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Fractionated Stereotactic Radiotherapy - Novalis
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From:
CharlieOR
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Good Morning, DMP!
On Friday I had my treatment #13, halfway mark, we hope. The headaches I
was having have all but disappeared and we are now reducing the
Decadron. I am down to 2mg/2x/day. The Decadron brought with it it's own
little side effects, which for me is elevated blood sugar and an almost
continuos fine motor tremor. So, on Friday I started some insulin which
we anticipate to be short term. With all of my surgeries since this
little booger was first discovered, my blood sugar had to be "chased"
with sliding scale insulin while I was hospitalized. Then, when the
steroids were stopped I was fine. I am still taking the oxycontin
10mg/2x/day, but by the end of this week I hope not to have to take
that, either.
One thing that is very disturbing at this point....my taste buds are
shot! I can't taste anything but the strongest and saltiest of foods and
then just barely. I can feel the food in my mouth but not taste it and
that is a very strange sensation indeed. Hopefully, this will be a
short-lived side effect, also. I am going to check with the nurse or doc
this afternoon to make sure I don't have some kind of oral infection
that is causing this, but I don't feel or see anything to indicate that.
Extremely dry mouth on top of all that, too. I am so glad I don't have
to work while this is going on because my strength, stamina, energy
levels and cognition are impaired at various times and in varying
degrees. This seems to be better this weekend and I was actually able to
do some light housework yesterday plus some simple cooking. Frequent
rests, but I did it and it sure felt good. But, having said that, for
about a week now I have been waking up with some horrible epigastric
pain and having to get up and sit up to sleep the rest of the night. I
have been taking Pepcid for this and it has kept it at bay, but that is
no longer sufficient with the addition of the Decadron.
Yea, I knew Novalis, not Norvartis...just used to seeing/hearing both
names for so many years, then add the "situation" on top of it...*L*
But, the machine they are using here is a Seimens. It does, from what
you describe, the same thing as your machine. Shaped beam fractionated
radiation. They are "hitting " me from 5 angles. My leftovers are
surrounding both carotids and encroaching on the optic nerve. I get
films once a week to check placement and all that technical stuff and
they adjust accordingly. I can see the beam shapes changing, also.
I still can't get over the fact that I can actually smell the radiation
when they "fire" it. Can't see, hear or feel it, but I can sure smell it.
Hope you continue to have a fairly easy time of this. They are telling
me it will get better, but the nurse in me is very skeptical at this
point. *L* It really hasn't been that bad. I'm not sure what I expected,
but if this is the worst, then I am good.
Charlie
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