Update on Mum-Confused

Hello everyone,

I have to say that I have not visited this website in a really long time.
I guess I should write in the good news section but somehow I can’t bring myself to do it.
Mum was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma in July 2008. She has had several stents put in and two 6 months chemotherapy treatments: first one with gemzar and oxaliplatin and the second one with gemzar only as oxaliplatin was giving her irreversible side effects (neuropathy).

Her last two scans have shown that the tumor and the metastasis in the liver have gone. Yes I should be jumping up and down (and I did when i got the news in September). I don’t even know how this is possible. The doctors seem to have no answer. I am a very rational person and I’m finding it hard to believe it. Don’t get me wrong, we are all really happy.

The thing is that her liver is very very damaged. She’s yellow all the time now even if the stents work properly and is showing all side effects related to cirrhosis. I’m scared. Wherever I read it seems to me that this is irreversible and always progresses. The results are never good. So, did I go from being scared of losing her to cancer to losing her from cirrhosis? Has anyone had an experience like this one? The doctors say she will always suffer infections and from this type of side effects but do not talk about progression or prognosis and I am having a bad time coping. Can anyone help me?

Thanks

Mercedes