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Posted 2/28/2016 6:15 PM (GMT 0)
I know there's several of us soon to begin the Cyberknife treatment. My first radiation session is at UCSF Monday 10am, then Wed, Fri, and the last one a week on Monday. I've been on the low residue diet for a day now, and am supposed to show up with bladder and bowels empty, then drink a glass of water. They say it will take about an hour to an hour and a half.

So far I have been keeping up regular exercise, long hikes and mountain bike rides, climbing at the gym, and I expect to continue that as much as I am able. Dr. Gottschalk has encouraged not changing my exercise, though he says fatigue may set in by the fourth treatment. As for side effects, I guess hiking is a good choice since I can pee whenever and wherever I want (I tend to hike remote places :) )>

The diet seems fairly straightforward. We did go out for an anniversary dinner last night at a French restaurant, but with careful menu choices I stayed on track.

For those of you have have already been through SBRT, how much were you able to keep up your exercise? and how about fatigue?

Cheers ... david
Posted 2/28/2016 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
Good luck with your treatment rainwest! Please keep us posted on how it goes.
Posted 2/28/2016 9:52 PM (GMT 0)
I never experienced any fatigue whatsoever.
I continued to exercise heavily - both cardio and freeweights - all along (which may have contributed to my lack of fatigue). In fact, knowing how important oxygenation is to the effectiveness of radiation, I increased my workouts. I do a lot of hiking as well, and like to maintain a good pace. My mood was up, and I had lots of energy. It was only 5 5-10 minute treatments (in my case) - how much fatigue could occur in that time? The technicians were nice enough to take music requests.

- Allen
Posted 2/29/2016 12:03 AM (GMT 0)
You're going to do just fine.

It'll be over before you know it.

Andrew
Posted 2/29/2016 12:28 AM (GMT 0)
Sounds like everything is in place, so I expect that you will do very well.

Maybe we'll meet some day on one of the trails of the East Bay. I enjoy Bronies and Las Trampas....

TG
Posted 2/29/2016 5:03 AM (GMT 0)
Good luck with your treatment!
Posted 2/29/2016 8:30 AM (GMT 0)
Good luck
Posted 2/29/2016 11:38 PM (GMT 0)
Exercise is great, just make sure you keep yourself well hydrated. Good luck.
Cheers,
Kris
Posted 3/1/2016 12:34 AM (GMT 0)
Hope it went well today!

I must have missed the "benefits of exercise for CK" thread. I have almost a month so I'll get cracking, I hope.
Posted 3/1/2016 4:56 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone. First session went vey smoothly, Three more to go. Stayed on the low-residue diet for two days before, no raw fruits or vegetables, or whole grains or milk. Woke up this morning and went to climb a small nearby hill. Then a banana and coffee for breakfast, and drove into the city, getting there early. The two techs took me into the room. I wore street clothes, pants down the knees, under a warm blanket with feet strapped down to reduce movement. They gave me a plastic ring to hold with my hands on my chest. Lying on the table I looked up at the ceiling with a large blue circle inset with little starlights. Pandora was the music option; I picked folk rock. The first song was "Knock Knock Knocking on Heaven's Door" . Kind of funny actually.

I'd had little to eat and emptied my bowels and peed before the treatment. They gave me a cup of water. The trick is to stay completely still; if there's gas in the intestines which can move the prostate around they have to stop and readjust. That takes longer. As it was I stayed still, gas free, listening to music and watching the robot arm zoom around and click and buzz as it did the 100+ different angles. It was all done in about 45 minutes and I was back in the waiting room.

Afterwards I met briefly with Dr. Gottschalk, then my wife and I went out to lunch. Once home I went on another hike.

All in all a good day.
Posted 3/1/2016 5:45 AM (GMT 0)
Great description. Glad it went off without a hitch. Good luck on the rest of your tx and best wishes for a positive outcome.
Beth n Gary
Posted 3/2/2016 5:07 AM (GMT 0)
rainwest,good luck to you .I start my 5 sessions SBRT this friday.Then M-W-F and then M.The last one March 14.I will be watching your progress so keep it coming.Im getting a few beers in before friday.Beanos,Gas-X should help out.
Posted 3/2/2016 6:10 AM (GMT 0)
thanks @0311 and good luck to you too. You should be just fine.

