lisa
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Radiation/chemotherapy initially helped shrink my tumor from 6 cm to 2 cm. I think radiation is worth a try. A friend of mine had radiation and had acupuncture at the same time to counter the fatiguing effects of radiation and it seemed to work well for her.
I am so sorry to hear of your MIL’s diagnosis. Unfortunately, it is normal to lose energy while fighting this horrible disease. She needs to listen to her body and rest when she can. I concur with Kris, her decision not to have surgery needs to be respected. I had surgery and it didn’t do me any good – it was a lot to go through for nothing. Don’t give up hope, though. This disease treats people differently for some reason, and some live much longer than anyone expects. No reason to think that your MIL might not be one of the long term survivors. Take care, Lisa
Victoria – I have been on chemo for three years and counting. It can be done. I feel my life has been proglonged by treatment and that I have still had excellent quality of life despite undergoing treatment. The worst of the side effects in my opinion is the nausea. There are a lot of good anti-nausea medications out there. Another side effect is fatigue. That can be handled by a good nap
Best wishes for you and your brother.BTW – I have stage IV with mets to the lungs and mesentery. And I am still going strong, thanks be to God!
When you’re facing the darkness alone, remember that you have friends who are thinking of you and praying for you and holding you close to their hearts.
I’ve never been there, either, but it sounds and looks fantastic. I think you are making a very wise decision to go and enjoy your time with Cindy. You both deserve a break from cancer. I went on vacation this summer, too, and I say go for it! Post pics!
Heavy pain meds can make her fall asleep mid-sentence. I hope your sister quickly recovers from surgery. Best wishes!
I get upset when I hear doctors say things like “you have 12 months to live.” They don’t know! Three years ago I was told I had 3 weeks to live. So there! You are immortal until God is done with you on this earth. You just never, never know who is going to survive long term and who isn’t. Why not believe that you are the one to live longer than most?
As Kris mentioned, most often the problem is with the location of the tumor rather than it’s size. I had only a 2 cm tumor, but they were unable to resect it because it was wrapped around the inferior vena cava (the major vein to the heart).
That was in March of 2008. I’m still alive and kicking! I do have mets to the lungs and now to the mesenteric area, an extention of the peritoneal wall which helps keep the small intestine in place.
If surgery is being discussed, I say go for it!
Hi Lainy and Teddy,
I echo the others and send you all my love and prayers as well. You both are so special to us all. {{{{{{{{ Hugs for you both }}}}}}}Rick, I have gone thru the same thing many times. It seems to me that the infection is always burbling away, and when it starts to get inflammed in the bile duct area, it blocks the drainage and the bilirubin goes up. I’ve learned to take antibiotics at the first sign of dark urine and overall malaise in order to nip the cholangitis in the bud.
Also the plan for me is to be proactive on stent replacement. We are not going to wait until I am sick and in the hospital with blocked stents. We are going to replace them every 6 to 8 weeks before they get blocked. My first ERCP on this new schedule is this Friday to replace the stents that were put in on July 1.
