Adverse Effects of Cancer Radiotherapy
There was however this weekend was a long weekend with the next Monday a public holiday so instead of losing a day of treatment it was decided to give me a double dose of radiation and I would have three days to recover.
Unfortunately, I had a reaction to this radiation application which caused me to peel all my skin from ear to ear from my nose down to my chin (similar to sunburn skin peeling) which made the skin feel raw, tender, and inflamed. My doctor prescribed a special gauze and cream which had to be applied to my face, when it had to be changed my wife had to bathe my face to avoid ripping off the repairing membrane underneath. This was added to the daily routine of removing the tape holding my feeding tube in my nose to avoid infection.
It was getting harder now as when I had my radiation shield/mask put on I was not only getting claustrophobic but also the feeling of drowning would overwhelm me. It was now a necessity for me to take a calming medication (I'm not sure as to what -valium springs to mind) 30 minutes before I arrived to calm me down before being locked onto the table. My selected music would come on the radiation technicians would always assure me that they were watching me at all times and assured me if I raised my hand they would stop the radiotherapy machine immediately and race in and release me from the table.
I then would try diversional therapy and distract my mind by trying to think of a better place.
I did however have to do this on a few occasions and it helped me get through it -however, as soon as I had settled either anxiety or sickness I would then have to be locked back down again to finish the course of radiotherapy. MY BATTLE TODAY was getting through this approx 10-minute period.
Each new day I would reflect on how I WON THE BATTLE yesterday.
Returning home I was relieved to find the lounge ready and now this was MY SAFE HAVEN to relax and recover from today's treatment which by this stage was a huge effort to navigate for My Wife and myself. I stopped but my wife didn't she would now have to set up my hour-long feed AND then attend to everything else outside of my care.
Because of the slow-release medication, I would try to keep awake during the day and medicate at night to try to keep in some form of normality. I then found I was still awake most of the night so I tried reading novels which I couldn't because my eyesight was very blurry (I was off my sugar diabetics tablets) we tried Audio books which I found very helpful as I could close my eyes and listen to the book (once again Diversional tactic which worked) and eventually fall asleep.
I think back now and laugh about how I would be cranky the next day because I had to try to find where I was up to.
Next week is finally the last full week of treatment.
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Welcome, I hope my blog helps in some way to cope with cancer.I am a survivor remember; One Day at a Time;
Regards
Phil on a Mission