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Posted 8/31/2017 12:38 PM (GMT 0)
Yesterday (or today) marks one year since my prostatectomy. It was Wednesday Aug 31, 2016 and generally went very well, other than learning that I would require radiation. No one wants to hear the words "we got MOST of the cancer", which was the news I got the day after Labor Day... just as I had been given my "you have cancer" biopsy results the day after July 4th.

But also as of yesterday's treatment I am now one-third of the way thru my ART. That in itself has also gone well, other than developing diarrhea midway into the second week, and had persisted into this week. Yesterday they told me I was too dehydrated and if I was not properly hydrated today that they would not treat me. I'm doing the best that I can. It has been a long road just to get to this point, and with the AUS can in theory hold my pee as long as required, albeit uncomfortably.

Fortunately I had read in one of these forums to "never trust a f@rt" so the first episode went into the toilet and not into my shorts. As I told the rad techs, I thought this wasn't supposed to happen until near the end, and they said "if at all". So the RO recommended that I go on a week long course of Activia. I like and do eat yogurt anyway, so bought some of that brand and have been consuming it 2X daily.

My wife hates the dietary restrictions, as she prefers veggies and whole grains, most of which are on the RO's list of forbidden foods. So I bought a supply of "hungry man" frozen dinners so I can get some protein and solid food and she can have her broccoli and quinoa.

The one thing that gets me thru just about everything is knowing that eventually it will all be over with.

Thanks for reading!
Posted 8/31/2017 1:01 PM (GMT 0)
Hang in there, RobLee, as you "celebrate" your anniversary, so to speak!
Posted 8/31/2017 1:37 PM (GMT 0)
RobLee,

Hang in there! RT is an endurance race. I was two weeks behind you with the surgery (mine was 9/12/16), but ahead of you with RT. I started 35 treatments in July and finish a week from today. I can't hold my pee indefinitely, and have had a few accidents along the way. There is a guy getting RT at the same facility as me and at the same time each day, and he can't hold it either. Last week one of the staff was wiping up a broad swath of the floor where he apparently lost it big time.

FC
Posted 8/31/2017 2:09 PM (GMT 0)
Fiddle, congrats on making it thru the endurance race and good luck for your remaining treatments.

Continence was a major concern for me and was the reason for the delay in ART. After largely failing physical therapy I was recommended for the AUS and so it was necessary to accommodate the time required for healing and device activation. But I had heard from some others about losing what continence they had during the course of RT so that seemed to be the best course. It was a difficult decision indeed, as it will affect how I do something that I do all day, every day for the rest of my life!
Posted 8/31/2017 2:23 PM (GMT 0)

RobLee said...
..... Yesterday they told me I was too dehydrated and if I was not properly hydrated today that they would not treat me. .....


Some of the guys getting toasted when I was going through ART hated drinking water and some of them were stuck in the waiting area for up to two hours until their bladder reached the appropriate volume.

Most of my sessions were mid-morning and I developed a great hydration routine which worked really well for me. We like coffee so with breakfast I had my usual five cups or so and then 20 ounces of water. Then I would take another 20 oz of water with me and would finish that about 15 minutes before my appointed time. The important point is to stay hydrated all of the time. (Which you should do anyway.)
Posted 8/31/2017 3:13 PM (GMT 0)
Having a properly inflated bladder is an art that took me weeks to master. At first I would drink a lot of water 45 minutes before starting therapy at 7:30 am. This didn't work well because sometimes I wasn't full enough and had to wait. Or I was too full and filling rapidly. Later I found that if I started my hydration earlier (at 6:15) I can drink just two glasses of water and be almost certain to have a full enough bladder. The worst is the too full bladder that results in agony by the end of the session and/or leaks.
Posted 8/31/2017 3:16 PM (GMT 0)

John_TX said...
The important point is to stay hydrated all of the time. (Which you should do anyway.)

Thanks John. The problem for the past week is that much of what I drank went straight to my bowels, so even though I was consuming the required quart of water, it wasn't getting to my bladder. Hopefully now the diarrhea has ended and that will no longer be a problem.

BTW the RO has me restricted to one cup of coffee per day. Grrrr!
Posted 8/31/2017 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
I lucked out on the full bladder business. When I met for my pre-treatment appointment the RO's nurse came in looked at me and weighed me. She left for a minute and came back with a plastic Cleveland Clinic "travel" cup filled with water to a level she had marked with a red Sharpie on the side and told me to drink it. Fifteen minutes later she came back and asked how I was feeling. I told her that I definitely felt like I was ready to use the bathroom and she said "There you go. Fill the cup to the line and drink it at least 15 minutes before treatment." It worked perfectly. Always ask the nurse if they have suggestions. While the Doc might tell you just to have a full bladder, the nurses often have the practical knowledge and experience to give you in plain language. A couple of times the machine was backed up though, and yes, having to hold it much longer is not comfortable.

Interestingly, I asked the RO about diet changes especially since I went to 90% vegetables including large quantities of broccoli. He said since my body was already used to the veggie diet, he didn't see any reason to change my diet for RT. I got through fine though a few times I was happy to have read the "Never trust a fart" advice here too!
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