 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Prostate Cancer / May 2005Bladder contorl and RT
I would certainly appreciate any advice I can get on this. I have started RT, but I have great difficulty maintaining a full bladder. The urge to urinate becomes too urgent and it is extremely so once the radiation machine gets going. They have asked me to drink 500 ml of water in little sips starting an hour before my appointment and ending 20 minutes before. This doesn't work--I can just make it to the radiation room but then . . . , and I am really afraid the effectiveness of the radiation will be spoiled. Very distressed.  SignatureA merry heart doeth good like medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. (Proverbs, 17:22) >I would certainly appreciate any advice I can get on this. I have started >RT, but I have great difficulty maintaining a full bladder. The urge to [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >I am really afraid the effectiveness of the radiation will be spoiled. Very >distressed. Stavros I know the feeling. I've just completed my EBRT and my appointment times were all over the place +- 1 hour. It's difficult to hold the water, but it's to inflate your bladder to push the prostate away from it, so the base and sphincter of the bladder doesn't become inflamed. The first day I missed it an on the 3rd day I had stricture and had to go on Flomax to get the stream going again. You must practice holding it for your own benefit. There are members of this group who do Kegel exercises just for this. -- Reader to complete... -- Please reply to this ng as my email adress is fake: -- Regards -- CC Thanks a lot. I've started on the Kegel exercises--I think I've got it right. >>I would certainly appreciate any advice I can get on this. I have started >>RT, but I have great difficulty maintaining a full bladder. The urge to [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > -- CC Hi Stavros..... Sorry, I meant to post this earlier. But what I find odd is that Princess Margaret Hospital requires you to drink the 500 ml of water (my brother-in-law had 42 radiation treatments there). Two months later, my husband had 30 EBRT at Sunnybrook and no one was drinking water. We had expected him to have to do this. I have absolutely no idea why Sunnybrook doesn't seem to require it, but Ron had no problems to speak of with urinating during the treatments.....perhaps went more often. I would have to ask him. Perhaps you could ask the techs or your doctor. Or explain how difficult it is for you and maybe they will lower the amount to 250 ml. I understand what Clarence is saying......but how come our hospital didn't feel the need for it. Mystery. But no ill effects from not drinking it. Cheers....Heather > I would certainly appreciate any advice I can get on this. I have started > RT, but I have great difficulty maintaining a full bladder. The urge to [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > I am really afraid the effectiveness of the radiation will be spoiled. Very > distressed. They've lowered the amount of water. We'll see what happens. > Hi Stavros..... > [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > Very >> distressed. Stavros I finished 6 weeks of RT (IMRT) at UCSF a month ago. Even though the techs recommended that I fill up, there were times I didn't feel a full bladder on a given day of treatment. I didn't experience any noticable side effects from this inconsistancy during that time or even now, one month later. I suppose side effects can occur for several more months. I remain confident that not having a full bladder for each and every RT caused me any long term consequences. Richard fr Monterey Thanks. This is encouraging. It's been really stressful, and I don't think that helps at all. Now I have to learn how to relax and "hold it in" at the same time. This is not easy stuff. > Stavros > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Richard fr Monterey I didn't have to take water for the treatment, per se. If they have you drinking water, it may be just to assure your bladder is full and your prostate bed is in a certain place. I wonder.... Maybe you can ask them to recalculate with an empty bladder and just make sure you don't drink anything in the last hour before treatment. SignaturePSA 16 10/17/2000 @ 46 Biopsy 11/01/2000 G7 (3+4), T2c RRP 12/15/2000 G7 (3+4), T3cN0M0 Neg margins PSA .1 .1 .1 .27 .37 .75 EBRT 05-07/2002 @ 47 PSA .34 .22 .15 .21 .32 Lupron 07/03 (1 mo) 8/03 (4 mo), 12/03, 4/04, 09/04, 01/05 PSA .07 .05 .06 .05 non Illegitimi carborundum > I would certainly appreciate any advice I can get on this. I have started > RT, but I have great difficulty maintaining a full bladder. The urge to [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > I am really afraid the effectiveness of the radiation will be spoiled. Very > distressed. Yes it would all have to be recalculated, you're right. I guess they'll know if that has to be approach Right now