Introducing Myself

Hi all,  My PSA is on the rise one year after surgery.  I am meeting with Rad Onc next week and will probably begin SRT soon thereafter. (2 hour drive away) From reading several of the posts on this forum, it seems like a lot of you are in this boat.   I didn't realize so many people had rising PSA's after surgery.  Are there any diet/supplement restrictions during the radiation?  Any major side effects?

Thanks

Hi Tim..welcome to HW. As you can see below, I'm not in your particular post-surgical "boat' but wanted to let you know we're here for support and info. There are plenty of guys on this forum who have faced, or will be facing your path in recurrence, and I'm sure they'll chime in as they see your post.

Arnie in DE

Tim
- sorry to hear your numbers have risen - here is the website from Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada - they have a booklet "CHALLENGING PROSTATE CANCER" on nutrition , including diet during radiation
www.prostatecentre.ca/

- hopefully it can give you some help and guidance.
all the best

BRONSON

Hello and welcome Tim.

Sorry you will be needing SRT so soon.

I completed mine last November. My radiation oncologist told me outright, to eat whatever I felt like eating during this time, knowing that some deal with nausea and other discomforts during treatments. All I can remember is craving protein and sweets. Mostly proteins. Your immune system is seriously weakened during radiation, so they will want you to build your strength while you are undergoing treatments the best way you can.

David in SC

Tim,

Welcome.
I just started my post-DaVinci IGRT today, so no news yet, other than having been twisted like a rag doll by the technicians. Both cute girls. Oh, well...
I'll be posting as I go.

DaVinci 10/09 - G 4+5

Tim I started adjunct radiation therapy last tuesday.My Dr said no antioxadents as you want the cells to be week during treatment.I decided to drop all supliments during treatment although I am takeing prilosec,zocor and co-q-10 to eliminate pain from the zocor.Food wise he said anything I want and that protein helps with fatigue.Also if diarea starts limit fruits and vegees.Don't forget about haveing a full bladder when you go in for treatment.I forgot about it and didn't for the first 3 days and was very tired and sick to my stomach as soon as I left the hospital.after treatment day 3 at my Dr visit he said come in with a comfortable full stomach not bursting and it will hold my bowel up out of the beam path.So since friday I have done that and feel about norma.What a relief.On this site someone suggested 1 liter about 1/2 hour before treatment and that works good. Like you I have a 2 hr drive,actually I need to leave 2 hrs early to be in the waiting room a little early, it's 100 miles on the highway, or 65 miles over the mountain with about 10 miles of dirt road, so I kind of alternate for variaty.Its very quick I'm in the treatment room about 5 min. every 5 days they do a X-rays to check alignment and that adds about 5 min. Tuesdays they draw blood on the way out and thursday I see the Dr. I got to see my X-ray and originol cat scan today and they showed me how they check the alignment [there is a grid on both pictures and they compare current x-ray to the cat scan "plan" then adjust the table to line things up if needed]they said they like to be within 3 mm. The cat scan has an outline of the treatment area and you can see the areas they are close to but don't want to zapGood luck and I hope your treatment goes well and is effective. DICK

Hi Tim - I don't have any advice regarding diet during radiation, but as you can see from my signature, my husband's situation is similar to yours. His pre-surgery Gleason was 7.

Timm,

I completed IG/IMRT in January 2010. I started mine just 74 days following davinci because of a rising PSA. I had almost no side effects other than a little urgency issue towards the end and a little tiredness.

I did not go on any special diet nor was I instructed to do so. Hope everything works out well for you and your family.

Sonny

Hi Tim, looks like you, and I, got a lot of good advice. My stats are very similar to yours. RP is March 2009, PSA begbinning to rise at 9 months, .28 at 12 months. My surgeon and medical oncologist both recommended radiation treatments. I am meeting with a radiation oncologist in Boston in two weeks.

I have also made significant changes to my diet, but have not gone vegan. I have toyed with it, but just couldn't make the leap.

Good luck. Let us know how you make out.