hercules
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Oh dear Julie, you have been through so much….I wish I could fly to Iowa and make everything better than it is, and I would if you asked because life is so unfair. You are dealing with side effects of side effects, and if there ever was a survivor to be praised, it is you dear Julie and I respect you and all you have dealt with is amazing. I pray you find a way as you have until now. My best, Pat
Wow John ! Your story is incredible and eight years of chemo touring is hard on more than your veins, You are true survivor and I am happy you are here sharing all you have been through. You should read Matt Rieddy’s story and how keytruda turned his chemo tour onto a rest stop. I am glad you are here to share and hopefully learn as well. Welcome to this incredible global group of people that are here for a common reason. Pat
DawnaN, a tumor in the distal region, if caught early, is operable . Brushings on the exterior of a intrahepatic tumor are often negative while the center is cholangiocarcinoma, as mine was. Don’t be discouraged just hope for a surgeon to tell you he can help you. Find a hospital with experience treating this cancer. Be brave, this can be beaten . Pat
Jdow, first congratulations for success against all odds. Good for all of you, and , you now know the value of a day of freedom from cholangiocarcinoma……Priceless ! Your brother is young, enjoy life, do the things he always wanted to do, explore new things, have fun however you define it. Take care of yourself, listen to a beautiful sunrise and feel the warmth. He is too young to be taken…keep fighting, Pat
Nothing against Theodore, in your own words, life is for the living, and it is nice to hear you post about Mel and You that is all, I had hardly seen you post about him, and he seemed so genuine, like so many I met there. That is all dear Lainy, good to hear about the living guy in your life, you two are great, Pat
Lainy, It was nice to meet you also, and everyone else too. Salt Lake was an interesting place with history lessons and old buildings , mountains (which we don’t have here in Ohio ) and I think they are beautiful to look at when it is not your normal backdrop, they are incredible. Mostly the people were the big attraction and most do the facebook thing and are poking their phones and I am just not there yet ( my smartphone is a juvenile amongst most other smartphones a volkswagon beetle you might say, and they just speed right by me lol .) Anyhow it was a fasinating educational fun time and I met so many ( Lainy your man is a great guy, talk more about him and less about Ted, just a thought ) It was wonderful meeting you both and I hope to see you both again sometime, take care, Pat
Julie, you have fought an incredible battle, had numerous setbacks and you got back up and kept going,you too are a cc miracle, and winning that fight has beat up your poor body. Just keep getting back up and keep being a winner. You are a champion of this board, I hope you have the strength to fight on as you have, god bless, Pat
great to hear your mother is still doing well Catherine, it is a success story that is as big as mine to be cancer free after being told she is inoperable. Now there is a miracle beyond all in my book, may her success continue, Pat
Hello positivity, I initially quit eating fried food, pretty much all fried food, just boiled, baked or grilled, steamed, and no deep fry, pan fry, or alcohol for a year. I lost eighty pounds and I have kept it off for ten years. I began drinking alcohol moderately after about a year which seems to stimulate bile production. The pill is Meloxicam and I take 1 a day. I started with 7.5 mg. pills, and later upped the dose to 15 mg. pills. They are hard on the stomach and must be taken after a meal. They open up the bile duct and have helped me avoid dealing with a stent. I eat healthy, you get sick of salads but there are a lot of vegetables out there too. I make a stir fry with canola oil. I love rice and pasta dishes, and eat what I like with common sense. I hope I answered your question, I have appetite problems and cannabis helps me eat more and more often. I actually have difficulty keeping my weight up, perhaps because bile is a digestive enzyme and when it is released at the wrong time nutrients aren’t absorbed well, and sometimes I eat like a horse and just barely keep my weight up, I call it sport eating. The elderly woman I help can’t believe how much I eat and how thin I am, 160 lbs. and 5′ 11″ I feel this is a good weight and wouldn’t want to be any lighter. That is my dietary story, take care, Pat
I have explained the name before, it has been a while, this is a 1941 chris craft deluxe runabout with it’s original engine, a hercules flathead used by chris craft for many years. Most wooden boats don’t last this long, and even fewer have their original engine. This old girl has not only original wood throughout, but also it’s original engine which is still running strong. I can only hope to be as timeless as this old engine and craft, and keep doing what I have always done, and look good doing it…Ha…just had to throw that in, for a long time yet. Hope everyone has a remarkable January 26th, Pat
January 26 marks my eleventh anniversary of my liver resection surgery, which is still ‘working’ I guess. My case has required no other treatment at all. I hope things continue as they have.Here is a picture of my grandaughters and my dog Boomer being wisked along on lake Erie by the old Hercules motor from which I took my screen name. It is still running well, don’t you think? Here’s to a happy eleventh, Pat
Here it is, January 26th, it is even a thursday just as it was 11 years ago. How time has passed, even with the uncertainty of the next month or year. I am pleased to say there is no bad news here, just good, I have actually started addressing all the little things people without cancer do ( go to the dentist, the dermatologist, oral surgeon, all kinds of doctors, PCP) and nothing related to cc. Wow, imagine a whole year and no issues at all wit cholangiocarcinoma. It is wonderful to say to the world that sometimes it goes well, know that it CAN. I am getting older, and to some it might sound like a complaint, but here it is just a statement of the fact, a proclamation maybe, but not a complaint, I am Patrick, I had bile duct cancer in 06′ and I am here to show the world that this cancer can be surgically removed and a normal happy life can be had. It is getting hard to remember all that I went through. There is eleven years of living life between now and that surgery, The thing I struggle with most is patience, Living with uncertainty makes you always in a hurry to get things done. There is, it seems, an underlying rush at all times, and my mind goes into hurry up mode if I pay no attention. My advise, as a long term survivor is this….Slow down enough to read life’s roadsigns, as always being in a hurry equates as stress. So there you are, slow down, enjoy the life you have…it may be longer and better than you ever dreamed it could, god bless all of you, Pat
His name was Dr. J Michael Henderson at the Cleveland Clinic, I received a letter announcing his retirement about a year ago. He was an older doctor when he did my surgery eleven years ago almost to the day (01-26-2006) and my ERCP doctor referred to him as “the very best” so I chose him.I am glad I did…I will be posting more about that milestone in 5 days, Pat
Hello all, well I have booked a flight and a room and registered so I guess it is on… I will get to meet all of you who I have only known by the internet so I will be there in the flesh to prove I am not just an internet mirage or something. I want to hug everyone there who has made this site what it is. I will see you all in Salt Lake, I arrive the 31st so I should be there for all the fun. see you then, Pat
I believe it was 1b at time of resection,, Tumor was small (2cm.) when discovered by ultrasound of my gal bladder, pathology found cancer in left lobe of liver and in left hepatic duct no lymph involvement. portions of bile duct which were removed showed positive for PSC . My surgeon was incredibly good and I healed well. This surgery is complex with multiple individual difficulties. Most cases aren’t found so early. I was, and continue to be, a very fortunate man. I hope you can be the same, Pat
