brachytherapy results

its been almost 6 months since I had brachy .
seems i qualified although am now 74 years old.
6 of 12 biopsies found to be 3+4 on gleason scale, 6 nothing found
was 8.9 on psa when i went in and 3 months later 1.8
use flomax every 2 days still and expect to have to use it forever (whatever that means )

i think i passed the requirements because I am in very good shape, so I was told.
playing racquetball 2-3 times a week the last 40 years didnt hurt, i think.
am still in my business , so other than having prostate cancer show up as it did( was monitored the last 4 years as it started to go up each year, until my GP said it was time to do what had to be done and see what was the underlying cause of the elevation .
i am on no other medication and so far everything else is normal.

the procedure was easy and I was having discomfort to pee for a few days but started taking flomax and it was a breeze after that.

recommend anyone having this option to seriously consider this procedure. you can always remove the prostate at a later date if it doesnt take I suppose.

next reading in a month and should show lower psa ( hopefully)

Racquetball74: Your stats were similar to mine as are your results and lack of SEs. Here's to all future PSAs continue a downward trend. Let me also say that most BT guys eventually wean off of Flomax in time.

Please keep us posted and continued racquetball success.

Great numbers RB!
Jeff just passed his 5 year mark and very happy with his choice too.
Stay well and healthy
Susan
x

I'm almost a yr out and still use Rapaflo on occasion (was light headed with Flomax). My Uro had suggested weaning off but find I still need once to twice a week.

mine was gleason 7.

i was 73 at the time of brachy.

as a canadian, my urologist told me while he does surgury, to seek alternatives such as brachy and make my choice. it is after all, my life.

I chose brachy after speaking with the surgeon> she was very positive after seeing a clear scan that it had not speard. she evn told me the likely hood was tiny. i was clear everywhere and the cancer was localized .
i had brachy therapy for 3 straight weeks, monday to friday. holding in all the water required prior to undergoing the 15 minute ordeal under what i called the "zapper" was the hardest part and only one time was i unable to last. no problem though. it was my last day anyways . the technician team was very supportive and it helped me tremendously mentally. I was never scared or worried . i did what I had to do.
side effects. yes a bit, but that passed quickly. sex life is another story. definitely waned.

point is, to get as healthy as possible and live out ones life as long as we have our mental capacity as well as physically able.

i have guys I grew up with that are now diagnosed with dementia, so who is better off.

so, while your husband is stoic , it'll be o.k. it wont kill him and while it may alter somethings, its not tragic at his age. he has you and its his greatest blessing.

HAD THE IMPLANT OF RADIOACTIVE SEEDS.
3 WEEKS OF EXTERNAL.

2 YEARS NOW. AM AT LOWEST YET AT .6
PRIOR IT WAS 8.3 AND RISING SLOWLY BUT RISING.

AM MONITORED EVERY 4 MONTHS. TAKES ONE HOUR TO DRAW THE BLOOD AT MOST WAITING TIME. SMALL PRICE TO PAY.

FEEL GREAT PHYSICALLY.

had both external radiation 3 weeks ( 5 days a week)
then week later brachy where rods inserts deep and withdrawn. no seeds left.
high dose though.
bottom line. it seems to have worked, so i cannot complain.

post brachy was
1.3 0.9 ,0.8 0.8 0.7 0.7 and a few days ago 0.6 . i now check my psa level every 4 months

thats 2 years ago now.

hope this helps. btw, my wife agrees thats the treatment i got. i tend to put things past me and go on with life, while being as vigilent as I can.

Thanks for clearing that up --- I was confused. I thought I had figured out what brachy was and then I saw the external radiation and thought I'd read it wrong.

I think we're going for the brachy -- using the VA the external is too far away and with me still working, I just can't figure out how we'd do it -- and bottom line is I don't think he would even consider it.

But the brachy seems like something he could handle -- I hope.

We did have a long conversation about this 'it's up to you' decision of his -- because I'm not living with the side effects (well that's not entirely true and wives the world over know -- we live with the side effects almost as much, but you catch my drift) and I don't want to hear him second guess me later on -- but I think we've settled that as best we can.

We've spent all this time reading and researching and talking -- and once we get the results back of the cat scan and bone scan, we may have to start all over with decision making -- but we'll cross that bridge on the 11th when we get there.