The radiation treatments for my prostate cancer will begin on July 1 and continue every weekday through August 7. That's it. That's the update.
POSTSCRIPT: And I get tattoos! For real. A series of dots on my groin that help guide the radiation beam.
ANOTHER POSTSCRIPT: My pre-treatment testosterone level is 375, right in the middle of the normal range of 221-716. Also, my latest PSA is down to 18.1.
So maybe I'll win (saved by zero)
Maybe I'll win (saved by zero)
Maybe I'll win (saved by zero)
Who needs to win (saved by zero)
Just saying, you need to win. (saved by zero)
Good luck getting a job with that tattoo.
A series of dots on my groin that help guide the radiation beam.
I not expecting Kevin to educate me about a kink I'd never heard of today.
Rule 34 is forever.
Are the numbers adjusted for inflation?
Did you know that there is a 1/1000 chance your treated T cells will become cancerous due to the CAR-T treament? Might want to watch for that.
That's exactly why I suggest the Beta Glucan, it helps protect healthy cells from radiation damage. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141813017351243
Mushroom based Beta Glucans also work, but the yeast based is what more studies have been done on. Of the yeast based, Transfer Point is the gold standard. I took 2000 mg daily while in treatment and still take 500 mg today because once you've had cancer you are far more at risk to get it again.
The tattoos are no big deal, I don't even remember where mine are. They're just dots to help the radiation team line up the machine with where they want to point the beam of death.
Some more advice:
Pain management - unless things have changed, they'll suggest you start with basic ibuprofen at first, then scale up as needed. A really good piece of advice I got from my doc was that radiation damage is cumulative, so give yourself levels to go to as treatment progresses. When I did my treatment, the highest level of pain management you could get was the morphine patch. But before that they'll issue out Norco. Match your pain medication to your need, knowing that you have no where else to go beyond the morphine patch.
I was only taking 1/2 a Norco at the end, but I seem to have a higher pain tolerance. I will always wonder if that last week would have been more pleasant on the patch.
Don't be shy about asking for help when the going gets rough. I should have asked for stronger pain meds earlier and especially gotten the Proctofoam earlier, I suffered unnecessarily because I didn't speak up.
The primary radiation doctor will check in with you regularly to see how you are doing and look at your skin where the radiation beam is entering the body. Ask at the desk if you need to talk to someone in between checks.
Driving - I drove myself to radiation for the first 4 weeks, basically until I started using the Norco all the time. I used the Norco at night to help knock me out by about the start of week 4 (managing pain with ibuprofen and THC gummies prior to that). Once you start using the heavy stuff, you are done driving. I had someone else drive me weeks 5 & 6.
Work - I worked up through week 4 and took weeks 5 & 6 off, plus a week to recover (I very much regret not taking two weeks off to recover). I'd suggest you expect to spend weeks 5 & 6 in bed with a tablet, the books in the "to be read" pile, all your favorite snack foods, and a cat or two. Maybe bank a bunch of content to drip out and do short posts on how things are going. Don't push yourself during recovery.
Ring the bell if you are up to it at the end. It's not required, but very cathartic. In the back of my mind I was thinking "Ok, I said kill it with fire, but I didn't mean literally."
Art Eclectic - love that you share such helpful and valuable information. You are such a cool person.
Congratulations Kevin. Sounds like you are ahead before the treatment begins. Be kind to yourself.
A series of dots?? Awwwww man! Think of all the other possibilities that would be more ….. interesting.
I'm assuming one day you'll be able to give up shaving! (your face, that is) Sure, so have most elderly dudes, or so it seems. But still, a convenience and time saver!