Radiation time of day... did you do it early or late?

Going to schedule SRT. What time of day did you get it done, and how did you schedule things like exercise, eating, naps or ?? Looking for any insight into best way to plan my day. Thanks -Ken

I have been thinking about the same thing, I start SRT in January.

I live about 30 minutes from the hospital and they said to allow for 30 minutes at the hospital from the time you leave your car until you are back to it again. That's 1.5 hours is everything goes right x 25 visits.

Our rush hour can be bad especially in the winter time. That 30 minute drive can actually double if there is snow and it's rush hour. I think that means I need to shoot for treatment between 9AM and 3PM.

What did others do about going to the gym? Does it matter if you go before/after? Going before I would likely still be sweaty / stinky. Do the techs have to get up-close and personal each time you go or do you just climb up on the table while they are in another room?

Just found out the planning visit will include a cath I think to find the optimal fluid level? Or do they cath you each time you go ?

I did mine at 7:00 am - first slot of the day. I just wanted it done and out of the way. I'd get up about 5:30, shower, pack lunch/breakfast and drink a bottle of water. It was about a 15 minute drive to the clinic and normally I was out of there by 7:30, 7:45 at the latest. Then I went to the office, had my breakfast and worked a normal day. I'd walk at lunch time. When it got to the last week, I started to get bad fatigue so I took about 3 days off work and just slept a lot.

I had to wait an extra week to start for that time slot to open up, but it worked for me.

There were a couple of times they had problems with the machine/computers and my treatment was delayed a few minutes. One time their computer network went down and they could get my treatment plan from the database. Once they were having calibration issues, but they had a repair tech on-site and had the problem fixed quickly.

Andrew

I went for a run or to the gym first in order to get my oxygenation up. Then radiation at around 11AM. You don't want to get caught in rush hour traffic either coming (when you have a full bladder) or going (when you may experience urgency). I never had to wait more than 15 minutes to get zapped, but I only did it 5 times.

In planning with the RT staff for my IMRT (45 sessions) I was told it was my choice to do it either mornings or afternoons, but once I started I had to stay in that pattern, whether morning or afternoon. (I eventually chose 3 PM daily).

I didn't think of it at the time, but later, after completing the sessions, I came to wonder if treatment delays (machine problems, other people being late, etc.) might show up more in the afternoon than the morning sessions.

That could be because delays or slowdowns in the mornings would seem to push back later morning appointments into the early afternoons, then those early afternoons getting pushed back later into the day, so that those latest afternoon appointments (like 3 PM or later) would seem more likely to be delayed due to those earlier delays during the day sort of piling up.

Actually, there weren't all that many delays in my 45 sessions at 3 PM anyway, but the ones that did occur, when I was sitting there in the waiting room with an already full bladder, and now I was told I had to hold it for an additional 15-20 minutes (hopefully no longer), were especially annoying.

OTOH, I suppose delays can occur at any time, morning or afternoon, so maybe AM vs. PM treatment really isn't that much of an issue as far as delays go, with staff likely experienced in ways to minimize wait times, etc.

Mine were at 12:45 pm. The mid-day time avoided traffic trouble, and allowed me to get my urinary and bowel situations in shape before the appointment.

Working out afterward would have been tough, since the treatment made me feel a little "off", and fatigued. By the next day's appointment I felt normal again. An early morning workout would have been best.

Like TA I got mine at 11 AM. I went every weekday morning for 2 months after breakfast, my daily 7 mile run and a shower. Same clothes every day for the session. By 11 AM I am empty, which is how they wanted me.

Got on the table and into the cast, they lined the lasers up with my tats and fired up the cyberknife. The wait varied from 5 minutes to 2 hours, but I had our Taekwondo Grand Master for company as his wife was on the table before me for 1 & 1/2 months.

The fatigue set in after the treatments had ended, the other SE's showed up much later.

I did mine at 10 am everyday for 25 treatments. I had a 1 1/2 hr drive each way and went to work early..left and went back so I was working about 25-30 hrs a week. about mid treatment the fatigue started to kick in and add to the fatigue from HT so afternoons were pretty tough. I just finished 11/23.

Luckily I have great bladder control so if I was a little to full then I'd get rid of 4 oz or so...never was empty. The biggest issue is empty bladder and full rectum.
Hopefully you'll get into a rhythm and it will go smooth.

I had my SRT (39 treatments) in the afternoon. I would go to work, and then leave early stop to get the IGRT then head home. I was in and out in about 15 minutes most of the time. I never changed my diet or daily routine and never had any side effects during or after the completion of the treatments. It has been 11 months since I started the treatments.

Really great info from those that have gone down this path.

I'm self employed so timing isn't much of an issue other than rush hour. To avoid offending the techs, workout after the treatment sounds like the plan. I'm a morning kind of guy when it comes to the evac so if I do it at 10AM, I should be properly "prepped", I miss the traffic and can workout afterwards. If I motivate I can workout before, shower and still easily make the 10AM time.

@Gear and many others thanks for starting/posting on this thread it has been very helpful to understand the thought process that has been posted here.

So weeping from the Lupron is just something I will have to live with for now? I don't normally cry when we rent a chick-flick but are you kidding? Where's the box of tissues?

Treatment center was an hour away from my office. Houston traffic unpredictable- never had a problem I scheduled sessions for 12:45 each day. Some days I needed to change- no problem to alter schedule. MD Anderson was outstanding at customer service. Vallet parking, scheduling, honoring my time . Drank my water on the drive in, changed clothes, sonogram to check bladder fullness, get zapped, change clothes get car go to next work activity. Could not have been better- executive class medicine for every client. Grateful they were available to help me.

Trailguy said...
The RO gave me a script to take a 1 hour daily nap, which I am still doing.

Curious what you take to make the naps happen? I used to burn the candle at both ends and a 30 minutes nap at lunch time was the way I made it through. Post cancer not so much, working 60+ somehow doesn't seem like the best way to use my time. Sounds like doing the short nap during RT may be a good way to go.

For the minority who choose SBRT, the treatment time is much longer but there are fewer treatments. Since my treatments were 45-60 minutes, and since they always covered me with a warmed blanket, played music of my choice and supplied all the pillows I wanted, I often took my morning nap on the treatment table.