We are All in This Together

My father is the biggest person in my life. He has always been my rock and someone I can believe in. Learning about his illness was quite a devastating shock for me. It got worse when he was diagnosed with two different cancers at the same time, but I didn’t lose hope.

Being there for my father

I strengthened my faith in God and promised myself that I would be there for him in this hard time and that we would fight these diseases together. He is a man of great determination and willpower. But no matter how strong a person is, he still needs the support and help of people around him when battling a disease like cancer.

To be honest, initially, I was not there for him at first. I was all into my career at the time. He had recently remarried, so I figured he was okay. It was his wife who called me and told me he was losing hope and going into a deep depression day by day. This was not my dad at all.

So, on that very day, I decided to put every minute into his life, and I have never looked back. I wanted to give him my unconditional support and love. Although he never told me how he was feeling, I could sense that he was beaming when I was around.

Helping him in different ways

At the beginning of this journey, for me to give him my full support and backing, I first had to educate myself about prostate cancer. I learned about this disease in detail, understanding all the stages and treatment processes. There was so much out there to learn.

Knowing that my dad was not going to talk about his feelings openly, I created a very safe environment by being very patient with him. At this time I made sure to give him the time he needed to express his feelings and concerns. He is a very private person. I wanted him to know that he has someone who understands him and knows his situation, and that was me.

My goal was to tailor a diet plan that included plant-based foods. I needed to prepare small frequent meals and limit his processed food intake. I played around with different flavors and textures. During research, I learned that cancer treatment and medication could alter his taste buds.¹

Working together

The biggest thing I did, however, was to take him to different support groups. This was a life changer; he was able to share his experience and feelings with people going through the same thing. Playing board games, shopping, and trying out new cafes helped boost his mood. Instead of forcing him to follow a boring routine full of restrictions, we just explored different things.

To this day he sticks to a balanced and healthy routine while keeping his emotions and feelings in check. I truly appreciate his strength, resilience, and positive spirit. He is truly an inspiring person, and I cannot wait to enjoy and cherish every moment with him.

My father got prostate cancer and throat cancer at the age of 72. He turns 90 this month. Trust me, he is living his best life and still drives. Just going to the corner store, once every 4 or 5 months. We are all in this together.