carla4jeff49
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carla4jeff49
SpectatorCatherine,
Sorry to hear the news about your mom having a recurrence. I am thinking about your family, and hope all goes well, and that she has many years good left ahead of her.
Warmly,
Carla Huffcarla4jeff49
SpectatorAlikemal,
So sorry about the loss of your beautiful mother to this cancer. May you find comfort and peace as you journey forward.
Warm wishes,
Carlacarla4jeff49
SpectatorThank you, Nykason.
I am thankful to hear you are doing well with your treatments and dietary changes. I hope your tumors continue to shrink. May the Lord continue to bless you on this journey.Warm Regards,
Carla
carla4jeff49
SpectatorThank you, positivity,
I agree it is not easy to make drastic dietary changes. It’s expensive and takes time to prepare home made meals. We started small with just a few things and went from there as it seemed to be helpful. We have three teens, and they are slowly getting on board, too.
Best wishes for your mother as you go forward with this journey!
Carlacarla4jeff49
SpectatorHello Everyone,
My husband Jeff is 2 1/2 years out since his diagnosis of non-resectable ICC. He had chemo locally , then radiation at MDA in Houston.
His recent scans show his tumor still appears necrotic and nothing new shows up. He still has no symptoms and appears healthy and functions normally. We are so thankful for this and each and every day we are given.
I realize this is not the case for so many others, and for that I grieve, and pray that advances will continue be made for this and all cancers.
I don’t know if this is helpful, but I do believe the dietary changes we made after his treatments were completed have helped tremendously. He feels better now than before he had cancer, and while it is not a cure, perhaps it helps his body keep things stable and in check. We do our best to eat foods that are organic and minimally processed. He also takes hemp oil and Curcummin for inflammation. He keeps busy, but always aims to get enough sleep. Most importantly, we strive to trust God in this journey.
Wishing you all the best,
Carla
carla4jeff49
SpectatorBen,
Sorry so long in posting reply, I’m just seeing this.
Let me clarify. I used the term CBD oil, thinking it is the same as hemp oil. I recently realized they are different. Jeff takes hemp oil. Hemp oil, as far as we know, is legal in all states.
It has no thc so there are no side effects. We order ours from CW Botanicals, because a friend of mine is the step-sister of the owners of the company and I trust it’s a high quality product.Jeff began dietary changes and supplements after completing chemo and radiation, because we weren’t sure how the two would mix. We have no proof it is a cure, but he feels good and has no symptoms, so we will continue what we are doing as long as it seems to be helpful.
Warm regards,
Carlacarla4jeff49
SpectatorCatherine,
Thank you! The situations do sound very similar. Your mother’s results are very encouraging. I hope all continues to go well with the scans in January.
Enjoy your holidays,
Carla
carla4jeff49
SpectatorSame to you and everyone else!
carla4jeff49
SpectatorLainy,
We did not ask for a 2nd opinion. Initially, when Jeff was diagnosed locally they did try to find a surgeon willing to operate, but were not able. They do not treat hardly any cases of CC , but have some type of affiliation with MD Anderson so they referred us to them. Our doctor at MDA hoped Jeff would be considered for a liver transplant ( and tried a second time to get him accepted after the first rejection) but he was not. They did genetic testing in hopes for a trial but again nothing was a match.He then had Chemo in hopes that the tumor might shrink enough that surgery could be done, but the tumor did not change. We then were sent to the radiology dept for radiation. From what we understood, once the tumor was exposed to the radiation it would change it so that surgery for that particular mass would never be an option, and have not heard anything different so far.
The radiation was very effective and the tumor is less than half what it was, and appears to be necrotic 18 months out. At this point we do not feel the need to ask for a second opinion, but do appreciate that option.Jeff’s chemo was done locally as prescribed by MDA; his radiation was done on site in Houston. His follow-up scans are now being done locally with results sent to MDA. If we went to MDA for scans they would be done every 3 months until the one year mark of his radiation completion, then I think it was 4 months, then 6 months. Because we did them locally he chose to schedule them for 6 months this past year, and then not sure for his next 6 month check-up. It may shed some light to mention that Jeff has worked in health care for 25 years, works at the local hospital where he received his chemo, and therefore knows the physicians and nurses doing his follow up care.
I appreciate your questions and follow-up to make sure we understand what our options are and that we are informed. Choosing to lengthen time between scans does not follow protocol, but Jeff is comfortable with it at this point, although nothing is set in stone.
carla4jeff49
SpectatorLainy,
Thanks for your response and I appreciate and understand your concern. It was recommended that Jeff be scanned every 3 months for a year after radiation, then taper to 6 months if all was well. He decided last December to push it out 6 months, and again in May when the results were good. It is possible he will choose to be scanned in 6 months (May), or sooner if he feels the need.Each case is different, but from what we understand, the chemo for CC is not effective for him, and he can not receive any more radiation on his liver until a minimum of two years has passed, which will be the end of April 2017. He did have genetic testing done and did not qualify for any other type of treatment available. There really isn’t much they can do right now treatment wise, and since he feels ok, he prefers to limit his radiation exposure and right now is comfortable with that. He may change his mind.
carla4jeff49
SpectatorSorry to hear about your husband’s diagnosis. My husband was diagnosed with non-resectable intrahepatic CC in Nov 2014 at age 48. He was able to have chemo, although it didn’t really do much, and then received 3 weeks of photon radiation at MD Anderson in Houston, TX, in April 2015, which did shrink his tumor considerably. At his last scan this past May his tumor is still stable. While not a cure, we have been told that type of radiation is one of the best treatment options for extending life for those who can not have a transplant or surgery to remove the tumor. The side effects were very minimal, as opposed to the chemo. I recommend asking if it’s an option.
Also, I would try alkalizing your husband’s diet. It can seem overwhelming if you start researching it, but an easy starting point Is to add fresh squeezed lemon to his water, also add raw apple cider vinegar to water once or twice a day and drink it. Cut out sugar and fried foods and try to eat raw fruits and veggies often.
My husband also takes CBD oil from CW botanicals, and curcummin, milk thistle, and Graviola supplements.
I do not know if any of this will be helpful, as each individual case is unique. I wish you the best as you journey forward.
Carla
carla4jeff49
SpectatorThank you everyone for the encouragement.
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