A few months ago, I've posted about my Brachytherapy experience and mentioned about the other treatment that I also underwent last year - External Beam Radiation. This particular treatment uses a specific dose of non-invasive radiation to shrink tumours and cancer cells using Linear Accelerator machines that produces photon beams that is aim on the cancerous area within the body. Although, this treatment is non-invasive, it can still affect and damage healthy cells in other body parts during treatment.
Before undergoing Radiation Therapy, one has to undergo a scan to see the locations of the cancer cells that needs to be treated. Prior to getting the scan, one has to have a passing creatinine blood result then fasting overnight to make sure your stomach and bladder are clear, so that radiologist can get a better picture of the insides of your body. Once you're in the scan room, radiologist will put markings on your body as guide once you start your daily treatment.
At the start of each daily treatment, nurses will take your vitals - temperature, blood pressure and weight. On a weekly basis, one also has to submit a passing mark for platelet count. During the treatment, you will be ask to wear a laboratory gown and lay on the radiation machine. Since, my treatment was for the whole abdomen, I had to make sure that my bladder is full - so bringing in a litre of water was mandatory. It only takes 15 minutes including preparation for the treatment. The treatment itself is only for 5 minutes or less. How the machine beams and cycles its radiation, depends on which body part you're getting the treatment, since mine was for the whole abdomen, the machine makes a circular north, east, south and west motion around my abdomen area - pausing for a few seconds with each stop.
Within therapy period, your oncology radiation doctor will give you tips on what to avoid eating and things that you have to take notice during the days you're getting treatments. I was asked to avoid eating diary and spicy food - for the simplest reason that this can cause upset stomach - which can lead to a slight diarrhea. Which by the way happened during my 33 days of radiation therapy - because these foods are life. The number of days one has to undergo this treatment depends on which type of cancer it is. Usually, it just 28 days for the type of cancer I have but my oncology doctor didn't want to take chances, so I went in for 33 days of External Beam Radiation.
Some of the side effects that I experienced during this course was the slight diarrhea, some bumps on my private area, a little pain in my abdomen (hello! radiation beam burns stuff - imagine what else it does in your skin and other body parts) and darkening of my inner thighs which were all treatable except for the darkening spots - I still have them until now but better than last year. I would say that External Beam Radiation was an easier treatment compared to chemotherapy. The only hassle was that it was every day. I was truly blessed to have finished this treatment with flying colours - though I had to go back for additional treatment this year - I am grateful because during this treatment, I met a lot of good people - cancer patients, therapist and nurses who always made me feel comfortable in spite the nerves that most of us patients feel each time we are in the hospital.
Thank you to all the stuff at the Radiation Oncology Department of DDH. I never felt scared during my treatments except on days when I feel like pooping and holding it down while getting the treatment. Thank you to everyone who prayed for me - to my family and friends, I couldn't have done it without your blessings. And to those whom I've met - cancer patients - we've done well comrades.
This entry took only a few minutes to write but the experience is worth a lifetime of stories to tell in between. I don't know what the future holds for us but I know that I will continue to stand and share my little victories to my friends who has gone ahead of us because they deserve to be acknowledge, just like the rest of us who are still here. God is good all the time.
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