My Father's Fight Against Two Cancers

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I’d like to share my father’s story, in the hope that it may offer insight or support to others going through similar experiences. His journey has been one of strength, confusion, and a series of unexpected challenges that have turned our lives upside down.

My father, 60 years old, has always been in great health. He’s never smoked, doesn’t drink, and has always been conscientious about his health—eating fruits daily and walking regularly. For most of his life, he was a picture of vitality, and it was almost shocking when his health suddenly started to decline.

It all began a few years ago with a couple of unexpected issues. First, my father had a leg fracture, which happened due to an injury which healed over time. Then, he developed a skin condition, psoriasis, which was another challenge to deal with. These things came out of the blue, and after living his entire life without any major health issues, it felt like his body was suddenly betraying him.

But the real shock came when he started experiencing back pain. At first, we thought it was just a minor issue that would get better over time. My father was still active—riding his bike to work and staying relatively fit—but the pain began to worsen.

After trying medications and acupuncture, and with no improvement, we decided to get an X-ray of his spine. The results didn’t show anything unusual, so we kept trying other treatments. But the pain continued to intensify. It wasn’t until a couple of months later that we returned to the doctor for further tests. This time, an MRI revealed a pathological fracture in his L4 vertebra, which raised serious concerns.

Following this, a series of tests were conducted: more X-rays, ultrasounds, bloodtests and a PET scan. That’s when we received the shocking news. The PET scan showed a lump in his kidney, which turned out to be malignant. Even more alarming, it had already spread to his bones. His blood tests revealed high PSA levels, which led to a prostate PET scan (PSMA) that confirmed malignancy in his prostate as well.

At this point, the doctors were confused. Two separate cancers in one person was something they hadn’t expected. My father had always been healthy with no other symptoms. Yet here we were, facing the unexpected reality of two cancers.

The doctors quickly recommended spine surgery to decompress the L4 vertebra and prevent further damage to his spinal cord. During the surgery, a bone biopsy was also taken to help determine the origin of the cancer in bone. The surgery went smoothly, and the bone biopsy confirmed that the malignancy in his bones had spread from the prostate.

Immediately after the surgery, hormone therapy was started to address the prostate cancer. Plans were also made for kidney removal surgery and testicle removal, which will take place once he’s recovered from the spine surgery. Along with the hormone treatment, my father has started bone therapy to strengthen his bones, which had weakened due to the cancer’s spread.

It has been a month since spine surgery, throughout this journey, my father has dealt with numerous side effects: high fever, swelling in his lower body, shortness of breath, sleepless nights, increased belly, and shivering. It’s been incredibly tough to watch him go through this every day, especially since he had always been so active and strong.

Despite the challenges, my father’s strength has been a constant source of inspiration. We’re taking things one day at a time, doing our best to stay positive and support him through each step of his treatment. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, but we’re not giving up hope.

I’m sharing this story to connect with others who might be facing similar struggles. Cancer can hit unexpectedly, even when you least expect it, but we’re holding on and continuing to fight as a family. I hope by sharing our experience, we can offer some comfort to others going through their own difficult battles.