Who’s the most essential component in a man with prostate cancer? 

Is it his doctor? 

I would argue ithat the most important component in a man’s life when he is diagnosed with prostate cancer is his wife, his spouse. Most of the patients I have seen have powerful women by their side who happen to be moms. They stand firm and support their husband or partner during the time of a prostate cancer diagnosis which is incredibly stressful to receive. 

In observance of Mother’s Day, I’m honoring the incredible women and moms that support men with prostate cancer with this article.

Let’s get into it. 

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EPISODES NOTES

Why You Need to Bring Your Wife to Your Doctor’s Visit

Men can be tough, and do well in business and in life but the diagnosis of prostate cancer can psychologically create barriers for them and make them get a bit of analysis paralysis. Going into a cancer diagnosis alone can be extremely tough solo so I definitley encourage all prostate cancer patients to bring their wife to them. Having your spouse and partner by your side during this time is extremely important. 

Now this is just my opinion but the women of the patients I have seen take extremely good notes and ask really important questions surrounding the cancer diagnosis. When you ask important questions, you’ll get important answers especially during a doctor’s visit. 

Here are examples of some questions that should be asked during a doctor’s visit with prostate cancer:

1. What are my options other than surgery and radiation? 
2. Are there any options here that we have potentially that you don’t do? You don’t do any of those treatments. Are there any other options, or treatments available for us?
3. What are the side effects of that? 
4. From the radiation, does radiation pass to the prostate? 

And again, it’s just my opinion but I believe that women are excellent to bring to your doctor’s visit because in my experience, they know what questions to ask, they take excellent notes and are incredibly supportive. 

Your Partner and Spouse’s Health Is Just As Important As Yours

The women I see who care for my patients are doing much more than just showing up to doctor appointments. They are taking care of the family, the kids, other components of the household and life. And often times, I see many women sacrifice their own health to care for others. 

It’s extremely important that as a prostate cancer patient, your partner is fully supported in taking care of their health. Just like they mention during aairline flights to put your mask on before you help others, it is vital that your partner has time to focus on their health. With everything they are doing to keep the family togetehr during a time of stress for you, I highly encourage you support your wife to focus on her health whether that would be emotional or mental. 

Make a Decision For Prostate Cancer Treatment

As a medical professional, I highly favor decisions that allow the patient to do what’s best for themsleves and their body. However, prostate cancer affects everyone in the family, not just the patient and there is a lot more that goes into treatment before hand. 

Decisions on your treatment are so important and I have seen this from time to time where men stress out about their diagnosis and they can feel like they have no control of their health, body, diagnosis. I’m here to tell you that this is a mental block and that there are tons of options for treatment, you just have to understand that you have support. Your partner, your wife is there for you and i encourage you to talk through your options with her. Write down your concerns and hers. Go through all the pros and cons of every treatment option. Focus on what you can control. 

Your spouse is the most important part of your process. It is your decision to decide what type of treatment you receive and how you wish to go about your prostate cancer diagnosis. But don’t think you have to do it alone. Make a decision about your prostate cancer treatment with those you love. Let the decision be made by you and for you. 

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Listen to the entire episode on prostatitis on the Dr. Geo Podcast

This article is for general information only, and we’re not forming a doctor-patient relationship to this. The use of the information and all links associated with this podcast is at the readers risk and is not to replace medical advice from a physician or a healthcare practitioner.

Lastly, thoughts and opinions are my own and may not reflect the views of any institution or organization I’m associated with.

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