End of another chapter.

FormerMember over 4 years ago

4 replies
42 subscribers
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Hi all, well yesterday i finished 30 sessions of Radiotherapy and got to ring the bell. I was a bit emotional as i had got to know the staff who looked after me over the last month and they were absolutley lovely from the radiologists to the receptionists. I don't see the doctor till the 24th February and i won't have a scan until 3 months have passed as the treatment carries on working for some time so it wouldn't make sense to scan any earlier.

The radiotherapy itself was a doddle, the side effects not so pleasant ! Because they were doing the radio on my lungs it affects you gullet and your food pipe, i can't eat a lot of food at the moment such as bread, cake and meat it just gets stuck,i have been eating a lot of scrambled egg and macaroni cheese and mashed potato with well cooked veg. I managed to loose 1.5 stones in the last four weeks so they decided i needed some of those Fresubin fruity drinks as i cant have milky ones. Have any of you ever tasted these drinks ?? I can only say they must have been invented by a sadist, how they can give them to poorly patients and expect them to get better is beyond me lol they are vile.

The other thing is the COUGH ! It is so annoying and strikes when you least expect it, it wakes me up, it starts after i have eaten to the point where i am sick, and everytime i try and speak to someone on the phone i have to give up as i end up coughing more than i can speak. Anyway they have said this should all go back to normal over the next few weeks. I gained a few new medications along the way but hopefuly only for a short while. They gave me something to numb my gullet, some cemetidine for my stomach some water tablets as i am now a bit bloated but they said that has nothing to do with the radio, some dissolving paracetamol and lots of oxycodone.

I managed to trap a nerve in my back as well and had to go to radiotherapy one morning in an ambulance as i couldn't walk but that seems to have resolved itself for now.

Now starts the long wait till the scan and the results, i am trying not to think about wether it has worked or not as we all know it can drive you batty.

In the meantime i am planning what seeds i will be planting in my garden for the summer and we are going up to Cumbria to our friends for a weekend break at the begining of February before my hubby has his heart surgery.

Wishing you all the best. Lynn 2 xx

FormerMember over 4 years ago

Hi Lynn

How lovely to hear from you.

So glad you have now completed the radiotherapy, and its time for you to take it easy and enjoy your weekend away. it will do you good a bit f normality if on this journey there is such a thing.

Keep us updated.

Take Care Ellie xx

"You Never Walk A Lone"

tvman over 4 years ago

Hi Lynn

Congratulations on finishing your radiotherapy, getting to ring that bell must have felt wonderful.

Having to leave nurses etc is horrible because they do become real friends and they're so nice.

You have a long wait for the results, I hope they're positive and something to be happy about. You've time to get your garden in shape before you head for Cumbria. I've only been there once when my 3 children were small and they didn't appreciate the beauty. It's one place I would like to visit again before I get too ill to go. I'll have to work on my wife, she's not keen to go places these days, I don't know why she isn't so keen, something to do with the driving I think, she doesn't like me to go too far yet when I was working I used to drive 600 miles a week!

You make sure you have a lovely time and then you can be of help to your husband after his op. I had heart surgery myself 8 years ago and I know how important it is to rest afterwards.

Take care Lynn

Tvman xx

Love life and family.

FormerMember over 4 years ago

I almost laughed at your "radiotherapy not too bad" then the long list of resulting horrors. Then I realised it would have been in poor taste and good dose of sympathy would be more appropriate. My goodness you have been through the mill but your spirit is undimmed. I know what you mean about getting to know the lovely staff so well. I almost came to rely on them when I had 33 days of radiotherapy in 2014. Although the end of the trips to the hospital was welcome at the end of it all, I somehow felt adrift.

The wait for results must seem very long. Of course there's no point in scanning earlier as radiotherapy takes a while to work. Have they warned you that the side effects and fatigue might get worse before they get better? I found that to be the case. I made sure I drank lots of water to flush those dead cells out of my lymph system and kept up the calorie intake. There's a lot of healing to do after radiotherapy.

I hope your cough gets better. It sounds a real nuisance. The trip to Cumbria sounds just the tonic you and your hubby need. It's an amazing place. Lots of Geography.

Lots of love

xxx

FormerMember over 4 years ago

Well done Lynn

I did 15 sessions late last year and that was enough. For me it was just the radiation burns that caused the most problems otherwise it was fine. Anything that leads to being admitted to hospital tends to put you off big style.

We have a ring the bell thing at our unit too and although I was a bit self conscious about doing it the way people get together to support you is so nice.

We have a unit that has all the different therapies, chemo, radio and oncology department in it so you do get to know people. In particular the receptionists as they never seem to change. My oncologists secretary is leaving soon and I will really miss her she started working for the oncologist the same time as I was initially diagnosed almost 7 years ago and she has been wonderful. He will be leaving at without her so I hope they get a good replacement.

Hope you get good results in the future and you are able to eat the things you like soon.