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Prostate cancer has spread to the C5 vertebrae
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: May 10 6:28pm | Replies (19)Comment receiving replies
Hey my boyfriend is experiencing just about the same thing. He went from walking one day to being completely paralyzed in a matter of no time. The examined him and determined he was not a candidate for surgery. They sent him home to die on” comfort care” . We only have state funded medical insurance so he was put in a post Acute place. You know the nice name for a rest home. Now he is basically there to die. We went through radiation his psa went from 4.5 to 1.4. The dr. Basically said he would probably never walk again. ????????????what do we do
Replies to "Hey my boyfriend is experiencing just about the same thing. He went from walking one day..."
Hi @missjeanette64 ,
So sorry you two are facing such a tough situation! Several questions come to mind. As Medicaid coverage varies from state to state, what state are you in? How old is your boyfriend? What is the issue that precluded him from being a candidate for surgery or other forms of treatment for advanced metastatic prostate cancer?
As @northoftheborder has mentioned in other posts, it was his being seen and treated by one of the preeminent surgical specialists at a major university cancer center that contributed to his remarkable outcome. Was your boyfriend diagnosed and treated at a major cancer center such as one at a large university medical center? If not, consider arranging for him to be seen at one as soon as possible.
Medicaid programs in most states cover second opinions. I would obtain second opinions from a highly qualified team of surgical, radiological oncologists and genitourinary oncologists at the best medical center in your state as soon as possible. Sometimes it takes aggressive advocacy to get what you need from our medical system.
Sending good thoughts your way. I hope you will continue to share updates with the MCC community so we can provide support to you two and continue to learn from your journey.
Bill
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I'm so sorry for what you're both going through!
I don't know enough about your healthcare system in the U.S. to suggest how to navigate it in a situation like this. Would Medicare/Medicaid allow a second opinion?
Some details of your boyfriend's situation may be different from mine, but at least sometimes, a single large spinal lesion that's compressing the spinal cord and causing paraplegia *can* be treated (as I've experienced). It just takes tight coordination among the different medical teams (neurology, orthopedics, oncology, physical and occupational therapy, etc).