My husband has recently been diagnosed with Advanced Prostate Cancer which has spread to his lymph nodes and spine. He commences chemotherapy next week. Things are all happening very fast but we have been told that it’s not curable but could be manageable. Can anyone give me any advice or anything positive about this? I am absolutely beside myself and want to help him so much. We have been married for 37 years and this year we both decided to take early retirement and enjoy the rest of our lives together but this diagnosis has just been made and we are both absolutely devastated.
Hi Journeyone and welcome to the Online Community but so sorry to hear about your husbands diagnosis.
A cancer diagnosis in the family like this can be such a challenging and stressful time but I do hope you will find the Community a safe place to get support and to ask your questions.
The Community is divided into support groups (discussion rooms) so can I recommend you join and post in our supportive Prostate cancer, Lymph nodes, secondary cancer and Spinal cord tumours support groups. These are safe places to talk to others who may have a similar diagnosis and treatment experience, to ask questions and get support from family members who are navigating the same journey.
If you'd like to connect in with a group click on the Green (Bold) group links I have created above. Once the group page opens click on the black banner that says [click to join] at the bottom, or the [Join] button under "Group tools."
You can then introduce yourself by putting up a ‘new post’ by clicking in the box near the top right with + New or + (Depending on the device you are using) and you are ready to go. You could copy and paste the text from this post into your new post.
When it comes to the practical and emotional challenges of supporting family you may also benefit from joining our general Carers only and Supporting someone with incurable cancer support groups where you will connect with others navigating the same support challenges.
The Macmillan Support Line is open from 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00 where you can talk with someone about specific cancer and practical information, get emotional support, benefits/financial guidance or just connect with a listening ear. We also have our Ask an Expert section but do allow a few working days for a reply.
It is an emotional time supporting family so you might find this Macmillan information your feelings when someone has cancer helpful as well as this link getting help with your emotions.
Talking to people face to face can be very helpful so do check to see if you have any Local Macmillan Support in your area, do also check for a local Maggie's Centre as these folks are amazing and aim to give support to all the family.
Please do get back to me if you need further help.
