Preparing the house for Radiotherapy

Everyone is different, but speaking from personal experience of 20 RT sessions:

1. 5 visits to the bathroom every night, with some discomfort. Can feel like you need to pee but struggle getting anything to come out
2. Hospital can give you Tamsulosin to help with 1)
3. As a consequence of 1) I tried to relax my muscles when trying to pee. Side effects is that it can relax your bowel muscles and it feels like you want a bowel movement. Problem is it is difficult to tell whether it's a false alarm, a bit of wind, or something more solid. As a consequence I always use to sit down to pee just in case.

Overall RT was nowhere near as bad as I feared.

Hello ParkDayse2ea81 

The hardest part of Radiotherapy is finding a parking space at the hospital! (although my hospital had free gated parking for radiotherapy patients).

We are all different but the process is easy and not everyone has side effects. here's a link to our advice

Radiotherapy-for-prostate-cancer.

You can read my journey through RT by clicking on my user name or avatar.

Feel free to ask any specific questions.

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi ParkDay…Finished my 20 sessions 2 weeks ago. Can only tell you my experience:

1. always got to hospital 30/45 mins before appt so as to find a loo and take time! Then to sit and relax. Loos are busy! 

2. Nil issues re actual RT. Very quick in and out of actual room

3. As Agent 99 said, bladder irritation but no pain so up at night to pee at least 6 times and now reducing - last night 3 times. Strange real no issues peeing daytime.

4. Avoid neat juices or fizzy drinks and def no alcohol. Try to avoid spicy foods and like  that can irritate bladder.

5. Tiredness I think through through nighttime waking so rest times during day.

6. Found walking every day helpful.

all the best with the treatments

Thanks  I will set up napping stations! My partner has always wanted a chaise lounge so I might hunt him down one. Our friends all want to help so I’ll invite them to lend us their comfies. 

we’ve already been walking a lot. It really clears your mind and brings so much random joy. 

Hello  ParkDayse2ea81,

I see you have had some great tips from others already but here are a few additional ones you might like to consider that I found helpful.

Having something to do whilst waiting kept me occupied, especially on those days when they were running behind schedule - something to read / tablet or phone to play a game on.  My husband particularly used the latter whilst sat around waiting for me.

A daily treat post each RT session meant something to look forward to.  All depends what you like doing, but a couple of times we fitted in a visit to a nearby National Trust, lunch out on the trip home, coffee (decaf) & cake (naughty but nice).

Allow plenty of time to get to the hospital in case of traffic problems - saves the stress levels.

Best Wishes

Brian

Thanks. I get overly nervous about watching other people being doctored! And I think I always focus on worst possible outcomes. Fingers crossed. 
I am still going to bling up/install toilets though. And make sure they are comfy. 

Thanks Brian, I’ve marked your feed for a proper read  
I had thought to use public transport to travel to sessions as that’s very easy for us and I know parking is difficult at the hospital- I figured best save it for people who don’t have the option. Is that impractical? It’s a five min walk either side. 

Please don’t be nervous! Sounds silly but there’s nothing about RT that hurts or probes. Merely laying on a table whilst a machine orbits. The radiographers I’ve met were supreme in putting me and others at ease and being genuinely pleasant and caring. Good luck

Hello ParkDayse2ea81 

I live a mile from the hospital where my radiotherapy was given. There is free parking for RT customers but as the hospital serves a large area of South East Lancashire I left it to others.

I walked there and back most days but on wet days (it was January) I used the bus. I got into a routine.

9.30 : enema at home

9.45 : empty bowels

10.00 : set off walking

10.25 : booked in and waiting for my prostate to be "zapped".

I was at The Christie in Oldham - it was empty bladder/empty bowels. Many hospitals are empty bowels/full bladder. 

The hospital do call you in for a "planning scan" and to receive your tattoo's and full information before your first appointment.

Best wishes - Brian.

daily treats, such a lovely idea  There are lots of great cafes around the hospital and on the way home. 
I think my partner is already planning to produce something creative during his down time. We bought iPads last year which haven’t had enough use. I hadn’t thought about waiting, especially everyday for 4+ weeks.