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Daily Prep for EBRT

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Posted 6/30/2016 5:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hey guys.......I can't for the life of me remember my instructions to prep for my daily EBRT. (Starting on Tuesday the 5th with my appointments scheduled for end of the day on my way home from work)

Drink water 30 minutes before....500 ml???

Something about no smoking for 2 hours before or 2 hours after

Something about diet???????

Something about BM's......?????

darn, I can't remember anything. I "think" I have a sheet on it at home, but I can't remember that ether.......LOL

Help!  smhair

Posted 6/30/2016 5:19 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Newton, The easy thing to remember is: Bowls empty, bladder full. So take a good dump before you leave work. Gas counts to so toot on your way. While driving there, drink water on the way. Just finish your big gulp sized water bottle about 10 minutes before you get there. By the time you change and get on the table, bladder should be full enough. Good luck with the treatments. -JR
Posted 6/30/2016 5:22 PM (GMT 0)
So I have to find a way to guarantee a daily BM? hmmmmm......
Posted 6/30/2016 5:26 PM (GMT 0)
Newt-

Asking here won't help you. You have to call your doctor's office and have them email you the instructions. Every doctor is different and there is no standard protocol.

For example, I had no dietary restrictions and didn't have to do any bowel prep - but others do. I had to drink two cups of water 20 minutes before my appointment - others are given different time constraints.

- Allen
Posted 6/30/2016 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
Oh ok. Thanks Allen. I sent him an email. I do remember a groggy conversation I had with the post-Op nurse last week after my HDRBT. As I recall, it was 500 ml's water 30 minutes before, no smoking 2 hours before or after, and try to have BM in the mornings. (which is normal anyways)
Posted 6/30/2016 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
And don't forget to wrap the heavy duty tin foil around your genitals.
Posted 6/30/2016 5:44 PM (GMT 0)
Newt...I found drinking the water after my HDR brachy could make me a little leaky. Things were still a bit off in that regard and having a full bladder could make things difficult. Usually it was no problem, but every once in a while I'd get there and they'd be running late. That always made for a fun experience!

Good luck on part three! Instructions on the secret handshake to come when you're done...
Posted 6/30/2016 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
As I posted before on this topic, I really envy those of you that have such exquisite bowel control to insure an empty bowel every day.

Mel
Posted 6/30/2016 9:43 PM (GMT 0)
I had the same concerns, full bladder and empty bowls. I drank a bottle of water about 40 minutes before the procedure, and my bm's are like clockwork in the mornings. I didn't have any restrictions on diet, the RO, radiation nurse and radiation techs said if there is a problem then they would change my diet. There wasn't any problems! I had ZERO side effects, no diarrhea, no urinary urgency and no rectal problems. In fact my 39 days of treatment was a non-event for me. I was in and out within 15 minutes of each treatment.

"So bottom line, chill out and enjoy the ride", as a doctor said.
Posted 6/30/2016 10:00 PM (GMT 0)
Mel, some of us do have the ability to go like clockwork. In fact...hey, hang on a second...okay I'm back. My alarm just beeped that it was time for my 3 pm BM.

Now what we were talking about?
Posted 7/1/2016 12:02 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, you should prep every day for your treatment.

Andrew
Posted 7/1/2016 12:13 AM (GMT 0)
I was not instructed to have an empty bowel just a full bladder. But eating gassy foods was not a good idea. I don't frankly know how you would control BM s particularly when your appointments might not coincide with your BM schedule which mine did not.
Bob
Posted 7/1/2016 1:53 AM (GMT 0)
What's a BM schedule?

Mel (it happens when it happens!)
Posted 7/1/2016 11:03 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, have the radiologist office send you the written instructions today. Full bladder, empty bowel is pretty standard. My husband had an 11:00 AM radiology appointment for 9 weeks of IMRT. Though he's hardly a smoothie drinking type, using an immersion blender, he started making a smoothie every morning with a cup of frozen berries and a cup of lowfat milk. (He needed to up his calcium intake because he's on Lupron, which affects bone density.) This, and a cup of coffee, got him on schedule to empty his bowels. I can't remember the number of ounces he was supposed to drink, but he bought a large water bottle with ounce markings on it. His radiation was a half hour away give or take so he'd stop halfway there to drink a certain amount of water. His radiologist said: "It's an art form." whatever that means. Within a few days of the regime, my husband's plumbing was on schedule. So you could start something like that right now to train your innards. (Ooops, I just noticed your appt. is at the end of the day, so you might want to adjust the fruit/fiber timing differently.) He completed radiation a year ago and has had no side effects in either plumbing systems so far. Good luck with your radiation.
Posted 7/1/2016 2:40 PM (GMT 0)
To help consistency with the water load, I found it helpful to stop drinking anything about 2 hours before the appointment. Then, about 30 minutes prior I would drink about 14 ounces of water. I played with this for a couple of weeks before the treatments began so I could fine tune things. The only time it was a problem was when the treatment was delayed, sometimes as much as 1-2 hours. By then, I was ready to bust. Finally, I did learn to release part of the load and stop. That took practice too.

No prior surgery, so my urinary system was fully intact and pretty controllable.

The BM schedule can be slowly regulated, by either waiting a bit or "trying" a bit early, working toward a specific time. After a couple weeks, mine was hitting right within a half-hour window or so. Aimed that at about 1 hour before my treatment.

Successful in both aspects, I have had essentially zero symptoms from radiation. No rectal issues at all. One episode of blood in urine about 2 years post, but only happened twice in one month and never again. So, very happy with how it all worked out.
Posted 7/3/2016 4:50 PM (GMT 0)
I have read that some radiology labs put a balloon up your rectum and fill it with water to insure that the bladder and rectum are both better protected and in the same position for every dose. Did any of you have that for your radiation treatments?
Posted 7/3/2016 5:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Shiny... never heard of that. Actually it seems opposite. My rectum was supposed to be empty so putting a balloon with water would put it in the line of fire.
Posted 7/3/2016 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
There are many articles listed when you Google balloon and EBRT. Many indicate a lack or lessening of damage to the rectal wall during radiation treatment with air or water filled balloons. Air is more commonly used during EBRT and water is used when undergoing proton treatment.
Posted 7/3/2016 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
Shinytop -

The purpose of the rectal balloon (widely used in proton therapy) is to lift some of the rectum away from the prostate (at the expense of pushing a smaller part of the rectum into the prostate), and to help immobilize the prostate. (It has nothing to do with bladder protection). It is controversial and not widely used for external beam photon therapy.

- Allen
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