Questions about radiation for prostate cancer: Can I drive myself?

Kaspar,

What was your criteria deciding UCLA MRIdian SBRT over Loma Linda Proton therapy.

I understand that SBRT is 5 treatments over 10 days. Proton treatment might be 30, 40 treatments. Is that the deciding factor in your case?

I was only asking about driving after radiation BUT, to be honest, I hadn't considered ADT. I Don't know if I'll need it???
I'm still in the dark as to treatment and even the extent of my disease. I'm scheduled for my Petscan Tuesday. Hoping for the best. Thanks everyone!!

With my SBRT I only had a 12 minute drive. After each treatment I came home and went for a 3 mile walk. Only felt fatigued the first evening and I think that was from the stress/relief that treatment had started as much as it was a side effect of the radiation,

Stay Strong Brothers!

@tlems
I think your weakness came from the Lupron not the radiation treatments. Although there will be some fatique with radiation.

I think the poster was asking about radiation treatments and driving not the hormone treatments side affects which could affect driving as well as many other activities.

@paulcalif was asking only about radiation treatments not hormone treatments and radiation.

For nine weeks I drove myself 130 miles round trip to 44 radiation treatments without any major problems, although I routinely had to stop along the roadside to urinate several times on every trip and occasionally to defacate. Frequency and urgency were one of the side effects I experienced. In addition I continued to farm full time and some days I spent many hours driving a tractor, ATV and a pickup during my daily work before and after my trips to the cancer center. It wasn’t easy but it certainly wasn’t as difficult as other health challenges I’ve experienced in recent years.

Hello, As for the question about being able to drive to and from your radiation appointments. I had 30 appointments and thank the lord for my wonderful wife, she was with me each day I went. Many days I was just to weak after the appointment to be able to drive back home. She would handle the driving on those days. I am now 14 months since my last radiation appointment and I chose to stop the Lupron after the first 6 month injection due to the side effects it created. I am happy to say that aside from any sex drive my life has returned to somewhat normal! Best wishes to you as you start down the path of treatment.

PSMA pet scan utilizes a dye with a radioactive tracer that is used to attempt to determine metastasis, which I would assume is the test you received. Would not think you would need another. I had PSMA pet scan in March with proton therapy starting six weeks later.

Would Jim have to have another PET Scan or is the PSMA Pet scan totally different? He had a PET Scan about 6 weeks ago which did show no metastasis.

I was a 4+3 also with a Decipher of .54 with a PSA of 2.9 and 4 cores of 30 showed cancer all from the same location of the lesion. So, my only factor was one core of 4+3.

Small consolation for getting old. LOL