First day; chemoradiation 1B2

Hi, Been a member on here for a while but i havent wrote my own story yet. Today was day one of treatment so thought its about time i said hello. I had a smear in March due to irregular bleeding, which came back normal. After abdominal ultrasound in August my GP was still saying it was hormones but i demanded to see a specialist, so 11th Nov i saw a gynae who saw immediately a large growth which was confirmed to be a 7cm 1B2 cervical cancer growth. Since then i have had 10embryos collected and stored and transposition of ovaries to try and stop me hitting menopause. Being 28yrs old, engaged but without kids i am vety glad i covered these options before i started treatment. I am scheduled to have (startin today) 28 sessions of radio with a weekly session of Cisplatin chemo, followed by 3 internal radio. I know they say you cant feel radio but i could, which they thought was due to my scar from transposition of ovaries (it was meant to be dobe via key hole but i was too swollen from hormones so they operated). Has anyone else felt the radio so early on? I have struggled since my treatment with sicky feeling and loss of appitite, which is worrying so early on but i basing it to be a stressful day. If anyone else has/is going through something similar or have any words of wisdom please get it touch xx

Hi Tara please try aqueous cream all over the area before radio. I had radio 1 month after rh I was meant to be key hole but it didn't end up that way either.. I used this cream morning and night throughout my treatment. Please speak to the team treating you about how you are feeling they should be able to help you with the sickness etc. Please keep us updated on your journey..

Hi I thought I could feel it all the way through. I had a massive hysterectomy scar and later on I did get burns in that area, so smear that cream on. Drink loads too. Today you must have felt very anxious and all the positioning etc made it a long session they do get faster. Try ginger beer, biscuits they help with mild nausea. Give it a week and you'll feel like a pro there. It's been a stressful day. You'll get nausea tablets with your chemo they help. It does become more familiar once you know the routine good luck I hope it goes well for you :-)   

Hi Tara,

My top tip for radiotherapy is to drink liquid aloe vera, I can't remember now if it is one or two tablespoons each morning though it should tell you on the side of the bottle.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Tivoli

Hi Tara I was diagnosed 1b2 and finished my treatment in August this year. I couldnt feel the radiotherapy but I defintley felt sick after my 1st treatment. Unfortunately I felt sick right the way through but I tried different anti sickness tablets and although it didn't take the sickness away it defintley took the edge off. I think eating plain foods little and often helped also. Good luck with the rest of your treatment hunni xx

Thank you for all your replies.. I have started using the cream before and after radio now. Had my first chemo and even though they gave me anti sickness drugs and a booster drug to put under your lip, i felt rough all last night and cant shift it. I cant stomach the thought of eating anything, even though ive been living on brown toast, porridge and bran flakes. Might try ginger buscuits and see if that helps xx

Hi Tara tell your team again about the sickness I had mine changed on second week then I was fine.

I was also told to avoid brown bread and green vegetables eat white bread and as many non green veg as you can also mash your potatoes. I'm obviously going on what I was told but it did work for me.  Keep going on the cream I do hope it helps. Keep strong and I hope these tips help..

 

After popping anti sickness tablets like there was no tomorrow, i finally feel like myself again. Nausea has gone, i was surprised it kicked in so soon after chemo as i was told symptoms would start from day 8 whereas i experienced it within a couple of hours. But the positives i have noticed are that i am no longer getting pains down my right legs and i am not leaking as much urine as what i was. I would wake up in the night to it leaking whereas i can hold it until i get to the bathroom :slight_smile: sorry about the details xx

Hi Tara,

Don't apologise for the details, there is no point pretending to be dainty on this site!

I was put on an incredibly restrictive diet and there is no way I would have been allowed to eat any of the foods you mention. I only felt a bit sick after coffee, so I swapped that for green tea. My very slight pukiness began probably towards the end of the first week, but maybe a bit later, after the second chemo, can't remember that level of detail too clearly now.

Be lucky!

Tivoli

Hi

I am in week 5 of the chemo and RT and so far have been unscathed.  I have had almost no side effects.  I contribute it to my diet, the drugs I am receiving and a little exercise I have been doing.

walk- I walk every day

diet - no coffee, no alcohol, no fried foods, no red meat, no raw vegetables, no glutan, no sugar anything, a mostly vegetarian Diet.  I do eat chicken and fish but keep fruits ad vegetables high in my meal planning.  There is a lot of beans, root vegetables, nuts in this diet.  I do stray on this diet  occationally but never with red meet, fried foods or coffee.  I drink Lemon ginger tea too once a day.

stress - I am taking the whole time off  for me

lots and lots of water , I lite, I hour before every treatment and keep drinking all day long

I love coffee in the morning.  I'm normaly a 5 cup day person.  I replaced it with hot water and a large slash of cranberry juice, unsweetened and two lemon slices.  It's pretty good and I feel it helps protect my bladder during this time.

drugs - I take ended for nausea, first three days after chem, dexamethasone for imflamation, first three days after chem and granistron for nausea morning of chemo.  I take Imodium the first sign of diarrhea.

I feel good and almost guilt of not working during this time,  I said almost...

 

i hope ops this helps.. Remember it's temporary and doable for 5 weeks and worth it.

Sorry forgot to mention.. I lather the RT area up every morning with Wellskin Base Glaxal but I read that Aquaphor works good.  Make sure you grease you bum crack and the joint between your legs and pelvic too.

Hi tara, I just have a question for you (if you dont mind), How long did the treatment get delayed for while they collected your embryos?  am having the same treatment as you so  am just wondering if that was an option,. thanks! I hope the rest of your treatment goes well.

Hi Foofighter,

That is really pretty similar to the diet I was put on except that I wasn't allowed anything with seeds, or nuts or beans. I was allowed gluten, sugar and red meat, but nothing raw and nothing fried. I was allowed apples and bananas but no other fruits. 

Be lucky

Tivoli