Knapp 6 Wochen nach der Diagnose stehe ich nun unmittelbar vor dem Beginn meiner Therapie. Das Gespräch mit dem Chefarzt der Radioonkologie in Ruit verlief angenehm. Ich wurde ausgiebig über die anstehende Strahlentherapie aufgeklärt und bekam eine Übersicht über die anstehenden Wochen. Im Grunde läuft es ganz gemütlich an. Kommenden Freitag habe ich noch eine Voruntersuchung, bei der ein zusätzliches CT von meinem Hals und Kopf gemacht wird. Ich war zunächst etwas skeptisch, da ich ja erst vor einigen Wochen Ein CT machen lassen habe. Der Grund dafür ist aber einfach: Da ich in einer bestimmten Lage bestrahlt werde, dienen die CT-Bilder als Orientierungshilfe. Ihr könnt sie Euch als eine Art Bauplan vorstellen, der dazu dient mich genau zu vermessen. Die Bestrahlung findet aus mehreren Winkeln statt, die anhand der CT Bilder bestimmt werden können. Bei mir werden das 5 unterschiedliche Winkel sein. (deshalb auch das CT vom Kopf) Die Strahlen treffen sich dann in dem zu behandelten Punkt. One achieved by the healthy tissue is not too heavily loaded, but not enough is irradiated, as summed up the dose of the individual beams.
I am treated lying on their backs. It is very important is that I do not move during treatment as possible, otherwise the rays do not reach the desired location. Therefore, next Friday is also a face mask made of hard plastic, which I must bear with each treatment unit. It offers the therapist the opportunity to fix me on the couch so I can not move my head. In addition to markings can be made with the aid of the radiation machine in a few steps my exactly the required settings can be tuned. You have to imagine that every day in the therapy center 200-300 patients are treated. Durchzubekommen to this mass, the expense should be minimal for individual settings. For other types of cancer do you get these marks with a waterproof pen on the skin, which would look at me, the fact that I am treated in the face and neck, certainly very amusing.
my date for the first irradiating I have already received: on 12.03. start will be. I have 3 weeks of treatment. 5 days a week, the weekend will remain free as expected. The actual treatment process takes between 15 and 20 minutes Wreden go with most of the time for the positioning and settings on it. Afterwards I can already returned home. drive a car will probably not be there. Although I did not get a ban, but I would recommend it to anyone, because you must pay in case of an accident for the damage. I will therefore rely on the offer of health insurance and get a taxi service, pro despite an excess of 5 € ride.
with side effects I would expect especially towards the end of treatment, since the rays add up too a whole. Ie I would have received in the last week, the highest dose. I should certainly expect a response from the skin, usually like a sunburn will respond. Likewise, my parotid gland is affected, which means that I can get problems with the production of saliva, among which may also suffer my sense of taste is. Neck pain, local hair loss, loss of appetite and inflammation of the mouth and throat area are also relatively common.
Nevertheless, one can say that the side effects of radiation therapy with chemotherapy are hardly comparable, as in chemotherapy, the entire body suffers and radiation therapy really only the affected area is treated. So I can really lucky to be spared from chemotherapy.
make sport is fortunately also in there, but should I look out that I am not exaggerating. Swimming is unfortunately due to the chlorine, but go light jogging or cycling are in it and are also recommended. The endorphins it distributed would improve my mood and strengthen my immune system, but I did already ;-) I'm really curious how the whole thing will take place then. I was definitely glad to be well informed, since I just know exactly what is coming at me.
important for me to know how I really know whether the therapy has been hit or not. I learned that the affected cancer cells are very sensitive to radiation and my lymph nodes are swelling very quickly. For me, still quite unvorstellbar, schließlich habe ich nun über 4 Jahren mit einem geschwollenen Hals gelebt. In einigen Fällen kann es zwar passieren, dass die Lymphknoten durch die Behandlung vernarben und dadurch geschwollen bleiben, was aber angeblich sehr selten vorkommen soll.
Wie Ihr seht bin ich nun wieder einen Schritt weiter gekommen und bin wirklich froh, dass es endlich losgeht. Dankbar bin ich v.a. meinem Onkologen, der mir zu einem sehr schnellen Termin im Klinikum verholfen hat, da ich sonst, wegen Überfüllung (!) vor Ende März keinen Termin bekommen hätte.
Soviel zum aktuellen Stand. Am Freitag gehts dann also weiter, bis dato wünsch ich Euch (wie immer) eine angenehme Restwoche.
auf bald,
felix
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