I agree with getting the chemo concurrent with the rads, The rads create by far the most direct and collateral damage. As the platimum based chemos are radiosensitizers that improve the effectiveness of the rads, I am not sure if the concurrent treatment creates more side-effects than just chemo alone.

My surgeon's matra is to go aggressive as you do not want to see any recurrence. Your first trip through offers the best treatment outcomes.

Good luck
Don

Not really disagreeing about having chemo, but for me, it was 10x worse than rads, and that's an understatement. I will never fully recover from it, and will never underestimate it again, like I initially did. Even still, I had chemo my last treatment, and weighed the risks with the "light chemo" lol. Light was another joke, I had to buy a shower seat, and use a walker again due to the weakness, neuropathy, hospitalized for hydration, and blood transfusion. For my 2nd and 3rd recurrence, my doctor would not do chemo, said it would have killed me.

Hi Paul,

As we all know the mantra, YMWV - Your Mileage Will Vary, so each person and each situation creates a unique outcome; even same person, same treatment may experience different outcomes.

I only state what I generally observe and that is far fewer get away unscathed from the harsh beam of the rad gun while the side effects generally are less from chemo.

No biting please,
Don

Don, I didn't even see your post when I was writing, and was not responding to you. I know everyone is different, and a number voiced chemo to be less a concern basically, no problem, and voiced my opinion, and I'm one that doesn't agree, that's all, and living proof. Most who went through what I don't survive, and neither was I expected, so there may not be that many around to say anything about chemo like i will for a number of reasons. These are some of the ailments I had suffered from chemo:

All fingernails, toenails came off, burns on hands, face & inside mouth, paralyzed fro the waist down, abdominal pain, septic shock, sepsis, respiratory failure, pulmonary collapse, pulmonary congestion, intestinal disease, excisional debriment of wound or burn, disseminated candidiasis, unspecified septicemia, periumbilical abdominal pain, hypotension, drug induced netropenia, urinary tract disease, pleural effusion, hepatomegaly, gastric dysfunction, gallbladder disease, ulcerative colitis, pneumonia, cardiomegly, unspecified volume depletion, low potassium, kidney disease, hyposmolality, nutrional marasmus, debility, dysphaigia, phlebitis, systemic inflammatory response, syndrome, other erythematosquamous dermatosis, ulcerative gastrointestinal mucocitis, antineoplastic immuno supprs adverse effect, anemia, iron meatbolsim disorder, shortness of breath, localized inflammatory process whole body, unspecified infection central venous line, critical illness myopathy, brain ishemia, other ascites, joint pain, cellultis, mononeurotis, gait abnormality, pressure ulcer, rhinoschleroma, conjuntivitis, diarreah, nausea, hypovolemia, blood transfusions, renal failure, low potossium, acidosis, leukocotosis, C-diff.

Btw, I like your sign off, don't bite

you missed one side effect - you grew fangs and yap like a chiwawa. :-)
oh sorry - that is two, yes I can count

That's ok. I paid my dues. You still have a long way to go, and hopefully you will not grow any fangs

Hi Mark

My Alex suffered dreadful anxiety before each new treatment because he didn't know what was coming. Immediately afterward, he was all sweetness and light because the treatment was NEVER as bad as he imagined.

Remember that the radiation therapy itself does not hurt and it will hopefully be a couple of weeks or more before you start to feel the effects of ulcers and burns. It comes on gradually so you can manage it with pain killers and special mouthwashes.

The only thing you need to deal with is the mask. Other posters have covered the use of anti-anxiety medication, self meditation techniques etc so I will not repeat.

Alex found that imagining those radiation beams blasting the cancer actually made him feel like he was doing something which caused him to almost look forward to the treatment. He actually fretted when the machine broke down (which it did often) and there was a chance he wouldn't get radiation that day. Even the mouth ulcers which developed around week 3 were seen by Alex as a sign the treatment was working. Once he was comfortable and familiar with the routine he played a game with the machine, predicting where it would be when he opened his eyes.

Hi, Mark,

My husband had significant anxiety regarding rads and ATIVAN was prescribed for that. He took 2 pills before we left the house. By the time he was ready to get bolted down he was very relaxed and even slept a bit. Do what you have to, to get through it.


All the best-
Anita

The rad staff has been just wonderful! Make an appointment with the cancer center and meet the nurses, doctors, techs, nutritionist...etc.. We found that since they have been thru this they know what the process/outcomes are. Plus they have a magic closet, so can get you samples of products so you don't have to buy from the drugstore and have it not work out.
Chemo was recommended to be given early in the week so that it was more effective with rad.

Mark

I have had 14 treatments of RT. I have the same issues. Actually I have 3 demons. I cannot sit still, I am claustrophobic and I have gag reflex. They stick a tongue depresser in my mouth to keep my tongue down.
My radiation oncologist prescribed lorazepam 1mg for the anxiety. I took it 1 hour before treatment and it worked like a charm. I stopped taking it after 7 treatments.
Hope this helps