On day 12, day 11 was stressful

chibae

Anyone else having issues getting in for your treatments? Hopefully what I experienced yesterday was a one off and the corrected memos have gone out. It is stressful enough to have to drive 45 minutes into the city, get screened going into the parking garage and worry about exposure to what ever germs may be lurking in the hospital. But yesterday topped off my levels.

Okay, so yesterday I get to the VA ( where my radiation is being done) and the security drones tell me I can't come in. That as of 2:30 today, 15 minutes before my arrival, all out patient clinics and appointments are cancelled. I told them I was there for radiation treatment for cancer, not a doctor's visit. After my refusal to leave they got the "police", actually their heard of security, they just referred to him as the police, perhaps to try and scare me. He said that according to their contract they are forbidden to call radiation oncology to verify that I needed to be there. He escorted me down to where I needed to go and the staff were outraged. Apparently the memo should have said that no one comes in except for emergency room, ONCOLOGY, and a few other specific departments. I will see how it goes this afternoon.

In the meantime I am supposed to take 400mg of motrin a half hour before each treatment to help prevent inflammation of my sternal area. I have costrochondtitis, basically arthritis where my ribs join my breastbone, and the radiation causes a flare up. But yesterday my rad doc said that motrin may be suppressing coronavirus symptoms and to be sure, if I take it, to limit it to only the 400mg. I researched it last night and am on the fence about taking it at all now.

I am also getting some major swelling and pain in the radiated area.

flashlight

chibae, That is terrible!! People are so concerned about this virus they are not thinking clearly. I also have costrochondtitis that was in remission until radiation. I don't see how 400mg dose of ibuprofen/motrin could suppress the virus symptoms. Yes, you could have a fever that it would reduce somewhat, but it wouldn't hide shortness of breath or a dry cough. 400mg just isn't that strong of a dose. Even in children it usually takes a couple of doses to get a fever down. What about the side effect of fatigue? You are going to have that with both radiation and the virus. I don't think you should suffer in pain unnecessarily.

chibae

Hi. Today went much better at the VA. When I was asked where I was going I only had to respond "radiation oncology" to get waved through. I have decided to stick with my 400 mg of motrin prior to treatment. So far the fatigue has not hit me. I get up, work from home for six hours and then head out for treatment. Come back home and call it a day. Hubby is retired so he handles the shopping, cooking etc.

One thing breast cancer and radiation has done though is prevented my moving. We had just bought a new home, in Delaware actually, but I am not moving in until the treatments are completed. We had closed prior to the biospy.