Ask Dr. Giles

Lisa asks: Dr. Giles, My father is close to the end with this disease after about 6 months of being sick. I am so grief stricken and angry. The grief is overwhelming at times and I think things like, it would be better if we all died the minute we were born rather than live…

Tiffany asks: Dr. Giles: I’m fighting CC. I have a friend named Liza that is also fighting cancer (liver). She and I were friends before cancer. She is only 24, and I’m 30. Liza isn’t doing good. In fact she is about to die. How to I protect myself while show support to her family?…

Cindy asks: My mother was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma in June 2007. She has surgery to remove a tumor the size of an orange in the right lobe of her liver. She then underwent 9 chemo treatments. In June of 2011 she was diagnosed with stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma that metastized to her lungs and lymph nodes,…

A Concerned Aunt asks: Hi, My 29 year old niece was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma about 2 weeks now. The doctors here in PH told us it already on stage 4 and surgical procedure is no longer an option. My niece is all in high spirits though we see her health deteriorate day by day. My…

Angela asks: Our offers to help our brother-in-law and his family seem empty but very much appreciated by them. We live an hour away, so its difficult to assist with coordinating meals, errands, and pick-up/drop-off for their daughter. We’ve hosted mass intentions for him, but feel that’s about all we can do. What emotional support…

Charlotte asks: I am a 67 year old female with CC diagnosed in Jan 2010 and doing very well from a cancer perspective. I am having a lot of hip pain requiring a walker so my husband has to help with carrying laundry up and down stairs and going to the grocery. He says he…

Missy asks: My husband Kevin has cc and won’t do chemo any more. I want him to do chemo and the natural healing stuff together because I feel go at it with both. He tells me chemo isn’t a cure. I’m honestly not convinced that naturally is. My husband is a very strong man but…

Courtney asks: My Father has survived one year so far after surgery for Klatskins CC. He has had non stop complications ranging from infections, to bleeding ulcers, to anorexia type behavior…I am 7 hours away and my step mother is his main caretaker. It is very complicated and confusing to try to keep up with…

Donna asks: In late 2007 I was diagnosed with cancer. Originally it was described as adenocarcinoma, stage 4, terminal. I had been going to the DR for 4 years complaining of pain and/or discomfort in the upper abdomen. Lots of blood work was done but nothing was identified. In August of 2007 I say a…

Courtney asks: My grandmother has cc! I was raised by my grandparents, I just recently lost my mother of a heart attack she was 44. My grandmother is such a strong woman and has had surgery, right liver resection portion of left all that goes with that. She did complete i round of radation and…

Michael asks: My name is Michael and on September 28 of this year I lost my grandmother and best friend to bile duct cancer after a 6 week battle. I’ve been posting on the discussion board and they recommended you as a good person to contact with addtional questions. I am currently seeing a one…

Lina asks: Even though I have the most amazing awesome support of friends and family who are giving me all the love and support, emotionally and financially, I wonder why I feel depressed at times and simply want to burst into tear. Am I doing enough chemo to tell my friends and family that I…

Mary Anne asks: My 79yo dad was just dx with cholangiocarcinoma. Except for the past 2 weeks where he became ill leading to the dx, he has been extremely active(bike riding, bowling,handyman etc). The recent illness and dx have taken the wind out of his sails. I realize he needs time to adjust and absorb…

Tina asks: My Husband was diagnosed in June ’09 with cholangiocarcinoma that is unresectable, at that time he was told that his prognosis was 9-12 months.  He completed chemo (gemzar and cisplatin) in the fall and a CT was completed at that time (Dec), which his Oncologist had stated that he was staying with his…

Leanne asks Hello, well my mother was diagnosed with CC in jan 09 and was gone by march 09… i have a history of lupus plus and have had pain for a long time in the liver region, they suspect its the bile ducts and im petrified… how do i deal with these doctors who…

Beth asks: Hello, I am a 34 yr old caregiver to my husband who is also 34. Recently there is talk from our Dr.s that they might not be able to continue treatment. I’m sad. We have a 5 year old daughter and I don’t know how I will move on. My husband is obviously…

Corina asks: Dear Dr. Giles, Nov.09 I took my mom with excruciating abdominal pains to ER. She had an ERCP and a plastic stent was inserted; while still in hospital in Dec.09 another ERCP was done to crash the stone- gallblader removed 15yrs ago- this time I was told a 2.7cm tumor, diagnosis:DISTAL BILE DUCT…

