lainy
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Hi friends4ever and welcome to our little world. We are very sorry to hear about your best friend. Your reactions are normal with this monster of a disease but it does sound like her doctors are on the right track. I can’t tell you about the surgery as my husband’s CC is not in the liver, but I am sure someone will post and help you out. In the upper right hand corner of this page is a Search button and you can put in anything and hopefully get some answers as well. Try to read up as much as you can on past posts as well. Perhaps you can ask your friend if she would talk to you about the cancer. I find that talking really helps and the more you talk the more you understand. Perhaps she would find our site comforting as well. Good luck and please keep us posted.
P.S. Blockages are common, your doctors are not! IF they have had experience with CC you would not be waiting to see them or to get treatment.
Sorry but I don’t know where these doctors are coming from. I would storm the surgeons office or take her to ER. No one should be suffering this way. I don’t think we have another post on here where someone with blockage has to wait a week to see a doctor. Not sure these doctors even know what CC is.
I would give it maybe 2 days and if she is not better I would take her to ER. Or change doctors and hospitals before that.Well, I would want to know what the doctor feels the prognosis could be after chemo. Like what are the chances of the chemo really helping versus no chemo. To be straight forward, what if she had no chemo at 74 years of age. What if she did? What are the common side effects with chemo. Perhaps if you looked back through some posts here it would help you to say oh, yes, that’s what I want to ask. I am sorry to sound stupid but since Teddy didn’t have chemo not sure what I would ask. I could tell you everything about cyber knife!
I just know some of our “family” will gie you some better suggestions.Glad to hear mom is doing better, Carlos. I don’t think there is a right or wrong protocol. I would make a list with your mom of any questions you can think of that you would like answered. Use that list so that you get everything answered that you want know. Good luck.
Very interesting Lisa. Hope it works and then you can be the first in our “family” to have tried it. We look forward to your success!
Dear Margaret and Blair, we are so sorry to hear about Ron. What a bright and humorous man and so very glad we got to know him. He will be extremely missed by a lot of people. Our thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family.
Dearest Lorna and to Mark’s wonderful family. We are so sorry to hear about Mark. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family.
Hi Carlos and mom! You are so right about outside people who mean well. I got through all this as caretaker by putting up a wall to the outside world until Teddy and I were ready to let them back in. It is such an undue stress to answer to everyone when all you want to is get the best for your mom. What I did was form an e mail update list. Teddy had spent about 7 weeks in the hospital and every evening I would email everyone on his progress/what is happening. I first sent an email saying we were under a tremendous amount of stress and I would appreciate their understanding that I just can’t handle a gazillion phone calls after spending all day at the hospital. Fortunately everyone was extremely understanding. My mind was totally focused on Teddy and that really relieved a lot for me. Now with Teddy’s new spot and my recent DX after surgery, I am in my blocked mode again, at least for a bit.
P.S. in that first e mail I also described to them what he had and what was being done. One they hear what CC is all about, they kind of back off because its really too scary for them to wrap around. Just a suggestion on how to hold well meaning people at bay a little.I posted above that my husband had a Whipple 4 years ago and he is now 77.
MD Anderson is one of the best but there are also many local doctors who are good. We were on vacation in Wisconsin and we lucked out as there were only 2 who did the Whipple (it was an emergency). You want an aggressive doctor who has done quite a few Whipples. I had posted on another site that during the surgery our doc asked his Resident what he would do and the Resident said I would close him up and let him have quality of life. The doctor said, Oh yeah? Watch me! That was like I said, 4 years ago.
Hello Huffdog and welcome to our World. Nothing is normal with this disease but when you get 2 different opinions don’t be afraid to seek a third. I also agree with Kris that she needs to get the stent problem straightened out quickly and then move on. Not so sure about what either doctor said. The next time you talk to them you have the right to ask if they have treated many CC patients. If you feel your sister is not receiving the best you also have the right to pick up her files and go for a 3rd opinion. I hope she is feeling better today.
I would steer as far away as possible from this doctor. My husband had a Whipple surgery for CC in the bile duct valve. The doctor did say, in a nice way, that if the cancer had spread to the pancreas there would be no hope and he would not continue with the surgery. We were very lucky. But for a doctor to give up before he even start…no,no! Ask him how many CC patients he has dealt with. You have the right to pick up dad’s records and run to a good doctor. Maybe you will even get some good suggestions from others in your area. Good luck and please keep us posted.
