I received a copy of my PSA test for late July, 2010 from my doctor.

The reading was 0.9, which is very good.

Previous values: Over 5.0 in January, 2009; 9.3 in October,  2009; 3.31 in January, 2010, and 1.5 in April, 2010.

Next week, I’ll have my third follow-up with my urologist.

It’s been six months since I had the seed implant surgery. Things are going reasonably well. The seed radiation should be approaching minimum. I should no longer be a radiological hazard to pregnant women and small children.

I am still having some issues with urination and discomfort. I still see debris (i.e. blood) in the toilet bowl after urination. Occasionally, I get a blob of blood which appears to be coming from the prostate itself.

I’m still taking Flomax to shrink the prostate and Aleve as an anti-inflammatory.

I’ll see my doctor later this month for a quarterly checkup. Then next month I’ll see my urologist for another follow up to see if anything is amiss.

I had to ask my doctor for a copy of my PSA test for late April, 2010.

The reading was 1.3, which is very normal.

Previous values: Over 5.0 in January, 2009; 9.3 in October,  2009; and 3.31 in January, 2010.

My urologist said I could expect my PSA to drop to around 0.4 in 12-18 months.

I had my second follow up with my Urologist recently, about four months after the seeds implant surgery.

The radiation from the seeds are still causing urinary side effects, some more unpleasant than others. I’m still taking Flomax to shrink my prostate and Aleve as an anti-inflammatory. I can expect side effects for at least two more months as the radiation decreases.

I had blood drawn for a PSA test about two weeks ago and am waiting for the results. I will update this post when it arrives.

I had my first post-surgical follow up appointment today with my urologist.

We discussed the side effects from the radiation from the “seeds”. I am experiencing some typical side effects, none are critical, just annoying. He said I could expect such symptoms for up to twelve weeks after the surgery.

My urologist advised me to double the Flowmax dose and add an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drug to help with the symptoms.

He wanted me to get a PSA blood test before our next follow up appointment to help measure progress.

I remembered that on the day of the surgery, they took blood for a PSA and two other tests. My urologist called my oncologist to get the results of that PSA test. It was 3.31. This PSA value is two points lower than the one taken a year ago and is about a third of the PSA test taken in October, 2009. So progress is being made.

I had the “seeds” implant surgery today.

I was to prepare yesterday by drinking only “clear” liquids (water, tea w/o milk, apple juice, etc). Then at 4:00 PM I was to take a Fleet “Phospho” (or equivalent) laxative to flush my digestive system. And, Boy Howdy, did it. Then on Monday morning, I was to administer an enema (Fleet or equivalent) to myself.

I had to arrive at the hospital at 5:30 AM and went through registration. They sent me upstairs to the Day Surgery department. A nurse assigned me to a mini-room and took two tubes of blood for labs. I changed into a gown and crawled onto the bed/gurney thingie.

Another nurse connected an IV to the back of my left hand. The O.R. crew stopped by to greet me (my Urologist, my Oncologist, the Anesthesiologist and the O.R. nurse). The nurse gave me two drugs via IV-push: an anti-biotic and a tranquilizer. The surgery was scheduled for 7:00 AM. They rolled me to the O.R. but I don’t remember arriving there.

My Urologist used 24 needles to insert 72 titanium “seeds” (containing radioactive Iodine 125) into my prostate to kill the cancer there. The surgery was to take about an hour and a half.

I woke up in the recovery room at about 9:30 AM (I asked the nurse “What time is it?”). I was thirsty so they offered me a few small ice cubes. I expected to feel some discomfort where they poked my prostate with the needles but I didn’t. The only discomfort I felt was due to a urinary catheter.

They checked my vital signs and after 30 minutes the nurses were satisfied that I was stable, I was taken back to a mini-room in Day Surgery.

The nurses offered me some water to drink, then offered lunch. I chose wheat toast and cranberry juice. After a bit, I was taken down to Oncology for a CT Scan of my prostate to check the placement of the seeds. Afterward, I was returned to my mini-room and was prepared to leave. I got dressed and then a nurse took me down to the entrance where a neighbor took me home.

The next appointments are catheter removal (Wednesday) and follow-ups every three months.

I am restricted from lifting more than ten pounds (approx 4.5 kilos) for the next two weeks due to the risk of hernia. I am also to stay away from pregnant women for three months due to the radiation being emitted by the seeds in my prostate.

I finished my 25 sessions of beam radiation treatment this week.

By the end, I was experiencing some bowel issues and some minor urinary issues, but those have started to stabilize. I’m also having some fatigue.

I also had a consultation with my urologist about adding hormone therapy to my treatment.

Next on the plan is the radioactive “seed” implant surgical procedure on January 11. That should be fun.

Today, I received a Prostate Volume Study procedure at my Oncologist’s office.

This procedure performs an ultrasound of the prostate to build a 3D model used to plan the seed implant strategy.

I had to remove my pants and underpants and put on a gown. I was to wear my shirt, shoes and socks under the gown. I was taken to an exam room where they had me lie on an exam table and place my legs into stirrups. The doctor applied an anesthetic jell to and within my anus. Then he attached the ultrasonic probe assembly to the table and inserted the probe into my rectum. They made a number of scans and built up the layers of the 3D model. Once complete, they saved the model to a computer, removed the probe and released me from the exam table

The procedure took about 15-20 minutes. It didn’t hurt but it was uncomfortable to have a probe in my rectum. I got dressed and went home.

My oncologist will get together with my urologist and schedule the seeds implant for mid-January. I’ll continue my radiation treatments until mid-December. About thirty days later, I’ll receive the seeds implant which is an out-patient procedure. I’ll spend the better part of a day in the hospital and they’ll send me home if there are no complications.

Today, I began five weeks of radiation treatment.

This session began with aligning the radiation machine (a high powered X-ray machine) with the three points on my body determined via the CT scan last week. Once aligned with lasers, they did some X-rays to assure that they would zap my prostate as much as feasible.

After the alignment was determined, I received about 30 seconds of radiation in four bursts. Between each burst, the radiation machine head moved to a different position.

After the radiation treatment, one of the nurses permanently marked each of my three alignment points with a tattoo dot.

After I got dressed, I had a meeting with my oncologist to see how I was doing, answer questions, etc.. We’ll meet every Tuesday during the treatment.

My oncologist began planning the seed implant step by scheduling a prostate volume study for Monday morning. In this procedure, he will use an ultrasound probe in my rectum to create a layered map of my prostate. This map will be used to plan the radioactive seed placement in January.