I finished 29 treatments at UFHPTI in Jacksonville in mid-May. They have 5 gantries and I was assigned to no. 1, the Blue gantry. Times varied and you didn't know the exact time until after treatment the day before, where they assigned you a "tomorrow" gantry time while you were getting your treatment. You could request a time, but that had to happen a couple days in advance and they were usually very accommodating. The further along you were in treatment, the more likely you were to request and receive a chosen treatment time.

I had early morning, late morning, late afternoon and early evening appointments. As long as I had a bowel movement before the treatment, it didn't matter what time of day. I could have a bowel movement in the morning and treatment at 4:30 p.m. and it was still okay. We had to stay hydrated, drinking about 80 oz. of water a day minimum. I also took a probiotic, Culturelle, every day to ensure my gut was functioning well.

The routine for me was to show up an hour earlier than the gantry time because they could be early or late and they have a website link to show the current gantry times: https://www.floridaproton.org/gantry-times , so you could check. Following UFHPTI's recommendations, thirty minutes before gantry time, I emptied my bladder, and then immediately drank 16 oz. of water. This gave me the required, full bladder for the procedure time.

I did not have the spacing gel as somehow that procedure went sideways and the doctor backed away from it when the needle aspirated some blood. So I am an official "Brotherhood of the Balloon" member.

I had to eat a non-gassy diet for six weeks and drink lots of water, but the gantry times mattered little. If you stay hydrated, drinking 16 oz. of water within a minute or two will give you a full bladder a half hour later.