Radiation or surgery and life after treatments

normsie, your going to be ok if you choose radiation, part of my problem was I am taking blood thinners for a couple of blood clots my leg, which prolonged the bleeding. I play golf, exercise, have some sex. Again i suggest you take the lesser doses rather than the heavy all at once. Write me back if there is anything else you want to know

You are nice to write me. Maybe wr can talk sometime. Feeling very alone and confused. 

How old are you and what is Gleaaon?

Any other sides with radiation?

You will be a little sore for a while after radiation, may have a little problems with bowels, let me know anything specific you want to know about radiation

hello everyone, 

My father had just recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer with gleason score of 8. He has mets to the bone and the pelvic lymph nodes. Therefore, he wont be suitable for surgery and the urologist who saw him started him on Casodex. Since started taking Casodex, he's been experiencing hot flushes and muscle pain which made him very anxious to continue with treatment as these "menopausal" symptoms are really causing him discomfort and severe anxiety. Just wondering if there's anyone out there who's had similar experiences and would be kind enough to share some tips on how to overcome them.

Many thanks!

Proton radiation has fewer side effects than conventional radiation treatment. Other organs are less exposed to radiation.

I am 72 and just starting the process.  The entire right side of my prostate was covered with the tumor.  My urologist said my Gleason score would be 8.  The good news (if there can be such a thing) is that there wasn't an indication of the cancer moving beyond the prostate.  My Urologist said surgery was out because the size of the tumor increased the possibility of a spare cell breaking off and spreading. I will have hormone therapy (Eligard) an injection every three months for 2 years.  Also, radiation therapy 5 days a week for 8 weeks.  Has anyone else had this protocol?  If so, what can I expect.  Thanks

I had my first warning that there was a possibility of prostate cancer primarily because of  my h

igh PSA  rate.  The urological examination was so abusive that I waited more than seven years to follow through.  This examination went beyond the usual woman's empowerment exercise to a full blown vulgar, violent,  painful, and unwanted dominatrix exercise.  My insurance company provided me with psychological counseling to make me whole following the abusive exam; but I resisted any further treatment or examination until my doctor insisted that the high PSA reading in spite of the Finasteride medication I was taking required that I undergo further urological testing.  This is a particularly severe for African-American men who are shown little regard for our dignity, privacy and safety because there is no accountability for the abuse inflicted on us.  Almost all nurse practitioners, medical assistants and even the technicians who operate the medical instruments have all been female.   These women seize control of our genitals without our consent and often give humiliating and painful handling of our vulnerable and private area of our body that is so egregious it has to be intentionally abusive.  And the medical community claims not to know why men, and specifically African-American men do not seek treatment for urological problems.

Now I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and have been offered a combination  of hormonal and radiation treatment.   I do not know what to expect and am really reluctant to seek any treatment.  I need to know what my rights are to determine who handles my genitals and how to protect myself from abuse.   I see no reason a man should be required to turn control of his genitals over to a female to abuse him as she pleases or why it requires a crowded room of women to give a man a very private and intrusive examination or treatment.  Men also have the right to control our bodies.   I have had the opportunity to discuss this matter with men in my social, church and even shopping circles and have found men of all ethnicities face this issue.   Men are reluctant to share concerns about this private matter, but maybe men need a more structured support group where we can air our concerns.   I do not want to again wake up in a cold sweat reliving the horrible experiences I have had.

The same protocol has been recommended to me by the oncologist and the other factors are the same.  I shall try to follow you and try to share how we both fare.  One difference is that I must first have a colonoscopy to determine if there is any cancer associated with my diverticulitis.  However I have had a bone scan and like you there is no evidence that the cancer has spread to neighboring tissue or metastasized.  The urologist was optimistic; the oncologist is more guarded in his prognostication and diagnosis.  We should be careful that the doctors involved in our treatment listen to us and allow us to make informed decisions.