Re: Radiation questions

[Guest guest]

Everyone will have their own unique side effects. I had 33 IMRT sessions after my surgery. I stopped at the center on the way to work each day and worked full days. It's only about a 15 minute session and the only real side effect I encountered was towards the end of all the treatments I was more tired than usual. Nothing an hour nap in the evening wouldn't help. I was slightly off my golf game for the summer after the treatments and I'd like to think it was just the treatments that shortened my drives . As far as medical procedures, I'd say this was the most tollerable I have been through. Hopefully your husband will have similar results.

Best of luck to you both.

Subject: Radiation questionsTo: ProstateCancerSupport Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 9:01 PM

My husband had his prostate removed two weeks ago. The pathology report came back that it was Stage 3 cancer so the drs want him to start radiation treatments after he has healed from the surgery.Those of you who have gone through radiation treatments:*What side effects have have you encountered and were they permanent?*I hear that it is very tiring. Will he be able to drive to and from the radiology center? Is it a sluggishness or a "sleep all day" thing?*How long did it take you to recover after the last treatment so that you could go back to work full time?Thanks!Rose

[Guest guest]

My experience was similar to 's although I had 39 treatments rather than 33. In addition to fatigue I did have problems with bowel control and urinary incontinence. These side effects got better and took about 2 months to pretty much go away. I also wish you well and I guess the worst thing for me was and is the emotional response I am getting to a point where that has lessened a great deal I was operated on April 13, 2009 and am on Zoladex I am on my 3thrid 3 month shot and will discontine them when I get my fourth in March. That will be a year of ADT treatment. I am still pretty tired but not debilitated. I wish you both the best in this battle. My PSA's have been undetectable since the completion of Radiation (IMRT) plus ADT. When the ADT is discontinued it will take about six month to clear it from my system then the PSA results will be more

meaningful. Right now the PSA results are interefered with by the Zoladex which attacks the hormone sensitive cells that may have survived the surgery and/ or the radiation treatment.

Sincerely,

Harry

From: rosina_agrusti <ragrustiearthlink (DOT) net>Subject: [ProstateCancerSupp ort] Radiation questionsTo: ProstateCancerSuppo rtyahoogroups (DOT) comDate: Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 9:01 PM

My husband had his prostate removed two weeks ago. The pathology report came back that it was Stage 3 cancer so the drs want him to start radiation treatments after he has healed from the surgery.Those of you who have gone through radiation treatments:*What side effects have have you encountered and were they permanent?*I hear that it is very tiring. Will he be able to drive to and from the radiology center? Is it a sluggishness or a "sleep all day" thing?*How long did it take you to recover after the last treatment so that you could go back to work full time?Thanks!Rose

[Guest guest]

Rose

I forgot to mention that I drove to the radiation treatments every day 5 days a week off Sat. and Sunday. The fatigue is more of a sluggish feeling. The ability to work while undergoing this is not a big problem and might be even a blessing since it takes your mind off of the shock of getting this disease.

Harry

Subject: Radiation questionsTo: ProstateCancerSupport Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 9:01 PM

My husband had his prostate removed two weeks ago. The pathology report came back that it was Stage 3 cancer so the drs want him to start radiation treatments after he has healed from the surgery.Those of you who have gone through radiation treatments:*What side effects have have you encountered and were they permanent?*I hear that it is very tiring. Will he be able to drive to and from the radiology center? Is it a sluggishness or a "sleep all day" thing?*How long did it take you to recover after the last treatment so that you could go back to work full time?Thanks!Rose

[Guest guest]

rosina_agrusti wrote:

> Those of you who have gone through radiation treatments:

> *What side effects have have you encountered and were they permanent?

I was a little more tired than usual. I had minor radiation

burns on my skin (about like minor sunburn) that cleared up about

a week after the end. I lost some pubic hair which started

growing back after the end of radiation and was soon normal.

There was some scarring of the rectum but I have no ill effects

from that. It's just something that shows up in a proctoscopy.

