I now have a date~21st May at 10.50. I've been told it will probably be a 2 hr appointment. Obviously I can't take anyone with me. Can anyone prepare me for what will happen during the appointment please.
Hi Nina60 As far as I can remember from when I had mine a couple of years ago, they talk you through all that they will be doing over the course of the treatments and you can of course ask questions. I think I had already been given the enema things to practise with beforehand, and I had to use one of those so that my bowel was empty and then drink 4 cups of water so I had a full bladder, wait for 45 minutes or so and then they took me in for a CT scan to work out the positioning for the radiotherapy sessions, and 3 small dots were tattooed on, one low down in the middle and one on each hip. This is so they can line up the machines into the right postion before each radiotherapy session. I had also had a CT scan the day before with dye, so on this planning appointment they didn't use the dye again as it was so close to the previous one, but they may use it for you. They gave me my appointments a week at a time so I was given the first ones at that appointment.
I hope that helps, not sure if I've forgotten anything but I am sure others will be along too!
Thanks Lesley. I've not been told anything about an enema. All she said was I'd need a scan. I knew about the tattoos but was told that it would be 2. Nothing said about a dye~that could be interesting if given intravenously as my veins hide!!!
As far as I can remember I was given a prescription for the enema capsule things - can't remember what they were called - and laxatives as I was told my bowels had to be producing the right sort of thing before radiotherapy and was given a chart to compare lol! This was at the appointment where I was told I would be having radiotherapy and brachytherapy after I had been for my histology results following surgery at my local hospital. (Radiotherapy was at a different hospital). I then had a few weeks before the planning appointment to prepare. I realise it is all a bit different now because of the virus situation, so your appointment might go a bit differently. I hope all goes well for you and feel free to ask any questions along the way. One thing I can advise is to drink plenty of water during treatment - they say 2 litres and I did struggle with that amount but measured it in jugs and drank my way through them during the day!
Hi Nina60, I have just finished radiotherapy on 1 April 2020. My planning meeting was similar to Lesley’s though I had the contrast dye on the day. I did have to drink 6 cups of water and wait 45 minutes this reduced to 3 cups 30 minutes prior to each treatment. I didn’t have any enemas during planning or the daily treatment but perhaps some hospitals do it differently. Although I found radiotherapy quite daunting at the beginning it was doable and the radiologists couldn’t have been kinder and it was easier than chemotherapy.
I wish you well with your treatment and hope you don’t find it too arduous. I’ve been reading this forum since last year and have found it so informative and helpful in getting through chemo, radiotherapy and brachytherapy.
Hello Suse I hope you do not mind me contacting you? I wonder if I could email you with a personal question please? Fully understand if you would prefer I didn't. Thanks. Gina
Thanks so much Suse. I have read your profile and our journeys sound quite similar. I am overweight and my Consultant did not originally want to operate so I had the mirena coil fitted. I lost 5 stone and my hysterectomy was booked for 2 April but was then cancelled because of COVID29. It will not now be done for months and I am worried that my prognosis will change during the delay. I note your stage and grade (and hope you are now well on the road to recovery). My question is did your stage and grade change from your hysteroscopy to operation? Bit long winded sorry!
Hi Georgie1, the answer to your question is yes, my gynaecologist explained that the abnormal cells were more aggressive following my hysteroscopy in May 2019 but I was still expecting to be stage 1, I knew the cells were high grade though. When the oncologist said I was stage 3b following surgery, I was taken a back, though I got the impression it was quite unusual. My recovery is going well apart from being more tired than usual and I’m hoping to get back to work soon. I feel for you so much having your surgery postponed, it’s an anxious enough time without this Covid virus changing everything. I hope you get a new date soon and all goes well for you.
Thank you Suse I am really anxious that the delay will affect my stage and grade but there is not much I can do. I know some trusts are doing operations but mine is not. Take care. Gina
