Cycle 2 – Day 2 Chemo, radiation, radiation review

CHEMOTHERAPY – Similar to Cycle 1, the hydration needed for the infusions plus me supplementing as advised by drinking water, had me up peeing often throughout the night of 14 Oct. The chemotherapy is not as noticeable this time around, though I do have the now familiar low grade queasiness which occasionally upgrades to mild nausea. Strangely, sometimes I need to eat to ease the queasiness.

RADIATION – My radiation appointment was scheduled for 2.50pm. I arrived at 2.48pm and was on the table by 2.50pm. Treatment over at 3.14pm. The constantly shifting roster of radiographers and I have found our rhythms. And I have learned the tempo of breathing in that the machine requires, and the level of lung inflation needed when I hold my breath for the treatment. I do not feel anything happening during the treatments, just the whirrings and clickings as the machine does its thing.

RADIATION TREATMENT WEEKLY REVIEW – After radiation today I met with Dr Wenchang Wong, the Chief Radiation Oncologist supervising my radiation treatments. He asked me how things were going and what side effects I was experiencing. Most of my side effects are related to the chemotherapy but Wenchang said that the tiredness/fatigue I am increasingly experiencing is from the radiation. He advised that from the week beginning 21 October I am likely to experience mild to extensive inflammation of my oeasphagus (oesaphagitis) as a result of the radiation focused on the 2 lymph nodes passing through to the oesophagus (kind of collateral damage of normal tissues). Depending on the amount of inflammation I will experience discomfort or pain when I swallow. I experienced discomfort a few days in Cycle 1. Sadly, Wenchang advised that the impacts this time are likely to be more intense because of the cumulative impacts of the daily treatments.

I asked about pain management for the oesaphagitis. Wenchang advised that pain generally comes when the muscles of the oesophagus need to squeeze to push food down the channel. He said that moist food, with any large lumps chewed well, would usually pass the inflammation point without the need for the muscles of the oesophagus to get involved, resulting in limited if any pain. As for pain killers he recommended paracetamol at first, then they would prescribe panadeine forte and stronger, and if necessary, opiods. I asked about medical canabis and he said that canabis had not proved very helpful for lung cancer patients. Fun times ahead.