Good morning lovely people. My mum starts her radiotherapy treatment on Friday and is understandably anxious about it all, and I was wondering if any of you had any advice or suggestions that I could pass on to her, to try and allay her fears a little. Thank you. X
Hi Dawnygs I have had radiotherapy. The treatment itself is relatively easy and is over in minutes. You lay on a bed and a machine like an X-ray machine, moves around you. The first time you go they measure you up, and mark the spot they need to zap with a little tattoo dot. That is just ink on something that looks like a cocktail stick. Each time you go for radiotherapy they make sure these dots are lined up, they then step out of the room, and you all you have to do is lay still. It is completely painless. No different to having an X-ray.
All treatments come with side effects, and everyone reacts differently. For me, radiotherapy made me tired. I also had a burn that looked like sunburn on my chest, it was completely square, and I had an identical one on my back. It also made my oesophagus feel like it was burnt. Food was difficult to swallow, so I had a lot of ice lolly’s and ice cream to cool it down. They will tell your mum about the possible side effects at the hospital and what she can do to ease the effects.
I had an intense course of radiotherapy over 5 days. It shrunk my tumour initially by 50%. Tell your mum I wish her all the best for her treatment, and there really isn’t anything to worry about.
