Well not good news from the VA hosp yesterday, was just too wiped out to post yesterday. Without going into a lot of particulars and whys and whatfors the bottom line is the cancer is very very agressive and the VA docs say about 6 months left ... give or take a month or two either way depending on aggressiveness and re action to treatments available versus quality of life .
Next Friday the 28th we go back to Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem NC for their follow up second opinion and see if they concur with the VA doc's.
Dad is scared , humbled , and mad all at the same time. His comment to the doctors telling him about 6 months was "Bull_**** !!! They can't tell me how long I have to live !!! " I'm tougher than they give me credit for !
We can see him going downhill some though just in the last month .
A really really stressful time based on the obvious situation with my dad and some family drama that goes along with these kinds of things involving siblings and relatives , just so much BS without really getting into specifics.
Light one up for my dad and a prayer or two and good thoughts are always welcome . Last year was rough but this year is shaping up to have the potential to be even harder . Peace brothers ...you guys are appreciated
Had to rusdh dad to the ER yesterday ( Sunday ) about 3:00 pm.
Prostate cancer has reached his bladder and he was bleeding quite a bit. Doctor had to take him to surgery because they could not get large enough cathetar(sp) in to remove blood clots . Once in operating room and having put dad under the doctor was trying to see through the blood and clots and accidentally punctured the back wall of the bladder causing a small hole which was adding to the blood. A really difficult time as he had to put contrast in to make sure ok. Once everything was cleaned out doctor said he had 4 places in his bladder that was seeping blood because of prostate cancer moving into bladder. They are attempting to stop this but he will be in hospital for a couple of more days and will have a cathetar for 7-10 days.
The doctor said that his prostate looked terrible but as far as the bladder was concerned he had much more serious things to worry about with the bone cancer ( see previous post before this one ) and the aggressiveness it was showing . He is in a lot of pain when not medicated right now. A very long day for everybody ... got home about 1:00 am , slept a few hours and went to work to take my mind off of everything like thats possible. Say a prayer for him he's a tough old guy but he's in the fight of his life right now . Thanks Gene .
I cannot pray hard enough for you right now. I know exactly what you are going through having watched cancer take my mother about 5 years ago. Stay strong and continue to use this as a way to vent. We'll be following and do whatever we can to help you through this. May God bless.
I cannot pray hard enough for you right now. I know exactly what you are going through having watched cancer take my mother about 5 years ago. Stay strong and continue to use this as a way to vent. We'll be following and do whatever we can to help you through this. May God bless.
+1 Gene. Cancer got my father, so Ive got some idea of what you're going thru and the two situations sound similar. Please feel free to PM with any questions or rages you need to get off your chest brother, and please let me know if there is anything I can do to help out. Praying my 6 off for you AND your father.
Thanks guys I appreciate the well wishes and prayers . You never know sometimes how much it means to just have someone to vent to . I may very well be pm'ing you guys questions as my dad goes thru this and I appreciate your willingness to do this .
Took him to Baptist Hosp in Winston-Salem for a second opinion and was pretty much told same as VA docs had said. Although they thought he might be a canadate for a newer treatment that had a long waiting list and they said his ins would pay for it. However , a couple of days later we found out his ins would NOT pay for it and he would have to foot the bill himself. Treatment might extend his life another 3-4 months or might not work at all . Moot point though as the cost would be over $ 127,000 dollars for treatment, hosp, and doctors .
Back to the VA Hosp and Oncology docs there last week and his doctor there said his cancer was progressing rapidly and he did not think any treatment , even the low-dose estrogen treatment talked about in January , was not a option now. Gave him a stronger pain med with morphine and wrote orders for Hospice to begin seeing him weekly.
Sandwiched in between thses two trips were another bout with a bleeding bladder , hospitalized for 4 days again as he went thru another bladder surgery . Damn , the guy can't catch a break !
Now with the stronger pain meds he is on , the doctor told him he would not be able to drive anymore , which was very depressing to him . He has good days and bad days. Some days he is clear and coherent (sp) and others he will say some really random stuff . This makes me and my wife wonder if it has gone to his brain as he has a lot of simularities to what my wife's dad went thru when his cancer reached his brain.
