Radiotherapy has started

Did you have a prostatectomy first?

Are you working during your RT?

Thank You

Sebastien

Hi Bill, there are usually 4 or 6 tattoos - but they are like tiny biro spots to help the RT team line you up on the machine. We couldn't even find John's after a week or so but he is quite hairy - the RT staff know where to look, of course. John's were on his hips and each side of his belly button.

John got naked and had to put on one of those hospital wrap gowns each morning - it was then unwrapped when he got on the trolley.

He had to have a low fibre diet but some men have to have a high fibre diet instead. It depends where your bowel sits in relation to the area that needs zapping and whether they need it to be flattened away from the rays or lifted up away from the rays. It was absolutely forbidden to drink alcohol or anything fizzy :-( 

Edited by member 25 Aug 2016 at 00:58  | Reason: Not specified

I didn't need a big towel to cover my bits!

Arthur

No I didn't have surgery, after much discussion with both the Oncology consultants and the good people on this forum, I decided against it, and I am glad I did.

Having chosen the Radiotherapy option it gives a better chance of not suffering as many side effects and so for all I am suffering is tiredness.

I had my 3rd session today, which did seem a little longer than the previous 2 and it has made me very tired, in fact driving home my arms started to feel like lead and when I got home I had to have a sleep, but saying that I now feel quite refreshed and ba k to normal.

Fortunately I have recently retired so work doesn't get in the way of the treatment fortunately.

I hope your RT goes well and don't worry if you get tired as this seems to be the common side effect that gets most people to a greater or lesser degree.

All the best

Harley Rider

Bill
I forgot that you asked about diet.
I have been told to stop having coffee, spicy foods, garlic, brown bread and any food with high fibre in it, and fizzy drinks, I am having to drink at least 2 litres of still water a day, this is to ensure your bladder is in the correct position during treatment and to make sure you are well hydrated, which is most important.

Harley

Before I decided on which treatment to have I did hours of research on each individual treatment.

After making several 'for and against' lists and several discussions with both my consultant and also my wife (who it will affect as mush as me) I went down the Radiotherapy road.

My rational behind my decision was that although the treatment programe is far longer than the surgical or Brachotherapy one, the possible side affects seemed not only less but less severe if you were unfortunate to get any.

And like you I had concerns about the incontinence, so following a discussion with the consultant, he suggested as I was generally pretty fit and not a great age (65, I know some would call that ancient😕) if I should suffer damage that caused incontenence I would have to put up with it for many years (Hopefully) so he would not recommend it.

Before my radiotherapy could begin I had to have three weeks of hormone tablets on a daily basis and also have been having monthly hormone injections (Prostrat).

The hormones, I have to say make me quite tired and initially gave me headaches about an hour after each injection but these have now stopped, the only other problems they gave me was quite severe flatulence, which again has disappeared as time has gone on and a little 'PMT' (according to the wife anyway), this is a bit hit and miss, sometimes I get it, some times I don't.

The actual RT I started last Tuesday, so have now had 4 sessions.

The first couple did not have much affect at all but from the third one started to make me very tired and when I got home had to have a lie down for a couple of hours, as I did yesterday after the fouth.

However this morning I have not been anywhere near as tired or worn out as I was yesterday so hopefully I am now getting used to the treatement.

I f I can help you with anything else you have concerns with just let me know, I am quite happy to pass on anything I learn about RT as my treatment goes on.

Hope this has been a help to you to make your decision, but remember, it has to be YOUR decision based on what you feel comfortable with.

All the best

Harley

Edited by member 27 Aug 2016 at 13:30  | Reason: Not specified

RT wasn't an option for me. The cancer was too big (80% of the prostate), PSA 4.65 and Gleason 9. Age 40.

The urology team said RP was the best option as I am only 40 and from MRI/Bone Scan, it was a locally advanced cancer.

I was also told that I would have RT afterwards to kill the microscopic cancer cells if the margins were not clear.

Also they told me that RT would be an option afterwards, but RP cannot be an option after RT.

I had a second opinion in Paris as we wanted to choose the best option, where they told me the same thing.

My stepdad and a friend also chose RP, they were 56-60 when diagnosed, with PSA below 5 and Gleason 7.

Also, one of my friend's dad, a GP, insisted to have RP even though he was told it wasn't the best options...

But like me, he wanted to remove as much as possible.

Regarding side effects, my stepdad doesn't have any leaks except when sneezing and coughing, but it's almost nothing. As for the others, I don't know.

I am on 1 pad/day only, which I was told it is really good.

I had my RP and the biopsy of the prostate showed that the margins were not clear. So it is advised I do RT to clean the microscopic cancer cells.

Best wishes,

Sebastien