My dad (65 y/o) who has been a super health/fit guy was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Prostate Cancer w/mets to local lymph nodes and multiple bone sites (around 5 including, scapula, ribs, and spine.) His PSA was about 261 when he had blood work completed on Feb 1st. He started to have trouble urinating, some fatigue (but nothing that was major at the time), and had an unrelated superficial blood clot in his leg. He was hospitalized due to poor kidney lab work due to his overly enlarged prostate blocking his ability to urinate. He spent about 1 week in the hospital which is when bone scans and CT were completed and when his overly enlarged prostate and metastasis were discovered. The news was the worst of my families life (me-the son, daughter, and wife). My father eventually had a foley catheter placed and 2 nephrostomy tubes placed to relieve the pressure on his kidney and to by pass the blockage from the prostate. My fathers kidney function has mostly returned to 100% and the swelling from his left leg went away with eliquis. My fathers spirits were up upon being able to return home. His biospy came back as Gleason Group Score 5 (aggressive) adenocarcinoma. The urologist has been really uplifting to my dad and reminded him that even aggressive prostate cancer is much slower than other cancers and adenocarcinoma is the most common type of cancer. My father had his first injection of Lupron about a week ago. He has some aches and pains in his back but cant quite tell if its the tubes or his actual back as he recently had PT. My father from what I can tell is going through the motions. He was so happy to be out of the hospital that his spirits were raised just to be in the comforts of home. I gave him a tablet with games and many different streaming apps to distract him as much as possible. My family encourges him to sit outside in his backyard. He easily fatigues when we take him on walks and its been hard for him to adjust to his new physical state as he had always been so fit. I and my sister sometimes notice that he is despondent as the initial joy of returning home has gone and his diagnosis has set in. My family spends as much time with him and we have all changed our schedules to try and spend as much time with him as possible. We support him as much as we can, but it pains us to see him lost as he has always been a fighter, but I also realize that this is normal. If anyone can share their stories and or other ways to help support my father as much as possible, my family would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!
