Riding the radiation Rollercoaster

My radiation treatment plan calls for nine weeks of radiation to my prostate and some surrounding areas. Two of these weeks also include radiation to (3) spots on my ribs which likely indicate metastases. More specifically, I am in the midst of receiving 45 weekday radiation treatments over nine weeks. Yesterday I completed treatment #18.

I’m 64 years old, my diagnosis was confirmed in October 2024 (when I was 63), I started hormone therapy in November 2024, and radiation therapy started on April 24, 2025.

Some people told me radiation would be easy, some reported challenges, doctors warned about side effects, and now that I’ve just passed the one third point of my own experience, I feel qualified to start sharing a few of my own observations.

Thirty five of the 45 treatments are focused exclusively on my pelvis area. These treatments last about 15 minutes.

Ten of the 45 treatments include my pelvis area and some ribs. Radiating the ribs adds 15-30 minutes depending on the number of ribs treated each day. So these treatments, which I’m in the midst of right now, last 30-45 minutes. It’s also worth mentioning that the radiation administered to the ribs is nearly four times as intense as the radiation administered to my pelvis each day. I was told that this increased intensity might increase the side effects, but so far I can't say that I’ve noticed a change, with the exception of some increased stress just because the appointments last longer and involve more time waiting on the table, which always feels a little surreal.  Each rib treatment requires a doctor’s approval to be sure the machine's aim is exact. Doctors are busy, and even a short wait can feel like a long one when you’re staring at a ceiling, so I always feel relieved when the techs push the "Give it to him!" button and the machine starts doing its thing.

I'm a rule follower. A diligent rule follower. So when I was advised to be sure to “rest” while undergoing radiation treatment, I took the advice to heart – and, in hindsight, maybe to an extreme. I hadn't planned to blog about my cancer, but in an attempt to help others, and maybe even myself, I’m responding to some nudging by my doctors and my wife to try to think about more than just my diagnosis. Sharing some of my stories with others is a small step, but one that I hope will enable me to do more than just sit around waiting for side effects to show up.

So far, the experience has been different than I expected. I’m experiencing some, but not all of the side effects I was warned about. The mental drain of managing daily appointments has been harder than I anticipated. Fatigue, which I was told is common, has been, so far, not significant. I haven't experienced any skin irritation which apparently is fairly common.
 
Eighteen (treatments) down, 27 more to go. If you’ve gone through a similar situation, or are going through one now, I’d love to hear how you’re coping.