Overwhelmed!
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Emily’s Stepmom:
My heart goes out to Emily and to your family. No one ever wants to experience the journey that this cancer takes one on. Emily is very lucky to have you as her Step-Mom and I know that you and her father will be there to help her deal with everything that her mother is going through.
It sounds like Michelle is doing the right things by getting second opinoins. I am by no means a health professional, but even with my husband Tom, we got second opinoins. Tom was given a 6 month prognosis and was told by his oncologist that radiation and chemo would not help. We fired that oncologist and got 2nd and 3rd opinoins. After Radiation and chemo, his tumor is dead (but still blocking the bile duct) so he had an external drain to drain off the bile that was causing his jaundice.
I am adding Michelle to my prayer list and hope that for Emily’s sake she continues to fight and keeps a positive attitude. No one has an expiration date stamped on their butt.
You tell Michelle that she has everyone on this site pulling for her!
Go with God and KEEP KICKIN’ THAT cancer.
Margaret (My husband and Cholangiocarcinoma)
Erika,
You sound like a very caring woman. The next weeks will be hard and I am praying for your family. Who knows what is around the corner, but you will find the strength to get through it the best you can.Kris
Thank you everyone for your kind words. Wow, I didnt expect so much support and from all over the world.
Let me explain Michele’s situation a little further….. In January, she complained of severe abdominal pain and nausea. She spent several days in the local hospital until they transferred her to the University of MD. It was there that the Drs confirmed it was her gall bladder causing the problem, and several days later the gall bladder was removed and she was sent home. After being home for a little over a week, she began to experience jaundice and the abdominal pains were back. She went back to UofMD, where they ran more tests and found the tumor in her bile duct. It was 3/6/2010, when they confirmed that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. The tumor is intraheptic (sp?). Located within the duct inside her liver. The Drs told her she had “weeks” and to go home and spend them with her friends and family.Michele, not giving up so quickly, did send her test results to Johns Hopkins. Around the 2nd week of April, she had a consultation with the JH Drs. They agreed with the diagnosis from UofMD and suggested that Michele at least start chemotherapy because they felt she only had a couple of weeks left and the chemo could help prolong her life.
Well 2 weeks ago, she went to JH for the first treatment and her white blood cell count was too low. They put her on an antibiotic to help increase the count. This past Thursday, she had bloodwork done and her count was zero. Her pain has intensified and JH did perform a nerve block surgery on her last Friday to help relieve the pain. The drugs are taking a toll on her mental state, she has become very confused and disoriented.
So that brings us up to date. Michele is in a daily battle and I pray she can live another day to fight.
Emily, my stepdaughter is 10 years old. She is Michele’s only daughter and it breaks my heart that they have to go through this. Everyone keeps telling me that she is fortunate to have my husband and I (along with our 2 daughters– Hannah, age 5 and Georgi, age 5 months). But we dont feel very fortunate right now.
I want Emily and myself to become active in this foundation and help raise awareness to this incureable cancer so Emily can carry on her mother’s legacy.Thanks everyone for listening.. your words are most encouraging and enlightning.
Thanks,
Erika
Welcome, Emily’s Stepmom – When my sister was diagnosed last August I described my reaction as “bouncing off the walls”, so I certainly know about that awful feeling of being totally overwhelmed.
You’re in the right place to receive information, help & support & you’ll find you’re giving support to others, too, just by being here.
My very best wishes to you all.
Julia
Hi Emily’s Stepmom,
Welcome to the site although I am sorry that you had to find us all. I can’t really add to what the others have said to you, but I just wanted to stop by and welcome you here. I know what you mean about this diagnosis feeling like a huge punch in the stomach, my dad was diagnosed with inoperable CC in the summer of 08 and it felt like I had been hit in the head when we got the news.
I hope that you keep coming back here as you will get a ton of support and help from us all.
Best wishes to you and all of your family,
Gavin
I would also like to chime in and welcome you although, I can’t add much to what has already been said. I would however, like to point out that the Cholangciocarcinoma offers wristbands for a nominal fee. (Cost only.) By wearing the bands we feel connected with all Cholangiocarcinoma/bile duct cancer patients while simultaneously we raise awareness to this disease. If you would like to be involved in any other way please, feel free to contact us. Everyone is welcome and much needed.
My best wishes to you and your family,
MarionYou are right to feel overwhelmed. That is the nature of cc. BUT, the good news is you found us and we are a great resource. I swear from reading other peoples posts I know more about cc now than my doctor…and knowledge is one of the sharpest tools in the toolbox.
Please go get a second opinion. There are many treatment options out there besides chemo and radiation and one of those might be better for your step daughters mom.
Kris
Hello Emily’s Step mom and welcome to our fabulous family. We are so sorry to hear what is happening in the family. Have they gone for a second opinion? What tests did she have? Honestly, no one was born with an expiration date and we feel strongly in 2nd opinions. If we can be of any help if would be great if you could give us a little more information. There are lots of wonderful people waiting here to help.
Hi Emily’s StepMom,
Glad to have you join our wonderful family. Not that any of us planned to or wanted to be here, but it is the best place to come when dealing with this type of cancer. There is a whole lot of info here, so if you have any concerns try using the search function or ask and someone will be here to help you out. Please keep posting and let us know how things are going. Everyone here is so helpful and supportive. Once you all regroup, if you can post more information, maybe we can be of some help. My best to all of you and I will be hoping that it will be years.
DarlaHi. My family was affected by cholangiocarcinoma on March 6th, 2010. My step-daughter’s mother found out she has unresectable bile duct cancer, intraheptic. The Drs have confirmed the cancer has spread to her lymph nodes and they have only given her “weeks”. She is hanging on to each day, week, month and hopefully years. Wow, this has been a huge punch in the stomach for all of us. This is an awful disease and we want to do everything we can to help raise awareness.
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