Radiotherapy

Hi Coltrane

I  was doing driving for a living when I had my RT. So I had my appointment at 7.30 am ( must admit handy hospital just 4 miles away)

but after that I went driving , could be couple of hundred miles away.  all was ok but midway thru treatment did suffer one of the usual side effects, constipation . coped ok though 

so if u are just travelling 60 mile round trip u should be fine, just take it easy

good luck

Steve

Hi- my OH had a 40 mile trip (80 round trip). Know where alll the loos are on route - depending on the appointment time of day will give you an idea of travel time. He never did any prep until he got to the hospital so that way no issues with bowel movements etc. it meant more time in the days but no accidents / incidents so worked ok for him. When you have your planning scan & tatoos the team will advise you more. The bonus is that being there each day the team can advise and address any issues quickly should you have any. Wishing you well. X

My husband was 75 at the time of his radiotherapy and suffered with fatigue throughout and after for quite a few months. The hospital is 25 miles away and the journey was in February - involved country lanes and then having to cross city traffic. Another issue was that the hospital car park queue is an hour from arrival to entering the car park. So, I drove him to the hospital, dropped him off and then went to park in a local supermarket ( cutting out car parking charges was a bonus!) He would ring me when ready to come home and I would take the 5 minute drive to pick him up. The downside of this was that I got very very tired too! I preferred to drive him rather than worry about him on the roads! My daughter did the driving for the third week and that was a massive help. 

Hello Worriedwife

Thanks for this. i’m also 75 but I’m fairly fit. Did you drive your husband because he doesn’t drive or couldn’t because of fatigue.

Hello Coltrane  - You should be fine, just watch out for the fatigue and make sure you know the toilets on your route.

At the planning scan ask about parking. it's different at every hospital - we had free parking in a gated car park - others were subsidised or free. To avoid "parking anxiety" I can recommend these "Parking Apps" where you can rent someone's drive near the hospital for 4 hours for about £4.00 - At least you know you have a space, can park and walk to the hospital.

Parking is the hard bit - the "prep" for the "sunbed" and the treatment is easy compared to everything else!

Keep us posted as to hoe you get on.

Best wishes - Brian.

Thanks - we are in Wales so its free parking. Basically that means that there are rarely any parking availability. I’ve not been on a sunbed for years!

We in wales too ( north). I used to drive and drop him off then go for a coffee and wait by a lovely church bu the hospital. If he went on his own he would park at the church & walk down & thru the hospital as parking is crazy. All the best xx

Hello Coltrane. I had a 40 mile round trip for my R. T. At the planning scan you should get all the info. I had to ring the unit each day before setting off to find out if they were running late as a different time each day so they could time the enema and 500mls of water to drink. I was fine driving each day. Parking always bad. Our unit gives out a sheet to put in your car stating you are getting R. T. and parking is free (if a space can be found). I found the fatigue came later. Hope all goes well for you.

Regards, Graham. 

Glan Clwyd? That’s where I’m going to.

Hi Coltrane,

I did all the driving whilst having treatment without any bother as my husband doesn't drive, & it's about 25 miles each way to the hospital.  Appointment times varied each day so some involved driving during rush hour.  As others have mentioned, parking was the most stressful part (why are there never enough spaces), so we always ensured we left home in plenty of time & arrived a minimum of 1 hr before the appointment  All prep was completed at the hospital.  

I always made sure I went for a pee at least twice before heading home, & it's worthwhile making sure you know anywhere you can stop off if needed on the way home.  Just in case, we carried a 5 litre container in the back of the car just in case (not that I could have filled it) but never in fact needed it.

If your wife is worried for you, is there a friend who could accompany you?

Hope it all goes well for you.

Brian