Farrah Fawcett hospitalized in critical condition

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~sudsshane

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AOL is reporting sad news. Farrah Fawcett is in critical, but stable condition in a Los Angeles hospital.
AOL also reports that Fawcett is unconscious, and that longtime love Ryan O'Neal has been at Fawcett's side during her hospitalization.
Fawcett has been fighting anal cancer since her diagnosis in 2006. Though she was diagnosed 100% free of cancer, the disease has returned. She has recently undergone experimental stem-cell treatment in Germany.

So sad. I hope she makes it.

I hate cancer.
 
Prostate Cancer.

My Dad, who is only 61, has been diagnosed with Stage 3, Prostate Cancer. His physician has told him that he will need a bone scan to see if the cancer has spread to the bones. He is refusing treatment. He is a life long smoker, and has never had a Prostate exam. How irresponsible!, huh?

I would appreciate it if anyone here in the club would share a personal story or experience, maybe with a loved one, who has had Prostate Cancer. I am really not sure how to handle this situation. I am to the point where I am going to book a plane ticket and drag him to the doctor myself.

Any suggestions, or opinions would be appreciated.

Thank You Robert in advance for letting me post this .
 
My dad died riddled with cancers at age 72. He smoked early on but had quit for good before he was 30 and my eldest sister was born. We attribute it to mesotheleomia type cancers since he worked for almost 40 years at Fiberglas. In his last two years he looked dreadfully thin, almost skeletal but barely complained about anything. Mom asked me if I thought there might be something wrong but it was hard to tell because he had always been thin and he was a BIG TIME hiker. He never admitted anything and had said that on his last doctors visit the only thing wrong with him was a bit of diverticulosis or "itis" to explain away his increasing stomach ailments. He hiked at age 71 across Europe with an even older buddy, then they flew to his old hometown Newcastle UK and they hiked from there to Glasgow, came home in September, flew with mom back to the UK for Christmas and died a few months later in July. When he went into hospital in July we expected him to come out but he also refused all further treatments and went into hospice and so that was that, you don't argue when someone has made up their mind on such matters.
It sounds like your dad has already been to the doctor and knows the score, he has had plenty of time to think about it whereas you haven't and that explains your angst which is quite normal. If you can go you should go and ask him what the score is so you're fully in the loop and not left hanging, be supportive and don't put the pressure on. Once you've got the whole story you feel better for that but not feel better if that makes any sense. Plus just your going may tweak something about this refusal for further treatment for one reason or another just by something you inadvertently say or do. Ya never know.
 
Haven't all three of the original Angels had battles with Cancer? I know Kate Jackson did, but can't remember if Jaclyn Smith did. That is one battle I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemy. Shane, my thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family.
 
Shane, my dad passed away in 2004 prostate cancer with metastasis to his adrenals, TIME is of the essence with cancer treatment. That said, your father may well of known someone who had cancer treatment, and already made up his mind to decline treatment. As a Son what i did with my Dad was have the chat with him and his Dr. Once you have a "game plan" (in writing and notarized) run interference and be supportive. Trust me, you will never regret it. Best of luck to you and your Dad. arthur
 
Shane, our neighbor of 40+ years died from prostrate cancer last summer. He put up a valiant fight, over 3 years. It came to a point where he stopped treatment, it was a slow decline. It progressed in spurts. For a period he'd be stable, then something would come up and start another downward spiral. Luckily his wife was a nurse and could handle a lot of the treatments herself, but it was very hard on her. It was sad,he was the nicest guy.

I hope you go see your dad and find out exactly what his state of mind is and hopefully talk to his Dr.s if he will allow you. Some people are fighters others not. My mom fought cancer for many years and even at the end she was fighting, odds are my dad would be the opposite if he had cancer. As it is, he is a very difficult patient. Your dad might be very scared and not want to impose on others, or he may have made peace with his situation. I hope you see him and get a handle on what is realy going on.
 
Shane, I'm sorry to hear about your dad. He sounds a lot like my own father, and if he is, tough love is the only thing that is going to work with him. My dad spent most of his life as an alcoholic chain smoker, and ignored his family's constant begging for him to stop. And when he finally came down with throat cancer, all of a sudden he became a victim, and started claiming no one cared about him.

I read him the riot act like it's never been read to anyone before. So many people abuse themselves, and wait for a knight in shining armor to gallop in on a white horse and save them from themselves. But life doesn't work that way, and if a person doesn't love himself, and isn't willing to help himself, no one else is ever going to do it for him.

