I just got back from going to the oncologist with the 'Rents this morning. The reason for the appt was because dad's nephrologist (?) said his problems going wee were cancer related, not bladder related. And then dad was in the hospital last month. So, the neph told the onc that it was time to start chemo.
We asked a lot of questions, got satisfying answers, and long story short, they'll insert a port in dad's chest first of the year (so they don't have to keep bothering veins) and then start chemo - about an hour once a week for a couple of months to see if it's going to help the wee problem. If the chemo does what we hope it does, it'll shrink the prostate and take pressure off of the tube thingee that goes from the bladder, thru the prostate, to the sea (so to speak), and he'll be able to wee w/o the catheter - in fact, his PSA levels are so low, that really whether or not he can wee will be the only way to tell if it's working. This particular chemo is NOT supposed to make him sick, or tired, or lose his already-thinning hair. After several weeks, he'll probably get tired and worn out, but..
We really like this doctor - he's down to earth and willing to just sit there and talk to us and answer our questions over and over again until we understand. I know I understand things better.
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