First full week ahead:

Hey LCraig 

I can sympathise with the feeling about chemo being poison and radiotherapy a microwave.  I think after week one - I was very angry that I had go to through this "hell" which would make me poorly when I hadn't been before - but the reality is that this treatment protocol will hopefully save our lives.... And so I changed my perspective because I couldn't imagine coping until the end, if I was an angry at the treatment plan.  I now see it as the "cure".

Someone advised me on here to deal with the symptoms you've currently experiencing and again that was a mindset shift for me - but it helped so much.   

Good luck for your first 5-dayer.  

Hi LCraig ,

I also had a great love/hate relationship with my treatment plan! I knew it was the only hope I had of getting my health back & hoped against hope that it would help me live into my dotage but hated filling my body with so many toxins all at the same time that were inevitably going to make me feel worse before I felt better so I know exactly where you’re coming from! Like yourself I too had an amazing array of professionals involved in my care, right down to the hospital receptionists & will forever be in their debt. 

With your night sweats & irritability you’re describing my menopause right there  on a serious note though the combination of these 2 treatments may be messing with your hormones, the women amongst our community have often been warned that the treatment can send us into premature menopause, I was already there so thankfully it brought mine to an abrupt halt! or it could simply be a subconscious stress response to the realisation you’re experiencing regarding your diagnosis & treatment. I would mention how you’re feeling at your review just to see what your Dr says. 

The only things my oncologist gave me in advance was the anti sickness meds & some loperamide (Imodium) just in case I needed it, I never did. If I remember correctly my radiotherapy team provided most of my creams. I think pain meds, should you need them, will be down to your oncologist so be open & honest with them about any discomfort you’re having. Try not to preempt any side effects just deal with it on a day to day basis. 

Wishing you the very best of luck with this week’s treatment & thank you again for the update.

Nicola 

Hi Craig,

I was also angry re the chemo tablets and physically I gagged trying to swallow them but I convinced myself it just had to be done.

When you have your first review ask for a morphine prescription, you never know when you will start needing it and I didn’t start taking it till the end of week 3 but it’s very comforting to have it ready as you never know when things will start hurting.

Jane 

Thank you. All good advice.

Thank you.

My sister says she can relate to the symptoms similar to her menopause.

Good advice re: not preempting side effects. I did that on the first day and imagined all sorts of worst case scenarios.

Thank you great advice, I will mention the morphine. I’ve read this mentioned a lot on this forum. forewarned is forearmed. 

Thank you. I think a day by day approach is a very good one to adopt, This does mean a paradigm shift for me. I am working on it.

If you're going to ask about morphine, make sure you ask about stool softener/laxatives.  I managed to get to week 4 before I needed more than paracetamol  but I needed some support with my stools around week 2. Morphine can make some constipated.  When I did talk about pain relief, I was prescribed morphine that same day....  no problem.  

I found my team to be pretty aware of what I needed and when, helped by having honest and open conversations about how I was feeling - hopefully you'll have the same level of support and care. 

Hello LCraig

Now you are on a roll, and remember the side effects don't come all at once and generally much later.  It is a quite a hurdle taking the tablets - I honestly don't know how I managed.  I told them I gag with even small tablets and they gave me a plastic apron, gloves and told me to wear them when cutting the tablets in half and to wash everything around me - my hair was standing on end!  And, I was so alarmed that amazingly I was able to swallow them every single time.  Now I am back to retching over half a paracetamol, so it really was mind over matter during treatment.

The team over me didn't offer anything in advance, but were very reactive to anything I was going through.  So whatever was prescribed on the same day I would go to the pharmacy and my prescription would already be there.

Your mindset is formidable and will get you through this.  (And we are here too, should you need us!)

Irene xx

I was hospitalised my first week of treatment with an infection. I was sick with the chemo and felt so so ill. I still had the daily radiotherapy and chemo but I was on a ward with 3 other women 2 of whom were given a terminal diagnosis and withdrawal of treatment. Despite how awful the treatment got I told myself ‘I get to have treatment’ and yes it is horrific but I was given a chance to get better. This mindset really helped me reach the end of treatment and beyond. 

As for what to ask for - telling your radiography team and nurses about your symptoms and they will adjust and prescribe what you need. As I found it more difficult to walk they quickly increased my morphine for the pain and creams for the burns. The benefit of seeing them daily means they can really keep an eye on you. My team were brilliant. 

Sending you strength for your treatment and recovery x