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I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in May 1997. Due to my heart problems, I was told that my only option was external beam radiation therapy. Started on hormone blocker therapy to reduce testestoran level to castration level. This consisted of a pellet injected by the belly button every 30 days and 6 pills a day.
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An appointment was set with a Radiation Oncologist to arrange the EBRT. Meeting with Nurse to start appointment, she handed me a stack of papers to read, sign and take with me. Then met with the Radiation Oncologist who stated there was a 1% chance of incontenance as result of radiation therapy and 1% chance of impotence. Was told to come back the next day so they could insert two tubes and set up the settings for the treatments. When I went back the next day they inserted a catheter in my penis and one in my rectum, then had me get up and "walk" into the next room with those tubes dangling.
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This was the beginning of two hours sitting alone in a dark room. Periodicly someone would come in and make a mark on my belly, or to inject dye in the tubes. At the end of the two hours, the tubes were removed and I was told not to wash the marks off and come back the next day for the first treatments.
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After the "two tube" day, I went in every week day for treatments. On Tuesday I was weighed, Tuesday and Thursday were x-ray days, and every third Friday was blood test, and ever week day I walked in the room, dropped my pants, had a towel placed over my private parts, layed down on the table, was positioned, and left alone while the machine did it's work.
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Hemmoroids became so bad after 22 treatments that we had to take a week off while I was given prescription strength suppositories to control them. These were used for the rest of the duration of the treatment. At this time I also had to start using an ointment because of burned skin and rectum!
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I finally completed my 38 radiation treatments. I was through with cancer and it was time to get on with the rest of my life. I was neither incontenent nor impotent. Three months later while shopping with my wife I went to the restroom and found the front of my underwear were covered with blood. Saw the Urologist for the first time since this all began and he said it was nothing to worry about - normal. It happened three more times before it finally stopped. Wasn't so lucky where the colon was concerned. To date I have had three scopes on my colon, with the laser used each time to stop the bleeding. At NO time was I ever advised of the possibility of rectal or penal bleeding. No warning at all!
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