.  

    I've gone through all the posts

    I did take a lot of questions for the radiologist. I'm glad I read a lot here. I meant that there's nothing much I can do about the upcoming procedure. I hope I don't have bad side effects.

    I asked about a colonoscopy and if I should have it done before brachytherapy. But the time is tight. Radiologist did say that I will have to tell my gastroenterologist about the brachytherapy treatments so when he finds thickened tissue he would know it is because of radiation. I hated listening to that because it means it will/could happen.

    I know people here have gone through so much more.

  • Forherself
    Forherself Member Posts: 961 Member
    I had my colonoscopy

    in two weeks of calling.  They were very nice when I explained i Had been diagnosed with utierine cancer, and my gyne oncologist wanted me to have one done. You might ask them to work you in.   They might.  

    There is someone here who was told she couldn't have one after radiation.  But maybe she had whole pelvic.   

     

  • LisaPizza
    LisaPizza Member Posts: 358 Member

    I had my colonoscopy

    in two weeks of calling.  They were very nice when I explained i Had been diagnosed with utierine cancer, and my gyne oncologist wanted me to have one done. You might ask them to work you in.   They might.  

    There is someone here who was told she couldn't have one after radiation.  But maybe she had whole pelvic.   

     

    I had my colonoscopy about 9

    I had my colonoscopy about 9 months after finishing external radiation. The biopsies were read as showing no radiation damage.  On the other hand, my post treatment CTs have both shown bowel thickening consistent with radiation damage.

  • Soup52
    Soup52 Member Posts: 908 Member
    I had my hysterectomy October

    I had my hysterectomy October 15 2015 and started external radiation dec 15 followed by 3 internal all before chemo therapy.

  • BluebirdOne
    BluebirdOne Member Posts: 654 Member
    Primavera said:

    I've gone through all the posts

    I did take a lot of questions for the radiologist. I'm glad I read a lot here. I meant that there's nothing much I can do about the upcoming procedure. I hope I don't have bad side effects.

    I asked about a colonoscopy and if I should have it done before brachytherapy. But the time is tight. Radiologist did say that I will have to tell my gastroenterologist about the brachytherapy treatments so when he finds thickened tissue he would know it is because of radiation. I hated listening to that because it means it will/could happen.

    I know people here have gone through so much more.

    I was due for a colonoscopy right when I was diagnosed for UPSC

    Also a mammogram. Of course, it was postponed. My surgery was July 2018, 3 brachy completed Oct. 2018, last chemo late Oct. 2018. They did not want me to have a colonoscopy until they were sure I was healed. I just saw them a week ago, and they suggested that it was safe to have the colonoscopy now especially since I am having constipation issues. While I passed the CT with flying colors, they explained to me that the colonoscopy will reveal any polyps. I have had polyps removed before and was on a three year schedule because of it. I am UPSC 1a, with LVSI. No other complications, so take that into consideration. So to summarize, I am cleared for a colonoscopy 10 months after surgery and the actual procedure will be almost one year after radical hysterectomy, 9 months after last chemo and radiation. I have had almost no complications. 

    Denise 

  • Soup52
    Soup52 Member Posts: 908 Member
    Hmm, I thought I responded to

    Hmm, I thought I responded to this.