What Kind of Radiation Did You Get for Your Gynecological Cancer?

I hope the rest will will feel good and that you enjoy the holidays with family and friends.

Here is something that helped me during radiation treatment (I did not have chemotherapy). I reminded myself that I was in active treatment where I was checked in with and saw my radiation oncologist weekly. That active care helped me to keep my fears and doubts in check. And....then it was time to ring the bell when I was all done.

Happy holidays @terradean.

So, it starts this coming week 1/3 25 external radiation, Then 2 brachy. I just hope have less issues with the radiation than chemo. I only hope my work doesn't have a hissy fit my leaving 2 hrs early in January for the treatments. Living in Oregon, they dump all your time each year and make you start over, have enough hrs left
to cover it from 2022. Guess time will tell.

Today was first day of external radiation, was 11 am and once home at noon did have a kind of headache in back, did feel strange for probably 4 hrs. A co-worker told me her mother always took a nap after her treatments. I think I see why. Tomorrow will be leaving work early, for 3:20 pm appointments for remainder of appts for week.
Will keep you all posted on how I feel. Was told to expect possible skin issues and fatigue, possible diarrhea.
Hoping for very little or any.

It's hard for me to compare because I also had chemo during my 5 weeks of external radiation. My first 3 weeks went fine .then I got real sick diarrhea being the worst of it. Zero appetite. Severe fatigue. I still blame the chemo. The skin issues from the radiation came at the very end. I was literally peeling. The doc gave me a zinc burn ointment that worked but I still have skin discoloration that a bikini wouldnt cover. Maybe it will fade in time. I was treated for vaginal cancer and currently am recuperating from the brachytherapy I had after. I hope your symptoms are mild I do believe the more severe symptoms were from the chemo. Eat well, stay hydrated, stay as active as you can. Is probably the best advice I can give

@terradean
I recently finished radiation at my first weekly appointment with the Radiation Oncologist I met a very kind retired doctor who was filling in and I mentioned that I was experiencing headaches daily after my treatment. He said have some coffee and I said I wasn't a fan he said have some tea then. I did each day and that helped. I always had the earliest appointment each day and worked the entire time. A nap would have been nice, but it was good to keep as active as possible. I had 28 external treatments and 3 brachytherapy ones. On the day after the final external treatment I woke up with a very small burn that quickly healed. I had plenty of fatigue and diarrhea. Immodium was definitely my friend. Take care and be kind to yourself. Rest when you can and very soon you will be all done.

@terradean From what I can tell here everyone has a slightly different treatment regimen.

During radiation therapy I had a few headaches. Coffee help as did staying hydrated. Also, my treatment was in the winter months in Minnesota so I figured the bedroom was very dry from the furnace and I needed to use a humidifier. That helped. I had diarrhea off and on and as @cmb2022 wrote I carried immodium with me all the time. I also had some fatigue toward the end of the treatments. I did what my radiation oncologist recommended which was to stay active and walk a lot. I took occasional naps during the day if I felt tired in the afternoon and slept well enough at night. I did not have any skin problems. I'm not sure why some people have this and some do not. Maybe this is something to ask you radiation oncologist.

Will you be working throughout your treatments?

Yes, my workweek is tuesday thru saturday, am glad for it or think time would really drag through this. So, Monday they have me go early, but other 4 days am leaving work 2 hrs early to be able to get to appts. Drive 45 minutes from work to facility but only 15 minutes to get home. Interesting about the coffee, have read not to do coffee but hard on intestine really don't want to give my cup up in morning with milk in it. I do agree chemo makes you feel crummy, mine has been 3 weeks apart, 3rd time still wasn't back to normal from 2nd. Am glad not doing more right now. I did stay hydrated, and was home Monday so had alot of water and tea but was off for about 4 hrs after. I am not sure what to think, got home at 4:30 today no headache yet. Not feeling tired yet, but will probably go to bed early tonight if can go to sleep.
I hope I do not have any skin problems, the scar tissue from hysterectomy is enough. I will start carrying the Imodium just in case I start to have that issue. Time will tell I guess.

Question, did you have any pain with the treatments. When meeting with Dr. yesterday he mentioned you will have pain. I am not sure why this is being mentioned. But, not the first time I have heard it. I mentioned having a headache after first radiation, and feeling off for about 4hrs., that was a 11 am appt., this week was a 8:35 appt., didn't really notice as much. However, yesterday after leaving I was feeling achy at my 3:20 appt. He asked about my stomach and whether having nausea, I am eating fine though still feels somewhat irritated since last chemo appt. or maybe both. Am using tens unit on my back right now is achy.

@terradean I was asked about pain several times also, but never had any during the treatments. I finished just about a month ago and started having achyness/pain in my low back, hips and legs about a week ago. I have been reading and that is a common side effect of pelvic radiation and for most people it says it normally subsides after a couple of weeks. Other than the headaches I felt good in the first few weeks, but as time progressed I did feel very tired, weak and had diarrhea quite a bit. I am still a bit tired but no longer feel weak and rarely have diarrhea now. Take care! I am praying for you!

Woke up at 2:30 last night with left arm aching, so used tens unit on my neck, then went back to sleep woke up not hurting, everything came out of me quickly. So Imodium, it was that ended it for the day. Seem to be ok tonight after another treatment. Hopefully, won't have same problem in morning. And, will sleep all night. I am hoping will not have pain. I have never been that thrilled about this all this treatment, though everyone keeps telling me I need to do. After being in pain from mid-May till end of August before hysterectomy I just do not want to go back to pain. Am hoping this can go as smoothly as possible.