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Starting treatment on 26th

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User
Posted 14 May 2015 at 14:39

Due to start my radiotherapy  end of this month....Low residue diet starts the week before and  last time I found the laxative I had to take at night was too much as it really made me go if you know what I mean....anyhow they told me to decrease from 45ml at night to 35ml and it did help....However talking to others that have had the radiotherapy they say you get similar needs to use the toilet at any time during the day.....my appointments will be between 11am and 12am and I have a ambulance car to take me to hospital and bring me back every day....I think I'll be ok going as I'm up early and will have had a chance to use the loo before I get picked up at 8am but I'm really worried about the return journey.....it's between 40 and 50 mins drive back and I'm worried about getting caught short.....it's not my car and I'd hate to have an accident and there are no public toilets en route.....Could anyone shed a light on this....what do you  do if you need to go urgently......I'm panicking now 

User
Posted 14 May 2015 at 18:46

Crikey what an awful predicament ! I'm not sure exactly what an ambulance car is , but I expect if you were open and honest with the driver ( which would be difficult I know ) then at least he would be aware of the situation. Personally i'd wear joggers tbh and make sure I was pretty well protected with pads / tena ladies etc just in case . Im almost certain there must be the equivalent of an adult nappy available , which would totally ease your mind.

User
Posted 14 May 2015 at 19:02

Hopefully someone will put your mind at ease . And I understand it goes against the grain as you say. But no shame when you're not well ! Best of luck

User
Posted 14 May 2015 at 19:42

Hi I would have thought that if you let the ambulance car co-ordinator know about your needs they would be able to consider a route that would take in a pit stop.if required

Bri

User
Posted 15 May 2015 at 00:23

I'm not really sure why you think you will be more likely to use the loo after a radiotherapy session? If the hospital want you to take laxatives, that will be so that your bowel is empty for the treatment - there won't be anything left inside you on the way home.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 17 May 2015 at 02:17

If you can wait 20 minutes or so after the session before you make the journey home it might help. Having a full bladder for the RT means you may need to wee after a delay of about that time (in my case anyway)

I found that my route included garden centers and supermarkets which also helped and put my mind at rest just knowing they were there on my way home if I needed them.

User
Posted 17 May 2015 at 06:54
When I had radiotherapy I travelled to and from the hospital (about 20 miles each way) in a car the hospital provided. I had time to go to the loo after the session to release the water I'd drunk as I had to wait for others who were in the car with me to complete their treatment. You may find you are in this situation too and be able to make yourself more 'comfortable' before travelling home.

Arthur

User
Posted 17 May 2015 at 06:59
I had six and a half weeks of RT which finished in March. With a full bladder I did need to pee again even though I'd emptied my bladder as soon as I got off the RT table, so I'd have to stop on the way home (10 miles). I had an irritable bowel problem which kicked in after three weeks and would have to go about six times a day. This lasted for a couple of months and wasn't too much of an issue. I would often go before leaving home and then before treatment. I would hope you'll be ok until getting back home, but as has been said, passing garden centres etc would be good to locate in case. Best of luck with it - in a perverse way, I enjoyed my daily sessions, you'll find you will meet some nice people and strike up friendships
User
Posted 18 May 2015 at 09:51

Hi 

I'm sure you will be fine I didn't use patient transport used my own car, I live 30 mins from hospital. The guys who used the transport where I went didn't have a problem, because you will  have to wait a while after your treatment, I found after the first half hour after treatment the urge went. What I have got now though is a Radar key for public toilets, you never have any money when you need to go.

I have changed the name for PSA to Pee Straight Away.

Best of luck with the treatment I'm sure you will be OK

Alan

KEEP POSITIVE  

User
Posted 18 May 2015 at 21:35
During RT I developed bowel problems you speak of and the radiologist recommended Arrowroot biscuits. I thought it may have been an old wives tale but discovered it is a natural remedy for diarrhoea but not so harsh as other remedies. It is important that you don't bung yourself up during RT so I tried the biscuits with my tea and found it did ease the problem.

good luck with your treatment.

