Chemo & radiation

Can someone please tell me that if a person is having Chemo & then they are going to follow up with Radiation that they have cancer & a pretty serious case at that?

I don't think we are getting the full story somehow.

i can be pretty standard precedure to have both. generally chemo wipes out all cells and only the healthy ones re-grow and radiation is more targeted as to what it kills. anything that needs treatment is scary but the amount of chemo or the amount of radiation will normally determine how aggresive they are being as opposed to what kinds of treatments. i know both treatments can also be used for things other than cancer too so its really hard to give any clues as to whats going on. i dont know the situation at all so im sorry im not much help but the doctor will def be the best person to talk to since there are so many possibilities. all i can say is big hugs. our family has done the cancer thing many times no so i know whatever you are going through it must be really hard

Don't worry about the hugs....I'm not upset about it, just trying to find out info for DH as what she told me is completely different to what she told him. All I know it's somewhere in the lower back & that her hair is falling out.

Wonder if I can find out the name of her Dr & phone them but I doubt they'd give out the info.

MIL is off my Xmas list now. I took a beautiful picture of the kids & got it enlarged & framed. It was delivered yesterday & we have had to phone them this morning to check that they actually recieved it as I was starting to think maybe it went to the wrong address. So much for the thanks for cheering up my day.

Thanks Flisty. That helps understand a little but she's not telling anything to anyone by the sounds of it.

My dad had both, and also radiation for pain management. He was unable to be operated on, his tumour was inoperable. They can only have it a few times for pain, tho.

The best place for advice and answers in regards to treatments is the cancer society, thye are really good at explaing the whats and whys and in laymans terms.

Not sure what your situation is etc, but just thought I would share this.

My parents didn't rell me my dad had cancer as I was pregnat, he had had it for a long time, and only told me when I was about half way thorugh, then they fudged the seriousness of it, it wasn't untill the day I had Jake I actaully found out how sick he was, and that it was inoperable and no hope, really.

I was pretty pissed at them for lying to me and telling me one thing and my husband another thing (and mad at him too) but they had their reasons and its a pretty huge deal to be faced with your own mortality like that.

I don't think cancer is ever "not" serious, tho, but there are stages and one is alot easier than 3 or 4, but still a pretty big deal.


I have to admit if I had any form of cancer I would probably be writing my funeral eulogy and preparing to die, no matter what the outcome, to be fair, cancer and death sentance usually come in the same sentance, although sometimes interspaced with dosen't have to be. But it is, really. You get it, you often die from it, even 20 years down the track. Must be very frightening to have it, as there is never a "mild case" only a caught in time case.

Whatever has gone on, I am sure hasn't been done to hurt you deliberatley. People act strange and hurtfully and weird when faced with their own demise. I have lost about 5 members of my immediate family to this scourge in the last 10 years, so seen some weird ass behaviour.

I hope you guys can get some clear answers so you can all figure out your own way to cope witht hsi scary time in your life, which is made even harder since you are in the throws of joy with your new baby!

Sorry, not meant to sound like a lecture, either...

God, that sucks! Talk about head in the sand!

And boo hiss about not giving anyone a heads up on the cervical thing!!!

We went through this with Dad, right up until about the day before he died. He wouldn't tell anyone anything, but 3 weeks before he died, I became his power of atterney, (at 34 very stressed out weeks pregnant with baby #2) so I was able to find out stuff and fill people in on the quiet. It was bloody hard, as alot of people thought he had finished work due to an accident (which he had, but they found the cancer during an xray becasue he was having alot of pain) And one brother had been told different to the other. Bloody hard.
She should have defiantely been up front with you guys, esp. in terms of travelling to see baby etc. Dad was scared to visit us (up to here from CHCH) as he was scared of getting sick or passing stuff on to baby, esp after treatment as their immune system is compromised a bit and its not to flash for them to have had radiation then hold a new baby not long after, so she may be scared of that. Certainly sounds very head in the sand.

Hugs to you, it is such a difficult and all emcompassing postion to be in, especially with a young family!

I'm not too sure, but to be honest, I'm fairly sure it would be a straight after thing? I also know my dad had really bad burns after radiation and couldn't bear to be touched or stuff. Like I said before, the Cancer Society was for sure the best source of easy to understand answers that haven't got confused or lost in translation... someitmes older (like our parents) people tend to hear only what the want to hear (good or bad) in regards to this type of thign.
I hope your DH feels better soon, I really understand how he feels, and for you too, as you are trying to keep it it all together for everyone, and you probably need a big hug too. xxxx

Thanks NandC

Will let DH know & then he can decide if he wants us to go up. I know I should see her cause she's sick but MIL is not my most favourite person in the world.

Well surprise surprise she sent a booklet on what she has.

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma put out by the Leukaemia & Blood foundation.

Off to read it now