Hello ,I'm new on here .My father who is 87 has prostate cancer and has had fir a few years and has been dormant ,However after finding blood in his urine and a cathetar fitted he qent for a bladder scan yesterday and has been told he now has bladder cancer He has to have another operation to see how deep the cancer is ,My worry is that my dad is so frail ,he cannot walk ,also is on blood thinners as well as other medications and would he be able to recover from this op.he is continually getting infections in his chest and urine too ,
Any advice would help please or whether anyone else is going through the same ?
Hi Jackie, welcome to this friendly forum. I am so sorry you find yourself here following your dads diagnosis. I can hear the worry in your words and I understand that. To see your dad so frail, having to go through any procedure would be a natural concern. I am sure his surgical team and anaesthetist will do a full and thorough pre op assessment , where they will determine what happens next , with your dads consent . Is it possible you can attend this pre assessment and list all the questions you need answers to. In the meantime perhaps phone the macmillan helpline , they will be very familiar with your situation. I wish you all the best and hope your dad gets the treatment he needs very soon.
And welcome to the group. Iam sorry to hear your fathers situation and I know its a real concern for yourself. Angela is absolutely right in what she said. The hospital team will look at all the options open once the degree of cancer is determined. Write down any questions you have so will remember them when the time comes.
I know it's an anxious time, but this forum will offer you as much support as it can. Don't be afraid to ask anything even if it's only for a chat, someone will always reply.
Hi Jackie, from my own experience the team will take everything you mention under consideration when they do the pro-op assessment. Halofan is right that it would help if you could attend it too.
Meanwhile, the operation they are talking about is, I think, a TURBT - they may have given him a pamphlet on it or if not you can see one on the Macmillan website (above). It lasts only about an hour and they do it get a good look at the cancer and see if it is superficial or as you say going deeper into the bladder wall. There are a variety of treatments for this cancer depending on those things. All of us who have been investigated and treated for bladder cancer have that after the scan you mention to help the medics decide what to do next. Some of us have had more than one as treatment progresses. For others it was possible to scrape the cancer away during the op and they needed little treatment afterwards
I am on blood thinners and by themselves they did not prevent my operation - they stop them for a few days before and after the op. As for his fraility, they will look hard at that. I recall the preop included taking a heart trace for example and of course the nurse doing it will see how your father is managing with walking etc. She may also talk to an anaesthetist at the same time or later. The bladder team will discuss your father's pre op results and decide whether to carry on and operate, subject of course to your father's consent. I'm sure this has all come as a shock to your father and you but the medics will take great care of him.
I am not sure, but I think I have heard of TURBTs being done under local anaesthetic. To reassure you, my husband had his knee replaced using a spinal bloc and sedation a few months ago (he is 81). I think he was a bit apprehensive about it but in the end actually enjoyed the process - even hearing the bashing and drilling! - rather him than me. He was up and about very quickly after it too as there as was no general anaesthetic to clear from his body. Maybe you could ask his team about that.
So if the TURBT is possible for your father that will help his team to discover exactly what the situation is and after they have the answers to this they will probably also talk to his prostate team and come to a decision on what to do next.
I hope this helps. At the start I knew nothing too and it seemed worrying. Learning about the process helped me to face it a step at a time.
Oh wow ,thankyou so very much for all this information and yes ot is a TURBT,poor dad is having so much pain atm and blood in his urine after the bladder scan ,we have called the Dr and now she has prescribed antibiotics yet again ,poor dad is seems he is on them every week .Thankyou so much for this information it has been so so helpful ,Jackie x
You are welcome, like I said, at the start we know nothing and then learn by doing and hearing. The above is what I wish I'd known when I was like your Dad.
