I expected hot flashes when I started hormone therapy for prostate cancer. What caught me off guard was how a night of broken sleep could follow me into the next morning’s meetings, or how easily I could lose a word I’d used a thousand times.

Three months into a planned two years of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for Stage 4A prostate cancer, I’m still working full time and going through salvage radiation. In this episode, I share what low testosterone has felt like for me, from hot flashes and brain fog to the emotional changes I wasn’t ready for.

I also talk about the practical adjustments that have helped and why I bring these changes up with my care team.If you’ve been on ADT or supported someone through it, what surprised you most about the first few months?

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I’m sharing my own experience as a patient. Bring questions about your symptoms and treatment to your care team.

What does prostate cancer radiation treatment really feel like when you're halfway through 39 sessions?

I'm now 22 treatments into a planned course of 39 salvage radiation treatments following my radical prostatectomy for Stage 4A prostate cancer.

And if there's one thing I'm learning, it's that there's a pretty big difference between knowing what the side effects might be and actually living with them.

In this episode of Jonesing For The Journey, I'm sharing an honest, firsthand update on what radiation treatment has been like as I reach the halfway point.

The first week wasn't particularly difficult. But as the treatments continued, the side effects began adding up.

We're talking about the things that don't always make it into conversations about radiation treatment:

🔹 Radiation fatigue: Why this exhaustion feels different from simply being tired—and why I describe it as something that settles deep into your bones.

🔹 Bowel changes and diarrhea: One of the less glamorous realities of pelvic radiation treatment, but something patients deserve to know about.

🔹 Urinary frequency and interrupted sleep: What it's like waking up repeatedly throughout the night and trying to start the next day feeling rested.

🔹 Working through treatment: Balancing daily radiation appointments, physical fatigue, and the brain fog that can accompany androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

🔹 The cumulative effects of radiation: Why feeling reasonably well during the first few treatments doesn't necessarily predict how you'll feel several weeks later.

I'm also sharing what I've learned about listening to my body, communicating with my treatment team, and managing the challenges that come with radiation therapy.

My treatment includes salvage radiation following prostate surgery, along with ADT. Everyone's experience is different, but I believe hearing what treatment is actually like from another patient's perspective can help make the unknown a little less intimidating.

If you're preparing for prostate cancer radiation, currently undergoing treatment, or supporting someone who is, I hope this conversation helps you feel more informed and less alone.

And if you've already been through radiation, I'd love to hear how your experience compared with mine.

Remember: Ask one more question. Take an active interest in your own rescue.

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Real Life. Real Journeys. Real Hope.

And so…the adventure continues.

Medical disclaimer: This podcast shares my personal experiences and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always discuss symptoms, treatment decisions, and concerns with your healthcare team.

Seven months after radical prostatectomy, how much recovery should you expect? What gets better, what doesn't, and what happens when prostate cancer treatment is far from over?

Seven months ago, I underwent a robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy after being diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer. I knew recovery wouldn't happen overnight, but I don't think I fully understood how much life would change after surgery.

In this episode of Jonesing For The Journey, I'm sharing an honest update on where things stand seven months later—the progress, the frustrations, the unexpected challenges, and the things I'm still learning.

We talk about:

• Urinary incontinence: Going from approximately six pads a day after catheter removal to just one insert a day, and what that progress has meant.

• Erectile dysfunction and intimacy: The reality of recovery when nerve-sparing surgery wasn't possible, and why intimacy is about so much more than intercourse.

• Physical recovery: The lingering swelling in my legs, the changes to my body, and learning to recognize what recovery looks like for me.

• The emotional side of recovery: Coming to terms with the changes cancer has brought to my life, my marriage, and the future Sue and I had envisioned.

• Life after surgery: Why reaching the seven-month milestone doesn't mean the cancer journey is over, especially as I continue treatment for Stage 4A prostate cancer.

Some things have improved considerably. Others are still a work in progress.

And some things may never return to exactly what they were before.

But I'm learning that recovery isn't always about getting back to who you were. Sometimes it's about learning how to move forward with who you are today.

If you're preparing for a radical prostatectomy, recovering from prostate cancer surgery, or supporting someone who is, I hope hearing my experience helps you feel a little more informed and a little less alone.

Remember: Never make an important decision based on a single piece of information. Ask one more question.

🎙️ Jonesing For The Journey
Real Life. Real Journeys. Real Hope.

🌐 Explore our stories, resources, and patient advocacy information:
https://jonesingforthejourney.com

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https://www.youtube.com/@JonesingForTheJourney

Medical disclaimer: This episode reflects my personal experiences with prostate cancer surgery and recovery. Everyone's recovery is different. Always discuss medical concerns and treatment decisions with your healthcare team.

And so…the adventure continues.