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Driving to RT

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User

Posted 10 May 2020 at 13:39

I was diagnosed on the first day of the lockdown and given the option of surgery or radiotherapy. At 57 soon to be 58 I was considering surgery as better option but am beginning to wonder if it’s the best choice for me.

One of the concerns with radiotherapy was that it made any later surgical options difficult.. Another concern though is that the place I’d receive the radiotherapy is Mount Vernon which shows as a 40 minute drive.

I’d expect to be driving myself for treatment and am a bit worried that the commute would prove difficult to maintain for the duration of the treatment.

Have many other people experienced driving themselves there and how was the journey for them?

Thanks

PWF

User

Posted 10 May 2020 at 14:15

John had his RT on the way to work each morning and then carried on his way to the office. Worked full time throughout, needed a nap at his desk a couple of times towards the end but apart from that, everything was just normal ... went to the gym each night on his way home, played rugby. Driving shouldn't be a problem.

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

User

Posted 10 May 2020 at 14:26

HI,

You might also ask if the hospital recommend you drive yourself. If they don't your insurance is likely to be invalid.

From what I've read on here some people go straight to work after RT while others become fatigued. Especially after a few weeks.

Another thought is whether such a potentially important decision should be made based on the ability to travel.

I was offered a Robotic op at another hospital that was an extra 30 minutes drive, on top of the 30 minutes drive I already had, and didn't want to do it as my wife would be driving. At the time I thought robotic was better but an op in 10 days beat an unspecified date at an unknown place, no doubt about that.

Don't make your mind up based on fear of surgery. It's tempting to chicken out, I thought about it.

Regards
Peter

User

Posted 10 May 2020 at 16:55

I had a 90 mile round trip to and from Clatterbridge for the six and a half weeks of my RT, which was about 50m drive each way. No problems with the driving, although for the last couple of weeks of treatment I did need to include a loo stop (McDonald's 😁) on my homeward journey!

Cheers,

Chris

User

Posted 11 May 2020 at 02:27

I had a long journey for my RT largely using buses and felt I could have driven no problem. I was a little tired but able to stop off and do shopping and most importantly have a pee before getting another bus to my digs. The urine stop apart, I think the tiredness was more due to the effects of Zoladex. The HT can affect men to varying degrees and you don't know the extent until your involvement.

Barry

User

Posted 11 May 2020 at 08:11

PWf

I had SRT without HT and do not recall any tiredness issues. As mentioned the RT/HT combination may be more of a cause of tiredness or fatigue than RT on its own.

My appointments were at different times of the day, I had retired when I had mine and drove myself.

Treatment and diet advice varies from area to area so listen to your own medical team. I had a daily mini enema, not all hospitals require guys to use them.

Waterworks and bowel issues affect some guys early and not others. Have things in your car just in case you get caught short.

Thanks Chris

User

Posted 11 May 2020 at 12:52

I had a journey of around 45 to 60 minutes each way depending on traffic. I was ok driving myself.

Ido4

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User

Posted 10 May 2020 at 14:15

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

User

Posted 10 May 2020 at 14:26

HI,

You might also ask if the hospital recommend you drive yourself. If they don't your insurance is likely to be invalid.

From what I've read on here some people go straight to work after RT while others become fatigued. Especially after a few weeks.

Another thought is whether such a potentially important decision should be made based on the ability to travel.

Don't make your mind up based on fear of surgery. It's tempting to chicken out, I thought about it.

Regards
Peter

User

Posted 10 May 2020 at 16:03

I was treated at Mount Vernon 10 months ago, and had a 40 min drive each way.

I would say, if you're fit, you will manage it without any problem.

If you are not fit, you might become quite fatigued towards the end of your treatment, but I don't think it was enough to prevent anyone driving. Sometimes they will arrange transport, but I'm not sure what the rules are for that.

It was a really nice place to be treated last summer. Everyone really friendly, and they look after your health during and after treatment very well, much better than many people report from other places. I really enjoyed going in each day, as did most of the prostate cancer patients. Sadly, some of this is bound to be different in the light of COVID-19, probably no sitting around talking with other patients and staff. They have bunkers for 12 LINACS (the radiotherapy treatment machines), although only 9 were in use when I was there (the spare bunkers are used for commissioning/decommissioning LINACS). The LINACS are all modern image guided volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy (IG VMAT).

I run the prostate cancer support group there. We can't meet at the moment due to COVID-19, but I'm inviting the members to larger groups which are running Zoom meetings and still providing one-to-one support. I'll PM you about joining.

User

Posted 10 May 2020 at 16:06

Thanks Lyn

Like many people i”m working from home at the moment and could possible do a bit while doing RT although I probably wouldn’t have to. I’d be doing a round trip to Mount Vernon apart from the boost after the RT if I go down that route.

Just wondered. How tired I’d be or if I might need to make urgent stops:) or even if I might not feel well enough to make it every day.

User

Posted 10 May 2020 at 16:29

Thanks Peter

its not so much the fear of an operation but that apart from the diagnosis everything is working. I.e Surgery risks loosing the things I’m not having problems with. Although not sure what RT and a boost will do!

I’m also a bit concerned that RT may invite different problems later on which i think is why I may not have given it fair consideration when I was first diagnosed.

Part of my consideration for radiotherapy though is if I could rely on myself being able to stick to the treatment schedule

Edited by member 10 May 2020 at 16:34 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 10 May 2020 at 16:33

Thanks Andy

I’m relatively fit and although the gym is closed I’m alternating between zwift sessions on my turbo trainer and exercise sessions that have been published on an app by the gym I go to.

Reassuring to know that someone did a similar journey.

thanks for dropping me a message. I’ll post this anyway to get my posting stats up so that maybe one day I can message to.

User

Posted 10 May 2020 at 16:55

User

Posted 10 May 2020 at 17:00

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Although not sure what RT and a boost will do!

I had the external beam radiotherapy and HDR Boost to prostate. This was pioneered by Mount Vernon and they've been doing it a long time. It has now become quite popular in the more advanced treatment centres because of its results with high risk patients.

The basic premise is to give the prostate a full whack. However, in high risk patients, it's not uncommon to get recurrence from micro-mets (mets too small to see on scans) which had already escaped. The external beam radiotherapy treats areas where this might happen at a lower dose to reduce side effects, so you get full dose to prostate, and a prophylactic 3/4 dose (may vary by patient and risk) to seminal vesicles and all the pelvic lymph nodes.

User

Posted 11 May 2020 at 02:27

Barry

User

Posted 11 May 2020 at 08:11

PWf

I had SRT without HT and do not recall any tiredness issues. As mentioned the RT/HT combination may be more of a cause of tiredness or fatigue than RT on its own.

My appointments were at different times of the day, I had retired when I had mine and drove myself.

Treatment and diet advice varies from area to area so listen to your own medical team. I had a daily mini enema, not all hospitals require guys to use them.

Waterworks and bowel issues affect some guys early and not others. Have things in your car just in case you get caught short.

Thanks Chris

User

Posted 11 May 2020 at 12:52

I had a journey of around 45 to 60 minutes each way depending on traffic. I was ok driving myself.

Ido4

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