Bowel obstructing prostate causing problems for radiotherapy

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User

Posted 06 Apr 2018 at 19:52

Hi all

My husband started radiotherapy yesterday, it wasn’t a smooth process but they managed in the end. Today they couldn’t do the radiotherapy because his bowel was obstructing his prostate.

He’s upset tonight and fearful he won’t be able to have treatment.

Has anyone had any experience of this and what happened?

Thank you

Wendy

User

Posted 06 Apr 2018 at 23:00

Did they say that he had wind or needed to have an enema? Or were they saying that his bowel has moved since the planning scans? Usually, any positioning issue would have been picked up at the planning stage and so if problems come during the actual treatment it is often a case of the man being told to go for a poo or perhaps a change of diet.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 07 Apr 2018 at 15:22

Thank you Lyn, I’m not sure to be honest as I didn’t go with him and he was so worried he can’t remember exactly what they told him. They did say he had some gas but that his prostate wasn’t lying in the right place (Mick’s version).

After posting my question last night I had a look online and a lot of information specified having a micro enema before treatment.

Anyway, I’m going with him on Monday so can ask question and help get things sorted...

The hormone therapy has changed him so much also, it’s really affected his confidence and made him so anxious. So anything even slightly wrong feels like a major catastrophe.

Hoping for answers on Monday.

Thank you again for taking the time to reply

Best wishes

Wendy
Xxx

User

Posted 07 Apr 2018 at 15:40

For effective RT, the bowel must lay flat and the bladder must sit high. Any gas or stools will lift the bowel up and a not full enough bladder will let the prostate fall so getting it spot on is quite difficult at the start but it usually gets easier. Some hospitals require all men to have an enema before every session - others only demand it when they think it necessary. Important to stick with the diet advice he was given rather than the advice you hear others have had - for example, most men are told to have a high fibre diet to keep the bowel moving but my husband was told to have a low fibre diet to reduce wind.

Hopefully, all will become clear on Monday.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 08 Apr 2018 at 09:13

Hi Lyn

We weren’t given any dietary advice other than to drink 2 litres of water a day, which he’s been doing. Avoid coffee, tea and strong beer.

I’ve since read about certain foods to avoid - but because we are trying to eat healthily had been eating more veg, less carbs, substituting fruit for snacks.

Think this could be the issue!!!

Thank you so much for your help and advice.

Best wishes

Wendy

User

Posted 08 Apr 2018 at 10:18

Wendy

One of the good things I remember about RT was having to avoid veg. I also recall being told to peel the skin off fruit, I was told I could leave the skin on grapes. I was given a book with do's and dont's, in the back was a food guide.

As lyn says follow the advice of your own medical team.

Thanks Chris

User

Posted 08 Apr 2018 at 11:54

Wendy,

This link might be helpful from pages 16 and 17

http://www.christie.nhs.uk/media/2485/415.pdf

But as Chris has said take advice from your own medical team

Arthur

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