John

User
Posted 19 May 2015 at 05:54

Hi, not sure about the medical Implications of having to go urgently, as in now, right now, but a practical solution for you to consider?

You could consider carrying a small bucket with you, inside the bucket have plastic bags, Tesco, other supermarket bags are available, lining the bucket. If the bucket is small enough have the bags already stretched over the rim and as you use one remove it from the bucket rim, tie it off and dispose as and when. Wee outside the bucket.

I hope that you cope okay.

atb

dave

All we can do - is do all that we can.

So, do all you can to help yourself, then make the best of your time. :-)

I am the statistic.

User
Posted 19 May 2015 at 07:29

I get the feeling that Tangobunny is more concerned with needing to empty his bowels rather than having a pee.

Never having been treated for prostate cancer but I have had to be treated for pelvic poisoning which resulted in horrendous bowel problems which went on for months so I appreciate the fear factor, especially of being in a stranger's car when the urge comes on you.

As Lyn says though, your bowel is likely to be mainly empty so all that is likely to come out is possibly mucus and wet "wind".
Pull on pants are available from Supermarkets and are not expensive and will give you the added confidence in somebody else's car.

I obtained a RADAR key (which I understand can be obtained from Age UK although I got mine direct.)

It is handy to have even when just out and about as when that urge comes you need to be able to deal with it without queueing for a loo.
Might not be so bad for a bloke perhaps but since all us women only have the choice of a cubicle waiting in line can be a major problem.

Good luck, I hope all goes well for you.
Sandra

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 19 May 2015 at 08:53
You can also get RADAR keys from mobility shops. Prostate Cancer UK have a wallet sized card for men with prostate problems who may need urgent access to a toilet, it won't guarantee access but it might help. Hopefully most shops etc would be sympathetic.

It's on the publications page, look for card from the menu then put in urgent and it should come up

Arthur

Edited by member 19 May 2015 at 08:59  | Reason: Not specified

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User
Posted 14 May 2015 at 18:46

Crikey what an awful predicament ! I'm not sure exactly what an ambulance car is , but I expect if you were open and honest with the driver ( which would be difficult I know ) then at least he would be aware of the situation. Personally i'd wear joggers tbh and make sure I was pretty well protected with pads / tena ladies etc just in case . Im almost certain there must be the equivalent of an adult nappy available , which would totally ease your mind.

User
Posted 14 May 2015 at 18:56

An ambulance car is basically a taxi driven by volunteers and arranged by the hospital to take patients to their appointments....on my previous visits I've spoken to lots of people and from what I managed to find out almost every one uses them to save money on petrol costs....so they must be used to people needing to travel in a similar situation to mine....my works in a pharmacy and says there are pull on pants similar to toddler training pants available for adults.....£8.50 for 10....I will have to consider this option even though it goes against the grain.....I was just hoping someone else who might have had the same treatment could put my mind at rest and tell me that its not as bad as I've been told

User
Posted 14 May 2015 at 19:02

Hopefully someone will put your mind at ease . And I understand it goes against the grain as you say. But no shame when you're not well ! Best of luck

User
Posted 14 May 2015 at 19:42

Hi I would have thought that if you let the ambulance car co-ordinator know about your needs they would be able to consider a route that would take in a pit stop.if required

Bri

User
Posted 14 May 2015 at 20:02

I will mention it on my way up to the hospital....however I might not be the only patient in the car and we may have to stop and pick up or drop off......I will also mention it to the prostate care nurse when I get there

User
Posted 15 May 2015 at 00:23

I'm not really sure why you think you will be more likely to use the loo after a radiotherapy session? If the hospital want you to take laxatives, that will be so that your bowel is empty for the treatment - there won't be anything left inside you on the way home.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 15 May 2015 at 09:03

I was told that its a side effect of the radiotherapy by the consultant,nurse and fellow patients.....after the radiotherapy you will have a urgent need to go to the toilet both urination and defecation...........when you feel the urge to go you will have to go quickly......that's what I was told

User
Posted 17 May 2015 at 02:17

If you can wait 20 minutes or so after the session before you make the journey home it might help. Having a full bladder for the RT means you may need to wee after a delay of about that time (in my case anyway)

I found that my route included garden centers and supermarkets which also helped and put my mind at rest just knowing they were there on my way home if I needed them.

