How Important Is Having A Full Bladder During Radiation Treatment?

I had to turn up for 42 appointments with the 3 ducks lined up, full bladder, empty bowel and no flatulence. However, at the start of the treatment I had a couple of false starts, bowel not empty, flatulence and bladder not full enough. But, the staff in the radiology dept couldn't have been more considerate. The most difficult thing for me was, like you, had, not peeing on the table and getting to the nearest wc afterwards. I located all wc's that were reachable and wore slip on shoes and, was quicker over 70 or so meters than an Olympic sprinter. I understand what you are going through and I wish you well.

@jeffmarc
Thanks once again Jeff for educating me about this topic. I will certainly read and watch about using estradiol.
I want to attend the virtual meeting on coming Tuesday and on the Ancan website there were two links to join. According to you it starts at 3 PM pacific time and Rick Davis conducts it.
I believe all I have to do is to click on the link. However you said I should have an app on my laptop GoToMeeting (something like that).
Is there a phone number I could call to speak to a person and double check how to join and how to get that app etc? There is no phone number listed on the Ancan website I believe.

I have another question regarding your journey. How was your experience of being on ADT drugs? Did you find it easier to manage side-effects ? Did you feel not good most of the time throughout the duration of the ADT treatment?
Thanks,
Gouri
Thanks

@ambika
You must install go to meeting on your tablet, Phone or computer. You can’t attend the meeting without it. It’s free to download and install on all platforms.

You just click on join a meeting put in answercancer For the meeting name, and join.

You should get there 10 minutes early, If you do, you will be called on first and they will help you with your specific case. I always get there 10 or 5 minutes early, Even though I don’t have any questions other vast majority of the time.

If you have a question about getting in there, send me a private message. I’m watching my messages the whole time the meeting goes on.

@ambika
I have been on ADT for eight years. When I first started, I had a lot of very strong hot flashes. My oncologist after a year had me get Depo-Provera shots every three months. They pretty much stopped the hot flashes until I started taking Zytiga.

I never had fatigue from ADT. Some people do. If you exercise regularly, it can help alleviate the fatigue. I walk a mile twice a day at a very fast pace and go to the gym three days a week, I’m 78 and I can do it. I go to the gym because ADT deteriorates your muscles quickly. You might notice right away that you get a belly. I do 65 or more sit ups every time I go to the gym, I think that helps a little. I also am on bone strengtheners every three months. I take calcium and vitamin D for bone strengthening as well. They are Recommended By almost every doctor. You need to take 500 mg of calcium at a time since your body can’t absorb more than that, Calcium citrate is the better version of calcium to use.

I feel good all the time. The only side effect that really bothered me was hot flashes, and now they are very mild, after all these years. If you get them, there are a lot of solutions so you just need to ask and we can tell you how to resolve the problem.

@jeffmarc
Since he hasn’t radiation yet and so has no experience how he will feel. He has always been physically fit and did lots and f pull ups, push ups, gym machines and cardio on stationary bike, stair master and walking on treadmill.
He is recovering from full knee replacement surgery and this is his sixth week. For the past 4 months he has shoulder discomfort due to arthritis and he had to stop weight training and now he is mainly doing physical therapy for shoulder with resistance bands. This will limit what he can do in strength training once he will be on ADT. We will see how it works out.
I am very happy to hear that you feel quite normal and that you didn’t experience some serious side-effects such as tiredness from ADT. because you are working out hard.
My husband is younger than you and he interested in sexual activity and it will be a big setback for him to lose that part of his personality. I also feel sad about him losing that part of his personality. ADT is brutal on a man’s body and soul both.

I realize that after knee replacement surgery, he is still doing physical therapy exercises to get everything working properly. I had my second knee replacement done about a year and a half ago, It works great now. Because he has not been on ADT, he should have no problems or recovering at all.

I had around 40 sessions Of salvage radiation and had no side effects at all. Nowadays, they’re doing it with more radiation and fewer sessions, but the most problems people have come up with are Some urinary issues for a month or so. Other things can happen, but that’s normally what really happens. I never had fatigue after radiation just went right to work since I had it early in the morning. You could request that they put in a barrier
Like SpaceOAR, Barrigel, or BioProtect to protect the rectum. Not all doctors will do it.

@jeffmarc I tried to send you email but it shows “invalid “. I guess it is not complete as it shows here.
I would like to send my husband’s PSMA report etc to the moderator for high risk group. I forgot what was that link called. Who is the moderator for that group.
I called Bill Franklin and he sent me the Go To Meeting code.
If I send me my husbands PSMA report can he forward it to the high risk group moderator please.

If I have moderator’s email I can send him directly these reports.
Thanks