It gets better!!

My husband is now 57. He had 25 external beam radiation treatments using the
IMRT machine. Then followed with brachy. That was 15 months ago.

He also had a ripping bladder infection after it was all over. Gee, I wonder
why? But he is fine now. Not everything is perfect but his PSA is
wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bev

Are you positive it is an infection?  After radiation therapy,
cystitis (bladder inflammation) is common, which could cause pain and
hematuria and frequency. UTI implies culture proof of bacterial
infection...just a thought...the antibiotics might not be necessary in
your case.
Good luck.  CPW

Our "house" doctor (C. Paul Williams) is right. Maybe you're not messing
with a bladder infection at all. My husband could not distinguish the pain
of a bladder infection from the pain of the swollen prostate and general
irritation to the area. That's why his bladder infection got so bad. He
didn't know he had one. (He spent the night in the hospital with IV's filled
with antibiotics.) That is how I know about the UTI test kits. We had to buy
them to periodically to check my husband just to make certain it was not
another UTI. Like I said they run about $12 and you get about 3 test strips.
Very easy to read.

Your course is different but really very much the same. My husband was 56 at
the time of treatment. His PSA had been 4.9, fPSA 8.9, Gleason 6 (3+3) and
121 seeds implanted after 25 sessions of EBRT done on the IMRT machine.

Something like 4% of the men undergoing this type of treatment ever have a
problem. Well, he hit the 4% . He's still having some problems but they are
beginning to wan. It's only been in the last month he has quit having drop
to your knees pain trying to urinate. He's lived on Naprosyn and Hytrin.
Bev

Hi GD.......I would be happy to compare your results with my husband's
when he finishes.......and contrary to JK's remarks, there are a few
people on here (and probably more lurking) that do not have surgery, but
opt for radiation, brachytherapy and other treatments.

Ron is a young 71

PSA was 11.47 in Feb.......10.08 in June (before treatment) But had
doubled in 6 months from 6.0 in Sept. 2002.

Gleason (4+3) 7

7/29/03 & 8/5/03 - 2 HDR procedures with Iridium in 18 needles for 9
minutes. (ouch)

At present doing 25 external beam sessions.  At #9.  No problems so far,
but I realize it is early yet.

So I will compare notes with you when he has finished.  Glad to hear
that you did so well.

And I am still formulating something in my mind with regard to the link
between PSA numbers and prostate cancer.  Doesn't seem to be any 'norm'.
But I haven't quite wrapped my mind around where it is leading me.

I wrote to the Toronto Star Health reporter yesterday to see if they
will do an article on this HDR treatment........after checking with the
doctors to see if they would like it.  I will let Curtis and the group
know if I get some positive response.   I never take 'no' for an answer
and will get working on this now that Curtis has done so well in his
quest.  There are 3 other newspapers I could approach.

And that has been my week.  I am taking a break today from accompanying
Ron to his radiation treatment because of a migraine.....I wish someone
would come up with a cure for those.  I have had them from barometric
pressure drops for about 20 years.

Cheers.......Heather and Ron (and you all have a good long weekend!!)

Age:  53
PSA  4.5
Gleason (3+3) 6
7/24/2003 116 Iodine 125 seeds

Still fighting the radiation induced prostatitus, but seems to be getting
better (especially if I deaden the pain with a little Shiner Bock! But then,
that's just me!)

Lee

So How's the Pyridium Plus working?  Don't pee in front of the headlights,
As the doc said it's Flourescent Orange!  LOL!
I just got some today! 1 month and counting, all systems GO!

Lee