Top tips for radiotherapy treatment from our network member Dawn

Top tips for radiotherapy treatment from our network member

What tips would you give someone having radiotherapy for a salivary gland cancer?

I was giving someone advice who was about to start their journey with radiotherapy, I'd start off by saying 'make sure you get parking pass'.  That's because you're going to the hospital every day and that can get quite pricey.  I would say 'take a book with you and something to do' because with the best will in the world, those machines sometimes go down and they obviously don't want you to miss treatment and the staff there will do everything possible to fit you in, but sometimes there can be a wait.

Make sure you tell the team exactly how you are feeling.  That was my one mistake not assuming there was more pain relief and they said to me 'Look you are on a really low level of that pain relief.  It can go up, and up and up.  You just need to ask.' 

So really sort of being honest with the team.  And although the Ensure drinks that they give you, when you get to a certain point, there not quite a McDonald's milkshake, but you can mix and match them!  I was buying Mars milkshakes and things to sort of 'pep them up' a bit, put ice in them, liquidise them.  You know, it's not quite a coffee, but you can try, and that is really important. They told me that the taking the nutrition was just as important as taking the medication.