It used to be a joke: the guy who was so dumb he stayed up all night studying for a urine test.

Now it's not so funny.

I barely passed a recent test, and all I had to do was pee into a urinal. Piece of cake, right?

After the first session of HDR brachytherapy, it took me two hours to pass the test, even though they had poured lots of liquid into me through my catheter before removing it. The medical staff were patient with me, and they tried almost everything: playing relaxing music, turning on the water in the sink, having me smell essential peppermint oil, and offering words of encouragement. Finally, I peed enough to earn the right to leave the facility without a catheter.

The second time, a week later (Achy-Brachy part 2), I had done my homework. The mistake I had made the first time was not taking my Flomax the morning before the procedure. So, the second time, with just the minimal sips of water, I had taken a Flomax, so I had more of it in my system when it came time to perform the urinal extravaganza.

Every day now I'm getting better at peeing, at least during the day. The nights are still challenging.