To Those Experiences with Radiation Treatments...

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ktlearn
ktlearn Member Posts: 12
edited June 2014 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

How tired did you get?

Any other advice for those who are about to start?

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  • TB90
    TB90 Member Posts: 992
    edited May 2014

    I had no fatigue whatsoever, but lots of women do.  There are some terrific threads in the Radiation Therapy forums that you could join and read about many women's experiences.

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  • Janetanned
    Janetanned Member Posts: 532
    edited May 2014


    I was able to work full-time during rads.  I scheduled my appointments for late afternoon/early evening.  After treatment I had a light dinner and an early bedtime.  I warned my family (husband and young adult children) that I would not be available to do anything except what had to be done and that they needed to take care of themselves.  The chores and shopping didn't always get done, but that was okay.  I had enough energy to get through my workday and rads, nothing more. 

    A little OT, I would recommend buying a few new hospital gowns to wear during treatment.  My rads center used gowns that were not very comfortable.  Wearing my own gown felt so good.  It smelled fresh and was soft and warm.  It also looked so much better than the ones provided.  I bought mine on amazon.

    Good luck!

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited May 2014

    My Center had lockers assigned to you with a key you kept.  They didn't have hospital gowns but what they called 'Super Woman Capes" which were basically a cape.  They also had terry clothe bath robes for you.  You could use the capes and robes and put in your locker  for a couple of uses or get new ones daily.  They also had a private shower if you wanted to use itt after TX. 

    For me, every day of rads I felt better.  I started rads a week after last of 12 weekly Taxol which had not been 'nice' at all.

    We are each so unique and there is NO "One Size Fits All".

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  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 57,235
    edited May 2014

    *Use whatever ointment they recommend religiously, right from the start. Don't put any on in the morning before your appointment (it could intensify the burn), but I brought a tube into the dressing room with me & slathered it on right when I was done with my zaps & again before I went to bed.

    *I bought some cheap, lightweight bras that I could throw away when I was done to wear when I was all oiled up and went braless as much as I could.

    *I got in some light exercise in every day & that helped keep my energy up (I did chemo first & actually felt my energy returning during rads....but of course, everyone is different in that area).

    * I bought a tiny fan & would set it up to blow on the area when I started to feel hot (I never blistered or anything but felt like I had a sunburn from the inside out at the end).

    * just be aware that the radiation will still be working for 2 weeks once you are finished, so you won't start to get back to 'normal' until after that

    * I would visualize that I was lying on a dock during the session & the machine was a cloud passing overhead.....if you have something peaceful to think of, I think that helps

    * it seems like it will be forever at the beginning, but it really does go by fast & eventually becomes a 'blip' it your life. Best of luck!


     

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