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Originally Posted by Tink
Diana, I'm sorry you're all having to endure that.
Sadly, Drs don't push very hard to talk older men into having surgery for prostate cancers because it's normally a slow moving cancer and they end up dying of something else before the cancer would have gotten them anyway. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's the most commonly left UNtreated of the cancers.
We have friends who developed it in their 50s who had treatment and said later they almost wish they hadn't. The hormone treatment often makes them feel like a woman in full blown menopause complete with hot flashes, mood swings and crying at the drop of a hat. The radiation often leaves them impotent and incontinent. It's hard for a man to retain his dignity with any of that going on; and for some that's more important than living longer if that's the way their life will be.
It's a rotten thing to have to deal with, but I'm sure he had his reasons for choosing not to treat it and in spite of where he's at now, he probably wouldn't have done it any differently had he known.  |
I think that when he found out that he had it it was already somewhat advanced. His psa numbers were already high and I think that he was thinking it was slow growing too, but he was more advanced in it then he thought. It's been really hard on my husband's family especially since his Mom's not in the best of shape either so they're actually dealing with both parents right now.
Even without treatment he's experiencing several of the symptoms that you've described. It's just the pits. As I said he's a great father and grandfather. I always wished that my own Dad was more like him.