Grandad has cancer

i am so close with my grandad, I just don't know what I'd do without him. He's been diagnosed with prostae cancer and has to have radiotherapy but he had a mini heart attack and I read his medication could bring on a more fatal heart attack. I just really don't want to lose him. This is the tenth diagnosis in my family, across 4 different people, it just feels like cancer just won't go away. Someone close to me is always fighting it and although it's not me going through it I just feel exhausted like do we really have to do all of this again. Why does it have to be another person I love, why does this have to keep happening. I just don't know what to do anymore. I've been feeling so low and anxious and to make things worse work are piling on the pressure at the moment and I just don't know if I can cope, I just want the pain to stop. Has anyone else felt like this? Does it get better? It seems like one grandads radio starts its going to be worse because of how it will affect him at nearly 80. 

  • Hi Danielle,

    I am a grandad who has had and recovered from prostate cancer. I had 37 sessions of radiotherapy and I had very little side effects from it. All I had were easily treated and never caused me any real problems. The main thing is it does make you tired, patriculary when you are nearing the end of the sessions. But the lovely nurse advised, if I felt tired when I got home to just go and have a lie down for a few minutes and it worked for I was allright after a quarter of an hour. One side effect is radiotherapy can give you diahreaha so I bought some Imodium Instants and these worked very well for such a small tablet. 

    As well as having had cancer myself I have also lost ten close relatives to cancer, including my mother and my father, so I do know how your feeling. Thats the reason I joined this forum, not to get help for myself but to try and help others for I know what cancers like from both sides of the fence.

    I hope your granddad sails through the radio therapy with no side effect much like me and that he makes a good recovery. But you need to take care of yourself too. Cancer doesnt just effect the patient, it somehow drags all the family and friends into its web and causes them to worry. If you ever need to talk I and others will do all we can to help you. Sending kind thoughts and best wishes your way, Brian