Radiotherapy experiences?

hi anxious daughter

Sorry to find yourself here....i'm also an anxious daughter like you - with mum with stage 4 lung cancer.... I recently had a complete breakdown sobbing crying lots n lots havingIhaving just returned from working overseas and having not not seen seen my mumhmum since January.  I followed friends advice and spoke to Macmillan, Maggie's and ( lung cancer nurse but they weren't lots of help) . I made my mum see GP since GP prescribed morphine and seemed to help with that side of life and provide some emotional support ( human side). We've still not accessed help with breathing etc- Apparently a community nurse can come out but GP can't arrange that...we need to access social services through the council.... It's all a minefield frankly. I insisted mum had her appointment in person with oncologist last week despite the local health authority trying to cancel it.....( cancer unit was deathly quiet- awful pun I know).... no idea where patients / oncologists are.

I suppose the message is get on the phone. I feel your pain....this is hell.

Hi and a warm welcome to the Community and to Carers. Radiotherapy affects people in different ways. Some sail through it. My husband was fatigued and it can go on for a while but there's no way of knowing whether your mum will be a sail-through-it type or if she would find it trying. It has to be her choice of course so I wonder if she (or both of you) might think it's worth having a chat to an expert on the helpline? It's 0808 808 0000 and they're open every day 8am-8pm.

Hugs,

Hi, thanks.

I've got her compiling a list of questions, we are meeting with the radiologist next week for her planning scan. 

Hopefully, she will be able to get some answers to them

Hi there, i too am a carer for my mum who has stage 3 incurable fungating breast cancer and now secondary cancer of the lungs, my mum also has her 1st planning appointment this wednesday  for radiotherapy, mum is concerned about the extreme tiredness sympton and  like you i will be making a list of questions, mum is 81 and only having 1 session a week for 6 weeks because of her being fraile, she is currentley on letrozole and was on a chemo tablet palbo but that has stopped working after a good year taking it. I hope your mum goes on ok and  she has little side effects, fingers crossed for her. Xx

so sorry about your Mum - My Mum has recently been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer, she is 79.  When she was first diagnosed with breast cancer (2 years ago), she had radiotherapy as she didn't want chemo.  It didn't seem to affect her at all, no tiredness - she carried on her life as normal.  All that affected her was some sore patches where it affects the skin.  I think everyone reacts differently to all these treatments though - and I'm not sure if she sailed through it because she hadn't had chemo unlike many.  Now she has secondary cancer and is having to have chemo pills and I have the same concerns as to how she will cope.  Hoping it goes well for you both x.

Hi Molly, thankyou for replying and sharing your experiences and concerns, it is good to know your mum had little effects of the radiotherapy., that is very encouraging and yes we are different with symptons,.

I hope your mum does well on chemo tablets, my mum took palbociclib for a year and done very well considering her age of 80, she did have some side effects such as muscle aches, nausea, and also constant neutrophilis drop which meant breaks in her taking tge tablets but it gave her a good summer last year with getting around but sadly it was no longer working in march so oncologist took her off it.

I hope your mum does really well on her new meds , hope you will feel a little easier in time with your concerns to your mum as i know how difficult it is being a carer. 

Take care 

Rita.x

Whhops, sorry Molly only just realised you were replying back the Anxious daughter!! Still getting use to the site but more the merrier

Sorry to hear that she has secondary cancer.  Mum is still in two minds, she just wants to get on with life.  Particularly having been confined to the house for so long. 

Mum sailed through the chemo until now, although she was on drip followed by two days of tablets. No hair loss or anything, she has just had her final session and starting to feel tired.  I think you are right with everyone reacting differently. It makes it so hard to come to decisions doesn't it.

Hope it goes well for you and your mum. x

Sorry, just catching up as it's been a busy couple of days.

Hope your planning meeting goes ok.  I have to say mums consultant is amazing. No beating around the bush but done tactfully. She calmly went through the list of questions which she must be asked pretty much every time.

Mum was initially being offered ten consecutive days but when she said she was reluctant about ten days they dropped it to five.  Explained to her it's like a microwave so can shorten it but increase wattage so to speak.  It just means side effects may be a little worse for a short period.  

She has been marked up ready to go but is waivering a little again.   

Fingers crossed for Wednesday.

Thankyou for replying Anxious daughter , thats a good way of explaining it is like a microwave as i think my mum would relate to that as sometimes she does not understand the more complex medical  stuff. 

Yes we are all set up for tomorrow 's prepping appointment, think mum is just concerned about keeping still as she gets restless legs syndrome...i said i will just have to sit on her legs!! 

i hope your mum fairs well with the treatment and i would love to know how she gets on.

Kind regards

Rita.x