Recovery, Treatment and More

Prostate Cancer Part III

Recovery comes in stages, because thats how treatment comes. After each treatment you have two weeks to recover, then they do it all again. Two more times.

Considering what I had been through I was feeling pretty good when we left the surgical center that Thursday evening. Prior to leaving Dr. Richards asked how I was doing and I challenged him to a race across the parking lot. Of course he wisely declined. I talked Ellie into stopping at Nielson's Frozen Custard and we had a treat to enjoy on the trip home.

As directed I took it easy for a couple of days, reading, resting, watching tv and playing computer games. I had no swelling and no bleeding from the prostate catheters, and very little pain. The moist severe pain was from the bladder catheter. Urinating after its removal was excruciating! It felt like you were eliminating hydrocloric acid! That persisted for a few days, but gradually the pain subsided. Saturday we went to town and I got a haircut and we ran some ereands. By Sunday I was feeling good enough to attend to my church responsibilities, and Monday I went to work outside. There was some fatigue, I didn't have the stamina to work too long, but it felt food to get out and try. I gradually got stronger each day and by the time my two weeks ended I was ready for round two.

The second treatment was on Thursday, February 2nd. Things went much the same as the first and I was soon home recovering again. This time the pain from the bladder catheter was not quite as bad, but I really suffered from hemmoroids. It felt like instead of a nice smooth ultrasound probe they had used a very large dry corncob! It gave a whole new meaning to the Johnny Cash song 'Ring of Fire". It seemed like just as I started to get some relief I would have a bowel movement and the pain would start all over again. It wasn't a totally debilitating pain, but just the same you didn't really feel like doing much of anything. At the same time it seemed to help to do something to get your mind off the pain. I spent a lot of time sitting on an ice bag, and was just starting to get some relief whan treatment three rolled around.

Treatment three was on Thursday, February 16th. I was dreading it this time, yet at the same time wanted to get it over so I could start to heal premanttly. They moved our starting time back an hour, so we arrived at 7:00am and it all started again. I had a little talk to the doctors about being a little more careful when inserting foreign objects into my body,. Otherwise the procedure was a repaet of the two previous ones, with the exception that this time I knew I didn't have to come back.

During the five hour recovery period we talked to the other couple sharing the room and discovered that he was the brother of a missionary I knew 40+ years ago in Australia from Burley Idaho. He got right on the phone and called him and even got through but by the time he did I was in for the next session.

Recovery this time was more like the first treatment.  I'm not sure why the second was so bad but if they had all been like that one I wouldn't have survived.  Healing takes a while, and three months after you have recovered from most of the temporary effects, some seem to be more lasting and may never go away.  Nonetheless youare greatful for good Doctors and modern medicine.