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Most guys in my support group who had radiation did NOT have any urinary or bowel incontinence. I haven't had any (though did have other side effects that have gone away). The multiple trips part is true, and the prep is uncomfortable. Radiation seems to have the opposite side effect of surgery--surgery has incontinence while radiation makes it really hard to pee. Neither one is a picnic.
Replies to "Most guys in my support group who had radiation did NOT have any urinary or bowel..."
I had 28 sessions of EBRT with a True Beam machine. I had fiducial markers embedded in my prostate to help with targeting the radiation, and I had a SpaceOAR gel pack injected between my prostate and rectal wall to create some separation between prostate and rectum to reduce collateral damage to my rectum.
About mid-way through my treatments, I started to experience greater urgency and frequency of urination, and some discomfort getting the urine flow started. I also noticed that I began having a couple of bowel movements a day rather than my usual one - so I guess there must have been some irritation there. None of this was a really big deal, but for a stretch there, I didn't like to find myself too far from a restroom. I did not experience any incontinence, urinary nor bowel.
30 days post-treatment, the side effects persist, but have eased off considerably.
The 28 trips to the treatment center, plus a couple of setup visits, got to be a bit of a drag, but manageable (I'm retired, so I wasn't trying to squeeze things in around work). I live about 20 minutes from the treatment center and the treatments themselves are quick (< 10 minutes), so I was usually there and back in an hour.
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I read that they now put a "spacer" between the bowel & the area getting targeted by radiation, so there's less collateral damage to the bowel or bladder.
Still glad I had mine out, though.