Need advise for my dad recently diagnosed with prostate cancer

[Edward49]

Hi , I’m writing for my dad he recently just got diagnosed with cancer it started out as a back ache he has lower back pain and hips with a MRI that was done it shows a mass on his back at the moment Kaiser is trying to find out if it started from his prostate, he is In A lot of pain his dr prescribed 10-325 norco to help with pain but all it’s doing is making him sleep , he has a bone scan test tomorrow and a MRI on Sat is there any advise you all can help me so I’m able to help my dad . Please I’m really scared for him and this pain I see him in is awful he is 71 years old .

[BigTex3]

Edward I am sure it’s both scary and unsettling to see your Dad in pain. If the narco isn’t helping with pain I would reach out to his Dr for something stronger until he completes the bone scan and MRIs. The initial testing period and the wait for treatment is the worst. I will definitely pray for your family. I know it was not easy on my children when I told them I had cancer.

[Edward49 in reply to BigTex3]

Thank you for the advise , yea seeing him in this condition is very hard the norco is just making him sleep but me trying to help him get up from the bed to help him change is awful

[Cynthgob]

The pain is usually caused by the cancer. Once my husband had chemo the pain stopped. Morphine is the drug that worked initially. And they sleep a lot on those drugs. It’s a tough diagnosis. I’m sorry you had to join this group but it’s probably kept my husband alive longer and without it I wouldn’t understand this crazy disease at all.

[Edward49 in reply to Cynthgob]

Right now I’m new to this and I’m scared for him and I’ve been researching trying to learn and get advise in order to help my dad , at the moment I just feel completely lost and helpless , it’s really hard seeing him this way , the pain is awful

[Edward49]

Still waiting on test results for dr at Kaiser to know plan

[Shooter1]

Let us know what you find out from scans and tests, Than we can really guide you through this awful introduction to the big C.

[Tall_Allen]

Fortunately, there are many excellent treatments for prostate cancer and it is usually a slowly progressing disease. Let us know what the bone scan shows.

[Vsahay]

Edward,I understand it is quite scary for you to see your dad in pain but I want to reassure you that hopefully he will begin to feel much better once the treatment begins.As of now ask his doctor to give him better medications for pain relief.

[NecessarilySo]

I'm not a doctor but I have been fighting prostate cancer for 13 years now. First of all, you need to get a PSA blood test to see if it is prostate cancer, (or something else),or how far it has progressed, (10, 100, 1000?). Judging on your few words about pain, I would assume it has gone extensively to his back and pelvis, and has progressed for years to its current serious stage. I can offer the benefit of my own experience, which is similar, but you need to consider that every case is different and there are several varieties, some grow faster, some slower. And without treatment it accelerates in rate of growth. You have to track the PSA over many months to get a sense of where your father stands, how far it has progressed, and how fast it is progressing. Treatment will depend on what scans show as well as PSA level in blood. Tumors over 3/8" can be detected by pain due to growth and by scans. I would assume his condition is late stage with large tumors in lymph nodes that have grown into bone. In my case I was lucky to discover metastasis early, with pre-tumor stage, (three years after prostate radiation therapy), did PSA rise to 10, and only recently, didscans show anything tumor size, (what they cannot see they cannot treat), except that high PSA level led to hormone treatment for me, even without symptoms). However, I have kept the growth of tumors pretty much under control with hormone therapy, (Lupron with Xtandi) lately. In fact the tumors in my back and neck lymph nodes have receded over the past few months. I would expect that for your father's treatment IF it is what it sounds llke.

[Edward49 in reply to NecessarilySo]

Hi , thank you for your information, he was staged at 4 it does sound exactly like your situation, today was his first day of hormone therapy in a pill form and a dr from Kaiser from radiation has got on contact with us for a appointment next week ,

[Pianodude]

A year ago, I thought my arthritis was starting to affect my lower back and pelvis. In June, a routine blood test showed my PSA in the 800s. A couple of weeks later, after tests and scans, I was diagnosed with Stage 4, metastatic Pca, with distant bone mets. I started into treatments a week later. Five rounds of Taxotere and monthly Firmagon shots. I have no pain, and if it weren't for the hot flashes and sweats from ADT, I wouldn't know that I have cancer. The only side effect I had with the chemo is numbness in my feet. This blog is a wonderful source of information, support, and love.

[4Rosebud]

Hi sorry to hear this...Well I have some experience. I he has prostate cancer in his bone that has spread to his back it' really painful so you have to get out of pain...my problem was I'm allergic to everything even asprin. I my case i went to a pain management specialist...They know how to get you out of any type of pain basically...we tried injecting it with cortisone several times...finally he said here's the answer..he placed a small pump like a pacemaker in my rump...and ran a catheter into my spial canal and placed it so it would deliver pain medication directly where my pain was. The pump delivers medication on a regular basis, based on reaults you get and it has saved my life...Right now he has to be able to think and make big decisiona and being ripped on norcan makes that really dificult. This is fabulous..no pain, not global drug side affects and a clear mind. I would recommend it to anyone..If it is cancer they'll probably want to radiate it and that will help get rid of pain but it takes to long...but it will help..

I worked a a kaiser and you have to...have to squeek..the squeeky wheel gets helped you know they will drag their feet if they can. but don't let them They'll also try to do as little as possible to save money..I swear its true just so you know...

If his psa is elevated above 4 the high the worse, and he pees several times at night but has a hard to starting a flow, and back pain, probably Pca. At age 70 they may hesitate treating agressively...that's normal...but they'll talk about ADT.

(androgen deprevation theraphy) to remove testosterone maybe..

They main thing with the pain, try local injections short term and a pain pump long term. the pain mes will just sreal his energy and remain time. I'm 69 but 6 years in now and stage 4 but doing great.

Good luck

be in touch

wes

[j-o-h-n]

I know it's not easy but try to take a deep breath.... he needs you NOW....

Please tell us his bio. Age 71. Location? When diagnosed? Treatment(s)? Treatment center(s)? Scores Psa/Gleason? Medications? Doctor's name(s)?

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THANK YOU AND KEEP POSTING!!!

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 01/14/2021 7:35 PM EST

[ctarleton]

Anecdotally, I had similar very severe pain in my lower back and abdomen at initial diagnosis some 7 years ago. They gave me as heavy a dose of pain meds as needed to get the initial pain under control. I had a PSA in the thousands and a bone scan that lighted up like a Christmas Tree. As I was given the initial drugs for Androgen Deprivation Therapy, my pain melted away within a couple of weeks. From there forward, things took on a longer view.

You might find the free Prostate Cancer Patient Guide at the Prostate Cancer Foundation a helpful future general reference. You can Google to find it.

The NCCN Guidelines for Patients Prostate Cancer Advanced Stage is good, too.

nccn.org/patients/guideline...

If he might someday sooner or later want a second opinion or a tele-health appointment with a Kaiser provider with some considerable experience in prostate cancer matters, he might try a referral to someone like:

mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.o...