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Rubytoos
Rubytoos Member Posts: 45
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Thank you all for your kind words! Yesterday after treatment I came home and simply CRASHED. Sometimes I'm so tired after the radiation, other times not so much. Don't know which of you have to wear the mask for treatment and don't know if any of you ladies are going through perimenopause...but let me tell you sisters, having a hot flash during treatment......WHOA!!!! An experience unto itself, let me tell ya!

I hope you all are seeing the light beyond this nasty, mean, ugly experience. I will keep trying but as you probably know, it can sometimes be overwhelming. Some nights I can't get to sleep because I'm scared! And sometimes I just want to be alone. Am I feeling sorry for myself? Probably.

But I know we should keep looking ahead and embrace every day and every one we love with renewed strength.
Love,
Rubytoos

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  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #2
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    Keep On Keeping On
    You can do it, and yes it's very tedious for all of us....

    The mask in itself is something to deal with that causes a lot of anxiety up front.

    You're doing great, all of the emotions, fears, sleepless nights are perfectly normal....

    Keep on pushing forward...

    I always refer to this daily radiation time as a liking to the movie Ground Hog's Day. It's the same thing, day after day, after day, after day....

    Thoughts and Prayers,
    John
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #3
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    Skiffin16 said:

    Keep On Keeping On
    You can do it, and yes it's very tedious for all of us....

    The mask in itself is something to deal with that causes a lot of anxiety up front.

    You're doing great, all of the emotions, fears, sleepless nights are perfectly normal....

    Keep on pushing forward...

    I always refer to this daily radiation time as a liking to the movie Ground Hog's Day. It's the same thing, day after day, after day, after day....

    Thoughts and Prayers,
    John

    John, you may be a 'Sister',
    John, you may be a 'Sister', but you don't get the hot flash thing. I do Rubytoos, and it sucks! I also would come home and crash for 2-3 hrs. Especially because I had to take benadryl, because I was doing the amifostine shots, and that really made me knocked out.

    Keep on keepin' on. :)
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #4
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    sweetblood22 said:

    John, you may be a 'Sister',
    John, you may be a 'Sister', but you don't get the hot flash thing. I do Rubytoos, and it sucks! I also would come home and crash for 2-3 hrs. Especially because I had to take benadryl, because I was doing the amifostine shots, and that really made me knocked out.

    Keep on keepin' on. :)

    Hi Ruby
    Going back just a few years I remember when my Wife was doing the hot flash thing, and you are so right under the Mask is not the place to have one. Sometimes the radiation has a way of triggering the body’s hormones and can cause a hot flash, tell you doctor if this keeps up or become’s a problem, don’t wait. As far as the sleeping problem, I would lay awake all night; again let the doctor know so he can give you something to help as your body needs rest.

    I am not sure if you are a believer or not, but during my treatment I leaned heavy on my faith to get me through. With out it I would have never made it, I hope you don’t mind as I would like to put you on my pray list.

    Take care and keep posting and remember you have a lot of friends who care about you here on CSN.
    Hondo
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #5
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    sweetblood22 said:

    John, you may be a 'Sister',
    John, you may be a 'Sister', but you don't get the hot flash thing. I do Rubytoos, and it sucks! I also would come home and crash for 2-3 hrs. Especially because I had to take benadryl, because I was doing the amifostine shots, and that really made me knocked out.

    Keep on keepin' on. :)

    Sisters....
    LOL, you are right...and I'm not going to have sympathy hot flashes for you ladies either.... But I did do the Amifostine like you, which has it's own demons....hmmmm maybe I did have Hot Flashes after all...

    The Amifostine Injections in my stomach every day started causing me extreme temperature swings the last few days before I had to stop them...fevers in the 102+ range.

    Glad I had a little Xanax to help me through those first few days of the Mask...

    "Mother's Little Helpers"....

    JG
  • rozaroo
    rozaroo Member Posts: 665
    #6
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    Skiffin16 said:

    Sisters....
    LOL, you are right...and I'm not going to have sympathy hot flashes for you ladies either.... But I did do the Amifostine like you, which has it's own demons....hmmmm maybe I did have Hot Flashes after all...

    The Amifostine Injections in my stomach every day started causing me extreme temperature swings the last few days before I had to stop them...fevers in the 102+ range.

    Glad I had a little Xanax to help me through those first few days of the Mask...

    "Mother's Little Helpers"....

    JG

    Hang in there!
    I never really had issues with hot flashes etc! But the mask was enough to drive me bonker's. I was wiped out after treatment's & would sleep for hour's at a time. The Dr. prescribed pill's Ativan that helped with the stress & anxiety of treatment. I admit I needed the extra help to get me through. Dr's understand we need help at times like this.
    Anything that work's to pull you through necessary treatment! I had an issue with my tummy & even wore depend's. Now how bad is that lol!
  • mixleader
    mixleader Member Posts: 267 Member
    #7
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    Rad Treatments
    Hi, Ruby. It sure sounds like you are going through a lot of the things that most of us have had to endure. I sure can't speak for the hot flashes thing, but I sure felt anxiety during the treatments and Ativan helped me survive the mask. I, also, was heavily fatigued after rad treatments and an hour or more nap each day after work and treatments was a must. I started a 'short timers' deck of cards and I brought in a card each day to the rad treatments with the number of treatments left written on it. The last day of treatment, I brought in the ace of spades with a big 'zero' written on it to signify the last day. Yes, this is a very tough time, but stay strong and fight through this.

    Roger
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #8
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    Keep On Keeping On
    Rubytoos,

    WOW - never considered hot flashes during rads. Ugh. Induction chemo put me in menopause, so I was there when I did rads. Luckily for me, I never had any of the "bad" side effects of menopause, so don't know how you felt during that "special" time having hot flashes during rads. I'm right there with you on the sometimes feeling overwhelmed front. I, too had times I wanted to be totally alone. I'm assuming that's a reaction to the stress and fear and getting run down and depression. As for feeling sorry for yourself - you got a right. As long as your self-pity is here and there, and not nonstop, I think it's par for the course. Hoping you don't get any more hot flashes while you're pinned down. Do well.

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