I am so afraid.

My husband has been diagnosed with aggressive and advanced prostate cancer. 
he is having hormone treatment and has just completed six sessions of chemotherapy. 
He is a shadow of his former self. He has lost weight, lost his hair and his fingernails are falling off due to the chemotherapy. He is SO tired all the time and clearly feels really ill, though he is trying really hard to put a brave face on it. 
I am the only non dependent he has and sometimes I feel like I will crumble under the weight of supporting him and three grown up kids. 
out lives are so different and scary. This is the last thing that I think about at night and the first thing that I think about in the morning. 
He keeps asking me whether he will be alright and I keep saying yes. He is very low. 
I am so frightened of losing him and find myself sending up a prayer. Please don't die. Please don't die. 
If I start to cry I will never stop. I can't bear to see him suffering like this, but am too scared to lose him. X

  • Hi again just checking I'm on permanent hormone therapy (decapeptyl) and cemotherapy when neaded, (Docetaxel). It's their if you want to check it against your husbands treatment.. When i finished chemo i was ill for nearly two weeks before i started to feel OK (i won't say better). If hubby is on same as me he will probably put on couple of stones (sorry for old imperial measures), and start having hot flushes,.. Hope this helps......

    Billy 

  • Thanks, Billy. It's good to know what to expect.  It has been one week since his sixth chemotherapy (currently the last) and I'm hoping he will begin to feel better than he does now. 
    he has also got to have radiotherapy next. 
    the chemotherapy has knocked him for six though. Glad he's done that. 
    do you stay on the hormone therapy as a permanent thing? X

  • Yes hormone therapy rest of life. With mine spending further radiotherapy would be a waste of time it only works on small areas one at a time,. With mine my psa will rise then i have more chemo. With your husband thares a good chance that the radiotherapy will kill the cancer.

    P.s I'm only guessing with what I've put at the end but it seems logical....... Billy 

  • Thanks Billy. 
    its all a bit much at the moment, but it's good to hear how you are managing things. It's also very reassuring. 
    x
     

  • You are most welcome. Time is so precious in all walks of life and I believe we should always take the time to listen to and help in any way, others around us. Take care. x

  • Hi,

     

    So sorry to hear about your husband. My mam is currently palliative care from Lung Cancer and it has been the hardest thing I have ever went through in my life. But... somehow and somewhere you get this strength and power to support them. 

    Its so hard to not be selfish because you dont want to loose them but try and remember you would never want your loved one to be in pain. Sending love  x

  • Hi ,I too am in the same position as you , We are 14 months into a two year prognosis ,My beautiful Husband who is 54   was dianosed with stage 4 Renal cell sarcoma , IThe cancer is in his lymph nodes shoulder bone Liver and spine ,  This last year has been a million miles away from our lovely past life  :( We try so hard to be posotive ,but some days when he is in pain and is so frightened ,i feel exactly the way you describe ,There is nothing more hearbreaking than seeing someone you love so dearly deteriorate ,He has lost 6 stone in just over a year ,like yr husband he is  tired , He is sick a lot too ,He is also suffering bad anxiety ,and to top that this week he has bad  constiption , he has also  started crying a lot and loosing hope .I am usualy the most optomistic posotive person you could meet ,but this last two months have knocked me sideways ,I have been walking around with what feels like an apple stuck in my throat and my shoulders feel like they have been stitched to my head where my neck is so tence . Yesterday i decided i needed to do something about it ,as like you we have three beautiful  grown up children and two little grandchildren who are also suffering seeing there dad and Grandad suffering  in this way  I cannot allow them to see me also going downhill  ,I joined a yoga class and decided to talk to people who were in a simular situation to me ,as it is so easy to feel alone , I also had a massage today It is so very hard to try and keep someone feeling safe when you are frightend yrself ,But in looking after yr own wellbeing is certainly a step in the right direction to being able to give better support and comfort , I / We have being listening to a book called the Power of now on audibles ,which is a very inspiring book ,It is a bit wordy but is so powerful as it teaches us to live in the present moment , Im sorry i cant be of any real help to you ,but in telling you my story hope  it helps to know yr not alone on this journey xxx

  • Dear Alvey, thank you so much for taking the time to write to me when things are so difficult for you, too. 
    it resonates with me that your life seems so different to the way it used to be. I find the same thing and also find myself feeling so sad that things are not the way they used to be or the way that I thought they would be. 
    I spoke to another person in the Cancer Chat page and he was very positive. He told me that he now lives a new normal. I know exactly what he means and it helped to take things one step at a time. 
    it sounds as though you are taking some very good steps in terms of your own wellbeing and staying strong for everyone else and this sounds like something that I would find beneficial too. 
    it's so mentally exhausting to love someone so much and watch them suffer and sometimes I am overwhelmed by it all. 

    I wish I could find something that I could do that would free the grief that I am feeling some of the time. just a bit of headspace. 
    I'm thinking about mindfulness or something similar. 
    I feel so much for you and the way that you are feeling yourself and I'm so sorry that you are going through this. 
    you sound like you are doing your absolute best and you can't do any more than that. 
    My thoughts are with you. 
    Hisgirl. Xx

     

  • hi. so sad about your situation. i am in a similar situation and just wanted you to know you're not alone. my boyfriend has terminal cancer and there's nothing that can be done. he's only 19. i am terrified for the day he becomes in agony and finally the day i will lose him forever. i cannot put into words how much pain and fear it brings. sending my love to you and your family. good luck with the treatment. hang in there. 

  • Hi,

    thanks you for your post. 
    I can't imagine what you are going through, particularly with you both being so young and I'm so very sorry that you are having to face this. 
    you sound as though you are being very strong for your boyfriend and he will appreciate that. 
    I hope that you manage to keep going and keep your chin up. 
    you are in my thoughts. 
    Hisgirl x
    I