Radiation Therapy

My mother-in-law had nerve pain in her lower leg/calf after a small stroke. She was in tremendous pain and in fact nearly overdosed on Tylenol trying to get relief. About 4 months after the pain began, she woke up one morning and the pain was completely gone. Praying your mother's pain subsides soon.

Is she receiving any of the medications that are appropriate to try for peripheral neuropathy? If not, as for a neurology consult. I am so sorry this is the outcome.
More concerning is a non healing sore. My brother died of Sepsis within weeks after letting a small sore on his shin that would not heal go unaddressed. It was SO small that no one in his ALF was even aware he had it, and he was treating it himself with over the counter antibiotics. Consider wound care if she requires this.

Tramadol is kind of a 'wussy' drug--it might be classified as an opiate, but it really isn't---for some people it's great. I find it 100% worthless in my chronic arthritis pain. It also made my mom just crazy while on it. "worse than the pain" was what she said.

Mom probably needs Norco or Tylenol w/codeine for the pain. At 87, the risk of addiction is low and she would probably appreciate pain relief.

Yes, the 'war on drugs' has made Drs hesistant to treat pain appropriately. You need to advocate for your mom and get something stronger to help.

Also--CBD oil may help, but for the pain?? Seriously, something stronger and again, maybe Gabapentin if she's having nerve pain.

The only medication for pain subscribed was Tramadol. It worked for a while but it seems to have lost its potency on her. We are now trying CBD oil on her leg around the wound. She's desperate to try anything.

Thank you to all for your feedback. Any suggestions welcome!

I had very early breast cancer. When diagnosed I had the choice of a second lumpectomy with six weeks of daily radiation or mastectomy. I chose mastectomy, no way was I doing radiation and daily? That isn't even an option. So many people suffer such severe burning.

Thanks for sharing. My friend’s father had an inoperable brain tumor, but they said that radiation and chemo might help shrink it. It didn’t. It just made him sick as a dog, and the cancer continued to grow, making his ending months a misery.

Thanks for sharing. It’s a hard reality that often the treatment is more harsh than the problem. My dad had an ill advised skin cancer surgery, the recovery was horrible, many months long, and the area never healed well. We all regretted it

ANY kind of cancer treatment entails a certain amount of pain and suffering. As I sat through all my chemo appts, I'd see people on the same drug regimen as me just sick as dogs, vomiting, needing strong pain meds, etc. I must have been blessed, b/c even though it was horrible, I NEVER threw up, which was actually one of my worst fears.

No one knows exactly how a patient will react to any kind of TX. Some people literally sail through theirs, while others are basically bedridden the entire time.

I HOPE you are advocating for your mom and minimally treating the pain. At 87, she doesn't deserve to have to suffer. Well, actually, nobody does.

I didn't require radiation, so I can't speak to that. It actually does 'burn' and your mom may have some bone-deep burns that cannot be seen.

Also--chronic pain makes it really hard to heal. I'd really chase that down and not let her suffer. Sometimes you have to be a bit of a nuisance to get pain meds for our LO's.

There are drugs that sepcifically target nerve pain--I'm thinking of Gabapentin. That might help. Have the drs offered any solution or do they just shake their heads go 'sorry, can't help'?

Cheryl, thanks for sharing those insights and observations on radiation.  It's sad when someone experiences "healing" care which causes residual equal if not more pain than the corrective action.  

My sister had whole brain "rads" when her cancer metastasized.  She was in her 50's; the experience was draining and wore her out.  But the redness on her face lasted for awhile.  It was so painful to see; it debilitated her extensively.    I don't know if I'd ever agree to it if I developed cancer.