Tell me about WBR

[ztweb]

Dad has a month off before whole brain. The wait is terrible, as that is when he will have his first scan following radiation and chemo. He is nervous as are all of us...I think of everyone here who has posted about the fact that the waiting of this disease is so hard. Can anyone tell me what to expect from the whole brain radiation?

[Connie B]

I've never had WBR, but it's posted all over this board. If you do a search here and type in WBR you will be TON'S of information on it. I can't help you any more then that, but this subject has been dicussed over and over and over and I know you'll find lots of info on it doing a search.

Good luck to your dad.

[Carleen]

Keith had WBR. He was actually very lucky with it and suffered no side effects at all other than fatigue.

Some people get swelling in the brain from the radiation, and for that they take steroids. (They are often given preemptively to keep swelling for even starting). Brain swelling can cause some pretty scarey side effects like loss of balance and motor coordination; confusion and even delirium; memory loss; speech impairment; hearing problems; and the list can go on.

Understand, this is not a list of things that WILL happen, it is just a list of the things that maybe one or more or none CAN happen.

My Keith did not take any steriods, and did not have any memory loss or any problems. In fact he continued to work full time during and after the WBR. He worked at the hospital where he gets treatment, and would work all morning, go upstairs for his treatment and then go back down to his desk and work the rest of the day. (Oh yeah, he did lose some hair, not all but also got dry peeling scalp like from sunburn.) But I don't really count those as side effects as they are so minor and cosmetic. Nothing shaving his head and a little lotion didn't fix right up.

Wishing your dad the best of luck and fantastic results from his PCI.