Helping your loved one stay engaged in his care
As a caregiver, you play a very important role in your loved one’s care. Not only do you provide support outside of doctor’s appointments, but you are also an important member of his healthcare team.
Being a caregiver has its challenges. It can be hard to stay positive when your loved one’s needs and emotions are frequently changing, causing your role to change as a result.
Communicating with your loved one is very important. This can help the two of you decide which aspects of his care he would like you to be involved with. It can also help you both be more open about how you’re feeling. Opening up to each other as much as possible can help ensure that you’re on the same page—now and in the future.
At this point, your loved one may be receiving treatment to help lower his testosterone levels. This type of treatment may help him manage his prostate cancer.
As you may know, an important part of monitoring his prostate cancer is with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests and different types of scans, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) or CAT scan, or bone imaging. If his PSA level starts to rise on treatment, ask his doctor what this may mean. A consistently rising PSA could mean his cancer is progressing and it’s time to consider next steps.
Encouraging him to learn more about prostate cancer progression can help both of you understand more about what may happen next.
In order to be better prepared for future decisions, you and your loved one may want to discuss what’s important to him. This can help him have more productive conversations with his doctor regarding next steps. Use this guide together to help him prepare for his next appointment.
Managing prostate cancer does not include a one-size-fits-all approach. Because every man’s prostate cancer is different, educating yourselves and having a plan is important. Take the time now to ask questions, think through next steps, and partner with his healthcare team to create a plan for the future.
A checklist for communicating with your loved one:
Set aside time regularly to have open and honest conversations
Discuss what’s important to him so that you’re both on the same page
Talk to him about what he would like your role to be during conversations with his doctor (eg, does he want you to take notes, or do most of the talking?)
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