Cheshire Chris's Treatment Thread

User

Posted 19 Nov 2018 at 12:38

Thanks, Pete - much appreciated!

Cheers,

Chris

User

Posted 28 Nov 2018 at 20:39

I saw my oncologist on Monday. He said that although it’s obviously good that my PSA is going down, he would have liked to see a more rapid decline. Nothing at all to worry about, simply that different people react to drugs differently. So, I’m still having my RT in Feb, but I’m having another PSA test just before then. If my PSA continues to fall, all well and good. If not, my oncologist plans to switch me from bicalutimide tablets to triptolerin injections. Hey ho. Hopefully it won’t come to that! While I was at the meeting I signed the RT consent forms, and today (Wed) an appointment arrived for an RT planning session on Mon 4th Feb, so I feel as if things are moving along now.

We’re getting there!

Cheers,

Chris

User

Posted 29 Nov 2018 at 07:15

Ive been on Triptorelin since April Chris and it’s not so bad mate. RT planning is where you get your Baseline CT scan and tattoos and enema packs!

As ive said before, Triptorelin got me from 38 to 6 from 24th April to 11th June

User

Posted 29 Nov 2018 at 07:46

Not everyone gets enema packs- it caries from hospital to hospital and patient by patient

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

User

Posted 29 Nov 2018 at 08:47

Yes, I thought of you, Alan, when he mentioned the triptorelin. It certainly seems to have been effective in your case, and I've no particular concerns about going on it other than a general dislike of injections. (I'm a wimp https://community.prostatecanceruk.org/Scripts/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif ).

Cheers,

Chris

Edited by member 29 Nov 2018 at 08:48 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 29 Nov 2018 at 09:36

Chris, Triptorelin is an intra muscular suspension and a doddle, Zoladex for example is a pellet and having seen a video of its application I vote Triptorelin 👍but that’s me being a wimp.

I accept Lyns comment about the enemas, but I can only comment I suppose on my treatment schedule, which is very recent, in August this year I got IMRT RT at Bristol Oncology Centre and my Radiotherapy team stressed the importance of enemas to move the rectum away from the prostate and drinking 3 cups of water to lift the bladder from the prostate. As I had a live ultrasound probe at every fraction my treatment would not have proceeded every day unless my Radiotherapy team were happy that my preparation was correct to mitigate collateral damage to the 2 most at risk adjacent organs. I did have 1 fraction suspended as i had not drunk enough and had to go to the loo and restart drinking. This delayed my fraction by 90 minutes, I was more careful after that

Edited by member 29 Nov 2018 at 09:41 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 29 Nov 2018 at 11:14

Thanks, Alan. Your accounts of your experience have been very helpful indeed to me.

Next thing on my agenda is a couple of nice holidays to make up for all the travel I've had to cancel since I was diagnosed back in May. I've got a week's photographic holiday in the Scottish highlands (Glen Coe) over Christmas, and then a 17-day trip to Egypt in January. I get back from that on 29th Jan, then have my RT planning the following week. So lots to look forward to https://community.prostatecanceruk.org/Scripts/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif .

Cheers,

Chris

Edited by member 29 Nov 2018 at 11:16 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 29 Nov 2018 at 11:45

Chris,

I hope your shutter doesn’t freeze up in sunny Scotland....do you have de-misters on your lenses? At least there won’t be any midges.

We are going to Hurghada in Egypt for two weeks over Christmas. Looking forward to it as we had to cancel two cruises this year, because of my ‘little difficulty down below’ and tests and operations virtually for a year.

Cheers John.

User

Posted 29 Nov 2018 at 12:57

Yep, I know the feeling well, John. Now I'm over all my surgery this is the ideal opportunity to get away for a while before the RT starts. I asked both my oncologist and my surgeon whether they had any issues with it before I booked, and they both gave me the green light, so we're good to go!

Cheers,

Chris

User

Posted 06 Dec 2018 at 14:57

I saw my vascular surgeon this morning. He's now reviewed the CT scan I had a couple of week ago of the area where I had the aneurysm filled with metal coils, and he told me that he's happy that it's now completely blocked by the coils and the blood that's clotted around them, so he's permanently signed me off!

One thing permanently ticked off the list, now https://community.prostatecanceruk.org/Scripts/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif.

Chris

User

Posted 06 Dec 2018 at 15:46

Great news - congratulations.

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

User

Posted 06 Dec 2018 at 18:48

Good news Chris.

Ido4

User

Posted 21 Dec 2018 at 21:23

In the last few weeks the feeling of being "fuzzy-headed" has completely gone, and (of more concern) I'm seeing some life down below again (spontaneous erections). I don't know if that means that my body is becoming resistant to the effects of the bicalutamide or that it's still doing its job but the side-effects are wearing off. Either way it's a slight concern.

As previously reported, I'm having another PSA test on 4th Jan, and if that doesn't show a significant decline from last month's reading of 15, my oncologist is going to switch me from bicalutamide to triptorelin.

