Reply To: FIFTEEN YEARS

Here it is….January 26 again, the day that a cleveland clinic surgeon performed a curative surgery on my hilar cholangiocarcinoma. The best part is there has been no recurrence and no further treatments. I have lived the best years of my life since then, a gift that I continue to collect on to this day. My surgeons name was J. Michael Henderson aided by dr. Mackey, a young resident at the time but a great doctor emerging into practice, and I am grateful beyond words for how my case has gone.Dr.  Henderson has retired since then, (so have I ) and I wish him a long and happy retirement. I did not have this website back then, I remember hoping to meet someone who has walked this road, and done well, I asked my doctors about how many patients they had that have done well, and they said many but privacy laws were just emerging and they could not cite specifics. I found this site in 2012, so I went 6 years with no real information or knowledge of statistics. The numbers are scary if you know odds and percentages and perhaps it was best I was unaware of the odds I was facing. I did well, outlived my dogs, rescued another, and have continued to live a happy rewarding life. I love sharing my story here as it fulfills a role I wish was present when I first faced this awful disease with most of it a big unknown, and I did not get beaten by fear. I am here to share my story and hopefully encourage someone facing the same huge chasm of unknown ahead of them. It can go well and in spite of a scarred condition known as primary schlerosing cholangitis, discovered in pathology of my bile ducts removed with the gallbladder. This condition elevates risk of the cancer forming again,however thus far it has not.  I always held hope that it would not, even without an example of success, as my case has become.   I remain grateful and hope to give back any way that I can.My tumor was discovered early and created pain while just two cm. and was operable. I went home 5 days after surgery, and went back to work 10 weeks after. I am able to do everything I could before other than lift heavy objects. I was 49 years old at the time of diagnosis, and at 61 I feel good. I have arthritis and take an anti inflammatory medication that helps me . I have a restriction in the bile duct which the arthritis meds seem to help with.My name is Patrick, and today, January 26th, 2018 I am celebrating 12 years of being cured of cholangiocarcinoma ! What a wonderful proclamation that is to write….may god bless all facing this cancer,I hope more of us do well in the future,  Pat

• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by hercules.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by hercules.