Cobalt treatment at childhood

Bob76
Bob76 Member Posts: 5
Hello my name is Bob and I am new here.I had hodgkins at age 7 and was treated with chemo and cobalt(I WON!).But my shoulders neck and head never fully developed even in bone mass.I am wondering if anybody has had simular effects?

Comments

  • cathyp
    cathyp Member Posts: 376 Member
    Hi Bob. I wasn't treated
    Hi Bob. I wasn't treated w/cobalt but I did have rads(1989) and chemo(1994) to treat HD. From talking with other long term survivors, I have found many suffer from radiation fibrosis syndrome. The rads have atrophied the muscles etc. There is a specialist at MSKCC in NYC, Dr Stubbfield, that specializes in this area. He rx's physical theraphy to manage the side effects. Age 7 and cobalt? How long has it been since your treatments?

    Cathy
  • Bob76
    Bob76 Member Posts: 5
    cathyp said:

    Hi Bob. I wasn't treated
    Hi Bob. I wasn't treated w/cobalt but I did have rads(1989) and chemo(1994) to treat HD. From talking with other long term survivors, I have found many suffer from radiation fibrosis syndrome. The rads have atrophied the muscles etc. There is a specialist at MSKCC in NYC, Dr Stubbfield, that specializes in this area. He rx's physical theraphy to manage the side effects. Age 7 and cobalt? How long has it been since your treatments?

    Cathy

    Hi Cathy thanks for responding
    Hi Cathy Congradulations on beating HD! It has been 33 years since my last treatment.I don't remember much of it,I go by Dr records and my parents for info.I do remember getting sick from treatments,wheelchair races,playing with other kids and getting kicked out of hospitall because of chickenpocks.Lot of complications during treatment and after.Doing good now,just get deppressed now and then.My Dr said that my muscles are to far gone to fix and that exercising may do more harm than good.I am going to look into Dr Stubbfield.Thank you for your help!How did you find out you had HD?Did you have any problems with treatment(hope not)? Hope to talk to you again.


    Bob
  • dubc
    dubc Member Posts: 8
    Bob76 said:

    Hi Cathy thanks for responding
    Hi Cathy Congradulations on beating HD! It has been 33 years since my last treatment.I don't remember much of it,I go by Dr records and my parents for info.I do remember getting sick from treatments,wheelchair races,playing with other kids and getting kicked out of hospitall because of chickenpocks.Lot of complications during treatment and after.Doing good now,just get deppressed now and then.My Dr said that my muscles are to far gone to fix and that exercising may do more harm than good.I am going to look into Dr Stubbfield.Thank you for your help!How did you find out you had HD?Did you have any problems with treatment(hope not)? Hope to talk to you again.


    Bob

    Hey Bob
    To begin, I am a 38 year survivor of childhood medulloblastoma. I had surgery to remove the bulk of the tumor and cobalt radiation treatments to take car of the rest. I have been cancer free ever since. I have however, had some side effects. I've had to receive growth hormone treatments, have to deal with skin cancer, (non life threatening), hair loss, a smallish head and some slight memory problems. Maybe a few other things I can't remember at the moment, LOL!

    It may sound like a lot but I have been very healthy and I don't regret having the treatment for a second. I wouldn't be here not talking about it if those Doctors didn't save my life. Hang in there!
  • sassy62
    sassy62 Member Posts: 8
    dubc said:

    Hey Bob
    To begin, I am a 38 year survivor of childhood medulloblastoma. I had surgery to remove the bulk of the tumor and cobalt radiation treatments to take car of the rest. I have been cancer free ever since. I have however, had some side effects. I've had to receive growth hormone treatments, have to deal with skin cancer, (non life threatening), hair loss, a smallish head and some slight memory problems. Maybe a few other things I can't remember at the moment, LOL!

    It may sound like a lot but I have been very healthy and I don't regret having the treatment for a second. I wouldn't be here not talking about it if those Doctors didn't save my life. Hang in there!

    Hi Dubc
    I am a 52 year survivor of a child astrocytoma near the cerebellum. The first surgery in 1959 when I was 9 did not get it all and I had a second surgery 2 years later followed by cobalt radiation treatments for 6 weeks. Despite side effects of the tumor and surgery which included balance loss and vision loss in one eye, and from the radiation which is hearing loss, I considered myself blessed to have had a relatively healthy life. But now at age 61 (and I just retired from working 35 years), a CT scan revealed a menenginoma. I start CyberKnife treatments starting next week. It's tricky because they have to make sure they don't hit any tissue that received radiation before.