Radiation to spine for bone met

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  • ts542001
    ts542001 Member Posts: 56
    edited June 2019

    starting radiation tomorrow as well. have lots of pain, hope this works, 5 treatments they said.

    i thought they were doing only L5-S1 and today they told me L3-S2. makes more sense, since i definitely have had increasing pain and numbness.

    want this over with already. how long does it take to start working?

    they still dont know what they are going to do with T10 - they thought they can do a one time radiation. but i wont know until i meet with the RO tomorrow. she is going to let me know

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  • snooky1954
    snooky1954 Member Posts: 883
    edited June 2019

    Hi Ts… Will be thinking about you tomorrow and wishing you the best. They are doing my T10 but said that the t9 and t8 will catch a bit. I'm so sorry that you are in pain.

    All the best

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2019

    ts542001 - hope treatment goes well for you and relieves the pain 🙏🏼💪🏼

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  • ts542001
    ts542001 Member Posts: 56
    edited June 2019

    thanks,

    lying on that table was torture. i wanted to drive myself so i didnt take any pain meds before i went. i will take them tomorrow and have a friend drive me.

    i'm just so happy to have gotten started.


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  • snooky1954
    snooky1954 Member Posts: 883
    edited June 2019

    sorry ts.. My back didn't hurt but after awhile my neck did... THey told me that after todays treatment the rest of them would be half that amount of time.

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  • S3K5
    S3K5 Member Posts: 606
    edited June 2019

    Snooky and ts542001, I had radiation to different areas of my spine and for the first few days after radiation, the pain got worse before it starting to decrease. I was given a low dose of Prednisone (steroid) to help with the pain. Is this an option for you?

    Prior to the radiation session I took milder OTC pain medicine or Celebrex/tramadol combo.

    Immediately after the radiation was done, I applied lanolin cream to the area which prevented any skin burning. Then I would use ice packs for few mins, to reduce the inflammation. This really helped. I was able to drive myself to the hospital and back during radiation.

    Hope you both get relief from pain and radiation helps you for a long time.


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  • snooky1954
    snooky1954 Member Posts: 883
    edited June 2019

    Thank you SK35 for all the added info! HUGS


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  • snooky1954
    snooky1954 Member Posts: 883
    edited June 2019

    Oh, I did want to give a big shout out/thank you to Piam.. I took Zantac before the radiation and it worked like a charm. Highly recommend. S

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  • ts542001
    ts542001 Member Posts: 56
    edited June 2019

    thank you too.

    i just hope that the pain can get under control and i can continue functioning in some sort of normal way. also waiting to start some hormone treatment, i think it will at least emotionally feel like i'm doing something to help...

    this is just so new and raw.

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  • snooky1954
    snooky1954 Member Posts: 883
    edited June 2019

    wow. Wasn't expecting radiation therapy to wipe me out so much. Extreme fatigue, dizziness like in na na land. No appetite. Talked in RAd Onc today. He said it's normal.. Just 7 more to go! yeah

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  • vlnrph
    vlnrph Member Posts: 1,632
    edited June 2019

    Snooky, I will use Zantac (generic name ranitidine) when I want to keep stomach acid from bothering me but perhaps you were referring to Xanax=alprazolam for helping the anxiety which can plague us?

    I had a couple rounds of radiation last fall: 10 sessions after the big lumbar surgery then later 5 for my upper spine.

    There were warnings about the possibility of a pain flare however I did not experience that. The worst part was a horrible sore throat for two weeks afterward because that area fell into the cervical/thoracic target field. It hurt to swallow so I lost a few pounds, would have been more except all I felt like eating were frozen dessert type things...

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2019

    I am sorry to report that now that I’ve finished, I feel more tired than ever! And have little appetite, too. Stomach is just bla...making me want to lay down all the more. I have alternated between pushing myself to be active one day and the next hanging out in bed most of the day.

    😞. This too shall pass. Soon, I hope. If I do lose a couple of pounds out of this, I will be OK with it.

    Hang in there, Snooky!

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  • snooky1954
    snooky1954 Member Posts: 883
    edited June 2019

    olma…..thanks for pep talk. It getting worse after treatment is not something that I wanted to hear! But glad you told me so I'd know what's going on. I'm rooting for you too!

    Vin Nope I meant Zantac. Riam mentioned a few posts ago that it helps in radiation therapy by stopping the queasy stomach which happens right after a therapy session. I grateful that she did, it's working for me.

    And yes, I know about Xanax have taken it for years for panic attacks. Thanks for your info. And, actually frozen sweet treats doesn't sound too bad.

    HUGS

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2019

    snooky, sorry for that kind of left handed encouragement 😇😊 yesterday was my infusion day so fatigue was really taking a toll 😴 I feel a little more energetic right now maybe the worst is over. Stomach still feels rotten, though I ate a normal breakfast. Feels bad if I let my stomach get either too empty or too full. Seems small bland meals might be the ticket.