Anjie asks: My brother was recently given his “expiration” date and it is really the elephant in the room disease.  It is very difficult to talk about which is the way our family has always been.  My question is more medical in nature, but don’t know who to go to.  He is beginning to be…

Benjamin asks: My mother was just dx with Cholangiocarcinoma 3 weeks ago and my family and I are trying to get our heads around it. My Mother is 54 and wasn’t feeling good since December, she started having abdominal pain and losing weight. My mother is scared about the pain and is on the fence…

Jeff asks: My partner was diagnosed with CC in early February and is undergoing the Gem/Cis Chemo Treatment.  He is doing OK so far on that.  However, he is back to work and is very stressed.  Should I be concerned about his stress at work affecting his health? Dear Jeff, I am going to assume…

Kate asks: Hi.  My partner has unexpectedly gotten through a whipples, and has now completed a round of chemo. Great, but she has now signed a non-intervention document, and is emptying the house of her belongings.  Our relationship is great, and I accept her right and choice, and while I am finding the emptying on…

Randi asks: First let me say how sorry I am about the loss of your friend. I am a 54 year old woman who was diagnosed with CC after having an ERCP in Nov 2009.  I had a Whipple procedure December 15th, 09 (just 4 weeks ago) and the good news was that the cancer…

Cheryl asks: How can I be dying when I feel so good? Diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, Sept. 11 2009, have had Sir-Sphere treatment and many chemo treatments. Sometimes I feel ill, but generally I feel normal, happy and thankful. If I felt bad maybe I could come to grips with this disease that is killing me.…

anonymous writes: I have cancer and my mother is caring for me. Actually, I hate to sound ungrateful, but she is smothering me. She is not allowing me to breathe. I am a more introverted person and need time alone to marshall my resources against this cancer and she is always tap, tap, tapping at…

Rochelle writes: I lost my husband two days ago, he was my absolute everything, we just recently moved to casper and I have no support. I do not think that I can cope with his passing he was my best friend, my lover, and my husband, he was the love of my life and I…

Melanie writes: Hey Doc, I’m the caregiver, and he’s so sick..so miserable. Nobody really seems to know anything about this disease. As the care giver? S.O., I’m overwhelmed. I think I’m starting to have panic attacks myself. I’ve been taking some homeopathic stuff for a week or so, seems to help a little, sometimes. I…

a Concerned Sister writes: I would welcome any advice on this situation. My sister is due for the big surgery very soon, she was told the longest she will last with everything going well would be 5 years max. Her tumor has spread from the ducts to a good portion of her liver. She is…

George writes: Can you recommend a book that will guide me through preparing to succomb to cancer, one that will list some steps I need to do for my family. For example I’m getting around to finally doing a will etc. Thanks George, My friend Marion shared this link to a resource of the National…

Carol writes: I have been dx w/cholangiocarcinoma. I’m 66 and about 3 wk. I have always been healthy and began losing a lot of weight. Went to my Dr, had tests, finally biopsy and dx. At first it was believed they could resection but now find it can’t be done. My husband and I have…

Claudia writes: My father was diagnosed 3 weeks ago with cholangiocarcinoma, we did not know the extent of the cancer and surgery was what was recommended. They removed gall bladder, 60% of liver and reconnected the intestine to liver. Now he has major complications, a leak somewhere and he is very weak. I am having…

Vicki writes: My 89 yr old grandmother has been diagnosed w/ this. I am going to Ohio (I live in NE) to spend 2 weeks with her, knowing it will probably be my last time. How do i handle this? I do not want to spend the whole time freaking out because she is dying,…

Sophie writes: Dear Dr. Giles, I am a 62 year old woman with cc and 75% of my liver metastisized. I have had to be so strong all my life and thought I was, but now I don’t believe I am. I live by myself, and my mind is so dark all the time. I…

Marg writes: Our 87 year old mother was diagnosed with advanced CC in early March. The specialist told us that she had 2-4 weeks to live. With this prognosis, my three sisters and I decided that we would take turns caring for Mom at her home where she lives with my father. There was also…

