Radiotherapy/Brachytherapy

Hi chlorakas, that’s great that you get free parking! It’s interesting as Southampton give slightly different advice re diet. I’m copying and pasting from the leaflet here: 

Make sure you drink enough on weekends and treatment-free days too.
Eat regularly – eat frequent meals. Skipping meals and not eating can lead to increased fullness of your rectum and increase wind in your bowels.
Avoid or reduce the amount of foods you eat that can cause wind or bloating, such as:
• vegetables in the brassica family (such as cabbages, sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower) • dried fruits (especially in muesli or similar cereals)
• high fat and greasy foods
• onions, lentils and beans (including baked beans)
• carbonated drinks (soft and alcoholic) • very spicy foods
Try not to eat more than two pieces of fruit a day.

I followed this and had no side effects till week 4 and even then it was just a bit of bloating and urgency. I’ve no idea if it was down to  what I ate. I relaxed this on a Friday night and Saturdays when I knew I didn’t have treatment the next day (though I did have treatment on one Saturday to make up for a bank holiday the week before) 

This corresponds with the advice I was given. I’ve never seen anyone having radiotherapy on this area of the body being recommended to eat a high fibre diet. 

Sarah xx

Yes I was told low fibre for pelvic radiotherapy. This is the link that chlorakas has looked at:

www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/.../low-irritant-high-fibre-diet_dec21.pdf

What do you think to the Royal Berkshire diet ? Is it the information you were given - as it says cabbage and broccoli/cauliflower florets but no stalks are Ok, not sure about roast potatoes.

Hi chlorakas, were you advised to follow that or was it just that you found it yourself? I do wonder if that’s a general radiotherapy diet rather than for pelvic radiotherapy. Here’s what UHS Southampton specifically gave me and I followed it closely, avoiding broccoli etc completely (if link doesn’t work I’ll screenshot it for you)

www.uhcw.nhs.uk/.../Diet and cancer care - Dietary advice for patients receiving radiotherapy to the pelvis area (1826).pdf

This diet does not confirm it is suitable for pelvic radiotherapy, which comes with its own challenges. I’ve had 32 sessions of pelvic radiotherapy, and would not have followed this diet advice personally. I think it’s important to be guided by your team who will have specific information on pelvic radiotherapy. 

Sarah xx

I will take it to the hospital and see what they think.

You could always phone and ask your CNS on Monday. 

I was definitely advised  to avoid things like broccoli and other brassicas which cause wind.  At the start it seemed horrifying that I had to abandon all my ideas of a healthy diet.  Leaving the salad garnish on the plate in a restaurant went against all my principles as did having a pizza without tomatoes and eating white bread!  But there was still plenty to enjoy - I did develop a taste for home-made smooth peanut butter.   

The restrictions were only for those  few weeks and afterwards I could again enjoy a hot curry and a glass of beer so it was worth it in the end.  

I've just remembered that I was also advised that It wasn't just what you ate but how you ate it.  I was given a little lecture on how the process of digestion starts in the mouth, so eating slowly and chewing well reduces gas formation in the gut. It seemed to make sense and I did try - but not always with success!