Radiation

As mentioned in my earlier post, Dad was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer (colorectal) and he had to therefore undergo, chemotherapy and radiation.

Post his surgery in August 2008, we decided to go ahead with the radiation and consulted a radiologist who advised 28 sessions of radiation in all. 

The sessions started off towards the end of September, everyday excluding Sundays and Dad was asked to take a tablet called Captabin (Oral Chemo) alongside his radiation sessions, for 3 weeks with a 1 week break thereafter.

On the outside, we did not see dad going through any side effects of radiation, after the end of the 28 sessions, he suffered from intense abdominal pain. There were also complaints of tenderness in his feet, which we later were told, was neuritis. He faced problems when walking, often losing his balance due to the extreme sensitivity in his feet. He was prescribed Vitamin B injections and folic acid/multi vitamins as well.Though it should have diminished/improved over time, it did not. 

Pointers for patients/families :

1.As indicated in the radiation sessions, the patient needs to avoid consuming spicy/hot food. 

2.Plenty of rest is also required as your body has to battle the intensity of radiation. 

3. When affected by neuritis, please consult your doctor for the appropriate course of treatment.

4. Ensure that the patient has the right kind of footwear, that will protect their feet from injury or exposure to extreme temperatures.

5. Intake of food on time is of utmost importance, when undergoing radiation and consuming oral chemotherapy medication, as these are strong drugs, which may result in ulcers if food intake is not adequate.