Husband diagnosed with secondary bone cancer after emergency spinal decompression surgery - in total shock still

On 10 March 2021 my husband became unable to walk and was rushed to hospital where a tumour was found that was causing spinal cord compression. He had emergency major spinal surgery to remove the tumour on 11 March because, according to the surgeon, he was just hours away from paralysis. Following the spinal trauma caused by the surgery, he is having to learn to walk again.

While in hospital the problem was diagnosed as secondary bone cancer, with the primary cancer later diagnosed as prostate cancer. He was told by his oncologist on 27 April that he has an average life expectancy of 3 to 5 years, and cancer treatment has started (hormone therapy while he was still in hospital, just finished 5 days of radiotherapy, and chemo we think will start next week).

Over the course of several months preceding these events, he had upper back pain that went across his shoulders and into his neck, but we had no idea it could be cancer and no x-rays or scans were ordered by our GP, which would have shown the large tumour he had growing on his spine. He's only 54 and had never had a PSA test before this happened. When measured in hospital his PSA count was 169, but he had never had symptoms of prostate cancer. He had never stayed in hospital or had an operation before. Now he has two rods and nine screws in his upper back. We are in total shock. He is an outdoor instructor and always been very robust and strong. I can only hope that this stands him in good stead as we go through the treatment journey.