Follow up from my previous post & many thanks to the helpful advice from members here.
I scheduled a teleconference with Dr Albert Chang at UCLA in November, scheduling is 3 months out so treatments were Feb.3 and 6. Normally a week apart but since I flew in they did 3days apart. We stayed at the Luskin Conference Ctr & hotel, 3 blocks north of the medical center. Can’t beat the location and there’s a UCLA shuttle that takes you back & forth. The UCLA staff was outstanding, everyone. I could write pages about it. Would love to work with people like that at my medical center back home. I mentioned Dr Kamrava’s name, they spoke highly of him as he trained there. Their website mentions epidural for the anesthesia but it’s now Propofol infusion with O2 mask, you’re out, very smooth. Takes about 45 minutes to place grid/tubes in the perineum, you awaken, get a quick CT & MRI, then to holding area for 30 minutes. You stay flat on the stretcher, can have all the juice & water you want. My wife was there, goes fast, then into the chamber for the treatment-music of your choice for the 20 minutes you’re in there, then they remove the 16 tubes & foley, and you’re done! Definitely pain with urinating the first 24 hours, relieved with pyridium/tylenol and 1 hydrocodone. Repeat 3 days later, that time no postop pain with urinating. One note, I was much more comfortable with the first session upon awakening, waiting, chamber, foley removal due to a touch of dilaudid intraop ( ty Dr Altenhofen!) than I was with the second session ( no dilaudid).
Flew home two days later. Had hesitancy & reduced stream for a week , stayed on flomax and went away. Was supposed to take flomax for a month but stayed on it 3 months as when I tried stopping, hesitancy and reduced stream would recur. No GI side effects.
Yesterday checked my first PSA, 0.8. ( was 7 at treatment). I really enjoyed the experience, crazy as that sounds, due to the doctors, PA, nurses, techs, even the secretaries. They were all so nice & friendly. Can’t recommend them enough. Dr Chang even had a few funny quips, which I always enjoy.