Any tips for coping with Radiotherapy

Hi Keeley,

It is unlikely that the incontinence will start the first week.  It is usually around half way through if he gets it, so it may be worth getting one pack and having it in the car along with a change of underwear and trousers - just in case.  Could be a good idea to carry a pad in a bag or pocket too if he does get problems - so much easier for ladies as they always carry handbags.  I was already doing this because of pre-existing bowel and bladder problems before the prostate cancer.  So far I have never had to use the change of underwear, spare trousers ( I take a pair of trackies) or the spare pads but have been glad of having pads on when I am going somewhere where I  know I can't just get up and walk out to the loo.  So long as he does what he is told at the radiotherapy sessions and tells the radiotherapists if he has any problems as soon as he has them they can then get medication to help with both bladder and bowel problems if needed.  If he has a longer term problem with incontinence it is worth checking at your hospital if they have a continence nurse and whether your area provide pads and incontinence pants free.  I find that cranberry juice makes me urinate more so tend not to drink it but it would be useful if he found he had problems with starting to urinate or low flow maybe.  All in all water is good but you can drink a few cups of coffee and tea during the day too.

Hope everything goes well for your Dad and he has few problems.

All the best

Des

Hi Des

Thanks for taking the time to reply - will share your info with my dad.

Keeley 

Hi KeeWi22. I am from the bladder group. One tip I was given when I was having frequent urination problems.  I found it very handy If travelling by car, to keep a bottle in. I found the fabric conditioner bottles were ideal as they have wide necks. Did the trick for me, especially on long journeys. Best wishes. 

Hi Keeley.

I had 20 sessions of RT in February & March 2019. The overall dose is only slightly higher if the RT is spread over 37 sessions which means that each session is a lower dose. I had a few bowel and bladder problems in the third and fourth weeks of treatment but they were quickly sorted out by the staff at the treatment centre. I did take incontinence pants with me to the treatment centre but only needed to use them on the journey home (about 2 1/2 hours) each Friday after the week's treatment were finished.

There is a very good pamphlet from Prostate Cancer UK here:

prostatecanceruk.org/.../external-beam-radiotherapy

I had 20 sessions in 2016 and was lucky to escape without any incontinence or bowel problems.

I might have just been lucky but I did make a point of following all advice given to me concerning diet as well as preparation immediately before each dose (drinking water etc) to the letter. Unfortunately for your dad (from what you say) I was advised to avoid alcohol and caffeine because they can irritate the bladder which can increase any side effects of the RT and I gave both up completely during treatment even though I was an enthusiastic consumer of both. I also started the new diet regime a week before treatment started.

I hope he gets through without problems and that the treatment is a success.

I have always found it a good idea to have a lidded plastic urine bottle by the bed at night along with loo paper and wipes as if you need to go frequently then it saves a trip to the bathroom and helps you get more sleep.  You can buy urine bottles from most disability shops, and online, some phatmacies sell them too or can put in a 24 hour order for them.  Some men can manage to urinate into them while seated or lying down but  can't as have to stand.

I don't know about the hospital your Fathers attending but at the one I was at in the waiting area they hat a large board that stated if the machine was running on time or 15 mins, 30, 45 or an hour late so that I could take a bottle with me and start drinking 30 mins before my appointment time and adjust according how the machine was running.I used to take squash. I was lucky and had no incontinence at all but at about 3 weeks into treatment terrible wind and later passed some clear gel like fluid from |Bowels all perfectly normal reactions. One gentleman there advised me to get some Wind Ease tablets from Boots and they helped considerably. Everbodys experience is  slightly different so he won't get all the side effects but there's always someone at the hospital to talk to.

Good luck with the treatment, Best regards Reg. 

Hi

thank you - will purchase a bottle!

keeley

Hi

thanks for your reply - he’s trying to stick to the diet, so hopefully that’ll help.

keeley 

Hi

thanks for the tip - am going to purchase a bottle

keeley