What can you expect at home?
Every patient experiences the radiation journey differently. In general expect:
Fatigue: Levels may vary depending on the person.
Work: Working through radiation treatment is doable and many feel they can maintain a regular work schedule. However, working before treatment is optimal due to potential side effects such as fatigue and later the potential of the radiation burn setting in. Toward the end of treatment, your symptoms may change which may require you to adjust your work schedule.
Eating: As always following a healthy diet is optimal. However, after meeting with the nutritionist, Denise was instructed to amp up her protein intake along with citrus fruits, vegetables and grains.
Drinking: Make sure you hydrate and then make sure you don’t over hydrate. Denise used NUUN tablets in her water during treatment. You can purchase these at Wholefoods or Amazon. They are an electrolyte tablet that keeps you hydrated-a more healthy option than Gatorade.
Exercise: Denise worked out the entire time of treatment. During the end it was more difficult due to her radiation sunburn featured in the picture on the right, but she kept going which helped in her treatment and recovery.
What you expect at home from Denise’s perspective.
Life at home was good once I got into the rhythm of work and my treatment schedule. But the last week of treatment was rough. The burns worsened in the last week, and I still needed radiation. I had to get to the finish line. It was difficult to sleep and wear a bra. Even during that last week of treatment, I walked into the changing rooms at the proton center, I still could not believe I was in cancer treatment. It was surreal.
A few weeks after treatment ended, it was father’s day weekend and we celebrated over dinner with my husband and family. Doctor Eblan was right, the burns worsened after radiation. It was painful, but I wanted to be around my family and just keep going forward. I didn’t want to sit around and think about the last few months of this cancer journey. I wanted to enjoy each day. I am so grateful for my faith in God, my family and stepdaughters who texted, called and traveled to see me, my son in law, my friends and the family at MPTC. Life at home was good. But, I kept thinking about the person that is alone or does not have support. And that’s why I created this site. Please reach out to me in the About Us section if you need a buddy. I am here for you.
Denise ended treatment ended right before father’s day and celebrated with her husband and stepdaughters Katie and Megan.
Denise’s stepdaughter Kelsey and her husband Cody also visited from New York to help support.
Just over two months after treatment, Denise visited her fourth stepdaughter Molly in San Francisco.