FBC The Full Bladder Club: One man’s encounter with radiation therapy for prostate cancer

At the end of this summer, I was diagnosed with having prostate cancer. My doctor, the urologist and the radiation oncologist agreed, after the biopsy, that external radiation therapy was the best treatment for me. I went through the preparation process and then had 45 sessions of radiation therapy. I found this entire experience so fascinating that I kept a journal from the day of notification of a possible prostate problem to the completion of the therapy. After describing the preparation process, I broke down the narrative into daily experiences (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, etc.). I describe what I observed, what I feel; I reminisce while on the treatment table. I let my mind wander back to my childhood, my love of music, travels, etc. I call this experience the FBC or the Full Bladder Club (a full bladder is required for this form of radiation therapy). I subtitled it One man’s encounter with nine weeks of radiation therapy for prostate cancer. A story about an adult disease told with an adult sense of humor.