1 Radiation Treatment side effects , ladies please share your experiences

[Thatflowerlady]

Hi ladies I received a 1 session treatment of radiation to two areas on Monday ,

I know it can take time but what side effects did you experience ? Any tips on treating these side effects ?

Thank you

Luann

[Hidden]

Beautiful flowers Luann. You know how much I love them.My side effect was slight nausea for a day or two. After that I gradually felt the benefit of it to my pelvis and hip, took around two weeks but was worth having it done. Best wishes lovely

Cheryl

[Thatflowerlady in reply to Hidden]

Thank you CherylI had the nausea on the trip home from hospital not pleasant , I have been sleeping a lot and needing to lay down frequently . The discomfort in the sacrum area is quite uncomfortable and laying down is the most comfortable but not very productive . I get frustrated when I can’t accomplish what I would like to do . It’s summer and time to be playing with flowers not moping around the house lol

I have my fingers crossed for positive results this time around .

I hope you are enjoying your summer blooms

[Hidden in reply to Thatflowerlady]

It will soon pass Luann and you will certainly feel the benefit. It’s all a waiting game. I agree it is time for outdoor play. The flowers are from the allotment. We have been busy and productive this season with fruit and vegetables. Really pleased. Let your body tell you to do what’s best and that seems rest right now. Take care 🌺🧚🏼‍♂️💓

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi ..The same two weeks and l was good ...Hugs

[TNVol]

Hi, Luann. I responded earlier today but response disappeared. I had 10 radiation sessions to the T6 area of spine. No problems other than a "sunburned" rectangle on my back - minor blistering then tan. Looked like an area missed with sunscreen. No other issues. Hope you also do well with the radiotherapy.

Manon

[Thatflowerlady in reply to TNVol]

That is great Manon no nausea ? Or pain flare up or fatigue ? Did they tell you how much radiation was in each session ?Luann

[Mary115]

I was well prepared for Radiation and it went well. My husband found Biofine Emulsion Cream in a tube. frenchpharmacy.com/

It was suggested by the Radiologist but in the US it was very expensive and not covered by my insurance without a heavy co-pay. So my husband found a place on-line which was a reasonable price, and it was well worth it. I slathered it all over the radiation spot before and afterwards and in between radiation times. I give it as a gift to people on a similar journey, and get good reports. The radiology team was wonderful. At the end of treatment I purchased individual chocolate bars that said "Thank You" to them .

I did develop deep fatigue that took awhile to lose but discomfort was minimal and there was no pain. I was able to drive myself to radiation for the first couple of weeks but at the later visits, my husband needed to drive. But we stopped on the way home each time for an ice-cream, or sandwich outdoors at a cafe, or a short side trip to a library book sale. Turned out to be a good memory making time for the two of us since I was tired rather than having any sicky feelings.

That was pre-covid time. This time if I need radiation again, we will bring folding chairs, snacks and stop at a park along the back home. I will be prepared for the fatigue and easier on myself..

Thinking of you...

Together in this.

Mary

[Thatflowerlady]

Oh I am certainly glad my husband did take me as I was throwing up within the hour of the treatment & I had taken an anti nausea . It would have made for a challenging drive by myself and the radiologist oncologist suggested I have a driver. , I will look into the cream I have just used Aveeno it is what I used previously and worked well .

Thank you for the tips

Luann

[mariootsi in reply to Thatflowerlady]

I used Aveeno too with success.

[stardust1965]

Last summer, after a pathological fracture to my hip, I had one dose of radiotherapy. I could hardly walk back then (it came on suddenly). But here I am today sailing the Croatian coastline on a yatch! I had no side effects and am making the most of my mobility! ⛵️ I hope you feel better soon and you will notice a difference in your self. 🌸🤗

[Thatflowerlady]

Oh that is very promising news thank you for sharing . Lucky you with no side effects I am hoping these pass quickly and do realize they are not severe .

[Verbena1]

Hi, I’ve had radiation twice, 10 sessions on the back hip and the same on the mid spine. The first time I had almost no symptoms outside of fatigue. The most recent I was very nauseous, tired and it burned my entire throat and esophagus pretty bad for a couple of weeks.

I utilize a lot of natural add ons to assist me in healing quicker.

