Abuela (grandma) just diagnosed!
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Hi Senaida,
Thanks for letting us know about your Gran. I am very glad to hear that she has come through her surgery and that they have managed to get the metal stent placed. And I am also sure that the doctors will be able to control her pain with medications. When my dad had his metal stent placed, he also came around from having that done and he had pain too, and his docs were able to deal with that with meds. A few days after having that done he felt so much better and I hope that your Gran will also feel better soon too.
As to a Gortex stent, I think that the type of stent your Gran will have had placed will be a Gore Tex Self-Expandible Metalic Stent. Metal stents are very common here and they help in allowing the bile to drain through the bile duct. Gore is I think the name of the company that makes the metal stent that your Gran was given so that is why it is probably called a Gore Tex stent. If I am wrong here then hopefully someone will correct me.
Hopefully your Gran will make a speedy recovery here and please let us know how she gets on.
My best wishes to you and your Abuela,
Gavin
Dear Senaida, I have not heard of Gortex but sure someone else has. I just wanted to say how happy I am that Abuela came through the surgery. I am also glad to hear you met with Hosipce just so you are ready when the time comes. She sure sounds like a wonderful lady. She will probably just be tired today and tomorrow maybe a little sore. Please do keep us posted as you move along with your decisions. Sending the best to you and your family.
She is out of surgery and in some pain. They have told us they inserted a metal stint called a “gortex?” something that cancer cannot penetrate through?
anyone heard of this?
senaida
Okay so update to the family!
My abuela is scheduled for her surgery today. They are planning on removing her internal external port and inserting a metal stint. Her surgery is scheduled to start any minute now. I’m hoping after this she will start to feel better. Shes a strong women, addicted to life. Although he did mention how satisfied she is with her life and how there is nothing she would change. I think shes ready for whatever is in store. We have had a meeting, as a family, with hospice and are ready to ride this out.What should we expect when she gets out of surgery. Please remember she is 82. Please chime in….
Thank you,
Senaida from Austin TexasThanks SG. When you hear back from your Grans doctors, please let us know what they say. We are all here for you.
Best wishes,
Gavin
Thanks Gavin! I am trying to pursue her into being willing to put the metal stint! We are waiting to hear back from the doctor!
Keep you all posted!
sgHi Senaida,
Sorry to hear what your gran is going through right now. Have her doctors said that this latest stent has in fact actually started to clog? I have to say that I so agree with what Marion has said to you about the importance of palliative stenting and how that helps with a persons comfort. You say that your gran wants to keep the stent that she has now. But if that one is clogging up then it is not working as it should. I understand your gran not wnating to do chemo or radiation and that is fair enough, but perhaps this time the doctors could go for a metal stent instead of a plastic one. The metal stents last a lot longer than the plastic ones do. My dad had a metal stent placed and after he had that done, he started to feel a lot better, and he had no chemo or radiation either. I’m just thinking out loud here and hopefully others will chime in soon with their thoughts as well.
My best wishes to you and your Gran,
Gavin
well let me rephrase that! she has the option to do a stint replacement surgery I’m just not sure she wants to. I think she may just want to keep the temporary one she has and just not replace it. Her last surgery was pretty difficult!
sg
I don’t have the answer to your question however; someone on this board may be able to help us out. Surgery has been ruled out, but I don’t understand why the drain has to be removed also. Did the doctors give you an explanation?
Yes, she at this point has an external drain, the doctors have just asked us to leave it off. It may be possible to just have the external drain on??? without having anymore surgeries?
Sg….have to you contacted the physician in regards to the leakage? There is a possiblity that an external drain will be more appropriate, but again only a physician will be able to make this determination.
Palliative stenting is very important as it allows comfort to the patient. And, it is of most importance to keep your abuela comfortable.
All my best wishes,
MarionSo its seems as of yesterday her bandages are getting soaked and are needing to be changed more often then before. What this tells me is that her temp stint may already need to be replaced. This is going to be her third and her second only lasted 3 weeks. What happens if she decided not to go back into surgery and replace it at all? I’m thinking if she does have to go into another surgery that we should have the metal stint placed in there. I know she still feels the same way about treatment and will not have the chemo or radiation. I just want her to be comfortable and enjoyable while she is still with us.
Thoughts?
Sg
SG….I applaud you for respecting your abuela’s decision. Although we don’t always agree the most important gift we can make to our loved one’s is to honor their wishes (as long as they are informed decisons.)
Endoscopic biliary stenting is the most common palliative treatment for patients suffering from malignant hepatobiliary tumors or benign strictures. However, infections and cholangitis are major complication of a biliary stenting. Stent removal and replacement are necessary due to blockage caused by microbial biofilm growth and biliary sludge accumulation. Metal stents are less likely to occlude and generally are trouble free for about one year or more. If sludge does accumulate metal stents can be cleaned out or, as we have seen in some instances, plastic stents can be inserted into the metal stent.
Ultimately though, the final decision will have to be made by your abuelaAfter talking to my abuela/grandma again this weekend, she has made it clear that at the age of 82 she will not be going to a cancer center every day for chemo/radiation. As her older niece its so hard to hear this, yet I understand her reasoning. We are now in the process of deciding whether we want to go with replacing her already 2nd plastic stent or going with a metal one. Is there anything I should know that would help me decide on which way to go. She had her first stent for one month and she is now going on almost 2 weeks with the second one. I have tried to do research on it, but because its so rare I am having little luck. Most of my research takes place on this site. Im wondering if replacing with another plastic would reduce her chance of infections, or would the metal be a benefit. She seems to be feeling pretty good, although her appetite isnt all that great. She says she feels very fatigued and tired. Shes not one to be in bed, but at times does not find the energy to get out of bed. we are in the process of contacting hospice just to have them involved when they are needed more. Like I mentioned in my introduction we are a very tight knit family and have volunteered on staying nights with her as long as we can.
Any advice or motivation is welcome!
This is all new to us and I want to honor her wishes along with having my abuela around as much and as long as possible!!!!
Thanks
SG
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