Oh well. I'm certainly not going to worry about it either way. Off on my Christmas hols tomorrow!

Cheers,

Chris

Edited by member 21 Dec 2018 at 21:24 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 07 Jan 2019 at 13:41

Just had the result of my latest PSA test: 13.3. That's down from 15.9 in mid November. It's moving the right way, but I strongly suspect the decline isn't rapid enough to prevent my oncologist from switching me from Bicalutimide to Triptorelin. Nothing to cause any concern if this is the case; the oncologist says that it's simply a case of individuals reacting to drugs in different ways.

I'm going to Egypt on Saturday for a very long-awaited holiday, during which the thought of cancer will not cross my mind! I get back home on Tuesday 29th Jan, and then start my RT with a planning session on Monday 4th Feb.

I really feel that I'm in the final phase of my treatment now, and I'm looking forward to getting it all over and done with.

Cheers,

Chris

User

Posted 07 Jan 2019 at 21:14

My oncologist phoned me this evening and, somewhat to my surprise, said that as long as my PSA continues to move downwards, he's happy to leave me on the bicalutamide, which I was pleased to hear. He's going to do another PSA test when I go for my RT planning session on 4th Feb.

Chris

User

Posted 31 Jan 2019 at 07:46

I have my RT planning session on Monday, with treatment starting a week later (11th Feb). I’m told that I’ll be having 30 fractions, so 6 weeks in all. I have to admit that I’m a little stressed about the RT; not so much the treatment, but more the potential for long-term side-effects and bowel/bladder issues.

I know the important thing is to get the PCa sorted, and this will hopefully be the final stage in what’s been a pretty horrendous year for me, but I love to travel, and long-term side-effects that kept me “house-bound” would be hard to take. As described in another thread, I had hoped to get SpaceOAR rectal spacer inserted to reduce the risk of bowel damage, but although my medical insurers approved it, the clock ran out in terms of finding somewhere to have it done, and I didn’t want to delay my RT.

Oh well, just have to hope that I’m not one of the people who end up with major side-effects. I’m not bothered in the slightest about ED-related stuff (that’s just not an important part of my life), but I do have a horror of incontinence.

Chris

User

Posted 31 Jan 2019 at 08:09

Good Morning Superman Chris

Seems On your own you managed to pass so many difficult times this RT treatment won't let you down.

Your a bionic man. You will be OK your OK Anyway.

Good luck with every thing mate.

D.R.

User

Posted 31 Jan 2019 at 08:39

Hi Chris, the planning session scans will allow your oncologist to plan the radiotherapy beams, they will also complete a risk score on various possible side effects.

My oncologist went through theses with me prior to going ahead.

I haven't got away free from any side effects but they haven't stopped me playing golf, other sports and travelling.

I did get very tired at the end of each week of radiotherapy, recovered energy over the weekend.

You have been through a lot, so here's to it going well and doing its job and still allows you to travel and do what you want to do.

Best wishes,

Ian

Ido4

User

Posted 31 Jan 2019 at 13:37

Chris, as you know i finished my RT in September 18

I had IMRT supported by Ultrasound probe. At the planning appointment its a CT Scan of your prostate and surrounding area, plus you should get 3 permanent tattoos then, one on each hip and one on the pubic bone.

These are used to line up the RT machine accurately before each fraction. Once lined up your planning CT scan should then be overlaid with the live ultrasound image to enable pinpoint accuracy. Its amazing as the computer moves the treatment bed while you are on it in millimetres!

Once you are in the routine the days will pass quickly my friend! make the effort to strike up conversations with fellow patients, I did and found it helped a lot.

I expect your will be like mine, where you take a small mini enema to clear out the lower rectal passage so that it moves away from the treatment area, also drinking drills that fill your bladder and lift it away as well.

I had 20 fractions, as it was decided as I was Gleason 9 my cancer would be better treated by fewer fractions at a higher dose rate, but I think I am right in saying that you will get the same total dose as I did, just in smaller fractions. The amount of fractions to reach the total desired dose depends on individual state of your cancer

I suffered no serious ill effects from the RT, just inconvenience. i had diarrhoea for a week or 10 days and I still get a mucous discharge sometimes before emptying my bowels, its more like the sticky green stuff from your nose when you have a cold!

I wish you all the best. I had my post RT checkup on 8th November, where my PSA was 0.5. My next PSA test is on 4th March, where I hope its going to be 0.0 something. Not bad as I was PSA 38 last February.

Edited by member 31 Jan 2019 at 13:41 | Reason: added a bit!

User

Posted 31 Jan 2019 at 20:22

Thanks, Alan. I know I’m probably worrying unnecessarily; I should regard this as being hopefully the final stretch of what sometimes feels like a long and rather rocky road to recovery, so I ought to be feeling happy about it. It’s just the uncertainty that causes me a little disquiet, but I know that’s a position that many of us here are in.

I just want to get it over with now. It feels like an eternity since my initial diagnosis.

Chris

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