My Dad

Some of you may remember me - I haven´t posted for a while, and the life with 3 kids is more than busy, but I do occassionally look here and am amazed at the level of support, care and knowledge, I yet have to find a place, real or virtual, that does it better. When I look back to December 2010, when my Dad was diagnosed with metastatic PC, I instanteniously panicked and worried so much - I was pregnant with my third child, and little did I know (and I would advise all the caregivers the same), that it was not an 100m or 800m race, but rather a marathon, or even more like a combination of an ultra-marathon and an iron-men contest. In the meantime, the little boy is 7, the most talkative and happy of the 3, and as such brought also so much joy to Grandpa.

My Dad´s PC is somewhat of a mystery. He had 3 positive bone spots at his diagnosis, then they disappeared. His PSA was at no point larger than 10, which many would suggest means an agressive PC. Well, it was not, it hasn´t been. Currently, his PSA has been hanging around 2.5 mark, for a year - in his second "off hormones" phase. He is not taking anything. Stopped taking Zometa a year ago, a bit controversial, but he wanted to make a break. So why am I writing? Well, because he fell 2 days ago. Broke his hip. Totally stupid. In his original scintigram, he had a lesion on his left hip bone, which disappeared in subsequent scintigrams. But this is his right hip now.

I live thousands of km away, my brother quickly got to him from a nearby city and mentioned that the young orthopedist who admitted him in our local hospital was "not so optimistic given the nature of his disease". I am not sure what this means, but been around long enough to know when something sounds like BS to me. My father is in excellent physical shape, walks & rides bike every day, normal weight, never had any heart problems. I wanted to ask you guys....I have no experience with hip fracture, I know it is serious. But can he get better? Should we demand? Of course, I am worried like crazy. I talked to my Dad before he went to the hospital...he said "Not sure why I should go, it doesn´t hurt when I am laying, it´s probably nothing, how are the kids doing?"...he always has to be braver than normal. Hugs to all.

My dad had a hip replacement at 90. It has served him well he is now 94. Mobility is extremely important to health. Hopefully your dad is working with a physical therapist on using a walker or a wheelchair and is able to transfer without too much assistance. He can continue in rehabilitation as long as he makes progress. However if he cannot be independent after rehabilitation or is in too much pain he should seek out a successful surgeon who can replace his hip. He sounds healthy enough for the procedure. I am not sure if the prostate cancer caused the fracture and he may need additional testing to determine that prior to surgery.

69 yrs., marathon runner with knee injury, 41 of 44 3D-CRT/IMRT Radiation delivered via 3D-CRT in 1.8 Gy minimum dose fractions to a total of 79.2 Gy., 10.5.18. PSA .012, 8.12.18, 1.42 June 18, 2018 (Lupron 5.21.18 & 8.15.18), 12.7 May 2018, 13.7 Jan. 2018, 2.1 May 2012. SpaceOar 9.6.18, testosterone <.7, 8.15.18, Tot Mayo 19 ng .17 testosterone Free 6.18.18, Gleason 3+4=7 involving 15% of the right apex and 15% of the right mid, 3+3=6 prostate cancer involving 5% of the left base. Pathology interpretations by John Hopkins, UNM Cancer, and SF Path 3+4=7 or 4+3=7 MD Anderson Proton Center w/o %. T3 MRI w/ contrast 1.8 lesion left side 5P, Neg. Bone Scan. Prolaris test 3.5 consistent with intermediate and a PTEN test negative. Father PC age 78 RT & ADT now 93 yrs. Neurogenic bladder due to lumbar disk disease and recurrent bladder neck contracture with urinary retention man. 20 years doing catheterizations. TURP & scaring 2003, Finasteride 5 milligrams daily since 2002.