Waste of time? (long

Waste of time? (long - sorry)

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alioop 9 - 30 Apr 2004 08:43 GMT

Hubby will be done with the rad therapy (43 treatments) on May 6. His
next appt (with the Radiation Therapy Unit) will be June 2 and that is
supposed to be a kind of "reorientation" for us. I do not trust the VA.
What kind of things can they tell us without a post-rad blood test?
(nothing?) I am thinking this will be a waste of time as they will
have no current info to share, but maybe I'm wrong.

Can anyone give me some pertinent questions that I should be asking at
this stage? I already have questions about his general health
(inability to urinate/burning urination, bowel problems, fatigue etc.)
that I need answers to, but specifically what should I ask for as far as
things like PSA, free PSA and such. Should I be questioning this at this
stage?

Would anyone that had problems with urination and/or constipation mind
sharing with me? Did my first suppository assist last weekend. This is
a very big problem for HB right now and I am not sure what I can do to
help him. The Dr's have him on laxatives and suppositories for the
inflammation, but he has had problems with this previously due to
multiple other things that are wrong and this is exacerbating it.

Y'all have educated me so much better than the Dr's and in such a more
comfortable atmosphere. I am so glad I found this NG!

Thanks

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olfart - 30 Apr 2004 13:26 GMT

> Hubby will be done with the rad therapy (43 treatments) on May 6. His
> next appt (with the Radiation Therapy Unit) will be June 2 and that is
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
> Thanks

I'm only on #17 of 42 treatments so I can't be much help except for what I
have read and heard from others. The side effects should start to subside
after radiation ends. I am just starting to have a little bowel problems and
alot of urine flow probs(had to have a dilation last week). There is also
the fatigue which comes and goes.
Is he also on Hormone therapy? If so, my Drs tell me it will be a while
(maybe 6 mo) after treatment is complete before I can have a valid PSA test.
I'm sure others in the group will be able to add more to this, but I don't
think a PSA one month after treatment will be meaningful.
Good luck to you both.
Age - 69
8/12/02 - PSA 3.7
10/13/03 - PSA 4.69
11/11/03 - PSA 4.8
11/18/03 - Biopsy - 10 cores
one core-25% of core-Gleason 4+4=8
all other cores benign tissue
12/10/03 - Consult - Oncologist
12/16/03 - Consult - Radiation Oncologist
Treatment Plan - Northeast Ga Cancer Center
HT - started 12/17/03 - Eulixen & Lupron (2nd 4 mo Lupron-4/26)
2/10/04 - Started - Flowmax and Megastrol
Radiation - IMRT to begin 3/30/04 - 42 treatments

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alioop 9 - 01 May 2004 06:49 GMT

Hubby had 2 Zoladex implants that were to last 3 mos each prior to the
rad therapy. The last one will be wearing off this month.

Glad to hear about the waiting time for the PSA tests. That really had
me concerned. He does have weekly meetings with the Dr, but I am not
able to be there due to to my work schedule and the fact that the
hospital is 40 miles from where we live. My project for the next month
will be to write down a list of questions so I don't forget anything.
His Dr is patient, but I hope I don't overwhelm her!

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John Anderson - 01 May 2004 03:37 GMT

I had 43 radiation treatments last summer, five days a week. Not VA
provided. On each Wednesday I met with the oncologist/radiologist for a
briefing/consultation. I got the impression the meetings were very two way
in communication. I explained how I was doing physically and asked
questions that had occurred to me from my own experience and also got some
answers to items raised on this NG.
I'm not sure if this is the same as your "reorientation", but I found my
briefings very helpful and informative.
I had had minor hemorrhoid problems prior to the beginning of the
radiation treatments and they were exacerbated for about a month in the
middle of the treatments. My urinary slowness and getting up several times
a night were not seemingly effected by the radiation treatments.
I wouldn't worry about the PSA tests for at least six months, from all
I've read. I did have a PSA test in the middle of my treatments (at the
insistence of a stand-in rad/onc at one of my Wednesday meetings). It
showed a very nice drop in PSA (from 8.9 to .43) but this was during my
Zoladex (Lupron) effectiveness. Not very reliable.

Hope this is of some help.
JohnA

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Beverley - 01 May 2004 16:16 GMT

Knowing the way the VA does things ....... well, .........!

They will probably give him Hytrin for the urination problems (now?) and
tell him how to renew the Rx if needed, etc. Also they will probably do a
PSA on him at that time. Then explain how he will need to have PSA tests for
the rest of his life and how often.

I still have not figured out the VA system. They are slow and seemly one
step behind us all the time. It's a prime example of hurry up and wait. But
in some ways they are no different from the rest of the medical society.
Bev

> Hubby will be done with the rad therapy (43 treatments) on May 6. His
> next appt (with the Radiation Therapy Unit) will be June 2 and that is
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
> Thanks

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