Tonia writes: Hi, In short my Grandmother was diagnosed with bile duct Cancer “officially” on the 13th. We had a strong suspicion on the 3rd when her coloring turned yellow but hung onto hope that maybe it wasn’t. She had the bypass surgery on the 13th and the Cancer was found in her lymph nodes…

Belinda writes: My mother was going to her doctor for two years she was telling her how bad her stomache hurt, she lost 18lbs could hardly eat the pain was so bad, this christmas she blacked out and couldnt breath,at the hospital they found 15 tumors in her liver and told her she had cancer,…

Lisa writes: I’m feeling guilty about retiring early due to health reasons. I don’t feel *that* bad, but I’m finding it difficult to keep juggling work, family and health issues. I’m only 46, a single parent, and still supporting my 3 kids. By cutting all my expenses to the bone, I think we can make…

Eric writes: Dear Dr. Giles, first of all, i am so sorry for the loss of your best friend. I am a 14 year-old boy and my mom passed away of cc. in July 08 at 40yrs old. everything was so sudden, 2 months before she was fine and active with just a little stomach…

Jeff writes: Do you think it would be appropriate for me to do like a motivational audio or video for my wife,that she could listen or watch after my demise. My thought is when she feels really down and out and needs reassurance and some motivation woud it be a good thing or would it…

Joan writes: My husband & I have been married 7 years and he has 5 grown kids (27-36 yrs old) from a previous marriage. Recently, after being diagnosed (8/07) with cholangiocarcinoma we retired & moved to from NJ where all his kids live to our “dream” island of Hilton Head, SC. My husband is now…

Charlene writes: My husband died 1 week and 1 day ago. We fought this cancer for 3 long years. How do I go on? My soul is dead. All I feel is agony every waking moment. I don’t know how to verbalize what is happening to me. My family just tells me to be strong,…

Carol writes: Our family is meeting with Hospice and trying to get things in order for Charlie as there are no more medical interventions to try. He is jaundiced, not eating and weak. My question is about our son Ben, age 17. He is having a great deal of trouble sleeping. Do you think asking…

Darla writes: My husband passed away from Cholangiocarcinoma after only 7 short weeks. He was not even definitively diagnosed until 1 week before he died. At that time he was given 6 months without any treatment. A week later we were told he only had a short time left, possibly up to a month. He…

Jean writes: I am a healthy 44 year old female with two great sons ages 13 and 22. I had liver resection surgery with Dr Stuart Knechtle at UW Madison, WI in April 2008 due to a large tumor on my liver. Path reports stated it was contained to the liver, no lymph node involvement,…

Sarah writes: Dr Giles, I will be 3 yrs post radiation treatment in November. I was told that I had a 40% chance of living 5yrs. My husband and family are thrilled that I have been doing so well but the longer it is the more terrified I get. I feel like time is running…

Roberta writes: I’m 77 YOF, diabetic, with liver CA due to islet cell pancreatic CA 5 yrs ago. I have CA pills to begin this week, am afraid, putting off taking them. I am alone, keep my home alone, 1 son who is out of town a lot, and without emotional support. Where can I…

Donata writes: Dear Dr. Giles, First of all, I am sorry for the loss of your best friend to cc.My husband was dx. 9/07 & our life outlook has changed to say the least. I mean he has a wonderful attitude, positive ect. however I have a question regarding our 2 boys. Ages are 12…

Betty writes: Am I just existing? Will it ever get better? On April 10th, it will be 1 yr. and 8 months since losing Sam. I feel like I am doing everything possible but recently two of my closest friends suggested that I get some professional help. The reason that this got my attention is…

Michele writes: My husband is just coming to terms with the fact that he will not go on much longer. Maybe days/weeks. He is obviously very depressed ( this was a shock as he really expected to go through many years of treatments like Jeff G.) Am having problems trying to help him feel steady,…

Cindy writes: I am a mental health counselor in SC. My mother-in-law has cholangiocarcinoma, inoperable. She is 76. My husband is an only child and is trying to balance work and caring for his mother 3 1/2 hours away. His father is partially blind and deaf, diabetic and very difficult as he seems to be…

Jeff G writes: What is the best way to explain to my grandchildren age 6 and 4 about my disease of CC and that PaPa will be leaving them. I guess timing/when and how. What would be less traumatic? Is simply saying I’m sick and going to heaven to be one of god’s angels? My…