Hello everyone, I have started the third week of my treatment and it's going ok at the moment. My biggest concern at this point is the affect the treatment is having on my vulva, labia and surrounding areas, which are feeling sore and irritated. I have been managing radiation cystitis from about day 4 by constantly drinking, mainly lemon barley water and plain water.
I have 12 treatments left and am concerned that my intimate area is going to take a severe battering, so to speak. I never really considered that this would happen and , incorrectly, thought that all the discomfort would be round the back.
Is this a normal thing and has anyone, did anyone else, suffer this same situation and, if so, how did you manage it during the treatment and also after, and were there any long term effects?
The tiredness is quite overwhelming too, I'm usually very active but after my treatment it's all I can do to stay awake and have taken to having afternoon sleep to try and cope.
Oh the joys!
Hope you're all doing well
Jo x
Hi Jo (Dahlia68 ),
My treatment side effects took a similar path to your own, I got radiation cystitis in week 2 of treatment & my lady parts were the first to flare up when the skin reaction began, the fatigue was also a prevalent issue for me & I too would come in from my daily appointment & lay down & have a nap, I would still be ready for bed by 9pm too. My fatigue gradually tailed off after a couple of weeks following that last treatment but would crop up every few days where I’d have to have a day doing absolutely nothing. I just kept slathering on the creams provided & had a jug of water by the loo as passing urine stung like heck!
Good luck with the remainder of your treatment & as has already been said let your treating team know if the creams & pain relief you’re using at present isn’t cutting it, they should have lots of options to prescribe.
Nicola
