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Prostate cancer stage 4

Sharrity25
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my dad has stage 4 prostate cancer which has spread to spine and ribs . He is on hormone injections and has just finished course of chemo . He didn't want to know his prognosis . His psa level are now minimal . He goes back in few weeks for results of scans but it's so difficult not know time frame . How do you cope with the uncertainty . 

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    Hi Sharity,

    Thanks for joining this friendly forum. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer about 7 years ago but luckily I have made a good recovery. As with any cancer the uncertainty is one one of the worst times. Even the doctors cant really give an accurat time frame for it depends a lot on the individual. My dad who was 93 and lived in Canada passed away at about this time last year but he had been in and out of hospital for three years. His prostate cancer had come back after 30 years. Several times the medical team told my family to prepare for bad news but my dad loved proving them wrong and did so time after time. 

    If you fathers psa is minimal he could last for some time for hormone therapy is a very effective treatment and I believe along with the radiotherapy I had, saved my life. All I cab say to you Sharrity is to enjoy the time with your dad and make happy memories as and when you can. The other thing I would say is most cancer patients like to try and keep some semblance of normality in their lives otherwise they feel cancer has taken over completely. Its difficult I know but I trieid it and it worked for me as it helped take my mind off the cancer.

    You face a difficult path along with your dad but never give up hope. Please keep in contact and let us know how your getting on.

    Sending best wishes and kind thoughts your way, Brian

     

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    My brother was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer at the age of 59. He wasn't given very good odds to be honest with you. His cancer had spread too.  However, 5 years later (to this very day in fact) he is still with us.  He has constant treatment and I won't say it has been easy but he has a nice quality of life, he goes on holiday and whilst he cannot do everything the same as before, we never expected for one minute that he would still be here 5 years later so never give up hope even if the diagnosis initially sounds too awful to deal with.  The uncertainty and the waiting, as you will read on other posts, is the one thing that people find the very hardest to deal with.

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