I feel so sick by Wednesday (weekends are off) that I don't think I can handle it. Last week I missed Fri, and this week Thursday

I am having tomotherapy to the face. Tomotherapy is supposed to be easier...

Medications, more medications, one day at a time. I can't stress enough staying the course - people who don't complete their treatment have very poor survival rates.

They also always told me to not have treatment on an empty stomach as well. All ionizing radiation is tough - doesn't matter whether it's IMRT, XRT or Tomotherapy, but it normally doesn't make you sick (the adjunctive chemo, well that's another matter). Talk to the RO and the MO and see what solutions they can offer you to mamage this. You have to get through it.

trt,

Ditto what Gary says!!!!

My RO stressed the importance of completing the WHOLE therapy on time. He would not guess my chance of survival without completion but he did tell me that nonsurvival statistics are driven UP by people that are to sick to complete the TX.

I remember in my last week of Tx, I was soooo dehydrated and sick that I was in the hospital at Moffitt and they wheeled me down in a wheelchair to get my rad. I don't even think I opened my eyes the whole trip because I was so weak. Many, many times I told my wife that I was not concerned about the cancer anymore because the Tx was going to kill me first. But I rationalized that most people completed their Tx and they must have felt just as bad as I was so I just kept coming back until it was over.

Gather your inner strenght and tell yourself to push ahead. This is like cancer boot camp; like the worst coach you could have; like climbing Mt Everest without a guide or proper equipment. Keep the docs and nurses appraised and hope they can comfort you. Nothing seemed to work for me but in hindsight I was my own enemy as I did not have the benefit of this great site to help and guide me until 3 weeks AFTER my Tx ended.

One day at a time. Don't allow yourself to miss. You will be amazed (after the fact) on what you can and will survive. I too was sooo sick and sooo dehydrated. Tell the machine to hit you with it's best shot, and then come back the next day and do it again. Hang in there!

trt,

Have to agree with everyone else here. I apparently was one of the luckier people with radiation because it really did not make me sick. Keeping nutrition consistent was a huge factor in that. Keeping a sense of humor about the whole thing helps as well. I only missed one day of treatment and that was because we had several inches of snow falling that day (BIG DEAL in Dallas ). Muster up the strength and fight this hard.

And like David -- I didn't find this site until 4 years after my TX. It is doable!

Jim

trt,

One day at a time with a lot of pain and nausea meds for me. That's how I did it. You have to stay on course for finish. I knew that every day I missed was a day added at the end for me. Sure it was very rough, I lost a lot of weight, spent a lot of time staring at the kitchen sink throwing up nothing but mucous, and sitting on the toilet trying and trying. But no way was I going to skip a day. Hang in there and get it over with and let the healing start.

trt,

Just get on that table and consider that machine to be your best friend at the moment. Just do as I did and think about how each of those 14 hits from different positions daily were knocking off cancer cells little by little! I kept repeating that to myself while on the table daily during the last couple of weeks of it. I also interjected some prayer as well which I think helped me for what it is worth.

Bill D.

hello trt, I did'nt have alot of trouble with rad. causing any sickness. My heart goes out to you though. I'll be cheering for you because all of what the others have said is true. If you can hang in there. Me and my family will be praying for you and I'll be sending up a warrior cry for you. I know you can do this. Take one minute at a time and one treatment at a time if you have to. What helped me each day was just focusing on what I had to do right at that moment, it must have been pretty distracting for me to really focus because before I would realize it that task would be done and I would get some relief and move on to the next thing. Good Luck and You can do this. We are rooting for you. :-)

TRT,

To you and everyone else who has had to endure the Rad and chemo..my heart goes out to you ..I had differing opinions and opted not for rad (opinions mostly leaning that way ) ..I do not know whether or not that was the right choice..I know the sickenss I felt in my stomach at the thought of going through it... I can only tell you that I TRULEY ADMIRE the courage that each one of you has to face this and go through with it ...You can get through it they all say ...Love yourself above all else and tell this horrible disease that you are stronger that it can ever be! MY heart and my thoughts are with you and My you find the daily strength you need to get through this .

Sharlee

Your feelings at this time match identically to my husband. He decided to stop treatment last week beceause of being so sick. (Only 8 rad left and 1 chemo) They put him in the hospital due to severe dehydration and a small infection. Everyone at the Center agreed that treatment MUST be completed. Know there is an end and a good reason for the pain. I guess, no pain - no gain. Stay positive and never loose sight of the end of treatment. Our prayers are with you and everyone else that goes through this challenge.