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

With my brachtherapy I was given a pain epidural before the device was inserted. 5 treatments were done in 3 days, so it was just inserted once. Just got home yesterday and am feeling a little sore from the removal of the device and lower back pain from being pretty much flat on my back for three days.

I felt significantly better on my last round of chemo when I took the steroids. I recommend that you discuss the steroid dose with your doctor. (I do not know anything about steroid dosing to reduce chemo side effects.) Please explain that you are unsure if the current dose is providing the desired result for you.

Also ask your doctor if the steroid can be affecting your mental alertness. I know first hand that the chemo can decrease your mental alertness. Mine has been ongoing even after chemo was finished.

Hang in there and pray for reduced chemo side effects!! Chemo sucks!!

@jeanadair123 This is awful to read and I have pain reading and thinking about what you experienced during brachytherapy. I wonder if the applicator that they used was too large for your vagina? I have not had children either but I was sexually active with my partner before brachytherapy. I recall that the radiation oncologist was careful to make sure the applicator was comfortable enough for me so that I did not have pain. He also used a lot of lubricant and gave me a heads up about each step.

Yes, I imagine it could be the size of one's vagina. It's a good question to ask the radiation oncologist. Could it also depend on whether one is in an active chemotherapy regimen and/or medications? Another question to ask.

They do give me 3 pills of dexamethasone, not sure if helps or not. To start day after, maybe not long enough since pain starts day 3 and last for few more days. I think make my brain slower while taking though not sure if chemo or it.

I had 38 radiation and 4 brachytherapy.
The radiation was easy the brachytherapy however was not. Apparently, I think it is the size of your vagina?
It was very painful for me they even gave me fentanyl and norco neither helped. I know people who had brachytherapy that it didn’t phase them at all.
I think it’s because I have not had children and my husband had prostrate cancer in 2003. Use your imagination there? 😁

Ask to receive steroids with the last chemo dose. It will help you recover faster from the chemo symptoms.

So today I saw the new radiation Dr., My son was with me so two set of ears. And, lucky me will have 25 external and 2 barchy still in between 3 more chemo. Surprises me chemo people say you could drop the radiation and radiation says could drop the last 3 chemo treatments. Radiation guy said they really do not know alot re: my
treatment plan so feel like guinea pig. He also said if I was younger there would be more to worry about radiation and what long term effects of radiation could cause. He even didn't think I have any worries about bone loss from the radiation.
So, 3rd chemo is Monday. It took longer 2nd time to recover than 1st time so makes me wonder how this time
will affect me. Days 3 & 4 are the worst, but this time bone pain lasted longer, seemed worse. Took Naproxen
3 times this last time to finally be bearable. Fingertips took longer to stop feeling numb also, still are numb at times. My nose seems to be having issues at night. Seems to have blood clot in morning in nostrils. Will see what they say Monday about that.

Today, I will have my second brachytherapy treatment (1 more later this week and I will be done). The first one wasn't too bad. On my drive home I had several sharp cramps in my stomach and have had them much more regularly since. I have had stomach issues since beginning the external beam which improved in the 10 day break that I had in between finishing the external beam treatments and beginning the brachytherapy ones.

@terradean
You might like to check out this discussion. If you scroll down you will see a long post from me with the information on the moisturizers that work for me. These are non-estrogen as I cannot use that anymore because I am an endometrial cancer survivors.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/vaginal-atrophy/

Thanks, for the thoughts, it just didn't seem right what I was told. Have something to go on now. Feel better with ideas that have been given