Starting IMRT Monday

This Monday begins my IMRT regimen. 34 treatments, 66 gigwatts or whatever its measurement is called. Got my CT, got my 3 freckles, my VIP parking pass for the hospital and am as ready to go as I will ever be. All my docs recommended this next step. My physical healing from surgery was slow and I am just starting to get back to feeling like myself. I hope this thing doesn't slow me back down too much, but Oh, well. My docs are calling it adjuvant/salvage. Any advice or words of wisdom from the many who have passed along their helpful thoughts to me as I continue this adventure? As always, much appreciated.

Finished number 8 of 39. Biggest problem I have is people without passes using the radiation oncology parking spots at my hospital resulting in 30 minute search for parking. If that is the only major problem during treatment, it will be fine. Squid.

My radiation oncology department has a nice, quiet, private waiting room with nice seats, a tropical aquarium (okay, maybe not great if your bladder needs to be full) and jigsaw puzzles.

So different from the my urologist's office, usually packed full and with the TV blasting out the lowest-common denominator program (and where I live, the bar is set pretty low.) And I don't know about you guys, but my uro's treatment rooms are decorated with enormous pictures of kidney stones. So you look away from the kidney stones to the table with gloves and KY, and after a minute of that you look back at the kidney stones...

Finished 38 IMRT sessions last Thursday.  After one week, mostly back to normal except for urination urgency but improving.  Here's what the Mayo docs told me to do: (1) drink about 20 oz of water about 45 minutes prior to radiation because you want a full bladder to push some of the "innards" out of the path of radiation (2) avoid foods that cause gas (like raw veggies etc.) (3) do not force yourself to defecate and use Preparation H suppositories, metamucil and stool softeners because you might get some rectal discomfort about the 4th. week (4) keep exercising if you currently do. IMRT not a big deal considering what you have experienced already.  The Old Sailor 

Thanks to all

Just got home from my last session of RT. (I had 33 sessions)

Feeling much better than I thought I was going to.

Side effects have been tiredness, frequency and urgency of urination and those sort of tummy rumblings that have been mentioned. (Some rumbings made me ache in the area where the operation took place too.)
I thought things would get worse than they did (although the effects will carry on for about a fortnight before they start to get better) When the side effects showed up after a week I thought they would get worse and worse as each week went by, but it was all okay. (The best day during the week with the catheter was for instance much worse than the worse day of RT)

I went by train so had no worries about parking space.

There were ten RT treatment rooms with a total of six small separate waiting areas, so all very quite. A bit busy in the main waiting area when waiting to see the doc for the check-ups. When time (and the weather) allowed I also went out into the patients' private garden to wait.

Glad it's all over, but you know what, I almost feel like I'm going to miss it next week!

Been on a special diet for about 10 weeks too, to keep me off food that produces gas etc so looking forward to some mild Chinese tonight and a first beer for all that time too.

Weird thing was that in all the trips by train it never rained on me till today.

All the best
Alfred

congratulations, alf, knew you would work yourself to the finish line. so glad that is behind you, now we just hope all that radiation finishes off any stray cancer cells. enjoy the weekend.

142 et al

I don't know about "short term" I am in a way worried that I have not encountered anyone else having so little RT. I hope this is enough. I asked the doc "Why 33?" and she said that was what they had decided I needed, but still.....

Alf

Short term?

I had 32 SRT trtmts at 2gy each = 64 gy...

And the results were GREAT!    0.02 at 3 months...

Wishing the best for all others going thru this and other treatments

pasayten

English: Good luck as you start your radiation journey, and it is all about an endurance contest, so just worry about one day at the time. After awhile, it becomes very routine, and when you cross the finish line, it will just become a blur.


I completed 39 treatments with a total of 72 gys, which is on the heavy side for salvage radiation. But that was the dose my radiation oncologist came up with, even though that is equal to some men's primary radiation treatment.