Family Background
I have a family history of prostate cancer. My maternal grandfather and father both had prostate cancer in there 70's and died from the disease. I was to far removed to witness what my grandfather suffered, but it was not pleasant. I think he was about 77 when he died. The methods to treat cancer in the 1970's were not as advance as today. I did not witness is final days, but was told they were pretty tough.
My brother, who is 5 years older than me, was diagnosed about 5 years ago and he with his doctors chose watchful waiting. His last biopsy did not show any cancer and his PSA is down. That is very good for him and I am thankful.
My dad was in his late 70's when he was first diagnosed with prostate cancer. He had brachytherapy about 2003 which was done in Seattle and his PSA numbers fell. Over the next year it looked like that had been successful, but then pain developed in a rib. Targeted external radiation took care of that, but every 6 months or so it would show up in a different locations. This was prostate cancer that had metastasized. Eventually it invaded the blood and that spelled his demise. He did have 5 or 6 years and most of that time he was not severely ill.
In his final week we had a family reunion that he had very much looked forward to. By this time he had to use a walker to get around and needed some help to use the toilet and bath. When the extended family was gone my brother, myself, and our families stayed an extra day to meet with hospice for advice. They told us what to expect but that Dad was not in need of hospice yet. We ordered the necessary equipment to take care of him at home and that began to arrive and get set up. The next morning he was in so much pain that his medication was not enough. My brother and his family had left for a couple of days thinking he would be with us for some weeks, but I elected to stay a few more days to help. By late morning his pain had increased so much that I called his doctor for advise and he prescribed morphine tablets.
I gave dad the recommended dosage but that did not relieve his pain, by the middle of the afternoon I was becoming desperate and after another call to the doctor he sent the hospice nurse that had told us the day before that he was not sick enough to need hospice. She arrived in an hour. She could not believe how much he had deteriorated in one day. She told me she and brought liquid morphine that was administered under the tongue. She showed me how by giving him 1/2 the recommended dose and said I would have to do this every couple of hours. This relieved his pain and she suggested we move him form the recliner he had spent the day in to the hospital bed that had just been set up.
Between the two of us we were able to lift him into bed. My mother watched in great distress as we attempted to make him comfortable. Soon after we moved him to the bed with me on one side of the bed and the nurse on the other side, she said to me "do you want me to resuscitate". I looked at her bewildered then looked at my Dad and realized he was gone. Then I looked at my Mom and she just shook her head. He had suffered enough had signed a DNR and was ready to meet Jesus!
I was very thankful that I was there for him in his final hours. I do wish it had been more peaceful at the end for him but at the worst of that day he was delirious and mumbled about the beautiful flowers he was seeing. I think he was looking toward his future home and I was thankful that those were his final thoughts. He was a very good person very helpful and people loved him as he loved them. He was 84 and died Oct 10, 2007. He is waiting peacefully for Jesus return.
My brother, who is 5 years older than me, was diagnosed about 5 years ago and he with his doctors chose watchful waiting. His last biopsy did not show any cancer and his PSA is down. That is very good for him and I am thankful.
My dad was in his late 70's when he was first diagnosed with prostate cancer. He had brachytherapy about 2003 which was done in Seattle and his PSA numbers fell. Over the next year it looked like that had been successful, but then pain developed in a rib. Targeted external radiation took care of that, but every 6 months or so it would show up in a different locations. This was prostate cancer that had metastasized. Eventually it invaded the blood and that spelled his demise. He did have 5 or 6 years and most of that time he was not severely ill.
In his final week we had a family reunion that he had very much looked forward to. By this time he had to use a walker to get around and needed some help to use the toilet and bath. When the extended family was gone my brother, myself, and our families stayed an extra day to meet with hospice for advice. They told us what to expect but that Dad was not in need of hospice yet. We ordered the necessary equipment to take care of him at home and that began to arrive and get set up. The next morning he was in so much pain that his medication was not enough. My brother and his family had left for a couple of days thinking he would be with us for some weeks, but I elected to stay a few more days to help. By late morning his pain had increased so much that I called his doctor for advise and he prescribed morphine tablets.
I gave dad the recommended dosage but that did not relieve his pain, by the middle of the afternoon I was becoming desperate and after another call to the doctor he sent the hospice nurse that had told us the day before that he was not sick enough to need hospice. She arrived in an hour. She could not believe how much he had deteriorated in one day. She told me she and brought liquid morphine that was administered under the tongue. She showed me how by giving him 1/2 the recommended dose and said I would have to do this every couple of hours. This relieved his pain and she suggested we move him form the recliner he had spent the day in to the hospital bed that had just been set up.
Between the two of us we were able to lift him into bed. My mother watched in great distress as we attempted to make him comfortable. Soon after we moved him to the bed with me on one side of the bed and the nurse on the other side, she said to me "do you want me to resuscitate". I looked at her bewildered then looked at my Dad and realized he was gone. Then I looked at my Mom and she just shook her head. He had suffered enough had signed a DNR and was ready to meet Jesus!
I was very thankful that I was there for him in his final hours. I do wish it had been more peaceful at the end for him but at the worst of that day he was delirious and mumbled about the beautiful flowers he was seeing. I think he was looking toward his future home and I was thankful that those were his final thoughts. He was a very good person very helpful and people loved him as he loved them. He was 84 and died Oct 10, 2007. He is waiting peacefully for Jesus return.
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