jeffg

Belle… Your doctor is right. It is difficult to say what will happen next. It also depends on exactly what you mean. If things do not change she’ll become weaker every passing day. If things do change’ like eating, infection stopped,and weight gain she could very well live for months if all is flowing properly and other health issues don’t come in to play. It’s very difficult for anyone to suggest what is next. Only the lord knows for sure. Has she been taking anti-nausea meds regularly? May help with the vomiting. What kind of infection is she taking antbiotics for? Have you consulted with another doctor (specialist)? Does your doctor feel things are at the point were hospice should be considered? I’m so sorry Belle, I wish I had some positive suggestions or ideas. May you find the strength to deal with this trying and emotional time.
God Bless,
Jeff G.

Alice and John …. Gemcitibine and cisplatin is considered first-line treatment for metastic cancer. I have tried this combination. I believe it was my second regimen tried. It did not help me and I had more emergency room visits with this treatment than any of the others. It’s an individual choice but I would certainly take in to consideration John’s present condition. I personally would say enough is enough. I’m a firm believer in hope and prayer but I’m a realist at the same time. It’s like the regimen I’m on now. I will try one more round, now that I have seen the accumilative results and have a scan and if nothing stop chemo for quite some time. I may not even do another round as to much is going on with my length of recovery. I am really sorry that all those regimens and trials did nothing but cause misery. A phone call surely is not the way to say sorry I have nothing else that will help. If I was to do anything at this time I would boost my immune system with B-6 and B-12 and filgrastim. stay away from procrit if possible,from what I have researched it is a pretty high risk drug for complications. Again, I’m so sorry to see things going this way. I wish I had a magic wand and could heal with it’s touch. My heart aches for you both. If his liver is having difficultly now putting more toxins through it would harm it more, where as rebuilding immune system may buy a little more time. You guys certainly have reason to feel depressed. You have really fought this beast head on. It once again it falls back to individual choice. No I’m not going to be the chicken, either choice is not good and personally more chemo is the worst of the two at this stage. Lots of support and prayers coming your way.
God Bless You Both,
Jeff G.
P.S. John your one tough and brave Man but we all have our limits. The human body sometimes just won’t keep up with our determination and mind set. You know what I mean I’m sure. (If you want to take it to the limit one more time) , It’s a tough choice you have to make. John I e-mailed you directly with the current regimen I’m doing if you for some reason want to try and I guess your Onco would have to support it as well. Sorry for being so blunt but I’m angry for you and hate seeing what you have had to endure.

Lana….. I’m so sorry your father never got the chance for surgery. I’m sorry for your lost. You were there Lana and did all possibly human to help your father. I agree with you, it seems that the individuals who have given and contributed so much to helping others, leave before their time. A life time of unconditional love and in return cancer… so hard to understand. It’s okay to feel angry Lana and yes the grieving will leave you feeling numb , empty, and alone for a while. Take the time you need Lana but remember your Father loved you as well and and surely wants you to be as strong as you possibly can and and be happy. Yes you will miss him but you will also cherish and remember those times when he made you smile. Lana ,I know you fought this battle all the way right along side your father. Please don’t feel any guilt as you know the control was not in your hands. You have been a loving and supportive daughter. It makes me feel so good and proud to know you have inherited your Father’s trait of giving and helping others. Lana, that is pure love straight from the heart. There is no doubt your father was proud and thankful. May God give you strength Lana. Vent anytime you wish!
God Bless,
Jeff G.

Barb.. I’ll be Jack LaLaine. Ha! Ha! Ha! best laugh I had today. He is still pumping those muscles on a commercial I saw recently. Can’t remember what product was advertising though. Ha!
Jeff G.

