Hello Manda and welcome to the site.
I'm sorry but your post had slipped down the list and sometimes they get missed but hopefully now it will get answers.
You are not alone in being a daughter of a much loved dad just diagnosed. I see you have already commented on Jenrocks post so you know that already.
Gleason score of 9 (4+_5 ?) is not as high as 10 and PSA of 13 is not as high as Trevor Boothe's initial PSA of (among others) of 13,000 (yes that does read thirteen thousand!!)
Nobody can say how long your dad has. His treatment may be quite successful and he'll have years, albeit living with cancer.
You're a really close family and that is good, excellent in fact, as it means you all lean on each other and support each other.
Your rock and your hero is with you now and the help and support of you all will go a long way towards helping him cope with treatment and its outcomes.
Be patient with him and each other. This cancer diagnosis puts a strain on everyone.
Always make sure somebody is with him at appointment time (if he'll let you that is) and take a notebook and pen to write down answers.
If you don't understand them the first time then ask for it to be repeated. He needs to have all the information going so that he can make his choices.
Go to Publications on the main page and get hold of the Toolkit which gives lots of info and helps you with question making ready for appointments.
You're there and he has you - you have us now!
There is no need for panic at this stage. Just gather the information and come back to us if it needs explaining.
All the best
Sandra
Edited by member 23 Jun 2016 at 12:21
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We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails |
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It is good that they are putting him on two hormones, although the tablets may only be a temporary thing to stop his cancer from flaring when he starts the injections.
PCa feeds on testosterone so the tablets disguise testosterone vto trick the cancer cells into thinking they are being starved. Then the injections work by stopping dad's body from producing any, which actually does starve the cancer. Ideally, the tumours then shrink and your dad should find that the pain and other symptoms reduce very quickly. Of course the hormones have their side effects but nothing as bad as bone pain. I hope dad is feeling more like his old self very soon.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
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Hi Manda welcome to our group we are a caring bunch who you can ask anything ,as Sandra says your Dads treatment could be successful ,so as you say how long is unknown , try to get him to post to the group as sounding off does help we all have been in his position that dreaded day when you get told . all the best Andy