But there's a cost. Forty-two percent of the wives reported stress, sleeplessness and weight swings. And 51 percent said they suffered feelings of helplessness, loss of intimacy, anxiety and depression. Yet the survey revealed 41 percent of the women said they'd been drawn closer to their husbands because of the disease. The Two Against One Connections program, introduced on Valentine's Day by prostate cancer survivor and New York Yankees Manager Joe Torre and his wife, Ali, matches prostate cancer patients and their families with others familiar with the disease.
People share their concerns and experiences via e-mail.
The program is a partnership between the National Prostate Cancer Coalition, Amgen Inc. and Praecis Pharmaceuticals. Discussing the disease with others who've dealt with it can be a source of comfort and support for wives and other family members, says Skip Lockwood, coalition spokesman. You can look and see that it's not just you. People involved with the Connections program remain anonymous. That really makes it easier for people to be very honest and forthright.