User
Posted 17 May 2015 at 06:54
When I had radiotherapy I travelled to and from the hospital (about 20 miles each way) in a car the hospital provided. I had time to go to the loo after the session to release the water I'd drunk as I had to wait for others who were in the car with me to complete their treatment. You may find you are in this situation too and be able to make yourself more 'comfortable' before travelling home.

Arthur

User
Posted 17 May 2015 at 06:59
I had six and a half weeks of RT which finished in March. With a full bladder I did need to pee again even though I'd emptied my bladder as soon as I got off the RT table, so I'd have to stop on the way home (10 miles). I had an irritable bowel problem which kicked in after three weeks and would have to go about six times a day. This lasted for a couple of months and wasn't too much of an issue. I would often go before leaving home and then before treatment. I would hope you'll be ok until getting back home, but as has been said, passing garden centres etc would be good to locate in case. Best of luck with it - in a perverse way, I enjoyed my daily sessions, you'll find you will meet some nice people and strike up friendships
User
Posted 18 May 2015 at 09:51

Hi 

I'm sure you will be fine I didn't use patient transport used my own car, I live 30 mins from hospital. The guys who used the transport where I went didn't have a problem, because you will  have to wait a while after your treatment, I found after the first half hour after treatment the urge went. What I have got now though is a Radar key for public toilets, you never have any money when you need to go.

I have changed the name for PSA to Pee Straight Away.

Best of luck with the treatment I'm sure you will be OK

Alan

KEEP POSITIVE  

User
Posted 18 May 2015 at 21:35
During RT I developed bowel problems you speak of and the radiologist recommended Arrowroot biscuits. I thought it may have been an old wives tale but discovered it is a natural remedy for diarrhoea but not so harsh as other remedies. It is important that you don't bung yourself up during RT so I tried the biscuits with my tea and found it did ease the problem.

good luck with your treatment.

John

User
Posted 19 May 2015 at 05:54

Hi, not sure about the medical Implications of having to go urgently, as in now, right now, but a practical solution for you to consider?

You could consider carrying a small bucket with you, inside the bucket have plastic bags, Tesco, other supermarket bags are available, lining the bucket. If the bucket is small enough have the bags already stretched over the rim and as you use one remove it from the bucket rim, tie it off and dispose as and when. Wee outside the bucket.

I hope that you cope okay.

atb

dave

All we can do - is do all that we can.

So, do all you can to help yourself, then make the best of your time. :-)

I am the statistic.

User
Posted 19 May 2015 at 07:29

I get the feeling that Tangobunny is more concerned with needing to empty his bowels rather than having a pee.

Never having been treated for prostate cancer but I have had to be treated for pelvic poisoning which resulted in horrendous bowel problems which went on for months so I appreciate the fear factor, especially of being in a stranger's car when the urge comes on you.

As Lyn says though, your bowel is likely to be mainly empty so all that is likely to come out is possibly mucus and wet "wind".
Pull on pants are available from Supermarkets and are not expensive and will give you the added confidence in somebody else's car.

I obtained a RADAR key (which I understand can be obtained from Age UK although I got mine direct.)

It is handy to have even when just out and about as when that urge comes you need to be able to deal with it without queueing for a loo.
Might not be so bad for a bloke perhaps but since all us women only have the choice of a cubicle waiting in line can be a major problem.

Good luck, I hope all goes well for you.
Sandra

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 19 May 2015 at 08:53
You can also get RADAR keys from mobility shops. Prostate Cancer UK have a wallet sized card for men with prostate problems who may need urgent access to a toilet, it won't guarantee access but it might help. Hopefully most shops etc would be sympathetic.

It's on the publications page, look for card from the menu then put in urgent and it should come up

Arthur

Edited by member 19 May 2015 at 08:59  | Reason: Not specified

 
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