My dad has prostate cancer as well. He is 79. He was diagnosed about a year ago. He is the same way - didn't want to go to the doctor, didn't want to talk about it with his kids, etc. Stubborn, proud old man.

I know exactly how you felt ... I said the same thing to myself a million times, "He is MY DADDY!!!!" It is VERY hard. However, I believe that the hardest thing for our dads to deal with is not their own illness, but knowing that their kids are sad and worried because of them. So I made a HUGE effort to be cheerful and happy around him, and act like nothing was wrong ... that seemed to be how he wanted it. I think it helped him a lot, knowing that I was ok.

Prostate cancer is a very slow growing cancer. Many times, they won't even treat it in older men, because it grows so slowly that it doesn't really do any harm during the man's projected lifetime. Because my dad is in great health for his age, they did do some treatments, which seem to be working. He is not feeling any ill effects at all.

I KNOW this is horrible and heartbreaking for you ... but, if your dad had to get some form of cancer, really, prostate cancer is the lesser of all evils.