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End of 4th week of radiation

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Posted 2/12/2010 10:16 PM (GMT 0)
 

Well finished my 4th week today and for the first time I am starting to feel tired.  The last two nights I took a sleeping pill since I have been having trouble sleeping so not sure if it the drug hangover feeling or the fatigue is starting to set in.  Still won my tennis match yesterday first time I was able to play in a match for a while because of the time of my appointments.  Hurt like hell after but love to play and feels great to win.  15 more treatments to go.

Jerry1

Posted 2/12/2010 10:28 PM (GMT 0)
Well, if you can still play tennis, and win, must be doing better than some guys.

Hope the fatigue lets up, altho seems to be fairly common complaint.

Godd luck on your journey !
Posted 2/12/2010 10:31 PM (GMT 0)
Jerry, Good to hear from you. One month done, three weeks to go. Yes, the fatigue should be kicking in now. That is normal. I hear exercise is a remedy for fatigue, althought it sounds like it would wear you out further. So keep up the good work. Best wishes for the final leg of the treatments. Bill in San Diego
Posted 2/12/2010 10:57 PM (GMT 0)
Jerry,

good going there. you are getting near the home streatch now. it probable is radiation fatigue you are starting to feel, i know i did, and did way before you reported your own. it can be a very real thing. sounds like you are doing well though, very happy for you.

david in sc
Posted 2/13/2010 12:20 AM (GMT 0)
Jerry,

Just walked in the door a few moments ago on a cold winters night in of all places georgia. Snowing like crazy out there. But glad you are doing so well, and you must be one competitive person to be fatigued, undergoing radiation and still win at tennis. My fatigue hits at night when my wife wants to talk. LOL. Anyway I am right there with you, completing my fourth week of tx. 19 more of those zaps to go.

Michael

Posted 2/13/2010 12:25 AM (GMT 0)
Michael, good for you, you are slowly making your way through your radiation as well. Keep on knocking them off one day at a time.
And if your body cries for rest, let it rest, that is what my doctor told me at the time.
Posted 2/13/2010 2:10 AM (GMT 0)
Hang in there, guys. It'll be over before you know it. I finished mine Dec. 22nd and am back to normal. No more fatigue, no more bowel discomfort, and minor, if any, leakage. Feel human again and have saved my money to pay what insurance didn't. Just would love to see the last of the snow{have had it on the ground since 12/24} and the green of the golf course.


Bob
Posted 2/13/2010 2:10 AM (GMT 0)
Hang in there, guys. It'll be over before you know it. I finished mine Dec. 22nd and am back to normal. No more fatigue, no more bowel discomfort, and minor, if any, leakage. Feel human again and have saved my money to pay what insurance didn't. Just would love to see the last of the snow{have had it on the ground since 12/24} and the green of the golf course.


Bob
Posted 2/13/2010 2:27 AM (GMT 0)
Well Jerry, maybe I should take up tennis during radiation... perhaps I could hit the ball this time around. Great to hear you are back at your favorite sport and winning!

I'm still a couple behind you guys, just finished 18 of 39. Sleeping soundly at night and drifting off early due to fatigue or about a pint low on energy. My stomach muscles feel like I've done one too many sit-ups and still a bit warm around the lower pelvis. I'm still making it to the gym for short work-outs about every other day and at least walking each day. I'm able to drink a strong cup of joe in the a.m. without any G.I. distress.

I feel lucky so far and I wish the same for all.

Take care,
Jake
Posted 2/13/2010 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
Jake,

I am glad you are just about at the 1/2 point in your RT. The symptons you described are very typical of radiation induced fatigue. Best thing to do is what you are doing, not fighting it. Let your body rest when it needs to, you will recover better that way when it is over with.

David in SC
Posted 2/13/2010 5:11 AM (GMT 0)
Jerry,

Sounds like you are doing great...   I just finished session 13 and have 19 to go.   Been feeling good enough that I bought some new trail running shoes to get more exercise.   :-)

I have noticed a little tiredness at the end of the week and only an occasional trace of slightly sunburn feeing for a few hours after the sessions.   No change in bowel or frequency of urinating SE's yet.

Seems like there is a significant group of us doing this right now...

