Radiotherapy Part 2

As I stated in the previous blog I would post progress, well here it is. Considering I have had Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy together for 6 weeks I have done very well. Not too sure what is like with other treatments but with mine it was Radiotherapy 5 days a week and then a meeting with a Radiologist, Chemotherapy the same but taken every day and a meeting a week later.

Apart from slight side effects I have not had any side effects worth mentioning to require further medication, these are….

• Slight headaches.
• A little tinnitus. (consultant claims he’s not heard of this but I have checked with patients and it is true)
• Unsettled stomach after eating my normal size meals. (so kept them small and snacked)
• Slight tiredness about 3hrs after radio. (being out all day or shopping for a few hours requires a nice rest when I got home)
• The most frequent scary bit in patients, hair loss.

Decided not to hide it, I don’t care and if people don’t like it, then simply don’t look! So around the 3rd week I woke up one day had a shower and it started falling out (odd as no hair on pillow). Anyway, shaved it as I have dark hair and it sticks out more…

Ayup Patch !

Own It

So as the weeks went past I lost more hair but even after 6 weeks of radio and chemo I still have patchy hair left. May shave it off but not sure yet, have 4 weeks off from treatment and start strong chemo on 1st August. As you can probably tell I am not a vain manand have kind of been expecting this for 9 years.

Final Treatment Right

Final Treatment Left

Final Treatment Top

So I’m done until 1st August and decided to come away from the hospital with a present…

For now, best of luck everyone, will continue with blogs after 1st cycle of strong chemo.

One foot in the grave!

No not the show lol, well the time has come where one foot is in the grave and the other will follow based on my treatment success or failure.

Yes that’s right, the grade 2 is now grade 3 😦 and the worst part is in the last 9yrs I’ve done nothing to make the most of it. Plodded on as normal getting wrapped up in small things and taking life for granted, no point feeling sorry for myself, what is done is done and gone.

They have advised me it is early stages and only a few mm in size but it still don’t change how you feel hearing grade 3 or the word cancer. For years I’ve been able to shrug things but this time it seems different maybe it’s because I’ve been advised I could have as little as 2yrs without treatment or a good chance of 5yrs+ with treatment.

Treatment – a good word to use instead of radio and chemo and in my case treatment will be 6 weeks of both combined then the radio will stop, a 4 week break and then 6 months of chemo.

Providing everything is okay, treatment starts on the 24th of this month, as before like with the brain surgery I will be documenting everything so anyone who reads my site will see what I have gone through instead of lies, myths and misinformation.

I won’t lie, I am more nervous about the treatment more than having brain surgery again! I am guessing brain surgery is the last option if radio and chemo don’t stop it growing.

For those of you reading this who have been given more years to live, live it and don’t waste it! I’ve been stupid. Next post will be shortly after the 24th about the build up to the first session and what I went through.