Radiotherapy : Side Effects

It is now a week down the track since I finished my radiotherapy treatment for malignant SCC (Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cancer) in a lymph node in the left side of my neck.

I had 33 doses of radiation at 2 Gy each treatment (Gy = Gray : 

The gray (symbol: Gy) is a derived unit of ionizing radiation dose in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as the absorption of one joule of radiation energy per kilogram of matter.^{[1] (Wikipedia)}

The gray is an important unit in ionising radiation measurement and was named after British physicist Louis Harold Gray, a pioneer in the measurement of X-ray and radium radiation and their effects on living tissue.

That’s enough physicist stuff.

All in all I had a large dose of radiation pumped into my neck over a 2 month period.

During the treatments I did really well. Monday-Friday each week I rose at 6.30 am and prepared myself for the coming day of treatments. After a shower (hot then cold) I drank a black coffee and wrote my journal. The trip to the treatment centre took an hour and I generally arrived at about 9.30 a.m.

I dressed well each day, felt refreshed after my sleep and acted in a socially sustainable manner most of the time. 

I’ll go as far as saying that I was glibly thinking that I got away with having virtually no side effects until literally the past week of treatment. Even the nurses were super impressed with my response.

I put my lack of side effects down to the ketogenic diet, oxygen therapy, infra red saunas and IVs that I was having throughout my treatment.

I’m still doing pretty well but lo and behold, for me the effects have manifested after the treatment ended.

Here’s a list of side effects that I am experiencing.

• Random fatigue – as I say, this is random.Some days I feel full of beans and can walk for 2 hours or do strenuous workouts. At other times I feel drained of energy and just want to sit down. Overall this fatigue doesn’t really stop me from doing things but it does irritate me a bit. I have been dropping off to sleep on the couch while watching TV which is not common then I wake up and I am as bright as a button.
• Diminished taste sensation – I don’t like this one at all. My food is tasting bland and unexciting. It is like I imagine it would have been in a British country hotel in the 1950s. I had got to the point where even a piece of cauliflower or broccoli would get me excited! Alas, this is no longer the case. Even the most exciting things taste bland.
• Lowered appetite – even though I think I am hungry and start eating with a certain gusto I lose interest after a few mouthfuls of food. The fact that it tastes bland and lifeless does not help. I’ve lost a bit of weight in the past few days but nothing to worry too much about. I am still not eating sugar or processed carbs.
• Thick saliva and dry mouth – to be expected. My saliva has become thick and sticky. The inside of my mouth feels slightly metallic and I wake in the middle of the night with a dry mouth or with sticky, gooey saliva like old home-made clag that we used to make at home in the 1950s. I have to admit that I’m not drinking enough water. Probably 1.5 litres a day, sometimes more, sometimes less. I have been generally taking electrolytes almost every day.
• Brain fog from time to time – at times I get objective to myself and can hear the words that tumble out of my mouth being slurred and my thoughts slowly clambering out and incoherently being converted into inadequate words that don’t make much sense to anyone who is listening, mumbling and such. This doesn’t happen all of the time but it’s bad enough to lose me first prize in a basic quiz show or kindergarten level debate.
• Fluctuating deep sleep patterns – I have been keeping an eye on my sleep biometrics and it appears that my deep sleep minutes are swinging up and down like a roller coaster. One night I will get 2 hours deep sleep and 3 hours REM and the next I get 18 mins deep and 60 REM. One night I only got 2 minutes deep sleep! I have records of this (on my Oura Ring App) and have no idea if this is a consequence of the radiation side effects.
• Mood swings – My tolerance of those close to me has lessened and I find myself being unnecessarily rude at times. Normally I try really hard to be respectful of others. I’ve also noticed that I get a bit snarky and critical from time to time. At other times I feel exhilarated and in love with life and respond accordingly.
• Ups and downs emotionally – I am all over the shop emotionally. Most of the time I’m OK but occasionally crash down to apathy, anger or some other untoward emotion.

The skin on my neck where the radiation was directed is pretty good and getting less red every day. I am putting Strata XRT on my neck twice a day and keeping the skin moisturised.

Overall I am doing pretty well. I’m getting about 8 full hours of sleep each night, exercising every second day, getting enough basic nutrition and feel like I am recovering. I cannot feel any lumps in my throat. I look healthy and have enough energy to get what I need to get done executed. I have currently stopped all other treatments (oxygen, IV etc) as well.