Praying that all of us will get thruough these sessions with minimal if any side effects!   And zap the last of those pesky PCa cells for a lifetime of future PSA zerooooooossss.

pasayten

Posted 2/13/2010 1:32 PM (GMT 0)
Pasayten,
I bought some new trail shoes myself. NB 812. been able to run with my dogs here at our house 3x per week, but have to run in the am. The runs are 5-6 miles or about 55 minutes and I might be running a lot slower than usual but it helps me deal with all of the stress. My dogs are fit as a fiddle and happy as can be. I met George Sheehan once and have a number of his books, and if you know him or about him, prostate cancer took his life as they missed the symptoms until it had progressed beyond a point where tx could have helped.
Enjoy those trail shoes my friend.
Michael
Posted 2/13/2010 1:42 PM (GMT 0)
HI had 40 treaments 12 shot a treament it takes while to get some strength back finish 12-12-09 it 2-13-10 i'm about to get most of back i hope but everybody is different i'm 61 and a half.


Deerhunter
Posted 2/13/2010 1:43 PM (GMT 0)
HI had 40 treaments 12 shot a treament it takes while to get some strength back finish 12-12-09 it 2-13-10 i'm about to get most of back i hope but everybody is different i'm 61 and a half.ps i still don't sleep had i about 3 years


Deerhunter
Posted 2/13/2010 3:33 PM (GMT 0)
 

Thank you all for your comments and support.  Glad to hear that my brothers also going through radiation are doing well.  I am fine in the AM and able to play tennis or excerise but start to fade in the late afternoon.  I have tried to nap but just cannot fall asleep so try to rest.  We will see what this week brings.

Jerry1 

Posted 2/13/2010 4:40 PM (GMT 0)
Jerry, the fading by mid to late afternoon is how my chronic fatigue hits me, so I plan all major or important events before that time whenever possible. I never sleep by day, so to me, a nap is lying down watching tv or reading, but only on the rarest occassion would I ever drift off to sleep. Still gets you off your feet and lets your body rest. You are still doing great.

David in SC
Posted 2/13/2010 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
 

Thanks David good idea to get things done early in the day I am sure the fatigue will increase as the treatment continue.  Just hope it works then it will be worth it.  When do you go for your next PSA?

Jerry1

Posted 2/13/2010 5:03 PM (GMT 0)
Jerry, I go back for my 2nd post SRT PSA reading early in April, so it is coming up soon. This is a very nervous moment for me, as my radiation oncologist was not happen at my first reading after the radiation ended, it was at .12. This next one needs to show any kind of downward movement, even if just by a couple of hundreths, anything to indicate success.

As I went through what turned out to be a radiation ordeal for me, that's all that kept me going, is, if this works, then going through all this will be worth it. If I had believed that it was all in vain, based on my previous radiation experience, I would have never subejcted myself to this treatment this time. So I am still hoping, that it's going to eradicate the rest of the beast. This was my last curative shot, and its my intention to let it run it course if this does fail. Not interested in going the HT route or chemical routes in the future, I have dealt enough with quality of life and pain issues as it is. That's a decision each man ultimately makes for himself if he is put in that position. We all value things differently in life.

As far as your fatigue goes, yes, I would expect it to get a bit worse before its over with, but it should be bearable for you. So what if you don't get certain things done. You are 14 years older than me, and I think you have done a marvelous job with your own PC journey, wish I had your energy level, lol, and I am only 57.

The other advice my radiation oncologist gave me ,was to eat whatever I felt like eating during the radiation weeks, to build some reserve strength when needed. I craved protein big time when I went through it, but my dr. said that was a normal thing under the circumstances.

While we have many men here that claim not to have any effects from radiation treatments or bad side effects, and I am truly happy for them, radiation does hell on the human body. It weakens your immune system big time, and while the radiation is killing off cancer cells hopefully, its killing off good cells as well, and the body is fighting to rebuild them as you maintain your day to day living.

I will be very personally glad when you have had your last treatment. You will still have to deal with fatigue and side effects for a period after, but at least they wont be pumping any more radiation into your body. Good luck, my friend.

David in SC
Posted 2/13/2010 9:42 PM (GMT 0)
 

David,

I agree with you if this does not work for me I am done, I want to enjoy whatever time I have left.  I am 70 I feel good and enjoy life my wife and I love to travel and I am not going to but the rest of my life on hold.  You are a young man and have many years ahead of you I am not sure exactly what I would do in your place but lets pray we do not have to worry about it and you come up zero next time around.  You have a very good chance that your recurrance was local and my doc says it takes time after radiation to get a true reading with all the inflamation not to mention all the additional problems you have had and still have.  I know you are going to beat this thing.

Jerry1

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