Starting radiotherapy

User

Posted 04 Sep 2018 at 07:24

Enjoy the bell ringing. There wasn’t a bell to ring at my centre.

I agree, it seems like the sessions will never end and suddenly you are there. I hope the radiotherapy has done a good job.

I found it a wee bit emotional saying goodbye to the staff at and the friends you make in the waiting room.

Time to get your life back.

All the best,

Ian

Ido4

User

Posted 04 Sep 2018 at 15:01

You are of course spot on Ian

with a Tuesday start and a Bank Holiday my treatment spanned 5 weeks. I’ve had one certain member of the radiography team at each of my fractions since I started, he shook my hand and wished me luck today but I caught him out, I had a tin of heroes sweets to give him for the team.

I left a group of friends I have made over the last five weeks, all at varying stages of treatment, it truly was emotional, but I had a big smile on my face as I rang the bell and my wife was there, but was tinged with sadness in a strange way!

Arriving every day in a large reception area filled with about 30 ill people can be a very sad and daunting place, but on arrival there was a young girl receptionist who was always ready with a smile and she went to the trouble to learn your names which was amazing considering the amount of people coming and going! On departure I gave her a tin of heroes as well and I guess she didn’t get many gestures like that and she was near to tears as well!

When I arrived home after the usual hour drive, I sat down on my sofa and actually shed a tear or two, as the stress of the last five weeks regimen seem to lift from my shoulders. I certainly won’t miss the daily mini enemas and drinking drills.

it won’t truly sink in till tomorrow, when I won’t have to spend five hours on the go, always on the look out for the next toilet stop!

Still have to keep a certain regiment going, mainly keep flushing the bladder due to the side-effects possibly continuing to rise over the next two weeks before subsiding slowly. But I can at last start to eat some of the food I like to eat when I was told to cut out a lot of fibre from my diet

Edited by member 04 Sep 2018 at 15:07 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 04 Sep 2018 at 15:05

It's a good feeling ringing that bell Alan, but as others have said,tinged with a touch of sadness after meeting others who readily offer mutual support. All the best for the future mate.

Paul.

User

Posted 05 Sep 2018 at 07:17

Well done Pallance, you can relax now.

No bell ringing at our centre either, in fact my last session was at Royal Berks rather than my local clinic (maintenance day) so it was a different team and a totally different set of patients so farewells were not really possible - just treated myself to a meal out. Two and a half years ago, time flies, and a great bunch of people I still miss.

Take care and let us hope it has done the trick.

User

Posted 05 Sep 2018 at 08:19

Just to add to these stories of RT ...

i have G9 aggressive locally advanced into S/vesicles, PSA 26. Been on HT since Feb , had the Brachy in June and finished 23 session of RT on 3 Aug.

Had issues after Brachy and had a catheter for 10 days . All ok after removal. RT went smoothly but got the yellow card a few times for not enough water. Southend will do an ultrasound if needed plus a CT scan st every treatment. i have no side effects except just after I was slightly more urgent . Nothing during the treatment. But as you’ve all said the staff were brilliant and my favourite 3 were on on my last day. I took in a big box of home made cookies which went down well.And ringing the bell is emotional.

i think I’ve been lucky and also the set up at Southend helps with state of the art machinery.

from what I hear I was unusual to have the Brachy with G9 and 26 PSA.

so I now await next PSA test and meeting with consultant.

The HT has hit me hard on the mental side but physically not so bad. I have slightly reduced libido and ED . But the HT is working apparently. Been told I mught be able to do 18 months on HT instead of 2 years which will be fantastic .

I suppose I should feel lucky now considering a fairly high Gleason score but I still feel worried about the future as I expect we all do . The HT does not help and I hope to God that soon they will have something better to block the testosterone with . At first on here I didn’t hear much about the HT but I see it more now as people are opening up. I am like a lot on here and have issues from childhood the HT has caused to re-appear which is a painful experience.

im partly glad I didn’t understand what it would do as I might have forgone it and just had the other treatments.

anyway, it certainly shows that every one of us is different.

good luck to those still in treatment or waiting for results . It’s not an easy journey that’s for sure, and I understand harder for some than others.

phil

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