Five weeks on from brachytherapy operation - what's the score?

Things have definitely started to warm up in the radioactive response department. Last week, there were the first nigglings of reactions to the seeds embedded in my prostate. How did these manifest themselves? Firstly, most urination sessions begin and end with a little gasp as the urine passes through the inflamed urethra - and sometimes it gets a bit urgent, if you know what I mean! This is perfectly normal and indicates that the seeds are doing their job. This will possibly get a little worse in the next week or so but should then taper off.

Fatigue is probably the bigger thing for me - not because I have not been sleeping. People have told me that they are up two or three times in the night to wee. Not me - maybe once, possibly, but most nights, not at all. Yet, nonetheless I feel that my stamina is less and activity tires me more easily. Looking this up on Google, it seems that no one really knows why radiation causes fatigue. It could be that healthy cells are being destroyed as well as the cancerous ones and so the body is fighting to restore those.


I've had little problem from the bowels - these can react similarly to the urethra and become inflamed, causing irregular or loose motions. Nothing much like that - I think that problem is down to my love of prunes!

And then, the bedroom department? Well, there's been progress there too. Apart from having the prescription, which I have not yet started, things seem to be improving on their own simply by making matters a little less frequent. I actually scored "Three and a half!" from Gloria, so not bad there.

Next week I get my CT scan and blood test and the following week I see the consultant, so here's hoping for good progress.