SIRT

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #30394
    marions
    Moderator

    Roger….beside the unpleasant bout with food poisoning it appears that you had a great time. The Liver symposium had been on my list to attend but, I had to cancel attending due to other engagements. Please, say “hi” to everyone and tell us how it went.
    Good luck with your appointment coming up.
    Best wishes,
    Marion

    #30393
    lainy
    Spectator

    Very good report, Roger. Glad everything is going along so well. Teddy would love to golf Palm Desert. Food poisoning!? Not so nice. When we were in Palm Springs a few years ago our favorite restaurant was Sherman’s Deli. Beautiful area and not to far for us (Phoenix). Keep up your wonderful reports and best of luck

    #30392

    Went to Palm Desert for 3 weeks, first week was shot as I had a heavy duty case of food poisoning. Took me a week to recover, but happily I got in 8 rounds and it was great to see green grass. MY next scan is scheduled for April 7. Then I am on to the Liver Symposium in Dallas April 8-10, supported by YES. Yes is a support and advocacy group to work on liver cancer. Dr. Kennedy of Wake Forest will be there and when not leading a section will look at the records and will respond and make suggestions. I have been trying to get into experimental liver transplants but my largest tumor is 10 cm. and I find that the largest they will take is 3.43 cm. I have talked with northwestern university and am getting feeling that perhaps I could get a resection. Should find out soon. Well I am 17 months out. Better than the 8 months I was originally given. Still feeling good with no symptoms. Hope you all are feeling well and will continue. I will bring up the Whipple procedure with my onc and get his reaction. best to all Roger

    #30391
    marions
    Moderator

    howerroger…..Sure am glad to hear from you. I have my CC link stored under “favorites”. The word “stable” has taken on a new meaning for me ever since my involvement with CC. That is great news.
    I would like to add to the great info Lainy has offered:
    All distal bile duct cancers are treated with a Whipple. It is the same operation as the one performed for cancer of the head of the pancreas. The proximal duodenum (first portion of the small intestine), common bile duct, gall bladder and the head of head of the pancreas are removed with a Whipple procedure.

    #30390
    gavin
    Moderator

    Hi there,

    Welcome back and thanks for your update. I hope you enjoy Palm desert and the sun, and play a lot of golf!

    Best wishes to you and your family,

    Gavin

    #30389
    lainy
    Spectator

    Well hello there and welcome back. A Whipple is when the cancer is contained in the bile ducts without invading the liver. Although our Kris maybe getting a partial Whipple along with the liver surgery. Also can go in to the gall bladder, and the head of the pancreas and duodenum. Teddy’s was in the middle of his bile duct valve and contained. They removed his gall bladder and duodenum, and head of the pancreas. They literally take out everything in the stomach, do the surgery and put back all but the duodenum and gall bladder, for him anyway. It is not life threatening but the largest surgery to the human body there is. You can just look up Whipple on the web. You mention Palm Desert are you either Calif or Arizona? IF you are not satisfied with answers from the doctor you are entitled to get another opinion. Good luck and keep us posted.

    #30388

    Hello all: Didn’t know how to get back to this site. Just found it today. Have had 4 scans since 2 SIRT procedures in J/Feb, 2009. No shrinkage, but no indication of tumors and everything has remained stable. 15 mo.s since diagnosis. Tried for experimental transplant at Mayo, Rochester. Got a very cold no. Tumor too big. Also my onc resubmitted my case aN Abbott northwestern in Minneapolis. Another no on resectioning. Onc says as long as I am doing so well he won’t do any chemo, so we are going to Palm Desert for 3 weeks of sunshine and 80 degree weather and of course lots of golf. What is a Whipple? Maybe I could try that. NOw that I finallly found this board again, a belated Happy New Year to all.

    #30387
    barbara
    Spectator

    GaryW,
    I was turned down for SIRT by Blue Cross/Anthem in California. Now all UC medical campuses have stopped doing to procedure because of budget cuts and the fact that insurance companies won’t pay.

    #30386
    elainew
    Spectator

    Hi Roger,
    It’s wonderful to hear about someone fighting this disease being able to get out on the golf course! That is my husband, Gary’s, goal. He’s had a tough time recovering from the Whipple 1 1/2 years ago and chemo as well. We’re investigating SIRT now(Dr. Kennedy at Wake) because of spread to the liver, but don’t know yet if he’s a candidate and evenso doubt that BCBS will cover it. Were you approved for it due to being inoperable and did your insurance pay up? Gary has been deemed Stage 4 now because of the spread but has not been given a prognosis. He just restarted FOLFOX which has worked for him before. The best to you and keep slaying them on the golf course! Gary and Elaine

    #30385
    marions
    Moderator

    Hello Roger….and welcome to our site. No new growth always is good news. You seem to be doing so well by being as active as you are; another scan in Otober may be just as positive. As Lainy said, no one knows. You are being watched carefully. Enjoy your golf. As you have mentioned; the prediction of eight months already has passed and it would make no sense to speculate otherwise. I am so glad that you have joined us and if I would love to hear more about your golf game.
    Best wishes coming your way,
    Marion

    #30384
    lainy
    Spectator

    Hi Roger. No one was born with an expiration date on the bottom of their foot and with CC it is very difficult to give a time frame. We have family here who were given months and have survived years. All we know for sure about CC is that everything about it is different. Teddy will be 77 in October and next month is 4 years since his Whipple. CC returned a year ago where his duodenum used to be but we zapped it with cyber knife and he too is golfing and wants to go back to work part time. Enjoy your good news and take advantage of every wonderful day you have. Good luck and it sounds like it has already come your way.

    #2534

    I have had my second CAT scan following 2 SIRT procedures at Abbott-Northwestern Hospital. My onc says that the good news is that the scans
    show no growth after 4 months, but very little reduction in size. However
    since I am exercising, playing golf 3 times a week, age 75 so I can do it, and walking regularly that he will wait until early October to do another cat scan and check it out. Says there is no reason to make me feel bad with chemo treatments at this time.

    Curious to know from you CC patients what your time frame was in seeing
    reduction in tumor. My largest was 10 cm. Many small through 5 of the 8 liver sections.

    Also I find that onc’s are reluctant to discuss life expectancy. My first diagnosis was
    8 months. I have passed that now with the SIRT procedures.

    Any comments gratefully received

    New member
    Roger Howe

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
  • The forum ‘Introductions!’ is closed to new topics and replies.