My first piece of advice is to speak to the pharmacological team via your oncologist BEFORE you start treatment to identify what might happen and how to militate against it - I left it too late so the side effects had already taken hold.
Then, arrange a consultation with your oncologist once you're a couple of days into treatment and devise a plan to minimise the side effects. My plan includes:
- Lansoprazole and Senna pods to help deal with the stomach problems you get from the steroids. Enough said on that topic I think.
- Cyclizine anti-sickness medication to deal with the nausea and vomiting. It's worth pointing out that I'm a determined vomiter and whilst I was having chemo last year would be vomiting consistently for 24 hours whilst being injected by an emergency nurse with anti-sickness medication, so I suspect I'm a lost cause. However, I am going to stick with it and see if I can keep it under control this week.
- Tramadol in combination with my usual migraine medication. This seems to be having a good effect in managing the brain crushing headaches.
Now I'm the kind of person who likes to know what they're dealing with, so if you're about to start radiotherapy to the brain and want to just see how it affects you, then stop reading now. Everyone is unique and responds differently, so this is just my experience.
As well documented on this blog, the steroids have had the greatest impact on my body. They're absolutely crucial in reducing swelling on the brain after brain surgery for a cancerous tumour and at keeping the swelling down during radiotherapy. They are essentially brilliant. However, their side effects are unpleasant. I'm not sure which side effects are from the radiotherapy and which are from the steroids, but here's a blow by blow account of what to expect:
- I get severe chest pain periodically. It was frightening at first, but now I know that it won't last. You just need to rest and wait for it to pass. These are more scary because of the origination of the cancer in the breast, but as my scans are clear, this is just another side effect.
- Ditto with the knees. Steroids cause shooting pains throughout the joints. Sometimes these are so extreme that you cry out in pain. I embarrassingly went to the emergency doctor with these and by the time I had got there they had completely gone. Again, you just need to wait until they pass. They normally last ten minutes to half an hour.
- Extreme exhaustion. Now this isn't "I've had a long day" exhaustion or "I only slept for a couple of hours" exhaustion. It's like "my whole body has been filled with treacle" exhaustion. Some days you will feel like not moving at all. Other days you will feel like you can do more. I have walked every day but one and would recommend trying to do this. Doing something feels like a big achievement. Then rest, as much as your body tells you to. Apparently this is another side effect from the steroids and the radiotherapy, so it too will pass eventually.
- Bloating like you wouldn't believe. My stomach is the size of a six month pregnancy and swells dramatically after food. It is hard and distended and desperately uncomfortable. I am told this will go quickly after the steroids end. As someone who is appearance-conscious (for this read "vain") I am finding this a tough side effect to deal with. It's embarrassing.
- Ditto with the face. Despite the kindness of friends, this side effect is alarming. My face swelled up to massive proportions during the week before radiotherapy started. It's not only huge and has completely distorted my features, but it's also really uncomfortable. My cheeks feel like they might burst and the skin is so stretched that I am even thinking I might end up with stretch marks on my face. Apparently, this goes quickly too and I am looking forward to seeing my old face rather than the face of someone who needs to be air lifted by the fire brigade to go to the bathroom.
- UTIs and dehydration. You will need to drink lots to counteract the effects of the radiotherapy. I am constantly sipping water and a friend has suggested sucking on ice cubes. This constant drinking of course results in lots of bathroom trips throughout the night. Not much I can suggest here.
- Hair loss. I still have mine at this stage, but I know it will/could go at any time. To that end I don't wash it or touch it. Grim I know.
- Myopia. I've noticed that I am more short sighted now than before, however, I went to the optician and he says that my prescription is the same. So I suspect this is a short term effect which will also pass.
- The shakes. My hands shake a little. So, with the combination of tired, achy legs and shaky hands, I have finally turned into the old lady on the outside that I always was on the inside.
- Loss of self. This whole process is really good at stripping away your sense of self. I remember reading Lisa Lynch's blog post where she said that she had completely lost her confidence and after watching the film I wondered how someone so brilliant could feel like that. I get it now. It's hard to feel like you when you look like a balloon, walk like an octogenarian and vomit like the girl from the Exorcist. But, cancer is not kind to the ego and cancer treatment is just plain nasty. However, whilst one is trying to kill you, the other is trying to save your life, so I'll stick with the latter for now.
Amanda
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| I know which one I'm rooting for |
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