    Yes the frozen desserts do sound good! I bought some coconut yogurt for a treat to have tonight

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  • snooky1954
    snooky1954 Member Posts: 883
    edited June 2019

    lol. Olma. I looked up radiation fatigue. It's from our body working very hard to repair the damaged cells. I could last a few weeks. sigh.

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  • ts542001
    ts542001 Member Posts: 56
    edited June 2019

    had my 5th RT session today. now i need to wait and hope pain gets better. i'm also sooo tired. i know part of this is RT making me tired, and i also know that my recent diagnosis (only 1 month ago found out i was stage 4 - but prob have been stage 4 for 4+ months, given the amount of pain i have had and where it is located).

    this has been a very rough time for me, as i'm sure most of you can understand. i still dont know when this happened???? first diagnosed 15 years ago, with bilateral (dcis and idc). then feb 2019 with new stage 1 - but i already was stage 4 by then, just didnt know it yet....and my oncotype wasnt really horrible (28), so not "aggresive" - considered moderate- clearly aggressive enough.

    i do understand that this can get better. i just am so worried, i feel too young to be going down this road right now. (will be 65 years old in november). of course i worry that i wont stablize, but i sure hope i do. and honestly the majority of my mets are bone mets. one lymph node somewhere, but no liver,lung or brain, so i should consider myself lucky....

    anyway finally will be starting hormone therapy next week, so maybe i will feel like i am really doing something to fight this disease....

    and i guess the uncertainty is just making me crazy. YES, i know this is 100% normal. i just wish there were a way to "jump" thru some of the next few months....

    anyway thanks to all of you who are listening out there. i truly appreciate just being able to vent like this. hoping to become a vibrant, participating member of the community soon.

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  • S3K5
    S3K5 Member Posts: 606
    edited June 2019

    ts542001, the pain will get better each day. I had radiation to lower spine and upper spine (2X). Initially, the fatigue, pain and being newly diagnosed makes it harder to bear but slowly things will improve. I was given anti-inflammatory medicines along with Tramadol ER which really helped.

    Has your RO given you anything for pain? I understand all the feelings you are going through now, I was there 6 years ago. Go ahead and vent - we are here to listen. Hope you can rest and take it easy.

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  • ts542001
    ts542001 Member Posts: 56
    edited June 2019

    thank you.

    it is really very comforting and helpful to read that things will slowly get better. i think being newly diagnosed with lots of vertebral mets (iust got done radiating L4-S3), and also still need upper spine T9/10, it is important to think positively and that this too shall pass and hopefully i will have several good years ahead of me.

    re pain meds, yes, i have oxycodone, which helps tremendously - but then i start worrying that i'll get addicted (there is so much written about pain meds and addiction these days). i feel like "screw it" if it helps then i'll take - and i just went to pain management who suggested taking the lowest dose of oxycodone during the day, just to take the edge off, which was really a great suggestion. just taking the edge off really has helped me get up and walk around a bit during the day, beginning to feel human again...

    hope you all have a great weekend.

    so glad i found this web site.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2019

    Hey ladies, hope you all have done well with your rad treatments and are resting comfortably. I am doing okay. The worst of the side effects seem to have subsided now - got better after about five days post treatment. Will be seeing my MO next week, I'll have H&P, blood work and we'll discuss my next scan.

    Love and blessings to you all!



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  • Maaaki
    Maaaki Member Posts: 110
    edited July 2019

    Dear ladies who had radiation to bone met, I have a question. I finished 3 rounds of cyber knife treatment in July 4th to single TH 10 met (24 gy / 8 gy each treatment). When did you experienced tumor marker drop after treatment? Mine was same 10 days after treatment like it was three weeks prior treatment. It is not high 32,9 CA15-3, but it was slowly growing from 17, so I am wondering how fast it goes down, since they recommend scans after three months, I would like Know how to measure response earlier. Thank

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  • snooky1954
    snooky1954 Member Posts: 883
    edited July 2019

    Maaaski It is my understanding that tumor markers only know if cancer cells are floating around. They can't tell the difference between live ones and dead ones. If I"m wrong someone please correct me.

    Also, I just finished rads to my T0 on July 27t. They said that they'd do a scan to see the results, BUT they couldn't scan for a couple of months. The scan would not be accurate???

    I wouldn't worry but I hope that some of the folks with lots more knowledge than I have chime in

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2019

    Agree, snooky, I have also read that circulating "dead cells" from treatment can cause a rise in tumor markers. Also, the inflammation, which we do have after radiation and that's the reason the don't scan right away, too.

    So, I wouldn't be concerned with TM test results until 3 or 4 months after rads - about the same time when they say they can scan you again.

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  • snooky1954
    snooky1954 Member Posts: 883
    edited July 2019

    Thanks Olma for confirming. I wouldn't want to give out false info.

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  • Maaaki
    Maaaki Member Posts: 110
    edited July 2019

    Thank you for the responses. So I am more relaxed now. I wrote email to radiotherapist and he confirmed it, however he said that marker should not go up much. Mine did not. Hope you all well and succes from radiation

    Maki

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