It was recommended to me to take high dose melatonin (300mg) 3 hours before and then directly after any pet scans or radiation. (You can order it on pure bulk.com in larger amounts than you can normally find it).

It apparently helps to counter the free radical damage that scans and radiation can cause in the body.

For potential burns, I also did topical aloe on the zapped area directly after each session (I brought some of my aloe plant in with me and used it in the changing room~)

Vitamin C is also said to be good for mitigating the effects of radiation. I dissolved that in water each day with stevia and drank it.

Last, I also used lugol’s iodine which I dissolved in water and drank that after each treatment as well. (Iodine has been used for radiation fall out in the past.)

Outside of that, I slept a ton and tried to eat as good as possible. Best of luck!

[Thatflowerlady in reply to Verbena1]

Thank you for sharing your experience . This is my third time having radiation . The first time my neck area , I had not been prepared for what was to come . The sore throat was awful I couldn’t swallow anything when the dr saw me five days after my 5th treatment of 5 they prescribed manic mouth was to numb my throat to get pain medication down . I had my sacrum area done last Nov and didn’t remember the nausea just an increase in pain for a couple days in the radiated area and I don’t remember being this tired . This time 1 additional spot was added and I wonder if that is what has caused the nausea.

Thank you for sharing .

[Nature613]

Hi Luann. What pretty flowers. All the colors together are so gorgeous. Just sending you best wishes and hoping you feel better soon. I hope you can enjoy your gardening soon too.

[Thatflowerlady in reply to Nature613]

Thank you for the well wishes . The peonies are just gorgeous unfortunately our season is short. Looking forward to a bit more time outside.

[OneLump22]

I got mild sunburn on treatment area, but no pain. I was advised to stay out of sun or use lotion w/ SPF 50 & sun hat. I included smearing juice of aloe plant on area before the lotion. Aloe tends to tighten the skin as it dries, but good for healing the sunburn.

[RLN-overcomer in reply to OneLump22]

Yesss I used Aloe Vera leaf gel, and Aquaphor to clear the radiation burns I had then😇

[USIrishcolleen]

Hello Thatflowerlady,

Honestly, I had 19 sessions, and I kept waiting for side effects, but I did not have any. I did make myself lay down every afternoon though. I did not sleep, but rested.

I wish you, a very uneventful radiation series.

Best,

Colleen

[OneLump22 in reply to USIrishcolleen]

Good for you!!! 🥳👍

[LDR1]

Hello there, I’ve had 25 sessions (5 weeks) of radiation on two different occasions - 2014 in the R Chest area then 2021 on R chest / L armpit and collarbone. Both times I had skin effects (sunburn-like reddening, post-rads peeling) and some mild fatigue but no nausea or anything else.Wishing you strength and low impact as you go through these treatments! 🙏🏼🌷

[mariootsi]

I was really fatigued when I had radiation. Took a while to get over it.

[life8888]

Going through radiation now! I'm taking Zofran preemptively and also eat 3 ginger chews after each session for nausea. Peppermint ginger smelling sticks also work real well for me.

[OneLump22 in reply to life8888]

🤔 Peppermint Ginger sticks. Can you buy those at the g- store? My Onc had taken me off my ginger drops, also I'm banned from consuming Ginger beer for nausea and heartburn. New tumors have cropped up & don't know if it's the ginger, the Exemestane not working anymore (she's switching me to Faslodex shots to go with the Ibrance & the Xgyva shots), or what. So no more holistics for a while.

[life8888 in reply to OneLump22]

Not sure what a g-store is. I get my chews from trader Joe's... maybe regular groceries also carry them. So sorry you can't eat ginger!!!! Here is the link to the smelling sticks they gave me in the hospital: bestaromatherapyproducts.co.... You could probably find or make your own essential oil blend,and maybe just smelling ginger is allowed? Best of luck to you!!!

[OneLump22 in reply to life8888]

Sorry, I meant grocery store. Thanks for the tip.

[goat2017]

I had radiology 5 times a week for six weeks. The only problem I had was my skin burned after a couple of weeks. The radiologist stopped the treatment for about 10 days She also gave me a cream to rub in. Then I finished the rest of the treatments. with no problems. I wish you the best.Connie