Salvage Radiotherapy

I do hope you manage to get your husband to the hospital today, if only to find out what your options are but also to check that there is no build up of urine in the kidneys which can be dangerous.

Just to clarify - if Peter is having radiotherapy over 20 or 33-37 sessions every week day then this is the lower daily dose but an overall total high dose which, along with HT has been proved to be pretty effective. High daily dose given on alternate days over 5 days gives a total low dose of radiotherapy.

Another thing you are going to have to weigh up is that if Peter does not complete the course of radiotherapy then he may end up being on HT, with its associated possible side effects, for a lot longer than necessary in order to keep the cancer in hibernation.

I wish you both all the best and please let us know what happens.

Hello Christine (Goggie ) Thanks for your reply - I am in Turkey at present - back home tomorrow - over here I am restricted to the access I have to my resources - so watch this space - I will find a way to get that link to you.

Kind Regards - Brian.

Hi Brian.

Can I help by putting the link up for you to BUPA counselling.

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/get-help/emotional-help/bupa-counselling-and-emotional-well-being-support

Thank you and I did we are on our way there now 

hopefully the radiologist will help him but i think we need a second opinion from someone he he can hopefully feel is on his side 

your info on the radiation doses was a great help thank you once again for your help I feel this could be a rocky road which ever way he chooses to go 

1. best wishes Christine 

Thank you and enjoy your holiday what’s left 

Thanks Christine - and as if by Magic (don't ask!!) the link to BUPA has arrived above. (thanks to Alwayshope. ).

Kind regards - Brian,

Hi and thank you .I have passed this on and it did ofcourse make sense to him … and it explained it better 

As for finishing the course I am not sure 

He’s just reading and reading all the possible side effects of the radiotherapy short and long term  he is extremely negative and assumes he will get most if not all of them .. This stems from previous operations he has had that have ended in complications.. I think that as I said the oncologist said this is all likely to fail so he’s weighing that up against the worst side effects 

It’s very concerning for me as he is all consumed by it . And I am worried he is going to make a mistake and I am tired of arguing as he has just made his mind up. 
today we have an appointment…. With the oncologist which I fear will go badly 

This stricture caused by the surgery and the fact he has divaticullitus is the main reason for all this on line investigation! 
I am exhausted 

best wishes and thank you again Christine 

Hi I can’t find the link ? 
sorry Christine 

Hi Christine (Goggie),

All your posts end with  ‘I am sorry I don’t know what this is ? ‘
I think you may have put this into your signature by mistake? If so, and you want to remove it, click your Avatar (arm chair) at the top right, go to settings and scroll down to your signature, remove the line and save.

David

Hi Christine.

For you, as a wife and carer it can be exhausting both physically and mentally so make sure that you get the help that YOU need. Arguing is going to upset both of you and you need to pull together at this time. Ultimately it is Peter's decision but when I had a similar situation with my husband I sat him down and calmly told him how his decision would affect me both short and long term. He had been so focused on the fact that it was his cancer that he had forgotten that it was a joint journey. 

If you have a meeting with the oncologist today I would ask point blank why he thinks radiotherapy is likely to fail and if you are not happy with the answer then say that you would like a second opinion. Oncologists are not gods and you need to understand what the real risks are for Peter, not what Google says. Everyone is different and has their own medical needs which impact on the outcome from different treatments. Make your own list of questions but in particular I would ask what is the consequence of stopping radiotherapy and what is the next step along with the side effects from that therapy - if any is offered.

Have you tried ringing PCUK nurses or the Macmillan help line, they are there for both of you, as are Maggie's if you have one in your area.

Please come back with any questions and I send you a big hug - it sounds as if you need one.