Treatment started today - Hope this helps.

Cervical cancer treatment
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So today was my first day of radiotherapy. 

The drive to hospital was unreal. Virtually no cars and lovely country side views.

Get to the hospital and the car parking again was great really quite empty. (can't think of the reason why!!!)

So waiting for my turn. People come in they go out and I'm still waiting., delays.. Oh well I will just people watch. 

"you can start drinking now"... YES nearly my turn! 30 minutes here we go.

Hmm 30 mins come and go. Oh dear I need the loo. Shall I go.? No ill hold it. Come on I can do this. My bladder must be really small!!.

Now it's my turn..... In I go. 

Everthing is explained to me. Yes I still want to do this. 

So I'm lying here being shuffled into place.... Waiting.... Noisy... 

Well after all that I'm a bit disappointed... I was expecting light sabres and a baby yoda to turn up laughing

Alas... Nothing just a noise. 

So all in all an alright day, feel good. 

Just next time I'll wear jogging bottoms save taking my jeans off.. Its cold in there. 

 

Have a good day all. 

 

 

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That made me laugh - Yoda!!!!

Definitely leggings/joggers and slip on shoes to make life easy!

Hope the rest of your treatment goes smoothly x 

I wrote a post "top tips for treatment " might be worth looking up - there were a few contributors xxx

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Congrats on a good first day of treatment! Keep posting about it please. My oncologist seems to believe I will meed radiation after my surgery, so I want all the insight I can get!

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So happy to come across this post. I'm stage 2b currently having chemo at my local hospital for 6 weeks diagnosed 3/2/20 I live alone and shielded for the 3months. Last few days I haven't coped well lots of tears and feeling down. 

Anyway today I had a meeting with the oncologist in Preston (11/2 hours away) and although I'd read a lot about my next stage of treatment (chemo/radiotherapy) I came away with an even lower morale than when I went in, maybe he was just giving me worse case scenario but in his words this will be brutal on your body and by the end of the treatment (5 weeks 5days a week) you will be quite poorly. Maybe I'm just feeling sorry for myself but I'm honestly toying with not bothering. So I decided to look for a forum and here I am.

you sound sI much more positive than me xx

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JDH-I just wanted to send you huge and love. I think this whole thing is a mental fight as much as or more than a physocal one. Especially woth the Coronavirus and being aline so much. It may be an awful few weeks, but it is a few weeks. You can do anything for a few weeks, anything.

sending hugs.

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JDH, I think he was giving you worst case scenario.  Most of us are lucky enough to get away with being tired and having some bladder /bowel issues during treatment and post treatment they mostly go away or are reasonably easy to live with.

I did a blog through my treatment whichbive been told has been helpful to a lot of people. 

If you type "finally started treatment " in the search box, you will find it xx

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Hi JDH

Right now you are looking at the mountain.  But once you start climbing it'll be one step, one day at a time and you'll be looking at the path just in front of you.  We're all different in how we react to treatment but like most things there'll be better days and worse days.  I didn't have a particularly easy time during my chemo-radio, but I started off disadvantaged because it was preceded by a radical hysterectomy.  Nevertheless somehow I ploughed through - looks like a small hill in the distance now.

Your oncologist seems overly negative to me - he should have given a more balanced view.

x

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Woohoo!! Day one!! Well done you, it will be over before you know it, be kind to yourself, listen to your body.

massive hugs wonderful woman xxx 

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Hey LaurieBeth and JDH.

We are all going to beat this along with everone else going through similar. We can so this stay strong. 

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Day 2 

Very first Chemo day.

Got up nice and early for the journey. Again lovely country views. 

Got to the hospital car park and the barriers were up!! Upon asking I was told that the staff had all gone home due to covid 19!!! Darn it I had already paid for a 7 day pass!! laughing

Can't really moan it was only £4. I hope all the staff are OK but they can take another 4 weeks off just to make sure. 

Got a bit lost, hospitals are a maze and it's obvious that my map reading skills had severely faded since being In The scouts!!! 

Got there. All on lockdown. No visitors, I totally understand that. 

I'm shown to what will be my chair for the next 6 hours looks alright, coffee table, recliner chair, TV!! 

Am now hooked up. Fluids for 2 hours. The nurse explains that I will need to have a wee before the ciplatin just to check kidney function.  I will also have to weigh it!!!! 

OK so I pee in a pan and put it on the scales each time.... There were a lot of times.. Between me and the fella next to me it was like we were on a carousel laughing

The nurses and staff were all lovely offering biscuits and coffees. You have the option to go for a wander as well and make your own. Which I did. 

