If it's Thursday, it must be Doctor Day, when I check in weekly with any of my questions or concerns and when the Doctor assesses my progress and imparts any information I may need to know at each stage of the game. I was pleased to hear that my level of side effects is right where it should be at this stage. This includes fatigue from the hormone therapy and changes in bathroom habits which should subside quite a bit 2 weeks after radiation ends and should be completely gone about 2 months after the end of treatment. I was given a brochure titled "Follow Up After Radiation" which discusses what I can expect in terms of blood tests and frequency of doctor's visits for the next 2 years or so. Basically, my PSA will be checked several times during the first year or so to establish a new baseline and to look for any spikes that may need to be addressed. This brochure also addresses the lessening of side effects over time and healthy diet and exercise ideas. As far as diet goes, it's just the standard heart healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, lean meat, fish, etc. Also, antioxidant supplements like a daily multivitamin are recommended although these have been stopped during the treatment to make it more effective. I will also need to keep my Calcium and Vitamin D levels up to promote bone health and recovery from the radiation. More to follow as my treatment winds down.
Today's picture is one that I entitled "Great yoga pose bro!" It is a Cattle Egret commenting on the position that this Great Egret in its mating plumage managed to find itself in at Murphy Park in Taylor, TX earlier this spring. Note the beautiful green around the eyes that the Great Egrets have during their mating season.
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