Update...week 5 of treatment

Hi well done snd thanks for update. Yes the next few weeks are tough but he’s come this far. Just hang on in there. 
Hazel x

Hi Bex,

Sounds like he is doing really well. I'm sure your support is helping him too. 1 week left. Make sure he is well stocked with meds by the end of this week and then bunker down for 2-3 weeks. Has he got caphosol, gelclair, difflam etc to help with the ulcers? The PEG should settle soon. 

Ronnie x 

Thanks ronnie,

Yes I'm so proud of him, got lots of meds now, on morphine patches too, they've said once his treatment stops they can give him different cream for the skin, PEG has settled his started using it for meds, the ensures are starting to burn now so I think won't be long before he moves them into the PEG too.

I went 100% peg for 3 weeks the day after my treatment finished. He's' about at the toughest point now. It might not feel like it some days, but it will get better. Sending you both big hugs 

Hi Bex. He is doing very well managing to eat. I spent the first two weeks after treatment in a morphine haze....being looked after by Stan. I wasn't offered Fentanyl but relied on long acting morphine twice daily for background pain and oromorph for breakthrough.

My skin didn't break and it heals surprisingly well after RT is stopped (it doesn't continue to cook like the cancer does) and in those two weeks it largely disappeared. If he needs it he will get Flamazine which works wonders. It has silver in it so can't be used during treatment.

I too lost the hair on the nape of my neck but it grew back. Talking to guys having treatment some of them grew their beards back, others didn't so there's no telling yet.

Hang on only a week to go

Thank you, skin has just gone unfortunately that said they will give him flamazine once treatment stops, morphine patches are on his really struggling now still drinking the ensures not sure how long that will last  

Hi Bex. Sorry to hear that but any consolation mine went week 5  and I had 2 more weeks of radiotherapy. The team every day wrapped my neck in hospital grade cling film for treatment. I was also given polymem bandages for the next few weeks to use at home.  My neck is fine now just need to be careful in the sun  factor 50 every time is routine.
if he can’t swallow the ensures he had a peg so please get him to use it as the first few weeks into recovery the treatment continues to work. He’s come this far not much longer to go. Hope he rings the bell at the end of treatment.

Hazel 

Hi Bex, 

So sorry it's got tougher for him. Week 5 did it fir me too. Much like Hazel, RT team used cling film during treatment so mask didn't irritate, Polymen too. Didn't blister, just so burnt it peeled. 2 weeks into recovery stopped using polymem. All fine now, I can see a slight mark but no-one else notices unless I say. Factor 50 when the sun is out and a thin scarf on those very rare hot days. 

Swallowing went on day 1 of recovery. Great wedding anniversary! But 6 months on its been fine for a while. PEG became my best friend at this point. 

In my thoughts, Ronnie