Speaking of which , my wife has had a very very rough week ( it was Mar 8 Last year her dad passed with cancer ) and she was very much a daddys girl . Seeing my dad progress downhill more rapidly than anyone anticipated has been a tough thing to see and accept, for all of us .
We continue to pray and hope for a miracle but also prepare ( if one can ever really prepare ) for what lies ahead .
Your support and prayers are comforting and appreciated . Thanks to all my BOTL and SOTL who have thought about our family . Gene
I'm really sorry to hear this Gene. I can't imagine what you are going through and my thoughts and prayers go out to you brother! If there is anything a BOTL can do just shoot me a pm! We will keep sending good thoughts your way bro!
Comments
Next Friday the 28th we go back to Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem NC for their follow up second opinion and see if they concur with the VA doc's.
Dad is scared , humbled , and mad all at the same time. His comment to the doctors telling him about 6 months was "Bull_**** !!! They can't tell me how long I have to live !!! " I'm tougher than they give me credit for !
We can see him going downhill some though just in the last month .
A really really stressful time based on the obvious situation with my dad and some family drama that goes along with these kinds of things involving siblings and relatives , just so much BS without really getting into specifics.
Light one up for my dad and a prayer or two and good thoughts are always welcome . Last year was rough but this year is shaping up to have the potential to be even harder . Peace brothers ...you guys are appreciated
Prostate cancer has reached his bladder and he was bleeding quite a bit. Doctor had to take him to surgery because they could not get large enough cathetar(sp) in to remove blood clots . Once in operating room and having put dad under the doctor was trying to see through the blood and clots and accidentally punctured the back wall of the bladder causing a small hole which was adding to the blood. A really difficult time as he had to put contrast in to make sure ok. Once everything was cleaned out doctor said he had 4 places in his bladder that was seeping blood because of prostate cancer moving into bladder. They are attempting to stop this but he will be in hospital for a couple of more days and will have a cathetar for 7-10 days.
The doctor said that his prostate looked terrible but as far as the bladder was concerned he had much more serious things to worry about with the bone cancer ( see previous post before this one ) and the aggressiveness it was showing . He is in a lot of pain when not medicated right now. A very long day for everybody ... got home about 1:00 am , slept a few hours and went to work to take my mind off of everything like thats possible. Say a prayer for him he's a tough old guy but he's in the fight of his life right now . Thanks Gene .
Took him to Baptist Hosp in Winston-Salem for a second opinion and was pretty much told same as VA docs had said. Although they thought he might be a canadate for a newer treatment that had a long waiting list and they said his ins would pay for it. However , a couple of days later we found out his ins would NOT pay for it and he would have to foot the bill himself. Treatment might extend his life another 3-4 months or might not work at all . Moot point though as the cost would be over $ 127,000 dollars for treatment, hosp, and doctors .
Back to the VA Hosp and Oncology docs there last week and his doctor there said his cancer was progressing rapidly and he did not think any treatment , even the low-dose estrogen treatment talked about in January , was not a option now. Gave him a stronger pain med with morphine and wrote orders for Hospice to begin seeing him weekly.
Sandwiched in between thses two trips were another bout with a bleeding bladder , hospitalized for 4 days again as he went thru another bladder surgery . Damn , the guy can't catch a break !
Now with the stronger pain meds he is on , the doctor told him he would not be able to drive anymore , which was very depressing to him . He has good days and bad days. Some days he is clear and coherent (sp) and others he will say some really random stuff . This makes me and my wife wonder if it has gone to his brain as he has a lot of simularities to what my wife's dad went thru when his cancer reached his brain.
Speaking of which , my wife has had a very very rough week ( it was Mar 8 Last year her dad passed with cancer ) and she was very much a daddys girl . Seeing my dad progress downhill more rapidly than anyone anticipated has been a tough thing to see and accept, for all of us .
We continue to pray and hope for a miracle but also prepare ( if one can ever really prepare ) for what lies ahead .
Your support and prayers are comforting and appreciated . Thanks to all my BOTL and SOTL who have thought about our family . Gene