Radiotherapy pain management

1. Hi Avril I completed mine exactly a year ago the chemo was not too bad but the radiotherapy was very painful I had 25 sessions but after 15 the pain was pretty bad and I lived in soups and milkshakes had the liquid oxetacaine the same as you but had to go on MST as well as everything felt like it was burning me , it did help quite a lot x

Hi Jackie, thank you for your reply.
I've got another 4 before my next review. I'll see how I feel after tomorrow's and decide whether I need to call the specialty nurse for advice. I've tried not to call her because I'm sure she has patients much worse off.
Still, can't keep the weight up if I can't eat.
Are you well recovered now?
x

Hi Avril I am really good now thank you had my Ivor Lewis in January as a good 9 months now I have to eat smaller amounts and at a slow pace and cannot put weight on it it’s stable since may , will be thinking of you x

Hi Avril

i had the same treatment - 25 radio sessions over 5 weeks plus weekly chemo.

My main side effect was similar - heartburn type chest pain. I couldn’t swallow anything at that time so they put me on fentanyl patches for pain.

Tthey went on my arm for about 3 days at a time before getting replaced & they upped the dose of the patch as we went along.

didnt take the pain away altogether but made it bearable & no swallowing needed which was a boost.

maybe worth speaking to the nurse about that?

Oh & my treatment was April 2018. I’m still here, all clear & doing well. 

So keep positive & keep fighting as this can be beaten.

All the best,

Gus