Radiation

Katrina1,

My father is to begin radiation treatments for his stomach cancer (linitis plastica) in the next week or so.  He will receive it Monday through Friday for 10 minutes a day to continue for 5 weeks.  He did not say that the radiologist had warned him about feeling bad or not being able to eat.  He had a total gastrectomy 4 wks ago and they reconstructed a small pouch for him to take the place of his stomach.  He has been on tube feedings at night since his hospital discharge and working on eating more during the day.  I imagine that will continue through the radiation and chemo that he'll be taking.  I'll talk to him and keep you posted if he has any problems with his radiation or if his doctor tells him anything else.

Good luck with your treatment and God Bless,

Kathy

Katrina,

Take it one day at a time.  Don't stress your self out.  I survived the radation and so can you!  I really did not loose weight during radiation.  However, your situation sounds different.  If you have fair skin chances are that the radiation will burn your skin.  Almost like a real bad sunburn.  I would smoother my stomach with uter cream to prevent dryness. It seemed to help.  Your nausea will get worse.  I would take half of an Ativan to help me through.

My prayer and thoughts are with you,

Maria

Thanks for the encouragement.  Did you also have chemo with your radiation?  When did you have surgery?  I had surgery on 12-26-06.  The tumor was about the size of a softball.I was very lucky it is not in the lymph nodes, it was stuck to the colon, but the colon is clean also.  The doctor did not give me much of a chance before the pathology reports came back, but now he says it is looking much better.

 My prayers and thoughts are with you also.

Katrina

Hello Katrina,

 Yes, I had chemo with radiation.  I did ECF treatment and had surgery on January 4, 06. and completed treatment on August 4, 06, I'm six months clean.  I was diagnosed at stage III.  I had signet cell and it was spreading to my lymph nodes. Keep the faith and take it one day at a time. 

All my prayers to you, I'm here for you!!

Maria

Good luck to  your father I  hope it goes well for him.  I would love to know how he does.  They have marked 5 different spots that they will hit for radiation, so we will see how next week goes.

Thoughts are with you!

Katrina

Katrina,

Best of luck to you.  I will keep you in my prayers.  In my experience I was hit with radiation in the front, back and sides.   If your up to it please let me know how you are doing.

Maria.

On 2/23/2007 Katrina1 wrote:

Has anyone had radiation for stomach cancer? I am to start on March 5th, and the doctor told me I would be sick right from the start. I will be having 5 weeks, Monday-Friday each week.  This treatment scares me, he wanted me to gain 10 pounds before I started, but am unable to do that,in fact I have lost. They put me back on the feeding tube at night. Any imput would be wonderful. Thanks

Katrina,

 My son (age 36) had a total gastrectomy in Oct. 2006 preceded by 9 weeks of chemo and after the surgery 6 more weeks of chemo and then 28 radiation treatments as well as chemo (5 FU).   The radiation was tough but you can get through it.   He lost about 20 pounds and has been having trouble eating by mouth due to the inflammation in his intestines.   Also he has trouble with his feeding tube - when he uses it, it seems to reflux back into his throat.  Also, he cannot use it while laying in bed - only while he sits in a recliner.  Have you had any of these problems?   Also when he eats anything at all by mouth, his intestines cramp for approx. 30 minutes after he eats.  Do you have any of these problems?

Hang in there - you can get through the radiation.   Did you have any cancer in your lymph nodes?   What stage were you?

It always helps to discuss things with others who have already gone through the processes...

Thanks for you help.

Patti 

Patti thanks for the information. You  are right it is so helpful to talk to others, it took me awhile to find this sight.  Yes I have trouble with reflux when I am using the feeding tube, I also have to be in my recliner.  I have also noticed when using it,  the next morning getting up the reflux is bad.

I did not have it in my lumph nodes.  The doctor wanted to do a complete gastrectomy, but when he got in there the cancer was stuck to my colon, so he thought I was a much later stage than I was. I am a stage 2.  When the pathology reports came back there was no cancer in the colon either. I feel very lucky for that. This is a horrible surgery to go through,  your son is so young!!  Is he able to eat at all?  What stage is he? Does he have trouble sleeping in a bed?  I am, the reflux is so bad.  My sister had this 2years ago, and she is still sleeping in her recliner.  We both had a less then 1% chance of getting this, and here we both have had it. In our genes somewhere.

Please let me know how your son is doing. I will keep him in my prayers, that is what keeps us going!

Katrina

He doesn't have any trouble sleeping in a bed but wakes up nauseated every single morning.   He does eat by mouth but everything cramps him so badly.   I'm hoping that he will be able to gain his weight back; however, the doctor's say it's very hard to do once your entire stomach is removed.   I feel like they will probably put him back into the hospital in a week or so and try feeding him the TPN intraveneously since he hasn't been able to use the feeding tube successfully.

I can't believe your sister has this also.   My daughter hasn't been checked but I suppose she needs to be.

Stay in touch.

Patti