New member info - Gleason 7 - making decisions

Within a few short days, you will become a master at learning how much "gas to put in your tank" to keep the radiation technicians happy ... in other words, learning exactly how much water to drink, and when.

I had 45 radiation treatments ... only once was my "tank too full" and once my "tank was a little empty" --- they dealt with this easily --- one required an extra glass of water, and the other a quick trip to the john!

No harm, no foul ... and they deal with this every day, rest assured.

Soon, you will just "know" if you have consumed just enough water.

It takes the phrase "potty training" to a whole new level!

When you finish each treatment, you will definitely want to make a beeline for the john!

Whew! Relief! Until the next day, that is ! Weekends are your "vacation" from this protocol!

One day at a time!
CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State University

One thing to add ---

Despite the inconveniences caused by the "filling of the bladder" that becomes part of the routine --- keep in mind, the whole PURPOSE is to protect your organs.

So keep that thought in mind --- it helps!

Remember, after the treatment each day, the rest of the day is YOURS!

I told myself that, each day, walking out the door of the treatment center!

We're here to encourage and support you,
CYCLONE - # Iowa State University

I wrapped up my last (of 5) radiation treatments on Friday 8/21/20. It was good to get away from that low fiber diet! The SBRT staff were great and after making an adjustment to my water intake beforehand, everything went very smoothly.

I ended up getting a prescription for Flomax, I haven't taken it yet but may be getting near that point. Beginning on Saturday, I started experiencing a weak stream, and hesitancy in starting urination. Frequency also increased.
I'm the type who will tough it out for awhile before popping a pill, and that's where I'm still at on Tuesday - waiting for these side effects to diminish. My RO warned me that not being able to urinate at all is, of course, a medical emergency so I don't want to get to that point. But for now, I'm having to go every other hour (I drink a lot of water) and waiting 5 or 10 seconds for the stream to start. Only really sucks when it wakes me up at night, blah!

For the post-toasties out there, is this par for the course?

Carbon copy what comrade Michael T. just wrote ...

Healing takes some time ... it's not an overnight thing.

Over time, there's subtle healing ...

I have taken FLOMAX and see no harm in it ...

One thing to note ~ loading up on too much caffeine can cause some issues ... urgency and so forth.

For the time being, water would be the best source of hydration, while you are healing up.

There's no law against a cup of coffee ... but for right now, water is best ...

My radiologist also liked the fact that I went on a daily walk.

Walking helped mitigate the "fatigue factor" that is often the unwelcome visitor both during and after radiation treatments.

Pick a scenic park and go for some walks --- as September arrives in the days ahead.

Here's to the healing that the days ahead will bring!
CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State University

Bob,

Congratulations! You are now officially a Post Toastie! That's a long-ago nickname early CyberKnife patients gave themselves. I've adopted it as well, since I finished my CyberKnife treatment almost 4 years ago.

It sounds like you have done fabulously well through the research, discernment and treatment phases. I hope (and really do believe) that you will do as well as the rest of us SBRT patients seem to be doing. My PSA has been doing its bumpy declining thing since treatment, and I'm perfectly happy with that.

One point I want to make is a cautionary item. You mention FloMax. Many of us had it available and/or used it after SBRT treatment. I used it for a couple of weeks, but did not need it long-term. The important thing to know is if you are seeing an ophthalmologist (eye doc), be SURE to alert the doc if you have ever used FloMax (or RapaFlow). This is because the drug tamsulosin, contained in these medications, can cause complications if you ever need eye surgery such as cataract surgery. (I think they call it "Floppy Iris Syndrome.") The complication can be easily avoided if the doc knows you used FloMax, but it is more difficult if he/she does not know in advance. I learned about this when I updated my medical prescription records with my eye doc after SBRT. No fear - doc can avoid problems if they know about it.

Congratulations on completing the course. Grades will be distributed over the next several years. Fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride!

Tomorrow will be 4 months from when I started my course of 4 monthly Lupron injections, so *technically* those side effects will start diminishing from this point onward! Hopefully soon! I go in for my first PSA a month from now.
The hot flashes were the biggest bother, as they interfered with my sleep. That, and I put on 15lbs, despite being mindful of exercise and diet. I never really experienced much fatigue, mood swings or lack of motivation, but towards the end I started feeling a little brain fog. I never experienced ED, but definitely noticed the absence of libido. Having zero ejaculate was also a little strange.
I had 5 weeks of side effects from the radiation treatments. They involved some bowel irregularities, but mostly urinary problems. Although I was prescribed Flomax, I never felt a real need to take it. The weak stream, hesitancy, and frequency were manageable, but definitely a drag. But they all improved, and eventually went away.
I waited until the SBRT was over before I told my friends and colleagues about my Dx. I felt that it would be better to let them know after my treatment was finished, and save them (and me) from any fretting about it while it was going on. Of course the big question from almost everyone was "how are you doing?" My reply was that I'm grateful. Grateful to have this technology available to me, to have access to healthcare, to have the support of my family, to be a member of this forum, and to have a pretty good shot at winning this fight.

Bob I’ll add my congratulations on bringing treatment to a conclusion. Hopefully, and most likely, we’ll soon be congratulating you on evidence that the treatment did the job, and allowing you to out this episode of your life behind yo7.

Re Lupron, while there are no guarantees, chances are good that with only 4 months of treatment, the side effects will subside sooner rather than later

Ok, got my first PSA test back today and it's 0.15
It's been 3 months since my radiation treatment ended, and 2 months since I had my last injection of Lupron, which was good for 30 days.
Of course, I'm very happy to see this number, but part of me wonders if the Lupron could still be holding it down, 30 days after the dosage effectiveness "ended"?

I also got my testosterone checked, it was 82. I missed out on having it checked beforehand, so don't have a baseline to compare it to, although 82 is better than zero.

Any thoughts on the meaning of the 0.15? I know that the long term trend line is what we're after here, but this seems pretty low right off the bat, kinda too good to be true?

I went in for my 2nd PSA test yesterday, and got the results: 0.64.
I finished SBRT 6 months ago, and it's been 8 months since my first injection of Lupron. It was a 4 month course, so I would imagine that any effects from that drug have now left my system and aren't influencing the results. Testosterone was 82 at the last test 3 months ago, and is 385 now.
I realize that with this PSA testing I'm in it for the long haul, and not to get too hung on the numbers, but rather look more at the long term trend. But I'm feeling pretty good about this latest number.

Question: I don't know if I should consider the 0.15 (from 3 months ago) my nadir, because it could have been influenced by remnants of the Lupron?

Other than reduced ejaculate, I've experienced no lasting side effects from the RT. Like you, urinary function was good prior to treatment and remains that way, although I definitely had about 5 weeks of manageable urinary issues immediately afterwards. ED wasn't a problem before, during, or after. And now that the SE's from Lupron have gone away, no problem with sleeping through the night, thankfully.
Your PSA trend line looks good, I hope to have the same going forward. Thanks for the reply.

Bob, you're 9 months since SBRT, as I understand, this is the ideal time for a bounce. Nadir may well be another year away. I'll let some of the others more in tune with radiation therapy tune in and comment. One thing I do remember someone saying is that a bounce at this point actually points towards a lower nadir when it happens.

What did your RO say? Or have you talked to them yet?