As mean as this sounds, it seemed to snap him out of his pit of self-pity. He stopped smoking, got radiation therapy for his throat and is still alive and kicking almost 20 years later. I'm not claiming this tactic will work for you or anyone else, or is even appropriate in your dad's case. If he's at peace with his chosen path (my dad wasn't), it's highly likely that nothing will change it.
 
My dad

Shane,
My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1995 aged 66, the scarty thing was Dad had only just retired from work and he and his partner of some years, Beryl were going to buy a campervan and travel all around Australia, when one day he went to see his doctor for just a general checkup and the doctor asked Dad if he had ever been checked for prostate cancer,this was a fairly new doctor you see,Dad's previous doctor died of a heart attack,Dad told him no and so the doctor did the required checks and the results came back and Dad had prostate cancer and it had already spread to his bones,also known as the metastatic stage in which there is no cure, only medication to make life comfortable and making sure he enjoyed what to be the rest of his life.
Dad fought the horror for 5 years, but eventually the bastard disease took him.
My advice to you is to be as supportive as you possibly can with your Dad,and believe me deep down he is frightened about what the bone scan will tell him,as was the case with my Dad to some extent, but I feel it is better to know the results and then plan to fight if it is a worse case scenario,but in the end the decision is your Dad's and his alone,as painful as it may be if he chooses not to have it,yopu may just have to accept it and support him as best as you can.
I truly hope things work out okay for your Dad and you have him around for many years to come.
All the best.
Steve.
P.S. What was really unbelievable was that Dad had this horror he showed no obvious symptoms of having it,it kind of just crept up on him.
 
My Dad died of bone,prostate and lung cancer in '05.He and I were not at all close,ever.He dispised my interest in appliances as a child and paid my Mom's doctors off to keep her from finding out she had multiple sclerosis.She comitted suicide in '74.When I graduated from high school(second in my class)he was almost forced by my stepmother to attend.Neither my brother nor my sister ever made any type of honor roll.My brother got a new car even though he never graduated and my sister got a down payment on her house. My Dad gave me a card and $10.When he got ill, I went to say goodbye and was asked to leave.I truly believe that cancer is a disease we all have the ability to get but can ,more than likely,avoid it by trying to avoid negative thoughts or actions toward one another.
 
Farrah and Dad

Jim- No, Jaclyn Smith has never had cancer. Kate Jackson sucessfully battled breast cancer back in the late 1980's.

As for Dad, I appreciate everyone's posts so far. The personal emails as well. Jeff, you are right. Tough love is the only thing that will work with my father. He is a cranky curmudgeon and hates doctors. Why, I don't know. Every health problem the man has had, which are not many, he has waited until the last minute to seek out medical help.
What concerns me is he has had many symptoms for a long time and just ignored them. Blood in the urine,pain when urinating, bone pain in the hips and legs.
I have spoken with him nearly every day since his diagnosis. I am trying to help him have a will to live. He has suffered from depression since my brother's death, and of course, never sought professional help.

Honestly, I thank god every day for my mother. She is a strong, pick yourself up by the boot straps type. Thank Goodness I am like her in that way.

I am making an appointment for myself to have a prostate exam. I think given the circumstances, it might be a good idea.

Have a great Sunday everyone and thanks again.
 
OMG..

I had no idea Jacklyn Smith had breast cancer!...
It seems as if everyone, sooner or later, is affected by this dreadful disease.
 
My dad...

...just had his prostate removed. He went in for a routine exam. No elevated PSA levels but just to be sure, the Dr. did additional exams and found a lump. A few biopsies later, it was determined that it was cancer. After the surgery, he found out that the cancer was self contained in the prostate and it had not spread. Dad is 66...has never smoked...is a retired fireman and is still in really great shape. He's recovering now (the surgery was last month) and he is getting back to normal. He just wishes that he could get "the waterworks under control." That will come back, in time.

The red flag for dad (and for me) is family history. My paternal grandfather had prostate cancer when he died (but didn't die from it). Grandpa's two brothers died of prostate cancer before they turned 75.

There are several treatment options for prostate cancer - I'm lucky that my dad's doctor was so thorough.
 
I don't know about my Dad as he died at 61. But the doctors have told my brother and I that we are at greater risk for prostate cancer because our mother had breast cancer and colon cancer. It's the same gene.
 

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