Re: SRT and the immune system--dilemma

[Guest guest]

Here's my first thought:

.. . . You have a case of radiation poisoning from the 68 Gray

.. . . SRT treatment.

I don't know how that radiation dose (to your prostate and surrounding tissues)

relates to a " whole-body " dose of 68 Gray.

If you check here:

http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/001918.htm

you'll see that " Increased susceptibility to infection " is one of the standard

side-effects of radiation therapy. So my gut-feel advice is:

.. . . Don't be an idiot. Stay home until you've recovered.

PS -- " Idiot " is used in a friendly sense, here. I don't want to run afoul of

the Forum rules.

>

> How badly does salvage radiation wreck your immune system? On May 13th I

finished 38 sessions (68.4 total GY). Last week I got quite ill. The symptoms

are similar to (but not quite as bad) those I had 15 years ago when I had a

severe case of pneumonia,.

>

> I saw the doctor today. Since I am doing somewhat better (ranging from hitting

a brick wall last week 80% of the time to now feeling totally normal for half

the day), he just prescribed an inhaler (albuteral) for my sometimes spasming

cough. He thinks I do not have pneumonia (lungs sound relatively clear) but a

viral respritory infection. So no antibiotics and no chest x-ray (and that's

fine with me).

>

> My dilemma is this: I am supposed to fly out to KC on Wednesday. I will be

grading AP tests. There will be huge crowds of people. Is my immune system so

screwed up from the SRT that maybe I shouldn't do this? The doctor never

suggested this, although he said the SRT probably lowered my immune system,

leading to this problem. Basically, if I feel better I think I will go. I really

want to go, but I don't want to do anything stupid.

>

> Any thoughts?

>

> Mel

>