Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Radiation Side Effects Are Kickin' In

They say the fourth week of radiation is when the side effects of radiation start to kick in. They are so right.
"Sun Burned" skin? Check.
Evening nausea? Check.
Exhaustion and fatigue? Check. Double-check. Exclamation point.
I had another bad day the other day. It was the day I really started to notice the side effects. I actually thought the side effects were early...or rather, I didn't know what I was feeling was the side effects because I didn't expect them until after the fourth week. Actually, the side effects come IN the fourth week, not after it.
I was just feeling so darn tired! It was like the tiredness I was feeling when I had low red blood cells after chemo about a month ago. With the tiredness comes a depression because you feel so helpless. However, once I figured out that I was feeling the effects of the radiation, the depression started to ease. It is helpful to know that there is a reason for the fatigue and that the fatigue is important for me to feel - I AM KILLING CANCER!
I am still feeling exhausted all the time, but I know that I only have a few more weeks of radiation therapy left, so that makes it bearable. I also feel heartburn and slight nausea at night when I go to bed.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Deirdre,

I just wanted to tell you something I've learned.. it gets worst before it gets better. I know it's easy to say it, but hang in there. It seems like you have the support of a great companion in your life, you have awesome family members, I am sure you have great friends and they are the people to rely on and they'll help you out. You are not alone. And, of course, you have your new friends from the radiation oncology team...especially kristen and the radiation therapists (and intern):-)