betsy
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Hi Bob,
So glad to see your posting. i know what you mean about “staying away” from the site due the passing of so many dear people. I feel the same way.I’m wishing you the best as you recover.
Betsy
Hi Ellen,
I didn’t have problems with constipation. But I do recall it took a little time before I started to feel better – probably several days before I noticed a difference in the itching – I was taking it 4x/day. Sorry to hear about the constipation. Its such a struggle to find the right medicine with the least side effects. Hope this info. helps.Betsy
Hi Ellen,
In the past, I’ve used cholestyramine for itching and it was very helpful. You’ll have to get a doctor to prescribe it. I took it in powder form and stirred it into any kind of flavored drink. That medication really helped me and I had no side effects from taking it – just relief from the constant itching.Betsy
Hi Lisa,
I also had my liver resection at the Clinic – you beat mine by 1 hour! I live in the Cleveland area and would love to swap stories. I am currently being treated at the Clinic for a bile duct leak that won’t heal but I am still 2 years cancer-free.Betsy
Hi CJ,
I had some of the problems your Dad is experiencing. I’ve had a complicated post-surgical recovery from a leaking bile duct. I did well for about 6 months after the surgery but started having ascites and itching. My bilirubin was normal but liver enzymes were elevated. Me doctor said the elevated enzymes were caused by inflammation in my liver. He prescribed a medication called cholestyramine for the itching. This helped significantly. It is a powder formula that I mix into any flavored beverage. I also took lasix for the fluid build-up. Lack of appetite and low energy have plagued me but my cancer has never returned.Hope this helps.
Betsy
Hi Bushra,
The only symptom I had was weight lose and feeling a little more tired than usual. I didn’t think too much about it because my mom had just died. Just to be sure, I went in for a physical. Labs revealed abnormally high liver enzymes. From there it took a several tests to confirm cc. I still can’t believe it. I had no idea anything was wrong.
Betsy
Hi Fabyke,
I had clear margins, no lymph node involvement, had not spread to any other organs and my oncologist also said no to chemo. I’m a little over 2 years from my resection and still cancer-free. It is hard to know what to do – I could have pushed harder for chemo but I had been through so much already, I was relieved to skip it.
Betsy
Gavin – how do you find all of these different websites and articles? I search and search and never find the information you do. Thanks so much. I’ve bookmarked so many of them and used them many times.
Betsy
Dear Hans,
What a beautiful tribute to Kris. So many tender, sweet gestures…..her favorite flowers, the purple scarf from you, her butterfly broach. It makes my heart hurt. I still expect to see posts from her when I come to this board and then I remember she is gone. Even though I’m so sad she has died, I can always re-read her posts and for that I am grateful.
Please have a safe trip to the States.xxoo
BetsyHi Richie,
I had 3/4 of my liver removed and my intestines re-routed (its called a roux-en-y). About 5 days later, I had surgery again to remove an abscess. It took me several months before I could return to a normal routine and about 6 months before I really felt good again. I had and continue to have complications from my surgery with 1 of my 2 remaining bile ducts. There is a leak in the duct that will not heal. It’s been a long road (2 years now) but I haven’t had a recurrence and in that regard, I’m incredibly lucky. I did not receive adjuvant chemo. I also take an anti-depressant but was taking them before I had cancer and I can’t imagine managing without it. I had no food restrictions except right after the surgery (and that was only a few days). I had no restrictions on pain medicine. There is one IV narcotic that I avoid like the plague called Dilaudid. I hallucinated on it in the hospital and it was very intense. For about 2 months, I had help at home with meals and the house cleaning. I also had family in and out to help with the kids. I was able to shower on my own but not wash my hair. I slept a lot and stayed in bed with my cats and dogs
I also strongly recommend you take someone with you to these first appointments and as much as you can, have someone in the hospital with you.Take heart Richie, everyone seems to have their own unique experience with this cancer. You might not have a lot of the issues some of the others have had.
Betsy
Hi Tommy,
Does Judy have a Living Will or Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care? In these legal documents, she can state what she wants to happen if she is unable to make decisions and she can specify you as the person to see that her wishes are honored.
Betsy
thanks for the article Marion. I’ve lost track of how many CAT scans I’ve had. I’m going to talk to my doctor about this article.
bEtsy
I think the thing about Dr. Gawande’s article that made me the saddest was when he said, “The end comes with no chance for you to have said goodbye or
