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My LDR Brachytherapy Story

User
Posted 25 Feb 2025 at 21:19

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Hey Bryan,

I never had to do the Picolax thing but hope you've survived!!

All the best for tomorrow, it'll be a breeze, see you on the other side! 

Cheers!

Paul

 

Hi Paul.

 I said to the missus they were aswell to tell me to go and have 5 pints of bad Guinness instead of picolax,  but hey the jobs done now.

Thanks again and I'll keep ye updated. 

Bryan

User
Posted 26 Feb 2025 at 18:08

Hi all.

I'm now back home on the couch,  they took me down at 08:30 and I was back up at 11:15.

As Paul said its probably less intrusive than the biopsy, as I was out for the whole event and and woke up in recovery. 

Post procedure, the same discomfort as the biopsy,  it just feels like someone gave me a good kick in the gooch!

Now we'll see how the next few months unwind , hopefully things go the right direction,  I'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks for all the help guys and I'll keep ye updated with the good, the bad and the ugly. 

Bryan

Edited by member 26 Feb 2025 at 18:09  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 26 Feb 2025 at 23:41

Good to hear Bryan, take it easy for a day or two and expect the 'rose' urine for a little while longer!!

It'd be great if you start a new thread to track your Brachy experience.

Shout if you need anything 💪

Cheers 🍻

User
Posted 26 Feb 2025 at 23:53

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Good to hear Bryan, take it easy for a day or two and expect the 'rose' urine for a little while longer!!

It'd be great if you start a new thread to track your Brachy experience.

Shout if you need anything 💪

Cheers 🍻

 

Thanks Paul.

That was my next question,  will I piggyback this thread or start a new one and you answered before I asked.

 I'll get a fresh one going over the next couple of days.

Bryan 

User
Posted 27 Feb 2025 at 11:46

Hiya You Guys Old and New,

 

I first posted on this site in 2010 when LDR Brachytherapy was carried out at Bart's Hospital London.

I am a regular reader of all the posts on here but haven't posted for a long time. I am a 15 years veteran

of LDR and if I can help anyone in any way with my experiences I will see it as a duty to so do.

I have to humbly add that I am now 80.5 years old ,play full 18 holes of Golf 3 times every week and ride

my mountain bike for an hour also 3 times every week. I am not Superman but a testimony to LDR and

physical fitness.

 

Best wishes to all posters old and new.

 

Michael aka Chigwell2010

User
Posted 27 Feb 2025 at 17:45

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Hiya You Guys Old and New,

 

I first posted on this site in 2010 when LDR Brachytherapy was carried out at Bart's Hospital London.

I am a regular reader of all the posts on here but haven't posted for a long time. I am a 15 years veteran

of LDR and if I can help anyone in any way with my experiences I will see it as a duty to so do.

I have to humbly add that I am now 80.5 years old ,play full 18 holes of Golf 3 times every week and ride

my mountain bike for an hour also 3 times every week. I am not Superman but a testimony to LDR and

physical fitness.

 

Best wishes to all posters old and new.

 

Michael aka Chigwell2010

 

Thanks Michael 

User
Posted 27 Feb 2025 at 21:18
Great to hear it's all still going so well Michael 👍

I reckon I must be a 10 year forum veteran by now but only have 2 years of BT experiences to retell!

I've also squeezed in 2 rounds of golf so far this week although that's rather less impressive at my age than yours!

On the subject of golf, if anyone wants a really inspirational story, have a look at this about the life and journey of the worlds No 1 disability golfer.

https://youtu.be/HjwUav2RTlE?si=UQrUy69_HM0GjbEK

The name might ring a bell with a few of the visitors here 😉 It's difficult to choose between prostate and golf talk at most consultations! 🤣

User
Posted 08 Jun 2025 at 18:36

Hi - I'm pleased to see people have found my thread usefull

I have just had my 4 year post procedure PSA test carried out and I am now down to 0.069. Pre-procedure was 8.4. 

