20 Days Down - - 25 to Go...

Today marked day #20 0f 45 Tomotherapy radiation sessions. Believe it or not, I get in the car with a smile on my kisser and a song in my heart, The radiation techs at Monmouth (NJ) Medical Center are my Princesses. At the end of day 45, I will say thanks to them in a "practical manner."

The biggest side effect remains the waves of fatigue that slam me like a kayo punch. Doc says to stop being so 'effin hard on myself and just take it easy when it hits. Guess I just get frustrated; I was always active and now I have no gas in my tank.

Twice, I have experienced a phenomenon that amazed me. That being ejaculation without any ejaculate! My radiation oncologist opines it is a normal side effect. "Eruption" of sperm might return down the road or it might not. The "feeling" of orgasm remains and I'll settle for that. Hell, I'm 71.5 y/o, my days of being Mount Vesuvius are but a fond memory.

Flo Max is a double-edged sword for me (0.4/daily). Relieved the agony of urination but wreaked havoc with my blood pressure. Was rising from bed light-headed each morning. Cardiologist took me off my BP meds and all is fine now - - so far.

I drink a 33oz. bottle of club soda on the way to my radiation to best fill my bladder. Good thing here being it has helped lower my blood sugar. Techs tell me I have an outstanding bladder - glad I win the bladder blue ribbon.

Godspeed to All.

Straight Ahead!

Fred

I am surprised the fatigue hit you so soon based on my experience but everyone has a different roll of the side effect dice. You just have to take a nap and forget about the list of things to do on some days, at least for a while. Lasted a few weeks after treatment ended but it was not every day for me.

The rest sounds pretty normal, I needed 32 oz of water about 1.5 hours prior but also had some coffee prior to my treatments. Sounds like you are doing well otherwise.

You are doing great and blessed to have a wonderful treatment team.

The loss of some ejaculate is normal, close to universal, in men that use radiation as a primary treatment. In surgical men it is absolute. Mine was diminished by 50-75% as best I can tell. The radiation basically create scar tissue Where the cancer dies and also affects normal tissue to the point of diminishing the amount of functioning prostate tissue. And it does vary from man to man due to the differences in physique, disease extent and radiation applied. Everyone is different.

Hang in there, take naps, you are on the downslope with a clear field ahead and a strong wind at your back.