The most long lasting and significant effects I had were:

Urinary urgency caused by swelling of the prostate around the

urethra. This lasted about 5 months. Since your husband has

no prostate, he may not experience this at all.

" Peyronie's Disease " , i.e., a bend in the penis when it

becomes erect. The doctors don't ascribe this to the

radiation but it happened after radiation and Lupron, so I

assume there was some relationship. I've seen others say that

this happened to them after radiation. The bending does not

prevent intercourse or cause any pain for me.

Some long term loss of potency. This may also be due to other

factors, including advancing age. I had potency problems

before radiation but they've gotten worse after. Viagra helps

for me.

> *I hear that it is very tiring. Will he be able to drive to

> and from the radiology center? Is it a sluggishness or a

> " sleep all day " thing?

I drove to treatment every morning, then drove to work, worked a

full day, drove home, and did regular exercise throughout

treatment. I never experienced either sluggishness or a " sleep

all day " syndrome. I did however try to get an extra hour of

sleep each night. I think the fact that I was in good physical

shape and continued exercising helped prevent sluggishness.

> *How long did it take you to recover after the last treatment

> so that you could go back to work full time?

I never missed any work.

Your husband's doctors are being aggressive in fighting his

cancer. I'm not a doctor myself but I think that aggressiveness

is probably a good thing. Best of luck to the two of you.

Alan

[Guest guest]

Hi, Rose -- I had DaVinci removal of my prostate in January 2008 and began 37 IMRT treatments the end of last October, finishing just after Christmas. I was also given a 3-month shot of Lupron in October and will have a second shot end of next week. Then in about six months we'll see how my PSA is doing.My radiation was at 8am, 5 days a week, in and out in 20 minutes -- after which I drove to work throughout. Everyone is different, but my side effects (SE's) from both the radiation and the Lupron have been minor. I'm told exercise is helpful to offset SE's, so I've exercised throughout treatment and to be honest I don't really know if any fatigue I've felt has been from the treatment or the exercise -- either way it's not been serious. I had one bit of diarrhea and two times I felt flu-like symptoms for a day or so -- otherwise the impact of treatment has had a negligible effect on daily life.All best,> To: ProstateCancerSupport > Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:01:33 +0000> Subject: Radiation questions> > My husband had his prostate removed two weeks ago. The pathology report came back that it was Stage 3 cancer so the drs want him to start radiation treatments after he has healed from the surgery.> > Those of you who have gone through radiation treatments:> *What side effects have have you encountered and were they permanent?> > *I hear that it is very tiring. Will he be able to drive to and from the radiology center? Is it a sluggishness or a "sleep all day" thing?> > *How long did it take you to recover after the last treatment so that you could go back to work full time?> > Thanks!> Rose> > > > ------------------------------------> > There are just two rules for this group > 1 No Spam > 2 Be kind to others> > Please recognise that Prostate Cancerhas different guises and needs different levels of treatment and in some cases no treatment at all. Some men even with all options offered chose radical options that you would not choose. We only ask that people be informed before choice is made, we cannot and should not tell other members what to do, other than look at other options. > > Try to delete old material that is no longer applying when clicking reply> Try to change the title if the content requires it

[Guest guest]

Hi Rose,

Thanks for asking the question. I am due to start radiation treatment in the

middle of March. I still have my prostate gland because surgery is not an option

for me as I am on Warfarin for recurring blood clots. I am on my sixth week of

Zoladex. My main worry was about damage to my colon/rectum but the replies that

you got have addressed that issue for me. My main worry now is getting to the

clinic after I have used that laxative suppository LOL.

Best wishes,

....

>

> My husband had his prostate removed two weeks ago. The pathology report came

back that it was Stage 3 cancer so the drs want him to start radiation

treatments after he has healed from the surgery.

>

> Those of you who have gone through radiation treatments:

> *What side effects have have you encountered and were they permanent?

>

> *I hear that it is very tiring. Will he be able to drive to and from the

radiology center? Is it a sluggishness or a " sleep all day " thing?

>

> *How long did it take you to recover after the last treatment so that you

could go back to work full time?

>

> Thanks!

> Rose

>