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HDR Brachytherapy - Three month update

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Posted 3/15/2015 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
I had HDR Brachytherapy in December, with two treatments spaced two weeks apart; and I'm 'celebrating' three months since the second procedure.

I go for a second follow-up in May.

Side effects:

- I still feel some minor stinging in my urinary tract, or somewhere down there. No pains when urinating but I can feel something down there a lot of the time. It doesn't hurt, but is sometimes noticeable.
I still drink coffee, tea and beer. Not enough water but I'm working on it.

- Minor urgency urinating - maybe. That has improved significantly from a couple months ago. I still feel like I pee a little more than the average person my age, but it's all pretty good.

- Hemorrhoids - I still can't believe I'm having these issues five months after the biopsy that caused them to flare up. I've quit the creams because I worry about using that stuff long term. I'm eating stool softeners and fibercons daily.

I'm thinking about going to the surgeon next week and get injections or something. After a bowel movement in the mornings, they'll hurt for five or six hours.

Weight gain - I've put on about six pounds since December. Which is about 3% for my body weight.

Sex - it's still great but I have little to no ejaculate. Sometimes my wife doesn't believe I did it. Like I'm faking? LOL.

I'm still working out hard but I can feel a drop off in my condition from a year ago.

I sleep and eat and all good. Hardly ever wake up to go, unless I drink a beer late - and then it's usually early morning, like at 6 a.m. or so.

Except for the roids, this whole process/recovery has been a breeze. I'm hoping for a PSA < 1.0 in May, but I'm not one to worry too much about things I can't control.

I haven't eaten red meat in four months.
Posted 3/15/2015 5:39 PM (GMT 0)
Dewayne, sounds like good progress, other than those dang hemorrhoids. I've had a (minor) issue with them as well, although I know that's a SE of IMRT. I don't think it's related to HDR brachy. (And maybe I just have 'em and it's related to anything.)

I'm two years out now and I have very minor urgency in that when I feel the need to go, I pretty much have to go right then. I don't have as much capacity to ignore the feeling until it's practical to go. But I don't think I go more frequently than I used to.

Glad you're doing well and the PSA is clearly the most important part! Good luck in May and make us proud!
Posted 3/15/2015 6:51 PM (GMT 0)
Dewayne, that sounds like excellent progress. You are doing well. Re the PSA, I honestly don't know what you should expect with HDR. With LDR, anything at half of pre-op PSA at six months is a bell ringer.

Jim
Posted 3/15/2015 9:00 PM (GMT 0)
don't get me started on hemorrhoids...

Get 'em checked out. They won't magically get better on their own.

Andrew
Posted 3/16/2015 1:48 AM (GMT 0)

Tudpock18 said...
Dewayne, that sounds like excellent progress. You are doing well. Re the PSA, I honestly don't know what you should expect with HDR. With LDR, anything at half of pre-op PSA at six months is a bell ringer.

Jim

My PSA dropped by more than half at the one-month mark; from 4.5 to 1.7.

The NP told me they looked for a PSA under 2.0, but I don't know if that's for everyone or just me in particular based on pre-treatment number.
Posted 3/16/2015 2:38 AM (GMT 0)
Dewayne,

Thanks for that update. It seems us HDR BRACHY guys are a very rare breed on this site. So as a fellow HDR BRACHY guy (done in 2 consecutive days), post 6 weeks treatment, I appreciate hearing from you and following your great positive progress in the right direction. Certainly, it is important to highlight, as you have done, that the hemorrhoidal situation is not present as a result of the HDR Brachy per se, but as a result of what sounds like your initial biopsy. Definitely get that situation taken care of--under control --etc. via your medical team.

My treatment recovery is moving along as well..... still some stinging, lousy urine stream, no ED issues and limited ejaculate.... things just trying to adjust down there

Still never quite sure what my body will present to me every day but at this point things are looking up.

My RO said to me that a PSA measurement for me is meaningless probably until June. I am going to get my UROs insight on this point when I see him in about ten days.

Best and power the HDR BRACHY GUYS

turn
Posted 3/16/2015 3:22 AM (GMT 0)
Ben,

There have been some HDR guys that seem to have moved on. Particularly JNF and some others I can't remember.

It's quicker than LDR or surgery so I guess the natural order would mean HDR guys would leave such a site sooner than others. I'm an Internet junkie myself but I'm sure I'll do the same eventually.

Yeah, the Hemmorhoids were the result of a young and eager urologist doing the biopsy.
Posted 3/16/2015 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
I'm still here.

I am now four years and three months after my HDR BT and have done very well.   No real side effects from the BT.   Allthough my T recovery from the hormone therapy has been very slow.   T was 17 last October a year after I stopped HT.   Will have another reading in April.

Posted 3/16/2015 3:32 PM (GMT 0)
JNF...I'm with you on the T level recovery. I'm about a year out from finishing my HT (in fact, get tested tomorrow) but mine hasn't recovered either. That said, mine is definitely higher than 17, so sorry to hear yours is still that low.

Overall, I think there's a fair amount of HDR brachy guys here--perhaps maybe even higher than in proportion to the general PC population...
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