User
Posted 08 Jun 2025 at 23:12
Fantastic news VC - long may it continue 👍
User
Posted 12 Aug 2025 at 00:40

Many thanks to everyone on this thread, it makes such a difference that you've shared all these experiences.

Me: PSA 12 in May 2025, no family history or symptoms. 

MRI then biopsy, Gleason 3+4, T2, N0, M0

Discussion with specialists regarding surgery or radiotherapy. But no-one mentioned Brachytherapy at my local hospital. I guess we've all done tons of our own research and I ended up favouring Brachy. And I've asked to go down this route.

Flow test done and OK.

Off to see the brachytherapy specialist on Wednesday. Hopefully I'm OK as a candidate for this. I just want to be back to where I am now ( relatively fit and well) as soon as possible with the PC under control.

Best wishes to one and all, and thanks again.

 

 

Edited by member 12 Aug 2025 at 09:10  | Reason: Spelling

User
Posted 12 Aug 2025 at 07:57

Hi Ford55

sorry you’ve had to join this band of men but at least we have this site, forum and all those who contribute, to help us out.

I opted for Brachytherapy and had my treatment in March this year.  My staging was similar to yours and I’m a similar age, I will be 66 in October.

The procedure went well, I’ve had or still got, most of the common side effects but nothing that’s affected my everyday life.  I had hoped, initially, that after 3 months I’d be back to normal, I’m not there yet but things are still improving.  I had 72 seeds implanted, I think it’s based on the size of the prostate but if it’s too big, not sure what the limit is, it might preclude this as an option.  

My lasting effects are a burning sensation when urinating, thankfully I’m back to 6-8 times a day down from about 12-14 at its peak and my stools are a bit loose and I go more frequently than before having been constipated early on.  I normally wake a couple of times in the night, down from about 4 but my flow at night is still very slow.  I did have a couple of urine infections both times cleared up with a 7 day course of antibiotics not something that is that common after treatment and may not even be related but I’ve never had one before.

Medication wise, I’m on Tamsulosin 400 mg daily and Sildenafil 100mg twice a week, both until my next review in October.  I tried doubling the Tamsulosin and adding Ibuprofen for 7 days to try and address the nocturnal flow issue but it made no difference so we’ll see if anything needs to be done about that long term, at present I can live with it.

So I guess all in all I’m very happy with the way things have gone and if it’s done the trick, which it does in +90% of the cases, then I’ll be delighted.

Good luck with your treatment and onward journey, keep us posted and all the best, John

User
Posted 12 Aug 2025 at 10:39

Hi , It's good to see another prospective Brachytherapy member taking the the same road as me in 2016.

I had my Yearly PSA test a couple of weeks ago and it came back as > 0.01 and no further action ( was signed off in 2021 if i remember rightly 9 years ago) ,but i still feel i need the comfort of the test every year.You could click on my Avatar and scroll down a lot to get my full story but not a lot to tell.

I had my brachytherapy in Mount Vernon near London 25 miles away as it was the Brachytherapists home hospitals against the Lister Hospital in Stevenage  two miles away where they could only do my other option Robotic surgery. The brachytherapy operation was over in no time with very little discomfort and i was more interested in food and a cup of tea that the pain relief pills. Good luck with the treatment.

John.

User
Posted 16 Aug 2025 at 12:23

Good to hear a positive review for brachytherapy - thanks.

Saw my brachy doc this week, the hospital is about 90 minutes drive away as my local hospital doesn't offer it ( or even mention it). Doc was very thorough with explanation and potential after effects. Pre surgery assessment done and I'm booked in for mid September to have LDR brachytherapy. That's exactly 4 months since I asked my GP for the PSA test. I reckon that's good going for the NHS.

I wish everyone well on their version of this journey.

 

User
Posted 17 Aug 2025 at 09:40

The very best of luck man, keep us posted. 

Bryan

 
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