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On September 29, 2010 I underwent Brachytherapy. As I was unconscious during the procedure it was painless. I was not told that I would be peeing razor blades afterwards. Each drop of urine was extremely painful. It is ten days after the treatment and I am having a lot of difficulty with frequent urination and with constipation. The pain in urination was caused by the cystoscopy that the urologist did during the Brachytherapy. I wish I had known the cause of that ahead of time.
Tuesday, I meet with the Urologist and perhaps I can get some medication to help with my urinary and bowel functions. I am not having any other symptoms at this time. I will be glad to share any of my experiences with you.
Later: I am three weeks post Brachytherapy. Life is close to being normal. Have found that spasmodic urges to urinate are less frequent and if ignored will go away after a minute or two. Would be glad to discuss my experiences with anyone about Brachytherapy.
Five weeks after Brachytherapy, symptoms are almost all gone. A litte fatigue is about all. Dr. Gray the oncologist says most people have problems from 2 to 4 weeks after the procedure. He says I am no more likely than anyone else to have cancer in the future.
I did find that taking Flomax about 6 in the evening and early in the morning was very helpful. Three weeks of discomfort is a small price to pay to be rid of cancer.
Will post my new PSA scores when available. Contact me for more details.
I am very happy to have no side effects from Brachtherapy. Only missed a week of work, but wish I taken three weeks or so. I have found that flomax works best if taken 1 pill when I wake up and 1 about an hour before bed time. I have talked to some "wait and see" folks who don't contact me anymore. Welcome any questions anyone may have. My oncologist says patients who have Brachytherapy have no greater risk of cancer than anyone else. Not sure my PSA is not as low as others at this stage, but don't really care.
Here I am at the end of 2016 very happy having chosen Brachytherapy. I am cancer free and working two jobs. For those wait and see people, don't do it. My cancer doctor said there is no more risk of me developing cancer than anyone else. I am so glad, I took aggressive action.
I am cancer free, almost 8 years after my initial diagnosis. I recommend early and aggressive treatment. My oncologist told me that I have no more chance of being diagnosed with cancer than anyone else.
I had brachytherapy in 2010 and still am doing well. I take Tamulosin .4mg twice a day, which keeps my urinary flow regulated. In looking backward, I made a really great choice. I am one of the four out of five or so who make a full recovery and am able to live a full and happy life. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. I certainly don't recommend the wait and see method. Good luck!
9 years out and doing well. Flomax twice a day does the trick. Brachytherapy was right for me. Life is good.
Norris's e-mail address is: counselornt AT gmail.com (replace "AT" with "@")
NOTE: Norris has not updated his story for more than 15 months, so you may not receive any response from him.
