Advanced Prostate Cancer and the Expected Life Expectancy

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me . As a rule I am a worrier,  after the initial shock of my husbands diagnosis which I spent a whole week of crying and hugging him and him losing patience with me and telling me I am making our lives miserable , I managed to pull myself together and crack on with things . Some days we don't mention that awful " C" word.  My husbands response to the diagnosis was " As far as I'm concerned it's business as usual " . We are making plans for our holidays , just as we would before the diagnosis. 

Drifter

 Ulls you knocked the nail right on the head there:

Ulls said:

Remember we men have to put up with the cancer, our wives have to put up with the cancer and us men

Also Alwayshope says:

Alwayshope said:

This is going to be a marathon, not a sprint

Take Care 

Hi Drifter , I don’t know much about your husbands diagnosis or treatment plan, but fully understand where you are in trying to rationalise this journey.  It will get better, but that probably doesn’t help you right now.  I recently wrote a condensed version of my journey which you can find here The end - straight to palliative care! which might give you some hope.  Please feel free to ask any questions.  David

I think you go through every emotion possible when the diagnosis hits and treatments begin, it’s just such a shock, I think we all go through it. treatment, mainly chemo, can be brutal for both of you but once through it you find a new norm, things are different now but you can still have a good life with them x

Hi 

Sorry to hear about your situation.

I can empathise with your husband I went to our GP complaining of backache and stomach pain which they put down to Acid Reflux. Only after spasms that lasted 40 minutes or so and month later on did they decide to get a CT scan. Came back with prostate cancer which had spread to lymph nodes, then after an MRI scan I am told it has spread to my spine and required surgery.

Part of my spine was removed and replaced with metalwork, after 10 days in hospital I return as an internal bleed had developed after another lengthy stay I go home. After 3 days I go back as the bleed develops an infection. Another 10 day stay and am sent home with 90 days of very strong antibiotics.

 I’m not trying to give you my hard luck story ans after that my Oncologist put me on something called Apalutamide and told me that at the start of this my PSA was 4900 and is now 0.32!

I have been given me a prognosis of 5 years, I’m only a few months into the journey and I’m no doctor but I’m sure your husband’s prognosis should be longer.

Hoping for better news for you and wishing you both well.

Chappy123

I am in a not exactly similar situation my oncologist wouldn't give a life expectancy ....he was very upbeat saying you will be seeing me for years. I have lymph node involvement only  i had radiothapy and my psa was low for 3 and a half years then it started to rise. I spent a lot of wasted time getting depressed  and doing nothing but crying   I  now realise it's the living that's important. I am now on adt and live for living.. its difficult at times and like most of us we hope to see new treatments being developed to prolong life.    wasted to much  time on cancer  

So true, my OH was so down for a long time, it takes a while to come to terms with it 

That’s a great attitude.  Stay positive.  David

It does I am trying to say   its OK to cry and be angry  with yourself. I had signs ..I just didn't know they were signs...I grew up thinking  incontinence was just part of ageing. We need a national screening programme. 

That's a tremendous psa drop and I hope the apalutomide keeps it static for as long as possible.