How are you managing long-term effects of pelvic radiation?

@mobilepmc I had pelvic radiation, both external and internal (brachytherapy). Yes, the fatigue started about half way through the radiation sessions. I followed the advice of my radiation oncology team and kept as active as I could every day. That meant walking every day and I met with my personal trainer virtually two times per week. I think that helped greatly to keep my fatigue at a manageable level.

I was a little tired, but not as tired as I was from chemo. How much was from the radiation itself vs the month-long daily routine of the drive back & forth? Can’t say.
But I’d take tired over pain and incessant diarrhea any day.

@naturegirl5
how long that fatigue lasted
thank u for responding

@mobilepmc The fatigue was off and on during the last half of radiation therapy. After radiation therapy ended I had fatigue for a few weeks and it eventually went away. My radiation oncologist had already informed me that this would likely happen so it was not a surprise to me.

@naturegirl5
thank u so much for responding
what stage were u?
did u do chemo and radiation

Not so much physically tired as weary. It was an improvement over chemo, that’s for sure.

@naturegirl5
i pray u stay healed and strong

@mobilepmc Original diagnosis was endometroid adenocarcinoma Grade 1, Stage 1a. No adjuvant therapy recommended at that point in 2019 at my original diagnosis. During one of my follow-up exams 2 years later my nurse practitioner found a little tiny polyp-like growth on the vaginal cuff, removed it and sent it to pathology. It was a recurrence of the same cancer. Imaging (PET with MRI) that was ordered showed no evidence of disease (NED). I then had radiation therapy and no chemotherapy. I've been NED since then.

You were diagnosed with vulvar cancer stage 2. Is that correct? Did you have surgery and if yes what did your oncologist recommend following surgery?

@naturegirl5
yes, i had 3 surgeries
did not get clear margaine
in 2 weeks i start radiation and chemo..!
i had breast cancer, beat that
now this.
im so glad to hear that, u need
a break..long one

@ffr
you are right on that
im getting me like cooling bad, and radiation cream
im nervous, but i will be glad to get it over with