What to expect on last day of radiation therapy?

Hi Guys, Happy New Year and hope that 2012 will be a better one than 2011 for all of you and ME.

I like to be ahead of the possi in general and now that i am on my 32nd day of r.therapy and have five left what happens next.  I like to be prepared as much as possible for the stressors of next step?

 

Overqll i found the treatment so far easy but by god nobody could prepare me for the side effects - e.g. bursting to go to toilet and cant get the flow going/, the occasional expression of wind that someetimes turns out to be a hurricane, the burning sensation when my kidneys need to be emptied, BUYT do you know what I have survived and got over any embarrssment or stress that came my way, thanks to many of you friends on this forum. 

When i was feeling down and so pessimistic aobut my treament I just went into the computer room and tuned into this site - this is what has kep me going to date.

Thanks to everybody on this forum, particular ly those who lresponded to my strife and anxiety over the past year and gave me to encouragmeent to keep positive.  To those who highlighted their own difficulties and gave me the thump i needed when i thought i was the worse case scenario in the whole wide world.

Oh by the way I am sixty today and feel that this is going to be my year!

Thanks again and if any of you warriors can help me to understnad what to expect after my last day of therapy, etc. I'd raly appreciate it.

CJD

CJD said...
Hi Guys, Happy New Year and hope that 2012 will be a better one than 2011 for all of you and ME.


I like to be ahead of the possi in general and now that i am on my 32nd day of r.therapy and have five left what happens next. I like to be prepared as much as possible for the stressors of next step?



Overqll i found the treatment so far easy but by god nobody could prepare me for the side effects - e.g. bursting to go to toilet and cant get the flow going/, the occasional expression of wind that someetimes turns out to be a hurricane, the burning sensation when my kidneys need to be emptied, BUYT do you know what I have survived and got over any embarrssment or stress that came my way, thanks to many of you friends on this forum.



When i was feeling down and so pessimistic aobut my treament I just went into the computer room and tuned into this site - this is what has kep me going to date.



Thanks to everybody on this forum, particular ly those who lresponded to my strife and anxiety over the past year and gave me to encouragmeent to keep positive. To those who highlighted their own difficulties and gave me the thump i needed when i thought i was the worse case scenario in the whole wide world.



Oh by the way I am sixty today and feel that this is going to be my year!



Thanks again and if any of you warriors can help me to understnad what to expect after my last day of therapy, etc. I'd raly appreciate it.

CJD

Happy New Year CJD,
Are you feeling any SEs right now? And do you know what dosage and where the radiation is zeroing in on? I did not experience a whole lot of SEs from mine, but I believe I only had 25 zaps. It was be nice to see your Bio. Now if you want talk about SEs, just ask me about my HT.....lol

CJD,

My SE's subsided within days of the last treatment and have had none since. (diarrhea, burning urination, and urgency) I realize I had a pretty easy time of it compared to some here. I hope the best for you and that you get good and lasting results.

And Happy Birthday! Just have to ask... were you wearing a sash when you arrived 60 years ago?

Don

 

CJD, I can identify with your situation! Is the radiation for primary or salvage treatment?

I had 45 courses of IMRT/IGRT for primary treatment, ending in August 2011.

I never had any bowel problems, ED or fatigue but did have some urinary side effects that got worse as the treatment progressed. The usual burning, hesitancy, urgency, etc. Very annoying but not horrible. Has your oncologist suggested Flomax for the side effects? I started on it about 20 courses in and it definitely took the edge off. Within six weeks after finishing the last course, the side effects were pretty much gone. At that point I cut the Flomax dose in half and have stayed on it because I had issues before the radiation and it's helped a lot.

As noted earlier, regular PSA tests will always be there there to mess with your mental state and after (primary) radiation it can be a long bumpy road over a few years to see if it all worked. Because of the way that radiation works, my oncologist said he usually doesn't even start paying serious attention to the numbers until 5-6 months after the treatment ends unless something seems radically wrong. For example, when I had a previously-scheduled urologist appointment only 4 weeks after my last course, he checked my PSA and it had actually gone up a few notches! While I was a little freaked out, neither he or my oncologist seemed concerned and both said it's not unusual because of the way cancer cells react so soon after being bombarded before they stop multiplying. My next PSA test is in a few weeks at he 5 month mark. Hopefully it's on the way down.

Good luck!

