More Some Side Effects of Prostate Radiation that Oncologists Kind of Tell you About; or,GDT a Guy’s Dilemma

Franz Von Stuck

Sisyphus 1920

One of the most important things oncologists generally don’t tell you about is GDT…Guys Don’t Talk.  Oh, maybe we whine to friends and family and partners about the horrible side effects of ADT and post-surgery or radiation, but the bottom line is, unlike women, guys usually don’t talk to each other unless it’s about sports or other less existential issues like sex or where to get the best chicken wings or where the best Hooters breasts can be seen.  You know, important stuff.  It took my oncology team weeks to suggest going online to look for a support group or join a support group or discover what opportunities my insurance company offered in terms of mental health support or recommend a psych-oncologist (a specialty I had no notion of ever existing) to deal with my mood swings and depression.  Weeks.  By that time, Lupron had attacked the prostate and the dreaded side effects were pretty much on a roll.  “What’s the point after they’ve started.  It’s beyond my control.”  That was my first thought as well, but, you see, we’re kind of on the same team even though we may wear different uniforms.  In and of themselves, talking or listening may not contribute to the lessening of the effects of ADT (Androgen Deprivation Therapy, as we know it), but listening to guys who are going through the same thing can, in fact, bolster one’s outlook and lessen one’s anxiety.  To that end, I recommend leaning on a teammate, whomever that might be, which might make one feel less helpless than Sisyphus…

There are a number of sites for help online and on Facebook like the PCRI, Prostate Cancer Institute Helpline or Zero Prostate Cancer…https://zerocancer.org/help-and-support/find-support-group or Man Up to Cancer.  The point is you don’t have to go through this thing alone.  Probably something Sisyphus was hoping for himself.  Eventually, for me, I had to seek psychiatric/psychological help since my anxiety wasn’t being treated and until I was prescribed an antidepressant, my days and nights were less than optimal.  That’s not to say everyone will experience that type of anxiety, but you should know that it’s possible and prepare for it in advance.  Be informed and ask questions so you don’t end up like Sisyphus.