what are the known survival rates of CC at five years?
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David,
Great words to live by for all of us. I think you have a great attitude. Keep on living your life to the fullest, one day at a time.
Darla
My oncologist asked me if I knew statics. I said yes, so he drew out what group I fell into. He said just because I was in the bigger survival group does not mean that I could fall into the smaller group. Just like the smaller group could not fall into the bigger group. Therefore, in the end he said “DON’T WORRY ABOUT STATICS. LIFE IS WHAT IT IS. WOULD YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFE OR DO YOU LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST EVERYDAY?” I heard what he said and have decided to live life to the fullest, which I should have been doing even before I was diagnosed
Barb,
I will be thinking of you and hoping for the best out come for your husband’s surgery next Tuesday. Good luck. Let us know how things are going.
Love,
Darladarla,
thank you for your kindness.
my husband is scheduled for “nerve sparing” surgery this coming tuesday. he has an excellent surgeon and we are hoping that the cancer (although it’s a high grade per his gleason score) has not spread.
take care,
barb hBarb, You are certainly dealing with a lot. I admire your strength and attitude. I can see why you can’t get here often, but know that we are all here ready & willing to lend an ear when you need us. Even if it is just to vent a bit.
Heather, I can’t add much to all of the great advice the others have already given, so I just want you to know that I am thinking of you and your sister & hoping for the best.
Love & Hugs to All,
Darlahey heather,
i’m a bit of a realist in that i always want to know what i am up against… perhaps so that i can try to be as prepared as possible and try to not leave any stone unturned. perhaps this is due to so many unheavals in my life … before cholangio. here’s a link that might help give you some info.
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/277393-overview
obviously, and thank goodness, there are exceptions to everything and i feel we must keep hope alive.
i found my own tumor in nov/dec 2002; 1st surgery feb 03; 2nd surgery feb 04; 3rd surgery aug 06; more than 4 years of various chemos/treatments. not currently on treatment … but holding ok but battling pain. husband dx with prostate cancer this week; brother with prostate cancer; another brother died from bladder cancer in jan this year; our 7 year old grandson dx with bipolar while in our care a couple of months ago; his single mother just announced (this past sunday) she is pregnant with yet another child……… these are some of the reasons i do not post here very often. having said that i do retain hope
wishing you the best,
barb hCherbourg wrote:Heather,I lost my Mom to this horrible disease April 3, 2009. She was diagnosed in May of 2008.
When discussing prognosis with my son he replied immediately with the “tagline” I use in my signature. To me it’s the absolute best was to live.
Maybe you will gain some comfort from it.
Hugs,
Pamthanks pam and that is so awesome with the quote. best, heather
Heather,
I lost my Mom to this horrible disease April 3, 2009. She was diagnosed in May of 2008.
When discussing prognosis with my son he replied immediately with the “tagline” I use in my signature. To me it’s the absolute best was to live.
Maybe you will gain some comfort from it.
Hugs,
PamThank you for everyone’s responses. And yes, I am hoping for the best and trying to get some of the best information for my sister. We are trying to focus on the positive and I will keep you posted. best, heather
Hi Heather, unlike Jolene’s story (which has me in tears yet again this morning), my Dad refused to hear any news of prognosis, timeframes, stages or stats. His spirit and positive attitude were unparallel with anything that I’ve ever witnessed. At the time, I thought it was denial, but now- I see it as survival. My own approach to Dad’s journey was to plan for the stats and pray for a miracle… a philosophy that forced me to be present in the moment, with my Dad, for every opportunity I had.
Wishing your sister all the best.
Tess
Just remember that we are people, not statistics. What is true for one person may not be true for another.
I wish to God that dad had never asked about statistics and time frames. It’s what he focused on during treatment and toward the end. He kept asking how many days have passed. I tried to redirect that path of conversation, but I guess he just wanted to know to get things done before he passed. He did have hope, however, but the looming dates plagued him. From a caregiver/daughter point of view, it was hard to watch dad focus on timeframes. He was told he had no longer than 6 months. He died 6 months from his dx date: Jan 28 – Jul 28.
There were times, that we thought we’d have him for a while longer. I started thinking we’d have him for Christmas. He came down with an infection that sucker-punched us. I guess you just never know.
I am in awe of the determination and positive attitudes of persons with CC on this panel. Such courage completely humbles me. I guess that’s one of the many reasons I keep coming back here} to be in the midst of such strength and vitality.
Peace,
JoleneI should add that dad’s cancer had already spread so much. However, one must always, always have faith, hope and support. Lainy is correct in saying it’s about attitude!
Heather,
I was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma 12/06. I had a successful resection in 01/07. I had clear margins and never had any chemo. My docs reasoning was that there was no longer anything for the chemo to kill. Let’s hope so.
Here I am, 2 years and 7 months later. I am doing well, and so far have no recurrence. I have been getting CT scans with contrast every 6 months, and am due for another in September. So keep those fingers crossed.
I asked my doctor straight out what her “statistics” have been. She is a specialist in the liver and has seen cases of this before. She told me that after a successful resection, she has had a 50% cure rate at 5 years. Take that for whatever you want. I really needed to know my “real” odds for living, and that was the best she could give me.
But, I am halfway there. I know I am lucky and I try to live each day to the fullest. I still have bad emotional days, days when I can cry at the drop of a hat, but I think I actually have days when I don’t even think about the cancer.
All you and your sister can do is keep going. Don’t dwell on the “what ifs” and make some plans for the future when she feels better. That’s all you can do.
Lots of prayers and hugs,
SueI was diagnosed 2 years ago this month with a 6 cm tumor. After radiation in 10/07, it shrunk to 2.5 cm, where it has remained. I did have a failed resection attempt in 03/08.
So where I sit now is cancer that has metastasized to the lungs, but not developed into tumors, the same 2.5 cm tumor I had last year, and 2 years of chemo to keep the cancer at bay.
My doc says I’m doing well, and works with me on controlling my symptoms (neuropathy, fatigue).
I am hoping for another 10 years of survival, God willing.
Teddy had his Whipple 4 years ago this month! He is will be 77 in October. Wants to go back to work part time (retired in Dec) and plays golf. He is a walking MIRACLE. When he meets doctors and tells them he is a Whipple survivor they cannot believe it! HOPE, PRAYER and ATTITUDE is the best RX and I can’t say that enough. Our own Jeff who mentored many of us on this Board beat the odds for 10 years. We are so happy about Kristin at 5 1/2 years. Just educate yourself the best you can on this CC so that you can be a jump ahead. Remember, none of us were born with an expiration date on the bottom of our feet. Wish we could give you some concrete news but its just impossible.
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