Hi Charlene … Glad to hear no change in size of tumors. Just for the record I have lost weight in the last month. Personally I feel my weight lost is due to a combination of things…. 1st the chemo wears you out for sure, 2nd it is normal to drop about 5 lbs during the summer months and I’ve been out side sweating up a storm a few times. 3rd lack of exercise my metabolism drops and I keep catching myself not eating as much. I’ve notice I’ve noticed when I stay fairly busy my energery goes up and I’ll eat more. I sneak out to subway a get a loaded meat combo with extra mayo. Also I found it very important not to take more than 1hour nap sometimes shorter as sleeping a good 8 hours at night is when your body really recouperates. I also believe in all the the light possible during the day, not direct sunlight though. If you stay in gloomy dark rooms that seasonal depression disorder can reduce weight in my opinion. I have to open all the blinds and have my mind working listening to the radio or on the computer. Exercise so important or your muscle tissuse will waste away and that is hard to get back especially doing chemo and taking pain meds. I guess I constantly sike myself up to motivate and eat. Beging of May I was 182 and today I’m 172. With this extra week off chemo and going to Maine to see my Mom. I plan on eating all my favorite foods especially Italian sandwiches Maine style with all the vegtable oil dripping out of them. It will be interesting to see my weight when I return after one week. I have noticed that I no longer desire steak on the grill. It’s know chicken or pork ribs fat and all. I also for lunch have a couple peanut butter,banana,and sugar free strawberry jam sandwiches..protien ,potassium and fruit all rolled into one. If I drop below 170 then I’m going to worry. I was 170 when I got married 31 years ago. That is what I seewhen looking in the mirror now. My max weight was 216 lbs. before all the chemo started just over three years ago. Also muscles rubs with aloe and cucumber every night befor going to bed. Just my thoughts but like I said If Idrop below my high school weight, It will be time to stop chemo and go on a 100% fatten me up diet. For me it is a major sike my mind up game to fight off the other crap. Don’t know if this helped bit but I’m going to keep eating my greasy KFC and plenty of potatoes and gravy. Also poached eggs on toast 2 slices of toast loaded with margerine and 4-5 poached eggs depending onhow many I break. the fill in with bile I have not experienced. Oh one last think is being on lasix because of to much water retention I think contributes to lost weight for me. I find it hard to keep fluid going in. But I know I am because of peeing all the time…I don’t think it’s possible to get a good balace there most of the time and it causes weight fluxuation.
Good Bless you Both,
Jeff G.

Welcome Gallatk, Great news about your surgery! My advice to your local surgeon is to take a hike!!! He is definitely out of the picture! I had resection and gallbladder removed in 1999. I’m still here! Tell him to put that in his pipe and smoke it! I did not start chemo until approximately 6 years after my recurrence which if had been removed initially I would not be doing chemo now. It’s different for everyone and you press on living everyday planning things to do tomorrow and a month or year from now. I would, like Marion mention become knowledgeable and be prepared. But by all means press on with life. Monitor with scans and take actions if something ever does show up. I’m glad to hear they removed your gallbladder as well. It is probally the biggest trouble maker of this disease to begin with. Again, welcome and feel free to ask any question s. Take time to browse through the whole site. Please excuse some of my post as like the most recent one I tend to go off brainstorming and have a little vent now and again. Will look forward to your posts in the future. This site has been super. You don’t have to be bashful at all. Wishing you the best!
God Bless,
Jeff G.

Kris, I loved your post ! It just push one of my buttons! I personally just want to add… a news commentator concerning Senator kennedy Said something to the effect that currently most surgeons /doctors are thinking and practicing current protocol and don’t seem to be able to break the training mentality of their training /internship. However when the pressure increases from patients and younger generation doctors your going to see changes in treatment ,more out of the box thinking and highly more proficent methods of managing and possiblally curing this crap. If it was happening now by more of our current doctors alot more people would be staring down this cc with alot more confidence. Each doctor should be doing individual DNA and gene profiling and repair or circumvent the broken link, not just pumping chemo and radiation hoping for the best. There currently shooting in the dark(some not all) We keep saying it is so individual well do I have to say more. My Onco has been trying everything but has not profiled me as and individual. This will be a awesome topic when I see him next. My body is missing something or has to much of something that is causing the disruption and they’ll never know until complete dna /gene workup is accomplished so a repair can be done. It’s like using a diagnostic machine to figure out why your automobile won’t run. There is some organization on the west coast , a scientist who does this work and can find the faulty link(s). I’ve been tryng to locate again but having problems. He analyzes everything and sometimes I remember it to be a liver fluke parasite that can be killed will injection of an antidote. Like being biten by a poisonus snake that causes continuos inflamation and cell grow until the anti venom is given. I’m going to make calls to scientific laboratories and see what it would cost, lord forbid we know the insurance companies won’t cover something like that. Well, as kris says have to remain positive and hopeful, but we need to start thinking outside of the box if our doctors are stuck in the mud and not dealing with us as individuals. Oh yes I just went of on a tantrun but if we knew the missing link ,we would have a hell of a lot better chance correcting it with other conventional meds. Maybe I need to just eat 30 bananas a day or stop drinking out of alumin cans. I think the answers individually is so close in front of our eyes and we have not been screened properly/ scientifically, just blood work to verify yes or no. I not going to doubt myself. I might have to move and live at a different altitude to correct my problem. I’ll stop now with my ramping and raving. But I am going to go scientific enternal, and eco external and see what happens. Do ya all think I’m nuts or what? Something I keep doing has held me around this long. What the hell is it? Please excuse my French,German or swedish however you want to put it. If anyone knows of a great scientist or laboratory please let me know. I want to know what is deficient or to abundant and balance it out. I want to find the missing link! Cheerio for know!
Jeff G.