Putting off Treatment

SAW DOCTOR TODAY!

Dr Deutsch gave me plenty of time to answer questions and I was grateful for that. I was a bit emotional and said to him "I know I'm not an ideal patient but please treat me anyway" He is a very nice person and said of course he will treat me. I told him the truth about the testosterone. I said that when he took my blood, I was 52 days off testosterone from the date of my last injection. I told him that after about 62 days or so, I had another injection. i explained in detail the reasons I felt I had to have the testosterone.
He listened patiently and said that the best course of action was external beam radiation with a long course. He said it will take daily dosing 5 days a week for 9 weeks. I am to have a full bladder and they will insert a "balloon" into my rectum as I receive the radiation.
Dr Deutsch said he will treat me despite me using TRT but warned it can cause problems. I said I will do my best to stay off completely during treatment but honestly can not be 100% sure I'll be able to. He said to do the best I can.
I told him that I was getting the injections at a clinic that shall remain anonymous because I have not been upfront with them about my cancer as 99% of doctors would not continue with the TRT
I assured him that I would not hold back the truth from him (gee sorta because my life depends on it) and I only withheld the cancer diagnosis from the clinic because otherwise I'd have to use the black market to get TRT
We both had a laugh when I asked "So now it's time for the DRE" and he said no. I was surprised but he said "Why do a DRE?, we know the pathology and we are about to treat you so it's not needed" I let out a "Whew" and raised my arms and said, "that makes both of us happy"
Actually maybe a DRE would have revealed something that was not there before but I trust his reasoning.

So the next move is to call for the Ct Scan. I will do that soon and update as I get closer to the treatment.
Meantime, I'll google radiation treatment and go to Youtube to better understand what is about to happen.

If anyone else has had this type of radiation, please chime in if you want to. I did not ask but assume it is a lower dose radiation over a longer time period.

Thanks for reading

Glen

Hello TheSwan ---
Check the feed tonight --- I just boosted a very insightful thread that will give you details about External Beam Radiation. It was started by our comrade named Temp Flight Restriction.

Details, experiences, insight, and helpful tips to help you navigate through the treatments. I had 9 weeks of radiation, as well, and my experiences are detailed in that thread, as well.

Print it off --- highlight the helpful details, and consider it your radiation PLAYBOOK!

Best to you -
C-Y-C-L-O-N-E ~~~ # Iowa State University

Cyclone-Nevermind, I found the thread. Thanks it is very detailed

Glen

Glen,
You could also do a search for "External Beam Radiation" on our forums little search box for other related threads. keep the faith brother, get that CT scan or MRI done.
Wings aka Dan in So Cal

PS I think I'll nickname you T-wrecks..lol?

Glen, it sounds like you have a solid plan in place. Now get it started and going forward. It will be over before you know it. Really.

Glen, great that you found a doctor that is so understanding of your circumstances. Good luck

I just want to add my little observation.
With your sleep apnea, Your age, DM and rich current medical history including retractable back pain and if I understood correctly you had spinal fusion (back screwed), you are not good candidate surgery.
Especially, surgery in DM patients very often has some problems including higher risk of infection and prolonged healing of surgical wounds inside and outside.
Just my 2 cents.
MK

glen, most of the external beam radiation guys say that the actual treatment takes literally a few minutes. You'll be in the waiting room longer than you'll be on the table.

Okay halbert thanks. I can deal with that. As I said, I'm going to ask to look at the treatment room when I have my Ct scan. I think all the equipment is nearby in the same department (oncological radiation)

Glen

Sounds good. Some "Watchtower" by Hendrix or maybe Tomaso Albinoni Adagio!
Or maybe some light 60's and 70's pop.

I'm an opera buff so there ya go lot's of beautiful arias such as "Mimi's song" from Boheme or the famous "Cavalleria rusticana" intermezzo featured in Raging Bull or the slave song or....OMG so many choices! Lol

Thanks now I gotta go to youtube and listen

Glen

That is nice to hear. I just love music. My wife sings at a church in Harlem and plays the piano very well. I sang for years at my church as a choir member and part time cantor. I took a year of lessons but it has always been just fun to sing. I had loved opera but never went to the Met until I met my wife. She was an opera fanatic. She made friends with Luciano. She took me a few times and I went with her mother once and saw the double opera . I am not good at spelling but it's the one with the famous intermettzo and the other the sad clown.
To be honest, we get the cheap seats and I would rather watch it on the big screen. They show Saturday's opera at a few movie house's in Manhattan.
My wife's degree is in musicology a degree I never heard of (From NYU) I am blown away at her knowledge of Classical and early music and opera, she is unbeatable in trivia.
I guess I'm getting off topic but as I said, music is important to me.

glad we share this joy

Glen

Yep I knew them but cannot spell them. I guess there is spellcheck but I do not know how to do that either

G

After I retired, I upped my chamber-music playing (piano) to twice a month. Unfortunately, Covid put a halt to that -- the string players can play outdoors, but since we're mostly seniors, we haven't resumed indoor playing. So I'm playing solo piano pieces, but as nice as that is, it can't compare to making music together.

I played clarinet in grade school, bass clarinet in high school, and contrabass clarinet in univ. Also sang in a wonderful choir for a number of years (I'm pretty bad at solo singing, but can match my pitch to others very well).

For listening, my passion is opera. We've seen many performances at the Met.

Djin