Radiotherapy side effects

Hi Alexandra

Sorry to hear about your husband, my direct experience with cancer is sort of opposite since it is my wife who has the cancer and me the "worried". As I had talked about my journey at work though I did have a colleague come to me and talk about his prostrate cancer diagnosis and treatment and then I have a enlarged but thankfully benign prostrate myself.

What helped me cope was a living with less stress course I did. Helped me appreciate what we have now rather than living in a dark future that I could not control - and I could imagine much worse than actually happened - Janice is still here six years since her last treatment and still going strong. The conscious breathing tips are also great for dealing with the unexpected curve balls - my imagination not helping me avoid some totally unexpected issues but are also great for helping me relax and even sleep.

Lots of good stuff in our Your feelings when someone has cancer as sometimes it can help to almost sit back and just notice how we feel and then accept that is really reasonable, I know I had to learn how to be nice to myself if I was to be the best for the rest of my family.

We do have a group on here Radiotherapy & Side Effects forum where you can see posts from people who have been going through this either as patients or their loved ones and what might have worked for them - of course we are all individuals.

<<hugs>>

Steve

Thank you for your advice. I went on the radiotherapy forum which was helpful 

Hello Alexandra

my husband went through exactly the same radiotherapy in December/ January. It is a very wearying time. I drove him to every appointment and sat in the car reading or crocheting. If your husband can get his bladder fullness right it usually happens pretty quickly. The effects are huge exhaustion and in our case my husband had already started hormone treatment which made him feel very ill. If you have any questions I will try and answer. It is very hard work for you too and I think often people don’t appreciate the part of a carer. Anyway keep in touch. I feel for you. Sarah

Thanks Sarah for sharing your experience it is helpful to know so I can prepare myself. He is also on hormone therapy which has had lots of side effects including exhaustion. I am going to be taking him, as you did, as in am worried about him driving.

He thinks he is going to be fine and that he will be able to continue to work. Did your husband work or did he have time off?

Alexandra 

My husband is retired. I wanted to drive him although he said he could do it himself but in the end it was good because he could fill his bladder (ie drink water!) on the way to the hospital and it was perfectly full by the time the called him in. They soon learnt that he wasn’t the kind of person who hadn’t drunk enough (loads of men don’t apparently) and they wouldn’t mess around with him waiting while he went out and drank a load more water, so they called him in quickly. Makes a big difference. How old is your husband?

He is 62. Thanks for the advice about drinking enough. I wish he would retire as I have but he loves his job.

Can I ask where your husband is in his recovery now? Obviously if you don't want to say that's understandable. I hope he is doing well?

My husband is 67. He has been having hormone treatment for a year. Just had his third injection (every 6 months). The radiotherapy is finished, I hope, and I think if it carries on as planned there shouldn’t be any more. He sometimes has terrible pain in his prostate which apparently comes from the scar tissue caused by the radiotherapy. The hormones make all his joints scream!!  The cancer had started to spread so he couldn’t have the operation and is now really grateful. We first thought it would be best but I think he would have hated the incontinence thst so many men have afterwards. His PSA results are very good. I think it is the thought of the never ending hormones that get him down and feeling so bad all the time. 

is your husband’s cancer contained in the prostate still?

 It may seem a lot of visits to the hospital but actually it went quite quickly. I used to sit and chat to my children who are dotted around the world. Sometimes my husband was finished before I had chatted enough. Try and make it a peaceful and positive time for you. You can only occupy yourself with something nice while he is in there. We had a good radiotherapy unit but the care since he finished has been sadly lacking. 

Hi his cancer is in the outside of the prostate but hasn't spread. He can't have the op to remove it. 

Thanks for all the advice is really kind of you. I know its going to be hard but it helps to know a little of what's coming.

I hope your husband stays well and thanks again.

Alexandra 

Alexandra thst sounds rather like my husband where the original plan was to have robotic surgery to remove his prostate. The original urologist hadn’t checked the MRI properly and thank god the surgeon went through every picture individually and discovered it had spread to the seminal sack but thank god not to the bones. In the end he is really glad he didn’t have the surgery due to the side effects. For him the thought of being incontinent was too much. I think that radiotherapy and. Hormone treatment is tough but effective. If you have any worries please unload them. I have only just discovered this forum and think it could have really helped in the beginning when I spent all day bursting into tears and found it really hard. I think we can really help support each other here on this forum. Let me know if you need to scream at someone!!

Bless you! Thanks Sarah he isn't due to start til November so will be in touch