My dad has stage 4 prostate cancer which has moved into the bone. what is stage !
Question:
My dad has stage 4 prostate cancer which has moved into the bone. what is stage 4?
he is 85 years old. he has had cancer for about 5 or 6 years. he just had the IV radiation but the pain is not going away. the doctor put him on vicadin. vicadin made him very sick and he was sent to the ER after he had a siesure. he also has alzhiemers. he eats very little and has gotten very weak. what can we expect from here on out?
Answers:
Basically, stage four refers to a cancer that has spread. Try this site for more info on staging:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/facts...
I volunteer at a hospice unit, and obviously every person is different, but when you say he is not eating much and is weak, it sounds like his time may be near now. Spend as much time with him as you can. Maybe play his favourite music, read to him.
As a person nears death, he will not need to eat anymore, nor will he require fluids. He will become less responsive and his skin may or may not feel cold. His breathing may stop and start, which is normal but it often distresses the family. What he will need is mouth care, which means occasional, gentle swabbing of his mouth tissues with a moist swab or cloth. The last sense to go is hearing, so talk to your dad and let him know you are there. I hope this is the kind of info you were looking for.
Please remember to take care of yourself too: eat, go for a walk, try to sleep. And if you are not there when your dad passes, remember that that may be the way he wanted it. Some people actually wait until they are alone because they feel like it will hurt their loved ones to witness their death.