Side-effects of RT---

I guess the side-effects run the gamut. Like others here, I had HEARD of the dire side-effects of RT, and had opted out, even though my post-prostatectomy HT had gone refractory and I needed "the next step", whatever that was. I had no discernable symptoms, but it was apparent that a new cancerous lesion had developed in the "bed" of my prostate, and it was moving toward my bladder. THEN---I started having DIRE symptoms--bladder spasming, up 10 times a night to pee nothing, tremendous URGENCY, urethra-constricting (because of a cancerous flap closing it off) while I was overseas, yet!

Now, I am halfway through my 40 sessions of IMRT/IGRT. Within the first week, my dire symptoms SUBSIDED to almost normal (I was also given "Vesicare" to dampen the bladder spasming). I have SLIGHT discomfort in the rectum. My stool is "soft", but no diarrhea. I am easily fatigued, but that is quite manageable. The "plan" is that the first 25 or so radiations are "broad-based" in area, and the last 15 or so will concentrate on the bladder area where the identifiable lesion is. So the rectal discomfort should go away when the concentration begins, and MAYBE some of my bladder urgency will come back, but I have already "been there". RIGHT NOW I feel amazing!!

So I offer the above "counterpoint" to the dire side-effects of RT some other people here are suffering.

JB, I'm considering IGRT or robotic surgery for my primary treatment but have some concerns about recurrence and SE. I'm not seeing many options for salvage after RT. I've got BPH and have hesitancy some days worse than others. Have been on Uroxatral/Alfuzosin for couple years. Have to meet with my radiologist next week and these will be my first questions. Thanks for your input.

JB Stuart said...
CJD, I can identify with your situation! Is the radiation for primary or salvage treatment?

I had 45 courses of IMRT/IGRT for primary treatment, ending in August 2011.

I never had any bowel problems, ED or fatigue but did have some urinary side effects that got worse as the treatment progressed. The usual burning, hesitancy, urgency, etc. Very annoying but not horrible. Has your oncologist suggested Flomax for the side effects? I started on it about 20 courses in and it definitely took the edge off. Within six weeks after finishing the last course, the side effects were pretty much gone. At that point I cut the Flomax dose in half and have stayed on it because I had issues before the radiation and it's helped a lot.

As noted earlier, regular PSA tests will always be there there to mess with your mental state and after (primary) radiation it can be a long bumpy road over a few years to see if it all worked. Because of the way that radiation works, my oncologist said he usually doesn't even start paying serious attention to the numbers until 5-6 months after the treatment ends unless something seems radically wrong. For example, when I had a previously-scheduled urologist appointment only 4 weeks after my last course, he checked my PSA and it had actually gone up a few notches! While I was a little freaked out, neither he or my oncologist seemed concerned and both said it's not unusual because of the way cancer cells react so soon after being bombarded before they stop multiplying. My next PSA test is in a few weeks at he 5 month mark. Hopefully it's on the way down.

Good luck!

thanks to you all guys, i am now only four days away from the end of my treatment. side effects not improving but psycologically i am. it's great to gett feedback to remind me that there are others just like me or indeed from reading psots, much worse off than me. My wife keeps telling me that so i must start beleiving her.
bless you all this year and i will keep you updated with my next step of journey
CJD

JNF said...
I was fortunate to have very limited side effects from radiation and all cleared up after a couple of weeks. I got hit pretty hard with both HDR brachytherapy and IMRT. Side effects were limited to increased frequency and urgency of both urinary and bowel functions. Never a problem. My urologist and rad-onc put me Jalyn before I started (Avodart and Flomax) and advised me to keep the Immodium D close at hand, but I never needed it. Hopefully your side effects will subside quickly as mine did. Keep yourself well hydrated, it helps the bowels.

Did u have any HT during ur HDR & IMRT procedures?

If you have urgency or frequency in urination take FlowMax, stay off caffine and alcohol. For any loose bowel issues many patients sware by Metamucil. Daily excercise will reduce any symptoms of fatigue asssociated with radiation.

FoxRun,

Yes, my HT started a month before my IMRT radiation and HDR brachytherapy and it continued throughout. I am now a year and a week post radiation and will be on HT for at least the next 9 months. I am using daily Jalyn ans six month shots of Eligard.

FoxRun---"Counterpoint" meaning "opposing" to the posts of awful side-effects of radiation therapy some other people are having. Mine are so mild they are hardly worth mentioning, except that mentioning them gives prospective patients some perspective.

I have now had my 25th (out of 40) radiation dose. My fatigue is increasing, and onset (afternoon) is getting earlier. By 3-4 pm or so I GOTTA have a nap! Then I'm OK!