Radiation is a b*tch! Everyone handles chemo and radiation differently, but for me, radiation has been pretty bad. Until that is, I was able to learn how to manage it. The two main side effects of radiation for me are nausea and vomiting. After dealing with this bad boy for two weeks, I figured out the tips and tricks to prevent this from happening, it’s not fun!
Me during Radiation!
- Ask your doctor to prescribe you an anti-nausea medication. You should take it before radiation, and whenever else he/she recommends it. It’s 2016, they DO have medications to help with this, you have to just test which one works for you i.e. Compazine, Zofran, etc. For me, Zofran did nothing. Compazine helped a lot.
- Take 2 Extra strength Tylenol 45-60 minutes before you eat a meal for swallowing. I know how impossible it is to even try to swallow food, and this saved my life. It’s still tough, but helps a ton!
For the burning pain sensation, take Omemprazole once or twice per day. I can’t tell you enough how this has helped me as well.
- Eat 5 to 6 small meals instead of 3 large ones, this will help settle your stomach. I like to make shakes, I make one in particular that I love: just blend 1 banana, a little bit of oatmeal, water or milk, and 1 scoop of peanut butter and protein powder. It goes down very easily.
- Eat and drink very slowly and don’t lay down right after eating.
Avoid eating greasy, fried, or spicy foods. Don’t eat foods that are too hot or too cold.
Below are the foods that I have found to be very easy on my stomach and easy to swallow for the severe throat pain/difficulty swallowing :
- Chicken, vegetable, or beef broth.
- Gingerale
- Pedialyte, especially if you are vomiting
- Water
- Tea
- Ensure (it’s also packed with vitamins and nutrients that your body needs)
- Oatmeal
- Noodles
- Soft potatoes, no skin
- White rice
- White toast
- Popsicles
- Yogurt
- Canned fruit
- Pasta with white sauce only and cheeseAll cold cereal, wait til it gets soggy, and throw in some bananas
- Any soups except tomato based
Avoid anything very acidic, vinegar, lemon, no cheese with Jalapeno pepper, avoid carbonated beverages. If you’re going to drink Gingerale, make sure it goes a bit flat.
For your body:
100% Aloe Vera is great for areas that are being treated with radiation. I use this, and I also love Elite Therapeutic’s Elite Premier Crème. It is highly effecting on areas being treated with radiation, and you can use it up to three times a day. You can also use the regular Elite Crème on areas of your body that are dried out from the radiation. www.elitetherapeutics.com, enter JESS for 30% off.
I hope these tips and tricks help you as much as they have helped me! Don’t forget to get plenty of rest. If you’re feeling tired, SLEEP. Your body needs it and it is completely normal.
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