Catch up

Hi Dorset Girl and thanks for the update!

It’s good to hear the chemo is going smoothly, so I hope that continues for you. You’ll likely have around 5 weeks of the chemoradiation, so brachytherapy is some time away for you. Your hospital will give you more information nearer the time, and I suppose my advice would be to try not to anticipate too much about it now.

I know I was concerned about it, and in the end couldn’t even have it as I had a pulmonary embolism the night before! So my worry was for nothing ultimately. What form of treatment you have for your brachytherapy will depend on your individual situation, and also the equipment set up in your hospital.

Mine was scheduled to be as an inpatient from Tuesday to Thursday, and would have involved a short term general anaesthetic and mri for insertion of the rods, followed by being hooked up to the machine with doses of radiation delivered over the Tuesday and Wednesday at periodic intervals. In other scenarios ladies go in for several different shorter sessions but are not inpatients. Treatment is different again if you have already had a hysterectomy.

You will be advised beforehand of any potential side effects, but most ladies I see posting about brachytherapy have got over it pretty quickly and have said the thought was worse than the reality!

Enjoy blowing those cobwebs away at the beach!

Sarah xx

Hi Sarah 

Thanks for you're reply , you always give such sensible and helpful information  

I had a lovely time at the beach yesterday and even managed to forget I have cancer for a few hours

X

That’s lovely to read, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I moved inland some years ago after a lifetime of living near the sea and I miss it hugely. It’s so good for the soul to be by the water. 

Sarah xx

hi

i have just finished treatment, i had 5 weeks of daily radiotherapy, 5 weekly sessions of chemo and 4 sessions of brachytherapy over 2 weeks, so 7 weeks in total.

i am suffering from side effects now but nothing too bad really.

i don't think you should overthink regarding your treatment but i know its hard, i feel the planning scans for the radio and the brachy were the worse things i went through if I'm honest and that is because for me, not knowing is the worse once i know what will happen i cope better.

personally i feel in limbo now the treatment has stopped it has gone from all to nothing and i have to wait now for a MRI and pet scan to hopefully get the all clear which could be in a few months time.

please feel free to ask questions if you want to or just chat

wish you luck with your treatment and hope it all goes well for you x

Thank you Debz. Iam trying not over think things and like you , I feel better once I have a plan in place 

I hope you don't have to wait too long for your scans. Fingers and toes crossed that you get a good result 

This is such a tough journey for all of us in ways that many others really can't imagine. I'm doing my best to be a brave warrior!!

Sending you all of best wishes  

Hi debz64 

I think we all feel in limbo after treatment as it’s so intense over a short period of time. I had 7 weeks of radiotherapy. After going every day for radiotherapy there’s suddenly nothing and it feels quite strange. There needs to be a waiting period while everything settles so that the scan results are more accurate, as the radiotherapy does keep working in your body after treatment.

So, it’s usually around 3 months after treatment you’ll get a scan-I had an mri. I finished treatment on the Christmas Eve and had my scan at the end of February. Then it’s the wait for results! 

My side effects were gone a couple of weeks after treatment finished. I had no bowel control at times and terrible radiation cystitis so was pleased to feel more back to normal. Hope your side effects subside soon for you.

Sarah xx

thank you

im really glad you mentioned bowels because that is my worse side effect at the moment, i was begining to get a little worried about it.

Mine went completely back to normal, but for a time it was very difficult and I had a lot of accidents, luckily none in public! A friend having pelvic radio at the same time as me had this too-even on the radiotherapy table. The bowel and bladder can temporarily be really badly affected by the radiotherapy but for most it does calm down pretty quickly. You’re just finished treatment, so hopefully things will go back to normal soon.

Sarah xx

thank you

it is so embarrassing but luckily I'm working from home at the moment xx

Oh, it is really horrible but at least you’re at home. I used to be mortified but had to accept I just couldn’t control it.

Sarah xx