The fluids were cold in my arm but not painful. 

Now I'm hooked up to the cisplatin for an hour again it's just cold. 

Then another 2 hours of fluids. 

I've decided to try and look intelligent and read a book on the Prime Ministers..... Wilson to May.... I thought I would also take the time to educate myself.... I don't think it's worked though as I got really excited over an egg mayo sandwich lol 

 Well that time really flew by... I'm done... I have been given what seems to be enough pills to fill a chemist. 

Now time to rattle my way to radio therapy. 

 

No side effects as yet. But I do feel a little tired. I'm sure there will be more in the days to come. 

Stay strong all 

laughing

 

 

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Hi! Glad you found us! Chemorads can be brutal but they don't have to be. I never got sick, had no bowel issues and no bladder issues

 I was prepared for the worse but the worst thing I had was a slight fatigue which could have easily been due to the fact I had my five.month old little.girl to look after

Just make sure to get your rest, stay hydrated and take your anti nausea meds even if you don't feel nauseated.

 

You can do this!!❤

1 Like
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 JDH Hi! Glad you found us! Chemorads can be brutal but they don't have to be. I never got sick, had no bowel issues and no bladder issues

 I was prepared for the worse but the worst thing I had was a slight fatigue which could have easily been due to the fact I had my five.month old little.girl to look after

Just make sure to get your rest, stay hydrated and take your anti nausea meds even if you don't feel nauseated.

 

You can do this!!❤

13

HH, 

Well done! Onwards and upwards! 

 

Chemo rads still planned for Thursday - chemo and then rads. Dreading it but wanting it to happen so I can continue to the next stage of my life. Have been like a bear with a sore head for the last week. Terrible mood. Close to tears, tearing strips off my husband and so exhausted.... Haven't even started yet. 

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I tried to post last night but kept saying 'error'.

I started my treatment yesterday too.  The drive to the hospital was a bit strange for me too. A lovely sunny day but not many people or cars. The radiotherapy was very quick and the whole thing was about ten minutes. I didn't see Yoda...lol.

 

Today I had chemo which I was dreading. My hubby was going to come with me to keep me company but we did think their policy would have changed with CV and it has. It's a good job he was able to drive the car home though as no parking spaces!! Our hospital has always been horrendous for parking. It's a shame as would have driven myself if I feel okay.

The day went quite quickly. I was hooked up for fluids saline, steroids, anti sickness then an hour of cisplatin. I had to drink lots of fluid which I had to measure in a jug. It was great fun trundling to the loo hooked up. The whole process was 4 hours from start to finish. I then headed to radiotherapy. I've felt a but tired this evening but then  I didn't sleep last night. I've managed to drink 4 litres of fluid today. I was told it's important to keep hydrated and also my flush after Cisplatin was only 15 minutes.

Diagnosed 25.02.00

PET scan 12.04.20

MRI scan 17.03.20

20.03.20 stage 2b confirmed

06.04.20 treatment start

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • All of you ladies are my inspiration right now. I have been walking twice a day, lifting light weights, doing crunches and pelvic floor exercises and anything I can think of to get my body strong for my RH on May 12. With every crunch and lift I am literally sending all my energy out to all of you for us all to bamd together and use our mighty women superpowers to beat this thing's ass and to get out lives back. Everyone, please keep posting these day by day stories if you can. They demystify the experience and make it seem less terrifying and more just an annoying onstacle to overcome. 
  • Harvitt-you are so close. You can make it girl.

I think my next step is to really work on meditation. I am such an eenergetic spaz-i can barely sit still. But this mental game calls for some new skills, I think..

I will be lifting all of you up to the universe.

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Thank you Laurie Beth xxxx I need to mediate more. I started to, even joined a group before the lockdown but since then and also having three young children and a husband working from home and very limited space it's unmanagable. I will keep trying though. 

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I start my treatment is less then 8 hours and finding it hard to sleep. 

Hope yiur gettiig on OK HH.

Keeley

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Keeley-

You have got this. Sending all my best thoughts and energies your way. Try to breathe deeply when you feel panicked and maybe have a mantra you repeat to yourself? Mine right now is-A strong body can fight. I chant it to myself while I exercise and when I get scared to refocus myself on what ai can control right now (not much). Best wishes and keep us posted.

laurie

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Time to finally kick this cancers' ass. Wishing you the best of luck and sensing good vibes your way! 

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Just to say I hope your treatment goes okay today Keeley. Thinking of you.

 

Loux