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Off for Brachy this morning

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Posted 6/22/2010 8:34 AM (GMT 0)
Woke up at 4 am to prepare and make the hour drive for the 7:30 procedure.
Pretty nervous and being super hungry and thirsty doesn't help.
After almost five stressful months of figuring out the right plan for me hopefully this is the start of a better times.
Posted 6/22/2010 9:48 AM (GMT 0)
Good luck to you....
Posted 6/22/2010 11:14 AM (GMT 0)

Ray, good luck...I'm sure everything will go fine.  You may be a little sore this afternoon but by tomorrow you will feel pretty normal.  Just take your Flomax for 2-3 months, lay off caffeine, booze and spicy foods for the same time and no sex for 2 weeks.  You'll find life returning to normal very quickly.

Welcome to the post-PCa world...

Tudpock (Jim)

Posted 6/22/2010 12:09 PM (GMT 0)
Hope all goes well for you today.
Posted 6/22/2010 12:16 PM (GMT 0)
Keep us posted Ray, and just know that it will go well.
Michael
Posted 6/22/2010 12:32 PM (GMT 0)
Good luck on the procedure. Although I had a different treatment, one of my best friends had the seeds and had a great outcome and is very happy with his choice. I wish the same for you.

Dan
Posted 6/22/2010 1:29 PM (GMT 0)
Ray, good luck to you. I'm sure it'll all work out just fine for you. I had my Brachytherapy procedure exactly four weeks ago from tomorrow. NO real problems at all. Just a little blood in the pee for a couple/few days immediately after the procedure but other than that, it was a "piece of cake". I know exactly what you're going through.
Posted 6/22/2010 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
Ray,

Good luck and best wishes to you, brother. I think there is just some natural fear and anixety with any of our primary treatments. You are taking
a much less invasive path then any of the surgeries, and you should to well. As Tud said above, by tommorow afternoon, the worse should be over you will be glad to be on the recovery side. We will all be thinking of you.

David in SC
Posted 6/22/2010 4:16 PM (GMT 0)
Ray, Welcome to the seed club. My guess is that you are going to feel pretty good a lot sooner than you think. One note in case the doc didn't tell you....don't be alarmed by the discoloration you may see on the scrotum....it's normal and will go away in a week. Regards, Joe
Posted 6/22/2010 4:56 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys. Procedure at 7:30 and walked out of the hospital at 11:00.
Doc said all went well. Only discomfort is this Foley catheter.
Doc wants me to keep it for 36 hours as a precaution.
Still a little groggy but can feel it wearing off.
Posted 6/22/2010 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
Ray,

Glad you got through it fine and on the recovery side. If you only have to be on a cath for 36 hrs, consider yourself blessed.
I hope you get to feeling better fast.

David in SC
Posted 6/22/2010 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks David. I felt bad even mentioning the cath discomfort knowing all that you and others have endured with those darn things but wanted to mention that it's the only "pain" at all for anyone considering Brachy.
Posted 6/22/2010 10:03 PM (GMT 0)

Ray, I do know that some docs leave the catheter in for a short period after brachy.  Actually, my doc did not so I never saw the darn thing since it was out before I woke up.  However, you raise another good question that potenital brachy patients should ask just so they know what to expect.

I'm glad that all went well.  Keep us up to date.

Tudpock (Jim)

Posted 6/22/2010 10:14 PM (GMT 0)
Best of luck to you Ray. Hoping for many, many zeros in your future.

Magaboo
Posted 6/23/2010 3:44 AM (GMT 0)
Ray, thanks for the report and best of luck to you.

Sheldon AKA Sleepless
Posted 6/23/2010 4:12 AM (GMT 0)
Hope all goes well for you -
Posted 6/23/2010 5:54 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys for the well wishes.
Living alone and getting used to the cath is a trip.
Switched to the night bag around 8 and seemed OK.
Slept two hours and woke up. Probably a mental alarm to check the bag.
Good drainage and plenty of capacity left but emptied it anyway.
Slept another hour and woke up. Not nearly as much in the bag and bloody ooze
around outside of cath to the point of dripping on the floor.
Moved the cath tube a bit and seems to have stopped.
From googling in the middle of the night it seems this is to be expected.
Will call the doctor first thing tomorrow.
Posted 6/23/2010 6:19 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Ray,

Hope all is well now and glad your Brachy went well. Reading good news coming from recent Patient who choose Brachy is comforting to me. After almost two months of reading, discussing, and thinking finally decided to go with Brachy and then afterwards with IMRT. I am scheduled for the procedure on 7/15/10. I am now preparing my things and getting things taken care of. I have lots of hope now.
Wishing you the Best keep us all posted
Posted 6/23/2010 6:55 AM (GMT 0)
Its dang good thing you caught it early. Have a happy long life yeah
Posted 6/23/2010 10:53 AM (GMT 0)
Shaheen 10, I'm doing good and actually just slept almost 4 hours without waking up. The discomfort from the procedure is almost the same as it was from the biopsy (was put under) for me. I wish you well with your procedure and please keep us posted on how you are.

keepingon, I was indeed lucky that it was found early considering I was 63 and never had a PSA test. Best wishes for you also.
Posted 6/23/2010 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
As Joe67 mentioned, you can expect the scrotum to be discolored for a while. My discoloration lasted three weeks and is now back to normal. A couple days after the procedure, the ole nut sack looked as if someone hit me in the groin with a ball bat or 2X4. At least there was NO pain involved but did look mighty tough. The Doc apparently yanked the catheter out before I "came to" - I was happy about that. Please continue to keep us up to date Ray.
Posted 6/24/2010 2:31 PM (GMT 0)
This morning was the moment of truth....time for me to yank the catheter out.
Woke up at 5 and thought I should wait until doc's office opened in case there was a problem.
By 6 I couldn't wait any longer.
All went according to plan.
Cut the valve stem, let the water drain out of the balloon and pulled it out.
Fifteen minutes later peed razor blades but very little blood.
Four hours later have peed 4 more times so hopefully that department will keep working.
I almost feel guilty that my discomfort has been so minimal compared to some of you.
Posted 6/24/2010 2:38 PM (GMT 0)
Ray,

Let me be the first to congratulate you. So glad you went through with your treatment, and that you are now on the recovery side. Bet after all these months, you are so glad to have it behind you.

Get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, take meds if you need them, and chill. Its over with.

david in sc
Posted 6/24/2010 2:54 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks David, the months of waiting and figuring out a plan were stressful.
Hopefully it is all behind me but as you know will take a long time to know for sure
but it was caught early and I'm going with the notion that it is over.
As a word of advice to those considering Brachy......invest in a donut cushion before the procedure. smilewinkgrin
Posted 6/24/2010 5:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Ray, good to hear you're on the mend.

Keep up with the reports, please.

As for the donuts, both oral and bottom, those are good ideas for daVinci too! Especially the chocolate covered oral ones.

Sheldon AKA Sleepless
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