Dads blood transfusion...scared

Thank you Rosy for sharing your own experience. It is so helpful to hear from others going through or have gone through the same. It really is much appreciated. Dad got home this evening having been given 3 units of blood the previous day (presumably 1 bag = 1 unit). All his counts were low including platelets. Haemoglobin was 69. Today a doctor told us that all his counts were normal now, haemoglobin up to 102. In himself he is feeling a little better I think. He certainly appears better than day of hospital admission when he couldn't put one foot in front of the other. He is now mobile again albeit slowly and with a walking frame. He has a hospital bed downstairs now and we have lots to do tomorrow in terms of organising district nurse visits, a commode, bathroom aids and maybe care. I can't stop too long to think about all that has changed in such a frighteningly short, few months and will instead tackle each day as it comes. Hopefully the transfusion effects will last a wee while. I am very aware there is no magic bullet for advanced prostate cancer and I have thought about worst case scenario from the day I learned dads diagnosis. So I come to this forum for strength and a little bit of hope so that I can keep going another day. You have helped me. Thank you.

Edited by member 16 Jun 2016 at 23:26  | Reason: Not specified

Thank you for your kind replies everyone and the comfort blanket. Life is very strange and stressful just now and it helps to come on here. I spoke to the oncology nurse specialist today as dad was due his firmagon injection and I thought it might be stopped now. However, the nurse said that it should continue along with 4mg dexamethasone. The gp came out to administer the injection. The oncology nurse has suggested dad attends the local palliative care unit day hospital. This will establish links and blood transfusions can be given there as a day patient. We all think this is a good idea. The nurse specialist popped along to see dad when he was in hospital earlier in the week so he is fully up to date with dads current state of health. When the gp visited earlier he left some notes (perhaps accidentally) and I see that it is written down that it is not sure if family have grasped the disease progression. I feel quite upset because of course we have! But what are we supposed to do - just say, right that's it, take him away! All we want is for dad to be as comfortable as possible for as long as possible and we are trying to be as normal as possible for what else can we do? I cry plenty of tears but if we dissolve completely all day long then how can we continue like that? Oh dear, I feel like we are doing it all wrong now. I think best try to forget what I saw in the notes.