@oldgreenpaint One benefit I had being retired at the time I was treated, was that incorporating a 40-minute drive (to the proton center) there and back was easy to incorporate into my daily schedule. So, I simply incorporated that drive into my trip to the gym (since I exercised 6 days/week). My wife later told me that if she hadn’t known I was undergoing radiation treatments, she wouldn’t have realized it from any change in me. And the short amount of time that I was gone each day for treatment were no different than any other time when I simply left to go shopping or to the gym.

With my treatment planning, we researched available literature, data from clinical trials, and my ROs experience, to come up with a list of short-, medium-, and long-term possible side-effects (See attached graphic.), and ways to avoid/minimize each.

As for the side-effects happening “sooner or later,” one thing is certain - what radiation doesn’t hit, won’t experience side-effects. So, the #1 goal is to not overshoot the prostate. (With its Bragg-Peak characteristics, that was one reason that I picked proton.)

I have no expectations of adverse side-effects in the future, and whether or not there will be a recurrence, we’ll see…… So far, approaching the 5-year mark my numbers are still good.

That’s good info on proton and SBRT. Lots of good info for others who are deciding on treatments to use.

There are only 47 active proton centers in the U.S. The vast majority of them are east of the Mississippi River: https://www.proton-therapy.org/map/