Husband has pc with lymph node involvement

Hi,

I have not been on here for a couple of months but the update on my husband is that he is due to have another MRI in a months time prior to radiotherapy. In December when he was diagnosed his psa was 48 he had another psa test in February after being on hormone therapy for a month and it had gone down to 4.75. We dont know what it is now but another test due in a couple of weeks. At first the Consultant was only recommending hormone therapy but we had a second opinion and he is going to be receiving radiotherapy in May. The first MRI he had done showed spread to one lymph node and not to bone. He is 4+3 = gleason 7.
It has been a very tough few months but we are trying to be as positive as it is possible to be (sometimes its easier that others). I am worried about the effects the radiotherapy will have on him, five days a week for nearly 8 weeks, it will be tough but at least is going to get it now.
Husband diagosed December 2012
psa 48 age 55
4+3= Gleason 7

Thanks Sephie, yest he has been advised to make sure he drinks plenty of water as this can lessen the side effects. What a roller coaster journey this is for both of us. At first total and utter shock and devastation one of the nurses said that in time we would be looking at it very matter of factly (I found it hard to believe this). But she was right, guess she knew what she was talking about. We then became positive positive positive, now I feel that I have taken a bit of a dip in that and am trying to get back up again for my husband's sake. Hopefully this is a blip and I will be back to feeling strong and positive very soon. Maybe its because we havent had any hospital appointments for a while and things have seemed almost normal. We are going on vacation Wednesday to Tenerife so looking forward to some sunshine finally !!

Dabby,

I had radiation as "adjuvant", after my DaVinci surgery. My daily journal is linked in my signature.

You might not think it possible, but because the group of techs was small and very upbeat, and I was seeing them every day, along with seeing a slowly changing group in the waiting room, a social factor evolved over time. There were a few grouchy guys who never did anything more than moan and groan and spit at the girls, but they were the tiny minority.

I went by a few times after mine was finished just to drop off flowers & sweets for the birthdays I knew. Over the last couple of years the staff has changed such that I only know one person in the place, so I don't visit anymore. But they really did make a world of difference.

Dabby,

I can offer a bit of first hand experience and, assuming your husband's treatment goes like mine, it probably won't be a big problem for him. The two side-effects that I had (and the ones that most men here seem to mention) were fatigue and hemorrhoids. The fatigue didn't keep me from doing anything -- I didn't miss a day of work during my radiation treatments and my after-work social life was mostly unchanged. I did add a half-hour nap to my schedule between work and supper so I could have my evenings and not crash. I also became somewhat vague about how movies and television shows ended. My wife would wake me up during the end credits and tell me how the show ended. As for the 'rhoids I don't think the radiation causes them; most guys of a certain age will tend to have them and not notice them until they get zapped with hard x-radiation. If he has problems with hemorrhoids you husband should mention them to his radiation oncologist; there are prescription suppositories that will fix the problem (and he shouldn't use over-the-counter suppositories because they reflect the radiation.)

As for the bladder thing the trick is to develop a schedule -- sort of a fixed ritual -- so he can do the same thing every day to get consistent results. What worked for me (my radiation bladder ritual) was

1) 90 minutes before time for my treatment (still at work) pee and immediately drink 12oz warm tea.
2) Departing work I would get 20oz bottle of Gatorade out of my trunk and sip it while I drove to the treatment center. I left 4oz in the bottle for the waiting room.
3) If the machine was backed up and there was more than one person ahead of me in the queue I would pee again and immediately drink remaining Gatorade plus 6oz water.

My radiation was 39 treatments and before my first treatment I put 39 bottles of Gatorade in the trunk. That way every time I opened the trunk I could get a feeling for where I was in the sequence and feel like I was making progress. Each bottle in the trunk represented a remaining day of treatment and it was good to watch the bottles dwindle down at the end.

Overall, radiation wasn't bad. During the actual treatments one doesn't feel anything. The treatments only take about twenty minutes -- ten for setup and ten for the radiation. It's good that it goes quickly because even those ten minutes are boring.

And I have to echo 142's observation that the social milieu at the center was surprisingly pleasant. The lady ahead of me on the machine (there for breast cancer) was very nice and the technicians were great.

Dabby,

I can honestly say the hardest part of RT is making it to the place 8 weeks in a row. Drinking the correct amount of water, and modifying your diet is not a big deal. The side effects for me were minimal.

I would assume they will do full pelvic radiation, which will also zap the lymph nodes.

Good luck to you and your husband. Keep us informed on the progress.

Dabby,
I'm afraid CyberKnife isn't an option for Salvage radiation. It's too "sharp" for the job, as the name implies. They have to spread the radiation over a wider area and treat deeply into the prostate bed. I hope they are able to get it all with IGRT/IMRT. The best prevention for fatigue is lots of exercise -- it also helps the radiation work better and improves the moodiness that hormone therapy causes.

Dabby,
welcome to the world of warrior women who fight to save their men..No, it won't be easy and you will have to be strong and do your homework which you are doing here..Please get Dr Patrick Walsh's 3rd edition of "Guide to Surviving prostate Cancer"..Many considerate it the bible for men with PC.
With radiation your husband has his only chance for a cure*regular imrt radiation offers excellent results as tall Allen mentioned..Enjoy the sun in the Canary Islands and then get it done!! Best wishes
Bill

Hi Dabby,

Hopefully you're enjoy your vacation!

My husband's diagnosis is very similar to your husband's. My husband completed IMRT about 10 months ago.

If you would like to reach out for someone to chat with who is dealing with the same situation, feel free to email me.

Wishing you guys the best...