Meeting With Radiation Oncologist to Plan Treatment

I had my meeting with my RO this morning to go over treatment.  I initially thought it wouldn't be too bad but it turns out I was mistaken.

I'll be going to have 35 treatments that will last 7 weeks.  That was expected.  But because the radiation will be targeting my throat area he said there will be pain and discomfort typically starting the second to third week.  He said eating and more specifically swallowing will become difficult and painful and recommended having a feeding tube inserted directly into my stomach prior to treatment.

He recommended it be done beforehand because 95% of people require it and if I waited until I needed it then it may take a week to get done and by that time I would have probably gone with out food and lost weight as a result.  He said it was critical that I keep up my nourishment during treatment.  Some normal healthy cells will suffer the damage of the radiation and nutrition will be required to minimize damage and allow them to be repaired.  So ya, I wasn't expecting and am not looking forward to that.

The feeding tube insertion procedure will be outpatient and I'll be awake through it.  He said it's pretty simple.  Doesn't sound simple but I'll take his word for it, until my curiosity gets the best of me and I start researching it in the middle of the night.

There were a long list of other side effects or reactions mostly temporary such as fatigue, red irritated skin like a sunburn including the possibility of blistering, loss of saliva, loss of taste, loss of facial hair at the area their radiating, can't shave because it might irritate the skin and others.  Because the area of radiation is more focused and on one side I shouldn't lose all my salivary glands, but I still may experience some dry mouth.  The loss of taste should recover over time, but some things may permanently taste different.

Overall it's sounding like 8+ weeks (including post recovery) of hell.  On the bright side he said I can expect a full recovery with this type of cancer.  So, I've just got to weigh the good with the bad and if I have to go through 8+ weeks of pain and suffering to survive another 5, 10 or 15+ years it will be well worth it.

I was initially planning to try to work through the treatments maybe spending extra time working from home.  But if it turns out to be as difficult and painful as he's making it sound I might just take a medical leave the last 4 weeks or whatever is necessary.  I'm going to start planning for that and if it turns out I can work then I can always do that.

I've already scheduled an appointment with my dental hygienist to have a varnish applied to my teeth to protect them through the process.  I'll probably be called by the RO's office to come in to do my mask and another CT scan to ensure everything is lined up properly.  The mask is like a jig or guide the robot uses to target the area that needs radiation.  The radiation therapy will be IMRT which is supposed to be some advanced, highly targeted, system.  I've also contacted the new oncology office next to my RO's office to see when they can get me in so that I can start chemo on or around the same time.  A lot of ducks to wrangle.

So if everything comes together I will probably begin therapy Tuesday, Dec. 27.  At least I'll get to enjoy Christmas dinner and maybe even New Years before things start going downhill.