Making out-of-town plans ahead of prostate cancer radiation treatments

Do a search on the web for Housing for people getting cancer care. Here is link to the American Cancer Society Patient housing?,

There are places you can get free housing while being treated.
https://www.cancer.org/support-programs-and-services/patient-lodging.html

@jeffmarc Thank you for the link. The place is something we’re still considering as we’re slow to make decisions. He’d like to be near good places
to walk.

I was fortunate that the proton radiation center was just a 40-minute drive (mostly highway) from my home. (I had 28 sessions of proton radiation + 6 months of Eligard.) I drove there and back each day.

I exercised every day - immediately after each radiation session, I would stop by the gym on the way home for 1-1/2 hours of weightlifting. Then, every other day I would also either jog a 5K or swim laps for 35-45 minutes. I never experienced fatigue; and I slept very well.

My treatments were always in the early afternoon; that consistency helped me to plan my day around treatments.

As for the bowel prep —> They told me that the rectum being “empty” didn’t mean it had to be clean; no need for an enema. What my radiation oncologist told me was what they really mean is nothing in the lower intestine, material or gas, that might move during the radiation treatment and cause the prostate to move. So, no gassy foods that might cause issues; so at the same time as I was emptying my bladder 45 minutes prior to treatment, I would also empty bowels. Worked every time.

The full bladder/empty bowel routine was easy to manage. In the weeks leading up to my radiation treatments, I practiced every day. By the time of my first treatment, I had the routine down to a ritual. It worked like clockwork every time and never caused an issue.

@brianjarvis
I do have another question, though. You said “so at the same time as I was emptying my bladder 45 minutes prior to treatment, I would also empty bowels.”

How did you manage to empty bowels at that specific time every day ??

@snooze53 At 65y/o (at the time), I know which foods make me go and which don’t - prunes and other high-fiber foods will always do it…like clockwork.

There were a few times when the timing wasn’t quite right…..too early…..I simply didn’t go right then; waited until an hour or so later and then went at the planned time.
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So, I emptied my bladder/bowels 45 minutes prior to treatment time, started the 40 minute drive to the radiation center, 10 minutes into the drive drank 18oz of water, arrived at the treatment center 30 minutes later, and had the treatments.

In the weeks leading up to my radiation treatments, I practiced every day. By the time of my first treatment, I had the routine down to a ritual. I never had problems holding that little amount of water. Immediately after each session, then I would use the restroom, change back to my street clothes, drive to the gym for strength-training/cardio, use the restroom again there, and then return home.

There was one occasion when right after I drank the 18 oz of water, there was an accident on the highway and I got stuck in traffic. I simply called the proton center and explained the situation; they said not to worry. If you have to go, we’ll give you more water and treat you later. (As it turned out, the accident cleared up very quickly and I was able to get to the proton center just a few minutes late. Had no problems.)

On one other occasion when immediately after treatment, I didn’t have to go to the restroom at all. So, right after the radiation session, I changed back to my street clothes and started the 40 minute drive home. (That was a big mistake.) About 5 minutes into the drive, I had to go…badly. Fortunately, just a couple of miles up the highway there was a rest stop. I pulled in, used the restroom, and then continued my drive to the gym.

(These are stories I’ll tell my grandchildren about one day…or not.)

Lesson learned: always stick to the plan.

@snooze53

I used Miralax (polyethylene glycol, I think). Every morning in my orange juice. This caused my “solids plumbing” to consistently work each day. Have struggled my entire life in that department. Also took a psyllium pill with each meal. My treatments (5) spread over two weeks were in morning, so I did not eat until after the treatment. Where I did my radiation it was empty rectum (enema one hour, 15 minutes before show up time), and full bladder (16 ounces water one hour before show up time). It was EXACTLY what I did the day I had my CT planning session. I tried to be very consistent with everything. Don’t know if it helped or not.

One thing I would add to this, perhaps not totally pertinent. But I have had prostate MRIs (12-15) done at both UCLA and Mayo Clinic. This was when Tesla three machines were very hard (actually impossible) to find where I live. One thing that both UCLA and Mayo Clinic emphasize with their MRIs was that my small intestine/bowel area would not be moving during their MRI imaging. Mayo accomplishes this by giving you an injection that sort of paralyzes your bowels for a while so that the MRI can happen. UCLA does this by prescribing a light diet the day before. An enema the evening before the MRI and an enema the morning of the MRI with an empty stomach so that your bowels aren’t moving. And my thought would be that there’s all this emphasis on what food in the system does with regard to your bowels, moving and changing position of the prostate, wouldn’t it also apply during the radiation? That is why I did not eat anything until after the radiation session.

@oldgreenpaint Thanks. I should now add this question: how do you get around taking an enema if you’re concerned about having had a hemerrhoidectomy and told to be careful and to tell any future drs about that?

@snooze53 Well, I for sure know I have hemroids (to lazy to learn the spelling😀). But I don’t know specifics on the surgical repair procedure, or if it would make any difference? Perhaps ask your surgeon? The saline Fleet enemas available at Walmart have lubricated tips and are easily used if I don’t HURRY things. Insert with a small twisting motion, squeeze in the bottle, and empty bowel 3-5 minutes later. Took my bowel about 10 minutes to settle down. That left me with one hour to treatment show-up time and I drank my 16 ounces of water while driving to hospital. Took a bag with me with extra shorts, small towel, in case an “accident” happened and needed a cleanup. Never did.

As another @brianjarvis mentioned, you can “practice” the whole treatment day routine a few times before the real thing.