Not completing all weeks of radiotherapy

Hi 
Not me. I was told it wasn’t an option. Might as well not do any. Three weeks will hold the disease back a little but it won’t cure you. 
It is challenging but it’s doable. I was 68 when I was diagnosed and I managed. I wanted to live. 
Nobody gets all the side effects we have to sign off and anyway most of them can be mitigated. 
Five years later I’m fit and well with just a dry mouth to remind me. 

Thanks for reassuring me that it's doable - my sister in law went through the same thing a few years ago so i saw how awful it is. She still can't really eat much or taste anything. I'm trying to be brave for the family's sake but frightened waiting to see how bad it is... xx

Hi MGWass, you need to stop worrying about what might be, it is an unknown to be sure, but everyone reacts differently.. you're understandably anxious, but you might sail through with very few side effects.. there have been a few that sailed through with hardly any pain relief.. you just don't know at this point.. yes the treatment can be difficult, but the cancer will not go away with wishful thinking. We've all been on this journey, and we're all here to help you through this.. 

Hi MGWass

I had 30 radio and 4 chemo... and yes it was challenging for me, recovery was also a challenge, but it passes...never gave curtailing my treatment a single thought as I wanted to have the best outcome possible...some manage to escape the worst of the side effects, maybe you will fall into this category?

Take care

Peter

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, you're right I need to wait and see - I don't even know if it's going to be treatable yet! 

Thanks Peter, feeling such a wuss at the moment. I don't even know what I'm looking at yet and that's part of the problem.

I've read your posts and it's so encouraging to see you're out the other side.

sadly waiting for results, etc just adds to the anxiety.. STAY OFF GOOGLE.. you don't need some of the nonsense on there to add to your anxiety..here is a safe place for you to ask questions, and vent your frustrations should you need to ..

Hi Like  Dani I  told it’s all or nothing the treatment plan is worked out by your oncologists and the radiotherapy techs do the planning. I know people who during covid got covid but still,had to go to every session. They used to be the last in at the end if the day. It’s vital not to miss any otherwise it’s a waste of time having any. 

remember we don’t get all the side effects it’s a tried and trusted method of treating head and neck cancers. It’s hard but if I can do it at 6 anyone can. 

Hazel 

You need the full treatment unless all you want is paliative care, in which case there are often lesser doses of radiation given to shrink tumours and make the pain more bearable.

We are all different.  I made it through to the final day of tratment still eating.  After that day I did go into pump feeding for a short while.  It was only the last week when, for me, the pain really ramped up.

There are excellent pain medications to help make the treatment more comfortable.  Nobody is going to tell you that it is a walk in the park, but it is doable and the vast majority of us go on to have a good quality of life afterwards.

Plan on a year out of your life in return for many good years.  That is not to say those months of the first year are impossible, it is just that recovery is slow and steady and you will have a few setbacks on the way.  But you will get there, especially with the help of this group.

Hi MG! ~ I'm heading into my 3rd wk tomorrow (Mon 11/11), and do anticipate feeling icky moving forward but we have to just do it! I'm scared for sure.. I just keep rolling on.. I do 2X day.. 23/68 so far .. I just keep telling myself that this a hiccup this year and will keep on it and find something to laugh at daily...