8 Hours Post Seeds

Good luck to you, Richard, in your recovery. Hope the rest goes as well for you.

David in SC

Richard:

Research here as to what to expect over time. When something is changing, you may recognize the symptom and be reassured that its normal or not.

My first week was as easy as could be but now in my second week, boy how things are changing. You can expect burning to increase and general discomfort internally has been what I am experiencing. I have wondered what to expect next week. My next contact with my MD's is a CT in 3 weeks.

Not sure how long you should stay off blood thinners. Your Doc tell you?

I was just on another thread and reading about sugar and M & Ms which started a craving.............. oops.

Have a trouble free journey.
Ed

I did the HDR brachytherapy so I didn't have the permanent seeds, but I did have the insertion procedure similar to yours, but double...two procedures. The initial side effects that you are experiencing is from the needles they use to insert the seeds.

In my case I had trouble sitting on hard chairs for a couple of weeks...it felt like I was sitting on a golf ball. I too had a nearly black penis and scrotum as the procedure produces some internal bleeding that follows gravity. Never had any hurting in the area, but it sure looked wierd.

One of my clients had seeds inserted last week and he reported the same immediate discomfort, but now a week later it is gone.

Are you also doing IMRT? If so, I think you will have more side effects from that than thr seeds unless a seed moves around and creates a hot spot where they don't want it. Stay on Flomax for awhile and keep up the fluids.

You will do well. Grimm and Strum are as good as they come so you can't be in better hands.

Thanks for the post. I hope all goes well for both you two new BT guys. Please keep us updated on your progress. Sounds like both of you are doing well.

i didn't have any pain or discoloration after BT.  side effects tho were definitely worse than IGRT.

ed

Hi Everyone
Thank you for the kind support from those who responded and those who are listening. Its now two days after the seed implant. I felt so good my boyfriend and I went out to dinner with my business partner and his wife at a wonderful seafood restaurant in Tacoma. They were celebrating my recovery and so was I. Our business has been taking off this last year so that was cool too. I felt such relief to have the procedure over with and I want to believe what Grimm said about being cured. It is suggested not to drink alcohol, coffee, eat chocolate etc for a few months or until I find out what irritates my bladder- so that left out a lot of stuff I usually eat and drink when I go out with friends. I was prepared for that and it would normally not be a big deal but it reminded me that the whole experience is not over yet and that there is radiation at the very center of me doing its thing. We went to a piano bar and I tried to get into the music but I just felt deeply elsewhere --not present.

I have a bit of fear of what is going to happen to me from the implant. The mind gets focused on making the decision and then on the medical procedure, but the longer experience of course will be how will things work urinary wise and sex wise. I know all of this but unaccountably woke up crying in the night. My partner asked what was wrong but I could not explain it. He heard the doc say I am cured so he is wondering what the heck is wrong. He told me he was worried about getting too close to me because of the radiation. The informational material from the surgery center said something about children sitting on your lap during the first few months because of possible radiation exposure. I told him that this does not apply to adults but I am not sure he fully believes it. So we have not been that close. I felt much better after I did the big cry.

Urinary symptoms are mild but things are not normal yet. Actually I expected the urinary part to be worse. Thanks guys for the heads up about how the urinary part will probably act up at two weeks or so.

Turns out the abrasion on my scrotum was from the tape they used to secure the instrumentation. I put triple antibiotic cream on it and it is healing rapidly. I can sit now with only minor discomfort-- also a pleasant surprise. Found myself sexually interested but not yet ready to give that a try and Grimm suggests waiting two weeks before having orgasm, though he said for sure to do what you can to get erections.

The journey continues. I fly back to So Cal tomorrow. Blessings to all.
Richard

Hi Richard:

Glad to get your update and I'm glad you are feeling good.  Yeah, I feel cured also.  My doc used that term as well.  One never really knows for sure but it sure feels that way to me!

In answer to your question about my story, just select, copy and paste the last two lines of my signature below into your browser.

Please keep us up to date as you progress.

Tudpock (Jim)

4th Day Post Seeds
Thanks Joe, Jim , Ed, JNF, Fulltit et al.
Jim read your story thanks.
Really appreciate the thoughts and suggestions from everyone. Not freaked out about some of the things that are happening because you told me they might. Flew home yesterday and was uncomfortable sitting in the seat even with donut but not really pain just that full kind of easiness below the jewels. Like a case of hemmorhoids. I dropped my card saying I had a radiation implant for TSA and a flight attendant found it and found me. They were kind and wanting to be helpful. It just helped to move around rather than sit for extended periods. Urinary flow is getting slow now but bearable I just have to be patient. Helps to sit at the john and just wait for things to drain unlike by usual strolling up to the bowl and shooting a stream. Scrotum turned black and blue today. I dont know what they do to cause that but one of you guys mentioned this. It doesnt hurt or anything it just looks like you got repeatedly kicked in the balls. For some reason both of my feet are swelling with a minor rash and itching. Its really annoying feels like my feet are on fire. I called Grimm and he told me it was the Flo Max. As long as the rash wasnt on upper body he said it was ok. He didnt say so but I am going to take one Flo Max instead of two and see how it works and Life Ext Foundation Prostate forumula (saw palmetto etc). I read somewhere the Prostate Formula (saw palmetto) can balance Flo max and maybe replace it for some guys. I know flo max is probably essential the next few months so I hope I am not too allergic to it. You guys have any ideas what to do with the flo max allergy?

