My Introduction and history
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Virginia,
I had six months of chemo following both of my liver resections and it was a solid year before I felt like myself again. I still get fatigued and I have trouble falling asleep at night . My first resection was in sept. 2010 and my second resection was aug. 2011. I recently had the same incision opened up to repair three incisional hernias. My advice is to take it slow, don’t overdo it,wear a binder if you will be lifting anything…avoid hernias!!!!
Hugs
LisaVirginia…..Great combination – your yearly physicals and a thorough internist. As you know, early detection of this disease has the best future outcome.
Although, your addressed our Lisa, I would like to chime in and share with you that recovery from a major operation (definitely, this qualifies) can vary from a few weeks to several months to a year or more depending on the individual.
Hugs,
MarionNote to Lisacraine:
You said you had liver resection with 75% removal of right sections. That is similar to my surgery. Was this recent? I have found it to be a very long slow recovery. I am still feeling the effects – less energy, less stamina, abdominal muscle soreness. Also, noticed that my right shoulder is now a little lower than the left. I could attribute this (other than the shoulder) to being 2 years older, but I think the surgery contributes. Interested to know your experiences.Note to all:
I attribute my success to an internist who was concerned enough with the aberrant liver enzymes on the routine annual to follow up with other tests that led to a rapid diagnosis and to the skill of the surgeon in getting all the apparent cancerous cells and the luck in getting him involved in my case! I am a strong advocate of regular physical exams.Thank you all for your comments! Appreciate the notes and wish the best to all!
Hi Virginia,
Welcome to the site. Sorry that you had to find us all here but glad that you’ve joined us as you’re in the best place for support and help as well. Thanks for sharing your story with us all, it is awesome! That was great that it was caught so early and that you had such excellent treatments as well, your team did an excellent job there and my fingers are crossed that the good news continues for you. Please keep coming back here and let us know how things go for you. Your story will inspire so many other people and give hope to so many as well. Thanks again for sharing and I look forward to hearing from you more.
My best wishes to you,
Gavin
Virginia, WHOOPIE!! We LOVE stories like this! It gives us hope.
Congratulations on your ever-lengthening time between scans!
You are so lucky to have had this caught in time for a great prognosis. So often we live with this monster just thinking… It was something I ate… My back really hurts, must have pulled something. Etc.
Kudos to your doc for being so proactive!Virginia
Welcome and thank you for sharing your story and giving so many hope. I also had a liver resection removing 75% of my liver, big surgery but so grateful to have had it.
Live…laugh and love
LisaWhat wonderful news…..and it keeps on coming two years out from surgery. Congratulations and wishes for continued good success. Every time I hear a story like yours, it helps me get through another day…hoping I follow in your footsteps. We have different types of bile duct cancer, but success against this monster is SUCCESS!!!.
So please….keep posting here….to give others encouragement.
Julie T.
IOwa girlHa, ha, Darla, I have never hid age as I would rather grow older than take the alternative! Not only that but what ever I say at this age I can just blame it on my bring an old lady! Boy, did earn the right!
Virginia –
Welcome to the family and congratulations that things have gone so well. I am so happy to hear the word resection. I am so glad your doc was paying attention to the enzymes.KrisV
Virginia,
Welcome . Thanks for sharing your story with us. Positive stories are always welcome here. Glad you have joined us and hope to hear more from you in the future.
Hugs,
DarlaLainy, I think you have just let the cat out of the bag and told the whole world, at least our CC world, your age.
Welcome Virginia! I agree with Lainy, you are an awesome survivor and an inspiration to others.
Congrats on a great recovery.
-Randi-
YIPPEE, Virginia! You are some awesome survivor! Proud to meet you and welcome to the best place to be for CC. Your story is very inspiring, hopeful for others and shows that miracles still happen. Don’t tell anyone but we are the same age. LOL I am wishing for you to have continued success and please keep us updated and know you are giving a lot of people hope!
I was introduced to cholangiocarcinoma at my annual physical in April, 2012. My liver enzyme levels were elevated. Yes, I had itching, but that was not unusual – my skin is sensitive. Yes, I had occasional diarrhea, but that depends on what I eat – a bowl of cherries can do that.
The repeat liver enzymes were higher. Then an ultrasound indicated a blockage of the bile duct and the GI specialist diagnosed cholangiocarcinoma. Our local hospital did not have the needed equipment for doing a biopsy. He offered to get me an appointment the following week at Univ. of Texas Med Center in Houston. My son works in ultrasound at Memorial Hermann (MH) in Houston and was able to get me an appointment with the GI center a day earlier – so I took that, searched the Internet for information and began to panic.At MH they were able to put a stent in, took biopsy samples and sent me home for a month. When I returned to the GI center at MH, I was introduced to a liver transplant specialist, Dr. John Bynon who thought he could do a resection. It was scheduled for May 16. The surgery went well, but was very extensive. He took 75% of my liver (right lobe), the gall bladder and reconnected the ducts. I was in the hospital for about a week and not sure I wanted to go home at that point!
I was transferred to an oncologist at MDAnderson, Dr. Rachna Shroff and have been followed by her since. I had CT scans (thorax, abdomen and pelvis) at 3 month intervals for the first year, then 4 month and have now progressed to 6 month intervals. Liver enzymes returned to normal and, so far, there has been no indication of malignant tissue.
I am so very fortunate that my annual was scheduled when it was, that my internist and GI specialist made the diagnosis, that Dr Bynon was available for the surgery, and that I have a very supportive family and group of friends.
This was my second encounter with cancer – I had endometrial cancer about 20 years previously and that too was caught early and had not spread. I am currently 74 years old and hope to have a number of good years left.
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