Living with jaundice

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  • #53660
    gavin
    Moderator

    Dear Cindy,

    I am sorry to hear this latest news of your mum. Like Andie’s dad, my dads tumour also started to block his stent as well and it couldn’t be changed either. Have you managed to seek out another opinion for your mum from another treatment centre? Please remember that we are all here for you right now.

    My best wishes to you and your mum,

    Gavin

    #53659
    andie
    Spectator

    Dear Worried Daughter,

    My Dads tumor blocked his stent, it got to a point where it was impossible for the Doctor to fit a stent as it was too tricky to get to. They fitted my Dad with an external drain which helped drain the bile.

    We did get second opinions, and whilst they couldn’t offer any further help it did put our minds at rest that we had tried every option and hadn’t given up.

    My best wishes to you and your family

    Andrea

    #53658
    marions
    Moderator

    Worried daughter….I am so sorry to hear the devastating news. This is one of these situations where scans show stable and yet the cancer has advanced. There are times when we need to put on our boxing gloves. I agree with the others in that you should search out another opinion with a center treating a high volume of CC patients because, you want to be absolutely sure that intervention of biliary drainage is not achievable. Our Kris would say: I will continue to fight because I don’t like the alternative.
    My heart is with you.
    All my best wishes,
    Marion

    #53657
    pcl1029
    Member

    Hi,
    When was the last CT scan ?
    How long she was on Xeloda? Is it 2gm twice a day?
    Base on what you said,the tumor situation is stable and that is good news.

    Surgical bypass is rare but may be necessary in a jaundiced patient for whom stenting cannot be achieved for technical reasons such as tumor location.
    Percutaneous stents (external drain) is another approach for relieving jaundice
    if endoscopic approach is not possible.—treatment options for locally advanced CC.–uptodate.com May 2011.
    God bless.

    #53656
    worrieddaughter
    Spectator

    It’s blocked with the cancer apparently. I will have to ask her if she wants a second opinion. Thanks!

    #53655
    pam
    Spectator

    Cindy, have the doctors discussed if they can insert an external drain? Can they do radition or cyberknife to unblock duct enough to insert another stent? Is the duct blocked with cancer or scar tissue? There came a time when my dad could not have a stent replacement and he became very jaundice. He lived a couple of months under hospice care. He was very sick at this point. Like Lainy said we don’t have expiration dates when we are born. The most important thing to remember is keeping your mom comfortable. Seek a second opinion if she is up
    to it. Like you said she seems to be doing fine otherwise. I’d go with a second opinion. There has to be something more they can do. Keep us in touch.

    #53654
    worrieddaughter
    Spectator

    We have not sought a second opinion at this point. She is being treated by the head of oncology at GBMC in Baltimore. She did not want to leave town for treatment. I don

    #53653
    lainy
    Spectator

    Dear Cindy, have you sought out a 2nd opinion? Where is Mom being treated?
    Are these doctors really experienced in treating CC? Hospice does not mean the end. Many people seek it out for some palliative care and then go off of it when they get better. We NEVER know when the end is coming because we were not born with expirations dates. I know other will chime in here to offer you some more help and please keep us posted.

    #5761
    worrieddaughter
    Spectator

    After a few months of Xeloda, my mom’s scans showed no spread and no growth. She was diagnosed last November with cc spread to liver and lymph nodes so this news made us ecstatic. She just became jaundiced about 10 days ago. They went in on Friday to replace her stent and discovered that the duct is completely blocked. They say there is nothing they can do and we should look into hospice.
    Does this sound right to you? How long can someone survive if they are jaundiced? The rest of her body is doing fine at this point. Hospice is so scary since it means the end is coming. I just wish we had a better sense of how long.
    Thanks for listening!

    Cindy

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
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