Just wanted to introduce myself…….
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Hi Cherbourg,
I am also in the medical field (Microbiologist) & have access to stuff the public doesn’t. I am being treated at the hospital I work at and when I was 1st diagnosed with gall bladder cancer 3 years ago I read the CT report before having surgery and suspected all was not well but didn’t want to believe it. Every time I have blood tests I know the results before the doctors do. Even though I don’t have full privacy I chose to be treated where I am because they are one of the hospitals in the forefront of cancer research and a new wing is being built for the treatment and care of cancer patients- to be named the Olivia Newton John Cancer Centre. Sorry for rambling. Sometimes its nice talk about stuff and not burden friends and relatives. But since that 1st CT scan I never read those reports but wait for the doctors to tell me. Don’t like nasty surprises.Cherbourg,
Welcome to the club that no one wants to belong to but everyone in our situation is happy to find. You certainly seem to have a great attitude & you have come to the right place for help & support. I like your statement:
“God doesn’t give us more than we can handle but I’m beginning to believe he has a much higher opinion of my ability to cope than I do!!”
I can’t tell you how many times I have told myself this same thing this past month since my husband passed away. We only fought this battle for 7 weeks. They were both the longest & the shortest weeks of my life. Atleast you have some knowledge of what is happening. We had none until it was too late. I’m still not sure which is better or worse! It does sound like your Mom is doing OK at the moment. I hope that the treatments are helping her. For now all you can do is take it one step at a time. One Day At A Time & sometimes 1 minute at a time! I will keep you & your family in my thoughts & prayers. Let us all know how things are going. Good luck to all of you.
Darla
Thanks to all for the wonderful caring messages! God certainly provides just what we need when we need it! I know God doesn’t give us more than we can handle but I’m beginning to believe he has a much higher opinion of my ability to cope than I do!!
I’m taking my Mom and Dad to Duke on Monday for another round of chemo. We’ll also be getting the instructions for the Nexavar that came to their house yesterday. I can’t believe her insurance company didn’t even blink at paying for the Nexavar!
My mom is an amazing woman. Her 77th birthday will be on Wednesday and she is still working pretty much full time. She doesn’t have to but we decided long ago that was her “hobby” and she loves it. Fortunately not all of us have that gene! We operate on the premise that if it makes her happy…we’re all happy!
CS your mom does sound amazing alot like mine. She does have cirrohsis as well and her normal weight is 127 lbs. In the beginning she was not eating but is taking Megace. Talk about a miracle drug! She’s eating everything that isn’t nailed down but her weight has been constant. She’s very fortunate right now that the only chemo side effect has been the cold neuropathy for the first two or three days. She’ll be getting her fourth chemo on Monday assuming that blood counts are stable.
As I said my parents have been married for 57 years. (We believe it’s going to work…*grin*) It’s hard to watch my Dad deal with the process of losing the love of his life. Part of me had always hoped that they would go together….
I’ll let you guys know how things go on Monday.
Thank you all…………
Hi Cherbourg – my Mom is also 76 and was diagnosed with this hellacious cancer in May 2007 – I just left the hospice where she is now. She was doing so well – but then her body could not take the chemo anymore. As I was reading this post it was uncanny as to the similarities as my Mom also has Hep C from a blood transfusion in the 60s when she had complications during a hysterectomy. She is getting weak but still is trying to be so strong for my brother, my son and his family who all visit her daily. It is very hard on the kids 8 and 13 who also just lost their Great-great grandmother (96) from colon cancer.
Due to the Hep C she also has cirrohsis. Has your Mom been diagnosed with that too? She had gained over 30 pounds of fluid in her legs, and her liver is so swollen on her petite frame of 112 pounds previously. My heart goes out to you, but traveling this journey together helps. This is such a supportive website and I have learned so much from it. My prayers are with you and your family as well.Hi Cherbourg,
Welcome to the site. I only joined last week and I have found the site and the people here an amazing source of support, advice and friendship. I hope you find the same. My dad was recently diagnosed with non-operable CC and underwent PDT treatment. Being able to come here and share my experiences has been a great source of comfort.
Wishing you and your mum all the very best.
Gavin
Cher— I love your motivation and advocacy for your Mom. She sounds like a marlvelous individual, just like her daughter. Wishing and praying only the bestest outcome. Glad to hear your at Duke. My Sister did her internship for nursing at Duke. I think that’s what you call it. Any hoot she’s a nurse now. Take good care of yourselves.
God Bless,
JeffI just posted you under your “other” letter and after seeing this wanted to say Congratulations on your daughter’s wedding. I guess this is life, checks and balances, good vs. bad! The wedding sounds beautiful and by the way if you can “grin” in your posts you are doing well under the circumstances.
My daughter is marrying her Marine so we will have a Military wedding with all of the ushers and the groom in Dress Blues and with swords. My Dad will sing and my nephew’s brass quartet will play. It will be December 20th in our church. I’m hopeful my Mom will be there but I’ve already handed over that problem to God. As I told my daughter ….your grandmother will either be in the pew or will have the best seat in the church.
My daughter’s Marine will deploy for the second time back to Iraq in January. As she says……they’ve already survived one deployment. Hopefully I will still be able to speak in complete sentences by November…*grin*Cherbourg…oops..I am so sorry to have mistaken you for a male. Great, for your Mom feeling so well with her treatment and for the side effects to being minimal and that you do not have to enter in to a fight with the insurance company for coverage of a medication. Please, keep us posted. Love to hear about the wedding plans, also.
MarionActually I am my mother’s daughter – not son. Mom is doing well so far with the chemo. Other than cold neuropathy no real side effects. As they told us at Duke they prefer to prevent side effects rather than treat them! A worthy goal!
A real surprise….the insurance company is going to cover the Nexavar. We are waiting for it to be delivered.Dear Cherbourg.
First, you are not rambling secondly, welcome for joining this site. This cancer comes as a shock to most if not all but, you, the son, being the first to identify it, adds another twist to your MomI’ve been reading and viewing this site since I diagnosed my mother in May 2008. My Mom is 76. Up until May of this year she was in great health. She still works full time (by choice) and she and my dad have been married for 57 years. She had Hepatitis C acquired from numerous blood transfusions in the 50’s when she lost her first child. All in all it had caused no trouble and had been monitored for years. In May, she had a bout of pleurisy and during a CT to rule out a blood clot several spots were noted in her lungs. A second CT was done and the liver tumors were noted. A liver biopsy was done and the results were reported after an agonizing 17 days as malignant. I
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