Well finally started treatment yesterday (Tuesday 25th) kicking off with Chemoradiotherapy so the day went thus:
8.00am - Cardboard Bowl of Hot water put in front of me and told to put my hands in there up to the wrist. To help them find a vein in the back of your hand I think.
8.30am - First “flush through” drip attached, I think a saline solution that took 2 hours.Then various additions were put in. Maybe a steroid solution and antisickness before the Chemo drip went in for two to three hours, then (and this is the good part) they hooked on the final “flush through” drip for the last two hours and told me I could take it down to Radiology and get my Radiotherapy done!! Brilliant. So we actually left the hospital at around 3.30 approx. The staff were so kind and wonderful and I can’t fault them on any level!
Finally got my Radiotherapy full schedule and it doesn’t look too bad until we have some very early ones in the last couple of weeks but we can stay over in the hospital hotel which is in fact what we did on Monday night for the 8.00am start yesterday. I felt absolutely fine yesterday, just had a bit of a full feeling in my gut but no sickness. I had a bad start as I had a cracking headache due to severe lack of sleep. I was worried about going to the loo with the drip!! That was just silly. Back today for Radiotherapy at 12.55pm but had to be there at 11.25 to do enema and drink the water beforehand. They were having problems with some of the machines so I didn’t get in until 1.40 by which time my bladder felt fit to burst. So note to self: Always ask if there’s a delay before drinking the water! Do feel tired today though but trying to stay awake until I sleep for the duration of the night! Thank you ladies for helping me so much to get through to this stage! xxx
Hi Snobird lovely to hear from you. I remember my first day I was so nervous I thought I was going to pass out!! But it soon passed and I just sat and watched everything that was going on I found it fascinating. Going to the toilet with a drip took a bit of manovering. As the days go by you get into a routine and everything gets easier.
The water drinking is challenging but you’ll master it.
Keep us posted and if you have any questions just ask there’s always someone whose seen it, done it, been there.
Good luck xx
Hi AMF. Thanks for the advice. Yes it is fascinating, so many people with so many different treatments around you and all so very positive. I don’t think I saw one sad face, but maybe it was a good day… I see you are awaiting a …is it 3 month review… and I wish you all the luck in the world and I will keep posting as I go through this and hope that maybe as a newbie starting treatment I can be of some help to someone else reaching this stage. Thanks again xxx
Hope you got on okay today. I had a scan after my external radiotherapy before the brachytherapy which showed the tumour had reduced. I had further scan 2 months after treatment ended which showed further reduction I am due to have another scan in March which will be 5 months post treatment. I have adenocarcinoma cervical cancer which is not as radio sensitive as squashamous cell the most common type. Oncologist said it is usually slower to respond so I’ll just have to wait and see. I had very few side effects during treatment and have felt fine since treatment finished just a bit tired at times.
Fingers crossed your treatment goes okay and your side effects are minimal, however if you do get side effects your team will be able to help. You do not need to suffer they are great at dealing with everything.
Glad to hear u got started okay. My first week floored me and I really thought it was going to be the same for the 6 weeks but its not been. Tomorrow is the last day of my 4th week so 2 more weeks to go. If you have any questions fire them across I seem to have a few side effects nothing serious though but so many people on this page have been a great help with any issues I’ve had. Xx
@Snowbird Bless you, you’re going through exactly what I had, and what would have helped enormously would have been if someone had explained what was going to happen BEFOREHAND. I found the entire appointments system incomprehensible, I didn’t get my schedule until the day I actually started my RT and that started a day late because I hadn’t actually been given a start date. The chemo was very difficult for me due to having to stay on a ward most of the day, I’m autistic and have sensory processing disorder so bright lights plus different noises all day and not being able to go anywhere without dragging a drip stand around after me was very stressful.
I had 25 radiotherapy targeting several areas at once, that was fine and the RT team were utterly fantastic, very sensitive and understanding and they were faultless. I then had 8 further external radiotherapy targeting just the main cervical tumour, there was no difference in the procedure from the previous 25.
Without a doubt the waiting for the results after 3-month follow up appointment are stressful and exhausting. People think youve had your treatment and you’re now walking around so they think you must be “cured”.
I was staged 4b due to a single bone metastasis in my sacrum and my follow up PET/CT and MRI showed NGED and main cervical mass gone. I’m having my next scans in the next couple of weeks, also having a bone density scan tomorrow due to bone marrow edema.
It was a huge huge shock to be diagnosed with stage 4b cancer with the only symptom slight vaginal bleeding.
Have you been assigned a MacMillan CNS yet? Mine is absolutely brilliant. She has done so much for me, they are an absolute godsend to the NHS.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, don’t be afraid to tell family and friends if you are really not wanting any visitors, and if you have any worries or concerns or just little questions don’t be afraid to ask someone. I found my RT team to be very very patient, they really don’t mind how many questions you ask.
