Flowmax

A few weeks ago I told you of one common side effect affecting me, slow urination. I had been treating it with Advil which worked until two week ago. I talked to my doctor about it. At this stage treatment he normally left up to the patient to decide whether Flomax was needed. I filled the prescription. Thirty of these pills cost a little over $100 at RiteAid.

Even though I bought Flowmax I wasn't sure I wanted to use it. After reading the warnings I wasn't at all sure I wanted to take those pills. The potential effects were dizziness so you shouldn’t operate machinery, could cause a drop in blood pressure, floppy iris syndrome (whatever that is) and a possible painful erection lasting more than four hours. Isn’t there a commercial for one of the ED drugs (Viagra Cialis or Levitra) with the same warning? I wonder what happens if you take both Flowmax and one of the other drugs? Could it last for eight hours?

Last Wednesday night I caved in. I took it after dinner. No dizziness no unnatural erection and a very normal pee! Wow works great! When the prostate is irritated, like being zapped by protons, the muscles within the prostate tense and the prostate swells which constricts the urethra. Flowmax apparently relaxes the muscles relieving the constriction of the urethra, so the urine flows more normally. It’s a wonderful feeling to have your bladder empty.

This has been a busy week and somewhat emotional week. Every Tuesday we have a patient’s pot luck and every Wednesday there is a support meeting for the proton patients. Each of the events is attended by a large number of patients and their spouses. At one Wednesday night meeting there was close to two hundred people. One of the common traditions is to have the new patient introduce themselves and the graduating patients each give a short speech. Last week I had tears in my eyes as I listened to some of the speeches and the realization within the next few days we will start to break the bonds we have made with each other as we re-enter our normal lives.

Connye and I started the week with a day trip to Laguna Beach just to look at art galleries.

The next day, we went to visit to the Getty Museum where Connye and I were so captivated with the exterior of the buildings and the grounds we never made it in to see the collections.

Wednesday night we saw one of our new friends off having had his last treatment. It’s gives great comfort when someone who has worked with accelerators all of his working life and chooses of all the available places for treatment the same one I did.

Thursday was a sailing day with Steve and Carol. They were kind enough to invite me along for a day sail south of Newport Beach.

My Brother JP and his daughter spent Saturday going to Bimmerfest a show of BMWs (sorry I forgot my camera in the car) and a visit of Santa Barbara’s Harbor.