I am just trying my best. What an unexpected problem to have! >I didn't have to take water for the treatment, per se. If they have you > drinking water, it may be just to assure your bladder is full and your [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Very >> distressed. > I would certainly appreciate any advice I can get on this. I have started > RT, but I have great difficulty maintaining a full bladder. The urge to [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > I am really afraid the effectiveness of the radiation will be spoiled. Very > distressed. The rad-nurse at Inova stressed that a Full Bladder was important for IMRT. I told her that I usually drink 3 or 4 cups of coffee in the morning and usually went 2 or 3 hours before pee'ing. (I had switched to decaf for the rad treatment). "3 or 4 cups?", said that angel. Well, yeah, 3 or 4 mugs I guess. I usually drink my coffee out of a 32 ounce big gulp cup. I don't think the full bladder makes the treatment work better. I believe it helps put a space between the "target" and the back wall of your bladder and your intestine. They're trying to minimize damage to those sensitive organs. Check with your rad-nurse. If 500 ml is too much, maybe 300 would work better for you. 32 ounces is, what, about 1,000 ml? > Well, yeah, 3 or 4 mugs I guess. I usually drink my coffee out of a > 32 ounce big gulp cup. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > 32 ounces is, what, about 1,000 ml? Had to check on the 'net.....but yes, 32 ounces is just under an American Litre. We *have to use* metric, but I prefer Imperial and usually convert in my head.....for those measurements that I use most often. My metric measuring cup is 250 ml....which would be darn close to 8 ounces. Gets a tad confusing when your gallons are smaller than ours though, grin!! Cheers...Heather <snip> >Had to check on the 'net.....but yes, 32 ounces is just under an American >Litre. We *have to use* metric, but I prefer Imperial and usually convert >in my head.....for those measurements that I use most often. > >My metric measuring cup is 250 ml....which would be darn close to 8 ounces. >Gets a tad confusing when your gallons are smaller than ours though, grin!! <snip> What's the big deal about the nearest millilitre/ounce of water you have to retain to protect the base of the bladder from the spray of the beams? My EBRT Schedule just said at the top "Ensure your bladder is COMFORTABLY full prior to treatment." That's fine if your appointments are all on time, so you can plan when to drink the water. As I have a 45K run to the Clinic plus expect a 1/4 hr waiting time, (if normal), I would drink it (2/3 of a bottle) from about the 1/2 way mark up the road. But as I said in my previous posts, the appointment times were in a span of +- 1 hour, caused by varying patient loads and special circumstances, so in some instances, I was done right away and in other times, I had to hold it for an extra hour and then fast-hobble to the Gents ASAP. PS: You have 1.2009 Imp.Gs to 1.0 USG or 0.833 the other way round. Anyway, let the Yanks do the conversions, otherwise some may think them to be stupid LOL. -- Reader to complete... -- Please reply to this ng as my email adress is fake: -- Regards -- CC I was shocked out of my wits today when I learned (after the water was consumed) that I had a 45-minute wait. And felt victorious when all went well. > <snip> >>Had to check on the 'net.....but yes, 32 ounces is just under an American [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > -- CC Yes, I've cut down (at her advice) to about 300 ml and it has helped a lot. 1000ml=40 ounces (5 cups) >> I would certainly appreciate any advice I can get on this. I have >> started [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > > 32 ounces is, what, about 1,000 ml? > Yes, I've cut down (at her advice) to about 300 ml and it has helped a lot. > 1000ml=40 ounces (5 cups) My doctor didn't subscribe to the full bladder theory. I asked her about it, but she said it didn't make any significant difference. In your original posting, you said: > The urge to urinate becomes too urgent and it is extremely so once the radiation machine > gets going. That sounds to me like a psychological thing. I know exactly how that works. It often happens that I work late at night at the office. I get an urge to urinate and head for the bathroom, only to find the janitor is cleaning it and keeping people out. As soon as I see that keep out sign, my urge becomes unbearable. I know that if I hadn't seen the sign I could have waited another half hour, but having seen it, I'm suddenly in trouble. Maybe you can practice at home. Drink the water, wait for the right amount of time, lie on your back, think about the buzzing of the machine, and then think about something distracting that takes your mind completely off your bladder. Maybe it will work, and work again during treatment. Alan |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.