Would you share details of your successful treatment regimen? You said it involved 28 "irradiations". How long was each procedure? Did you have to go to a special facility in an inconvenient locale to get treated? Pain or discomfort? Any pharmaceutical accompaniment with the radiation?
Thanks ...
Channeling my inner Ragu here:
They found my elevated PSA last May or so. I had a prostate scan in August, then a bone and organ scan in October or November, to make sure it had not spread. My biopsy was in December, they come in through the Holland tunnel, so it was like a colonoscopy, but without the awful prep. Probably three hours from admitting to being home.
It seemed to me to be a long time between procedures, but they must not have thought it was urgent.
Before the sessions started on Feb. 19, I had a short operation in January to place "gold stars" (targets) on my prostate, and to install an organic "wall" to add a layer of protection for the rectum. At the hospital for about three hours total. No pain. The "wall" is made up of some material that dissolves over the next 6-12 months, you can't even tell anything is there. It was done by needle; I was knocked out.
I also got a 3-month hormone shot to depress my testosterone level on Dec 30, and I'll get another one on Monday, then that will be it. I'll get my prostate numbers checked in three months, then every six months after that. If they stay good, I'm golden.
Before you start the radiation regime, they do a "simulation" of the actual treatment. You get your bladder filled (between 75-100%) at home, head up the treatment center and get on the table. They get the "coordinates" on your body set, then you get little tattoos on each flank and your lower stomach, so they know where to aim the radiation.
Then they set a date to start the actual radiation; 28 sessions that lasted for about 10 minutes. You don't have to disrobe, just pull your pants down around your knees, pull your shirt up a little, cross your hands over your chest. They cover your privates with a towel. They are really good about protecting your privacy, if that's something you get concerned about.
Five days a week, Monday through Friday, 28 straight weekdays. That's the grind, it's every single day.
The first two or three minutes on the table they do x-rays to see how full your bladder is, and to make sure everything else is OK. Takes about another minute or two to calibrate the radiation streams, then about 4-5 minutes of treatment while the machines zoom all around you. Lots of screens and machines and they clank a bit but they're kind of cool.
Here's the best way I know to describe how long each session takes: Yesterday I was positioned on the table, they left the room to get the process started. I had requested "American Pie." It started, played all the way through, and then I got about one minute of "Celebrate" for the last pass of the machine. So, 8-9 minutes tops for each session.
The biggest deal is getting your pre-treatment routine down so your bladder is only about 80% full. I called it being "comfortably uncomfortable." Almost all of my treatments were at 3:10 p.m., so I drank water steadily between noon and about 2:45, probably 60-70 ounces, peeing when I had to. Took one last pee at 2:55 and hit the road.
Luckily the treatment center was only about 8 minutes from my house, and I seldom had to wait more than five minutes before being called in. They really tried (and succeeded) being on time, because your bladder keeps filling when you drink that much water, and every extra minute can really be agonizing.
Luckily there were only 2-3 times when I was absolutely about to die when they finished. One time I had to pee right when I got there and I was only at 50% when I got on the table. They just waited five minutes, I was up to 80% and then it was full-speed ahead, knocked that sucker out.
For the last 15 sessions, I could do the prep in my sleep. It got routine.
The side effects are minimal at first, then increase as the treatment progresses. Your digestive system gets a little screwed up and it gets harder to pee, and can burn, especially right after the treatment. The radiation can inflame your colon, so I took Advil and that really helped reduce the inflammation. They say the symptoms can last 2-4 weeks after the cycle ends, because you still have radiation in your body, but I already feel the difference today.
It's not really "painful," but it was a grind, especially mentally, because 28 treatments is a lot. I broke it down into segments; 1/7 done, 2/7 done, halfway there, etc., etc. You get fatigued, but I was able to walk at least two miles every day, albeit slower than normal. But I still got out there.
I had lots of support at home and from a small, select group of friends. I didn't tell many people; my brothers didn't even know until I was 2/3 of the way through. And my two primary radiologists were spectacular: encouraging, supportive, positive, they were there for me and had my back every single day. They were my superheroes.
I wrote them each a personalized card and included a healthy tip when it was all over. I don't know if that's SOP, but WTF, they deserved it.
Hope that helps, hope it wasn't too much information. Don't be afraid of it.
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