So they sent me for a PET scan, to see if the cancer had spread. It hadn't. Nice.
A PET scan is kind of like an MRI, but first they inject a die that gets absorbed by cancer tumors. A radioactive die. It came encased in a big lead shield. I thought they're going to inject that into me? Yup.
I also got the first of the hormone injections. It wasn't bad, and the only real side effects have been fatigue. The Lupron starts at the end of the month; that's where I expect side effects.
They're scheduling a spacer, which is a gel injected next to the prostate. It will let them be more accurate with the Death Ray beam, keeping it focused on the lesions and not zapping parts of me I want to keep. Radiation will be every day starting in 2 or 3 weeks and will go probably until the end of the year.
All in all, not as fun as a barrel of monkeys but not so bad so far.
15 comments:
Wishing you all the best.
Good luck! I work in the radiation side - a pretty big part of our practice are guys like you getting prostate radiation. Serious good news- if you have to have prostate cancer, never before in human history have the odds been so much in your favor. Radiation therapy tech has advanced 1-2 generations from where it was when I entered the field in the 1990s, the radiation should be even more effective than before and much less toxic than before. When they start your radiation treatments, they'll probably coach you to drink lots and lots of water each day before your treatment, a very full bladder pushes things around such that it reduces radiation received by other organs. It's inconvenient but if you can get in the rythmn of that your treatments will go as quickly and smoothly as possible. (It's not unusual to put a patient on the table for radiation treatment, take some x-ray images and have to take them down again and have them drink yet more water because the guy hasn't filled his bladder full enough. It's not a fast process).
Hope your treatments go well and you can look forward to "ringing the bell" when you finish the treatments!
PET scans... When the tech says for you to stay away from children and pregnant women for eight hours because of your radiation level, take heed! I had one of those done last year. Just for grins, I measured myself with my Geiger counter. A normal reading is around 25 counts, max. I was reading over 1000 counts, and that was SIX HOURS AFTER THE SCAN!
God bless you on your treatment, Old Man!
Lupron. I had that for two years, '15 to '17. Not fun, at all. I think I had all the side effects. Watch out for depression and brain fog.
When I had the PSMA PET Scan they told me the half life on the marker was 110 minutes. Our hospital sources it from Denver and has a limited window to use it, not too hot and not too cold. I suspect it was 3-4 half lives before I saw the needle. I wonder what it was like coming out of the cyclotron. My primary side effect from Lupron was hot flashes.
I got Lupon years ago to treat endometriosis, the headaches were the worst of the side effects and they weren't that bad though there was a bit of "brain fog". I took leave from work (I was flying at the time) but it did what it was supposed to. Keeping you in my preyars. - Brigid
Good news I guess? I'm glad you're looking at the bright side of things. I haven't been following for a while so I wasn't tracking. I'll toss some prayers your way.
OK, Good luck but!!!! learn about the long term side effects of radiation therapy, I one I am most familiar with is radiation cystitis. cells in the bladder along the path of radiation are damaged and at a later time my deteriorate, leading to bleeding into the bladder. Bleeding into the bladder will irritate the bladder and cause symptoms very similar to a UTI (frequent urination, urinary urgency, pain, and bloody urine), with urination being required sometimes as often as every 30 minutes. Yes there are treatments for this but if you don't know what's going on you can waste a lot of time trying to figure out the problem. How do I know about this -- I am a Paramedic of 22 years, and have been a certified hyperbaric technician (operator of a hyperbaric chamber used to treat this problem).
Not saying the problems of the cure outweigh the cure (I really think you should have radiation treatment if it is recommended by your Doctor) but I want you prepared for the problems that can occur afterwards and even years down the line.....so you can take care of those problems before they negatively impact your life.
Good lord I can't spell, but you get the idea. I really do hope everything works out ok for you.
Hoping and praying for a full, complete, and as painless as possible recovery for you.
Two guys I worked with had the radiation, didn't work out for either
Oh, that sounds rough. If you need anything -- a ride or whatnot -- feel free drop me a line.
Good news. Thanks for the update. You know we're all rooting for you.
Glad to hear the news so far, keeping everything crossed for you
A positive diagnosis and a proven therapy provides much to be thankful for. While nothing is assured, a positive mental outlook (with massive doses of humor) is essential. My prayers to Jehovah Rapha are for a successful outcome and a complete cure while providing patience and strength to your family. Please keep us informed of your progress.
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