Radiation therapy?I am a screenwriter writing a character with Leukemia. Research has answered most of my questions on the matter, but there is something I'm having trouble finding out.
My character is a teen and part of the story involves his parents trying everything they can to get him to eat when he has no appetite. I want to highlight this in a scene in which a trip is made to a diner and the characeter can't eat.
It happens that I'd like to place this scene during a trip to radiation therapy. I just don't know if it's realistic to expect somebody to eat before such treatment. Would it even be an option to try and eat before taking radiation?
Thanks :-)
Answer by Ciao_Bella
Dr.s recommend that you do not eat. The duration of time preceding radiation therapy is unbeknown to me. However, it is not as long as the period of time for anesthesia under goers (which is 24 hrs. in some cases).
If you did not get any answers from an actual doc...I would rest at 6-8 hrs. I believe that is how long my Corps buddy had to wait.(Marine w/cancer).
Answer by Bear
While on the way to the thing that represents the core of my physical and emotional angst would I want to eat? That would be the least likely time I would. Have him unable to eat at what would have been a time he would usually have enjoyed it - and at his favorite place. A teen turning down pizza on a Saturday night or something.
Answer by knittinmama
Depending on what areas are receiving radiation treatment, the patient could be suffering from nausea and radiation burns making it difficult to eat. If he is receiving full body radiation in preparation for a stem cell or bone marrow transplant, he may not be allowed to eat, but would probably be on I.V. fluids.
Answer by Shell B
It depends on if they are treating his abdomen with radiation therapy. My patients normally don't want to eat after, but there are medicines that they can give to combat nausea, and also, some to stimulate the appetite. Some patients prefer to eat soon enough before treatment that if they do have problems with nausea, their food is already digested. However, if the patient is not being treated to their abdominal area, the radiation will not cause nausea. Radiation affects only the area being treated, unlike chemo which affects the entire body. As for radiation "burns", they are very much like sunburns and have nothing to do with eating or not eating and take a few weeks to even show up on the skin.
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