Make sure you get plenty of rest and plenty of fluids. If you don’t feel like eating much just “graze” on healthy snacks. Avoid food that will bloat you or very spicy food (that was the worst one for me as we eat a lot of it, and I basically ended up living on dried apricots and cheese toasties)
I totally empathise about timing the drinking of water before your RT, what a nightmare and I never really got it right, plus the sheer embarrassment of being told they couldn’t do my treatment yet on one day because I had “a lot of gas” and was told to go and walk around and try to get rid of it.
I hope your treatment goes well and hope it is very successful. Xxx
Hi, thanks. It sounds like your reduction is continuing and hopefully your 5 months will be clear. It’s so good that you didn’t suffer any major side effects of the treatment. I’ve read that they can be quite severe. So far so good for me, I hope it continues like this, just a little tiredness so far but I’m only in week 1. Thanks for the info and I will ask if any side effects get worse. Sending healing thoughts your way xxx
Hi Steffi and thanks for the advice. I felt a bit strange after the first day but that was Chemo and radio. It was shortlived and I drank loads of water which seemed to help. The rest of the week so far has been fine apart from a little tiredness so I am hoping things continue that way. It is very reassuring to know that your side effects were few and nothing serious. So many people on here have helped and it’s so great to have that support. Good luck with the rest of your treatment… You’re so close to the end now! It must be a great feeling xxx
Hi Lally and thanks for your reply. It is very inspiring and positive. You have been through so much! And only a bit of bleeding, that is shocking! I can imagine how nervewracking the waiting is for follow up scans. I know for sure I will be terrified. I have been assigned a CNS and she is great but even she couldn’t help me with the Radiotherapy dates prior to the first RT treatment!! Seems bonkers to me. You can’t plan ahead for anything. I have had the warning about wind, in that I can’t eat this or that or drink this or that. Hey there’s nothing wrong with cheese toasties, I could eat them for every meal every day!! I hope that your scans continue to show excellent progress and good luck tomorrow. Thanks again, it’s so great to have people like all you ladies who reassure and help those of us who are following on xxx
Glad to hear you finally started w your treatment. The wonderful ladies here already have given all great advice to get through the treatment course. Most of all, when things get hard and it seems to be never ending, just keep in mind that it’s all temporary and it’s all means to an end. I have developed cystitis and some diarrhea towards to end but they all have disappeared now I’m 3 weeks post treatment.
Altho after 2 weeks, my follow phone call w my oncologist, he wants to see me in 2 weeks to have an exam so I’m quite nervous about it. He said we’ll know what’s the next steps from there. I fear that he’ll say I would need further treatments such as the chemo mix which I’m not looking forward to but if it’s really necessary then I don’t have much choice. Anyway, just wanna send you love and w your positive attitude I know you got this! xx
I’m happy to hear you’re coping better now. Look at you already on your 4th week. So proud of you! It’ll be over soon than you realize. Sending you love and prayers. You got this hun! xx
Thanks so much May for your thoughts and wishes. The worry never ends does it? I hope everything is good with your exam and you’re right, we will do whatever we have to to see the blighter off! You seem to be in a good place even with nerves so we will get through this. Sending healing hugs xxx
Yes, the worry never ends. But it’s such comfort to have you and these other brave awesome ladies to talk to. Good luck w your treatments and keep us posted. We’re all cheering for you!
You are in my thoughts and wondering if you already finished treatment by now? I hope everything is going well. Just wanna send you healing hugs and so much love.xx
Hi May, so lovely to hear from you and thanks for your good wishes😁. Well, I had my final chemo last week and I finished radiotherapy today and next Tuesday I have my final brachytherapy!! The MRI scan before brachy showed that “at this time they can see no cancer” which is amazing but it will be the 3 month scan that is key. Are you any further forward in finding out what they intend to do next for your treatment or are they waiting for the three month scan. I am suffering radio runs and although I haven’t been sick, some food makes me nauseous. Still tomorrow I get to stay home. No hospital, no radiotherapy!!! I truly wish you all the best May and would love to hear of your progress. I do keep checking how you’re doing. Sending hugs and healing thoughts to you. We will do this!! xxx
That’s amazing news! Wow no evidence of cancer before brachytherapy, then the final brachy would just to finish off some microscopic cells if there’s any left. I’m so happy that you had a really excellent response to treatment.
As for me, will wait for the scan this month yet to be scheduled to monitor progress and will go from there. So still in limbo for now. As you know my tumour was still present prior to brachytherapy. How big was your tumour originally?
Thank you for the positive boost. You’re almost done and finally recover and heal. Sending you much love and healing hugs. Xx
Thanks May, the tumour was 3cm big to begin and I was staged at 3c1, I think it was in two lymph nodes as well. I am sending you such huge healing thoughts and strength. And thanks May for checking up on me xxx