I've not had any trouble with the low residue diet, even eating in restaurants. Lots of bananas, oatmeal, quesadillas, pomegranate juice, fish, ground turkey, spinach, cheese, eggs and well cooked veggies. Still have my wine at night, but don't eat much for breakfast on treatment day.
Posted 3/3/2016 10:00 AM (GMT 0)
rainwest,

Sounds like you're doing great with the treatments. Keep up the good work.

Dave in Bartlett, TN
Posted 3/4/2016 5:33 AM (GMT 0)
Second CK treatment was yesterday. Went very smoothly. I lay still and listened to music for 45 minutes as the robot arm moved around. There was a beep every 60 seconds when two positioning x-rays at 90° angle on the ceiling took pictures. That is what the computer uses to adjust the arm movement if I (or rather my prostate) move. If it is less than 8mm the robot arm automatically adjusts; if movement is more then the table itself adjusts. After the treatment we again went out to lunch.

Only issue so far has been very slow urine flow. It started on Tuesday and got worse on Wednesday, so last night in the middle of the night I was standing/sitting for 15 minutes with the drip drip drip. My wife went out to get some Aleve, and then in the morning I got in touch with the doctor. Daytime was much better than the nighttime with more steady but still not normal flow. No pain or burning though. Went to the climbing gym and worked out. Then in the evening got a Flomax prescription and have had one pill so far. I suspect it is just inflammation from the radiation and hope it eases up.

Third zap tomorrow and then the last one on Monday.
Posted 3/4/2016 11:46 AM (GMT 0)
rainwest sorry for the slow urine flow.Hope the Flowmax helps.I start my SBRT this morning.Keeping my fingers crossed for us.
Posted 3/4/2016 9:38 PM (GMT 0)
Good luck @0311.. trust it all goes well.

Had my 3rd treatment today and saw the RO. Same process, except changed the music and and I almost fell asleep a few times. They didn't have to adjust the table so I must have been very still. The Flomax (Tamsulosin) seems to be working fine. He said I could double up if I needed to.

After Monday's last treatment I'll be back in June for followup and first PSA review.
Posted 3/4/2016 10:13 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds great so far! Thanks for the updates.
Posted 3/7/2016 11:53 PM (GMT 0)
Finished my fourth and last Cyberknife treatment this morning. Same routine, 45 minutes of music while lying completely still. They have a real San Francisco cable car bell in the hallway and when you complete your treatment you get to ring the bell and the staff applauds!

Now that I'm none with the no-fart diet we went out to celebrate at a French bistro in the city. Nice to be able to eat normally again.

I'll continue the Flomax for a week or two and then go back to see the RO in June. Thanks everyone for the support.
Posted 3/8/2016 12:09 AM (GMT 0)
rainwest, sounds like the CK went as smoothly as can be expected. And only 4 treatments (I've got 5). Glad you celebrated with a fine dinner. You deserve it! Let us know how the post CK regimen goes.
Posted 3/8/2016 2:42 PM (GMT 0)
rainwest ,well done,no pun intended.Good for you.Im looking forward also to a good dinner next week .What a journey this prostate cancer has been for all of us.Im finally telling my 5 adult kids about my cancer.It was my decision to wait until I was at this point.Best of Luck,keep in touch.
Posted 3/14/2016 5:11 PM (GMT 0)
One week later. The only side effects I have had are slow peeing. No pain, but slow. It varies during the day and night and seems to be slowly improving, though yesterday evening was not much fun. Taking 0.4mg Flomax twice a day, plus ibuprofen, which do help somewhat. Also I notice that exercise seems to make it easier, and sitting for long periods is not that helpful. I suppose all in all it is a minor discomfort but I look forward to getting back to normal.
Posted 3/14/2016 5:30 PM (GMT 0)
Hey rainwest,good for you.I had my 5th final CK this morning.So far so good.Arent you glad its over.Keep us posted.
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