4 weeks into cancer

Let me begin by saying hello to everyone here and thanks for all of the stories you all share. I am a 34 year old wife, mother of 2, and caregiver. Four weeks ago my husband won a court case he had put 8 years investgating and putting together. It was suppose to be a great day of celebrating and finally putting all this “work” behind us. Instead, one hour after verdict we got the phone call from his mother, her scan she had the previous week showed “spots” on her liver and kidneys. Oh no, well if you’re from the south and especially the region where we live, it IS to be expected. Everyone eventually gets cancer. Its never IF I get cancer, its WHEN I get cancer and what kind. Not 4 days later, my dad and I rush my mother to the emergancy room. We did not know what was wrong, but she was naseuated, had chills, but no fever-very strange symptoms. Doctors ruled out heart attack, did a series of tests and figured out she had a severe urinary tract infection and after an abdomenal ultrasound also saw she had gallstones. We were relieved to hear it would be a quick surgery and antibotics, then everything would be alright. Yet, the surgeon wasn’t convinced it was her gallbladder giving her so much trouble. After a pelvic ultrasound, doctors found a 21 cm tumor on her ovaries! that’s the size of a deflated basketball! This was Feb. 11, 2010 and we’re still in the hospital recovering from surgery that removed the tumor, gallbladder, appendix, spleen, and a total hysterectomy. Now I know you’re wondering why I’m posting all this on a chalangiocarcinoma site–well, I’m getting to that part…..

Back to my mother-in-law, since my mom has been in the hospital, diagnosed with, had surgery for, and eventually “cured” of ovarian cancer (all path reports are coming back negative for cancer!YEA!) she has learned she has two primary cancers. One being RENAL CELL CARCINOMA (kidney cancer) and the second CHALANGIOCARCINOMA (liver cancer). Now both of these women are amazing and unique, but I guess we are learning just how “special” they are! My mom’s tumor was the largest the surgeon has removed and my mother-in-law’s radation oncologist said this was the largest tumor (at 13 cm) on a liver he has ever seen. Well I guess if you’re going to do it, DO IT BIG OR GO HOME!

My mother-in-law is not a candidate for surgery or a mediport due to the fact she must be on Coumadin for 2 mechanical valves, plus congestive heart failure, COPD, and a pacemaker. (and how we joke with her…”and a partridge in a pear tree…”) She understands the seriousness of not being able to “cure” her cancer, but does have hope that radiation treatments plus chemotherapy pills will be able to shrink her tumor and cause her less pain. Have I mentioned that these ladies are only 61 and 62 years old?

We are here to support them with whatever treatment they chose. It is nice to come here to this forum to vent and chat with others who are going through some of the same challenges