Dave M.

About Dave M.

I cared for my late husband David Miles. We lived in Florida at the time he was diagnosed at the age of 46. His dad has prostate cancer and so he got checked and found he had cancer and it was aggressive. That is when the hunt for doctors began. We decided on Johns Hopkins for the laparoscopic surgery and well one thing after another went wrong but we never gave up. When we found out the cancer was still there we moved back to Virginia where we had support of family and friends. Throughout the radiation treatments and then trial drugs I just became a driving force to beat the cancer and with every trip to the Dr or for therapy I made it an adventure for Dave by going to different restaurants, museums, concerts and bars and staying at a favorite bed and breakfast …anything to keep his spirits up and his mind off the cancer. When we felt like he just became a number at Johns Hopkins we went to The University of Virginia Cancer Center and found hope and a caring staff and started chemo and radiation.
Again we were on an adventure staying with his old college buddies and listening to good music and relaxing.
The cancer had spread too far too fast until we finally ended up at the Lansdowne hospital close to home, family and friends. We were in and out of that hospital a few times and I stuck by him constantly taking him to dr appointments, changing dressings and drainage tubes…I felt like I became a nurse overnight….it just becomes natural to you as a caregiver what needs to be done …by helping with showers and getting dressed, finding foods or protein shakes he liked or vitamins he would take and saying prayers together until the very end. Our faith and family and friends got us through and the caring staff and professionals we met along the way. Dave lost his battle to Prostate cancer 3 years ago on 1/14/2015.
So for all the caregivers out there just keep living an adventure and make each day the best you can for the one you love for you never know when it will be the last.
I still care for Dave today by taking flowers to the gravesite and leaving trickets and I love just sitting and talking and praying knowing he is watching over me.
Always keep the faith it’s what got Dave and me through the prostate cancer battle. God bless all the caregivers out there.
Phyllis Miles

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