Decision time approaching

Saw the radiologist Monday who gave me more info. I really don't know what to do at the moment. Urologist like surgery and it seems radiation and surgery have the same success. Anyone at the same point in their treatment?

It's a personal decision, most experts will tell you long term success will be very similar regardless of treatment.

I stayed away from radiation for two basic reasons/personal beliefs. he long term potential harm from radiation and my aversion to dozens of sessions.

First welcome to the place none of wanted to end up.

I was at that point once. I ended up doing the radiation because of heart/lung problems that were going to make surgery more risky than radiation. The problem is that there isn't anything that going to prove that one treatment is really better than the other. The side effects are slightly different - surgery side effects hit right after surgery but radiation side effects take longer to appear. There are people who have their favorite treatments or will show studies that one is better but in the end it's a bit of a gamble.

The hardest thing for me to deal with emotionally is my tendency to second guess my choice - now that I picked radiation there are times I wonder if I should have risked surgery. I am sure if I done surgery I'd be having similar thoughts about wishing I'd done radiation.

Your numbers are close to mine and my doctors said I'd be fine with either choice. It's hard on you but in the end you've got to pick one. Whichever way you go, I am sure you'll be fine.

You might want to the old, "Pro and Cons" chart for each treatment and see if anything pops out as a no go for you on one of the methods. Things like, with surgery you'll be out of work for 2-4 weeks but with radiation you can work but need to go to the clinic every day for 6-8 weeks. You could do the radiation seeds which is a single treatment but that has it's own special fun.

Wish I had some scientific ironclad data that would make your choice easier but I don't.

Keep us updated on your progress and if you have any questions about the treatments ask away plenty of guys here that have been through it that are willing to tell you what happened to them.

All the best,
Andrew

Thanks guys . I'll be reading A Yoopers' thread. The radiologist has set up an MRI. I should have ask him and will, but what is he looking for?