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Starting EBRT tomorrow morning

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Posted 1/18/2012 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
Well this is it. I go for the final check this afternoon and tomorrow I start my daily radiation treatments.

I am hoping it won't be as bad as I fear.

So the only really bad thing is that the only morning slot open this week is 7:00 am. Well, we'll see if I can drag my rear out of bed early enough for that.

now I see one of the sources of tiredness - I'll have to set the alarm for 5:00 to get there on time. I'm going to get real tired of that. ;)
Posted 1/18/2012 7:05 PM (GMT 0)
You will get through just fine. Sort of boring after awhile. The machine they used on me rotated around my body stopping at nine locations to apply the zaps. After a week or so I had the pattern memorized. Then one day the pattern changed completely. After the session I asked why. She told me that she could tell I knew what was happening and she was just messing with me. Then I started counting ceiling tiles...
If I could give any advise it would be to go with a full bladder and empty bowels. Oh and one more thing… towards the middle, don’t trust a fart.
Good Luck,
Posted 1/18/2012 8:30 PM (GMT 0)
7 AM? lol, I consider that a night time hour, nothing would have me out of the house at that hour. Hopefully our stint with RT will go well, and that you won't have many severe side effects.

How many treatments are you getting, and what is the total amount of gys they are administering?

Based on the guys here at HW that underwent radiation, it ranges from no problems "a walk in the park", to severe and damaging, which unfortunately i was on that end of the scale.

You will get into a daily routine after a few treatments. My treatments were mid-afternoon, which didnt work well for me, as I was already fighting severe chronic fatigue outside of what the radiation was doing to me.

Wish you the best, and soon this should be behind you, and hoping it does the job on your cancer cells.

David in SC
Posted 1/18/2012 8:51 PM (GMT 0)
Best of luck with the RT treatments. I completed treatment 40 twelve days ago and am feeling pretty good. Not 100% but better than I expected to be feeling at this point. As I mentioned in a previous post, hemorrhoids and frequent urination are my only problems and they are easing a bit but not as fast as I had hoped.

The oncologist doesn't want to see me until April to check the PSA. He seems to be confident that these treatments are going to work out ok. I guess that is the best I can hope for.

Funny, I still can't bring myself to do a signature with my stats but they're nearly identical to yours except I'm 63. I could just cut and paste!. Maybe, still in denial.

There are so many guys going through this, it's clear most are not bothered enough with their side effects and prognosis to be reading this forum. I know for sure, the center where I was getting my treatments could have used a revolving door. Every 15-20 minutes another guy was being zapped and as soon as there was an opening there was someone waiting to fill it.
Posted 1/18/2012 9:04 PM (GMT 0)
I found a big difference from those doing RT as primary vs guys like me as adjuvant/salvage.

There were a lot of older guys - say 65-80 - doing primary, and not one complained of anything near the side effects I had. I do believe that many of mine are because it was on top of surgery, previous colo-rectal surgeries, and many years with the 'roids and a spastic colon.

Those of us doing adjuvant / salvage to the last one had a lot more issues, if the water-cooler chat can be believed.

I got used to the routine, and had actually gotten to the car to head out on the day after my last one before I realized it was finished. The whole staff at my clinic were so friendly and courteous that it wasn't an issue, once I got the water timing down. It was a break from my work day.

Posted 1/18/2012 11:51 PM (GMT 0)
I just got back from the clinic. Turns out they where ready to start treatments today and ask if I was okay starting. I figured sooner the better.

The 7:00 am works for my schedule even though it means getting up at 5:00 am. yeah middle of the night. But I figure best to get it over with while I am too sleepy to realize what I am doing.

I am scheduled for 28 sessions, didn't ask the gys he's going to do. I'll do that when I see him next. This is primary treatment and the first of any PC treatments.

Today must have been new patient day or something - there were at least three guys there getting the instructions from the nurses. I like the staff and the doc - friendly, helpful and know their stuff.

The water timing takes a bit to get right. Over did a little today and it was a close call to the restroom after but I managed.
Posted 1/19/2012 2:26 PM (GMT 0)
Got up at 5:00 am this morning/night. This is going get old very fast.

Am I done yet?
Posted 1/19/2012 11:03 PM (GMT 0)
Other patients should be finishing up their treatments and you could get pushed up. Just get on the list. I changed my appointments from the morning before work to after work. Made loads of difference in how I felt during the work day.
Good luck!
Posted 1/20/2012 12:40 AM (GMT 0)
InTheShop,

Good luck. I did very early treatments (6:20) so I could have time to go home before work. Hang in there, I know it is an endurance contest. It won't be long before you can start the countdown to the finish. I kept a "X days to go" written on my whiteboard. Plan some type of celebration to celebrate the finish.

Posted 1/20/2012 2:23 AM (GMT 0)

Southern Comfort said...
InTheShop,
Good luck. I did very early treatments (6:20) so I could have time to go home before work. Hang in there, I know it is an endurance contest. It won't be long before you can start the countdown to the finish. I kept a "X days to go" written on my whiteboard. Plan some type of celebration to celebrate the finish.

:) I like that idea! I'm going to do that.
Posted 1/20/2012 3:29 AM (GMT 0)
I did mine mid-morning. Idea was to avoid the many school zones with 20mph limits for far too much territory. Got up early, did the online work, then my session, then afternoon in the office. By the last half of the sessions, the last news I watched was at 6pm. By 8 I was out like a light.
Posted 1/20/2012 2:28 PM (GMT 0)
Today is the second day of early treatments. On one hand I do like getting it out of the way early and the traffic to the clinic is very light at that hour.

My wife and I are already adjusting our daily routine and figure we'll just have to keep making minor adjustments until the treatment is over.

Last night I did get into bed at 8 to "read for awhile" That didn't last long by 9 I was out.

Well, off for treatment "3"
Andrew
Posted 1/20/2012 5:32 PM (GMT 0)
Andrew,
Good luck I am on the 2nd week of my treatments. So far so good, urinating a lot during the day. I had an appointment with my urologist yesterday and he seemed upset to the fact that I chose radiation over surgery. But as I told him it was my decision to make NOT his. I go to my appointments at 3:45 everyday so far nothing more than being fatigued. I stay home yesterday to catch up on some sleep, but instead I did yad work... But it was nice to sleep in.
Posted 1/23/2012 4:20 AM (GMT 0)
Buzz - I am lucky to have doctors that get that it is my decision. The urologist really started out with a strong argument for surgery but after we talked about my concerns she quickly agreed and brought in the RO to start the radiation conversation.

I start week two tomorrow. So far the only real side effect is the change in my daily schedule and being a little tired. Right now I think the tiredness is really from the shift in my sleep/work schedule and all the extra emotional and mental energy I am spending while dealing with this. Last night I slept almost 10 hours and today I just stayed in my workshop most of the day just doing some low energy work on a project for my grandson.
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