I talked with my partner about there being no radiation danger to him and only minimal to children and only if they sit on your lab for hours at a time and a days at a time. I think he gets it but is still a bit nervous. Im a bit nervous about the radiation so why shouldnt he be. Played two sets of tennis today and won both. Good energy, no pain just the silly swelling and heat in my feet. Urine flow was much better after tennis at least for a few hours. Because I have been on ADT until a month ago I have not been getting spontaneous erections--- except today I have had strange partial erections. My guess is the prostate is getting stimulated by the radiation and thats causing things to arise. I dropped Casodex today after 5 months. Keeping avodart for four more months a la Grimms suggestion to keep the prostate small. Bactrim, Alleve for inflamation, Dostinex to reduce prostaglandin to prevent gynomasty, Anastrazole to reduce estrogen. All this will be changing as I come completely off ADT. Continuing to feel better but still pretty anxiouis. Hard to sleep. Using 5 mg valium or THC chocolate to help sleep. I alternate them and they work great on mood and tension.
Best to you guys
Richard

John
I really appreciate you giving me some of those timelines and your general encouragement. Exercize helped you too. Its kind of counterintuitive because I feel kind of cruddy from the whole thing and want to sit around, but that definitely makes it worse mainly because my mind starts dwelling on what my body is up to. It is way cool that men help men on this forum. I was wondering when libido would come back. Did you use Avodart at all? Any SE? The allergic reaction to Flo Max got worse last night with about a dozen water blisters showing up on both feet with the feet red and moderately swollen. Skipped the next dose and back to once a day. The blisters have gone away and the swelling is down but we shall see. Read that LEF Prostate Formula might be a substitute for flo max if the side effects get to bad, but I dont want to end up obstructed because saw palmetto might not be strong enough. John I hope you keep chiming in with your thoughts and experience.
Richard

Hi David
THC is the chemical in marijuana. A guy told me it helped to reduce that malaise that comes from Lupron. So I got a marijuana card here from a doc (its legal in California) and it defintely made me feel better while I was on ADT. I also ran it by my ONC. I chop up the bud of the plant, melt olive oil and a little butter for taste, and simmer for about 2-3 hours then mix with Trader Joes chocolate and put it in the refrigerator to harden and cut it into squares. I thought I would hate the taste but I love the taste more than I love the chocolate. I have never used sketchy drugs, have two drinks once a month so it is not an issue for me. I found one or two 1" squares about three times a week would make me a lot more stable on Lupron but now Im off Lupron and I use it to help me sleep at night after Seeds occasionally maybe once a week, Valium three times a week. I alternate them. As I come off Casodex (which I think is the real culprit for sleep) I will stop Valium and THC. THC also elevates mood for me if I start getting depressed over feeling like I have a cantalope in my butt or seeing my testicles looking like huge concord grapes (they are a florid blue color now) or seeing water blisters on my feet from Flo max. Whine Whine Whine! I am indeed grateful today for my docs and all of you guys . If you want to know more specifics about cooking and use, email me and I can teach you how to be a top chef.
Richard

One week post seeds:

Things are looking up. I had flow slow down for about 5 days where I got a bit concerned but I was on flow max and the last two days now I have had no slowness of urinating. Continued spots of blood in my underwear until yesterday then that stopped. Still have some fullness which gets moderately painful sometimes in the evening. Have taken Tylenol twice and the pain goes away. I was experimenting with a drug to reduce arterial fibrosis from the radiation a la Strum and Myers calledTrental, but my feet started to swell and I got water blisters on my feet. I may still try it again at a much lower dose for the long term effects of the radiation on my blood flow around the prostate and penis. Dont know yet. I have played tennis on three days since the seeds and last night it all caught up with me and I was dead tired and fatigued. Also started to feel a little anti climactic depression, then --who calls me this morning, my rad onc Grimm and wants to know how I am. What the hell is he psychic. I have never had a doc call me unsolicited and inquire about my welfare. It was a moving experience and really matched my entire experience with him from the guest house his office suggested, to his office staff, to the OP surgery center that was in the middle of nowhere in Puget Sound but had efficient kind people handling me, to a procedure that has-- so far--- had minimal side effects.
Best Wishes Guys
Richard

Richard, that bruising and black and blue is common with almost any surgery. Your just happen to be in an area where gravity tends to carry the swelling and bruising to it's endpoint. Things will improve. Mine were technicolor for a couple months after..