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Hello Margaret,
I’ll bang out a few random thoughts with respect to my treatment. Due to the fact that I had my implants after EBRT and while undergoing ADT, my symptoms were probably more intense than what your husband will experience. I have sent my experiences to YANA.
First of all, make sure you have a prostate size estimate, tumor grade and Gleason score as these are important factors with respect to treatment options. I would be suspicious about brachy as a single “curative” treatment if the doctor diagnosed a very palpable irregularity through DRE. Your husband has probably gotten all these details already if the treatment plan (# of seeds and needles) are determined.
Check out the Brachytherapy section on the YANA site, read the mentors experiences and Google, Google, Google. Remember with PC there are no rules only individual case histories and statistics. Familiarize yourself with anagrams such as TRUS, etc.
Diet: Clear liquid diet for planning and procedure. Non-irritating foods and beverages post treatment. Your doctor should provide you with a list of foods to avoid.
Keep a detailed diary, list of medications and all the medical reports. Get ready to wheel and deal with medical providers and insurance companies, keep detailed medical billing records, and get familiar with patient rights in your area. Don’t make the mistake of ever being intimidated if you don’t get thorough answers – demand them or find some one that can give reliable answers.
Casual contact is generally OK unless you’re pregnant or very young. I’m assuming that you’re not pregnant. Plan to sleep at least six feet apart though for awhile – better to be safe than sorry. This guideline is questionable as you get similar doses of radiation from long flights! There are at least two other seed isotopes that have a much shorter half-life than Iodine. Mine were palladium.
Sex: A no no for at least two weeks. Use condoms for three months. Talk openly with the doctor about erectile preservation. Remember, intimacy is not limited to penetration. The word on the street is “use it or lose it”, so start Kegels before and doctor approved medication shortly after.
Initial discomfort is highly variable so make sure you have meds on hand before the implant. It’s much easier to control discomfort if medication is used before it gets out of hand. Treating the discomfort has also been shown to speed recovery.
Bags of frozen peas or corn make wonderful form fitting ice packs. We used to joke, “What’s for dinner tonight.”
There is total loss of dignity during and after treatment. Be prepared to deal with this and all related depression that will accompany treatment.
Encourage exercise as soon as he is able, maybe at first going on walks. (He might have to stop in the bushes frequently!)
I’m sure more mentors will offer their advice and perspective. PC treatment definitely changes things but life definitely goes on albeit with a differing perspective. (Many say their lives overall have improved.)
Make sure he keeps up with post-treatment issues especially timely PSA readings.
Check out support groups for the both of you.
In closing, best wishes and good luck, the concern you show as a wife leads me to believe the both of you will be just fine in the long run. Feel free to contact me through this post or email.
Pat Priestley (Alaska, USA)
Terry & Pat - Thanks so much for your quick response to my questions and concerns. I certainly didn't realize kegels were required with the brachytherapy.
I've been trying to absorb as much information as possible and trying to keep everything straight and in perspective. This disease is confusing, but both of my husband's doctors told him whichever treatment he decides on will work for him. There is a history of prostate cancer in the family so the diagnosis was not really a surprise, but finding it so soon definitely was unexpected.
Thanks again for all of your input and good wishes, and I will do my best to keep you informed of our progress.
