mcwgoat

Thanks Marion. This is a helpful article and easy to understand. It helped me personally as to why I am not a candidate for liver resection. Sometimes I just need to hear it over and over again!!!

Peace,
Mary

Lisa,

Glad to hear the good news!! The tumor marker issue is a bummer but I wonder if it’s possible it went up because of any of the medication you’ve been on for the hives?

It’s going to be a long four weeks. I will keep you in my prayers and of course I will talk to you during the four weeks. It’s always something with this disease. Do we ever get a break???

Stay positive!!!

Love,
Mary
aka…your soul sister from NJ

Holly,

Thank you so much for the kind words. I had five treatments of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to both my liver (where they put fiducial markers) and the tumor wrapped around my celiac trunk. I finished that on May 13th. Because of fevers and infections, and also becoming jaundiced, I didn’t have any treatment after that until July 12th when I started the Paclitaxel which I am still on. My 9/4 CT scan showed the tumors have not grown at all and there are no new growths so that is good. I just keep hearing that surgery is the best option for this disease so of course I want that. But I’m told I’m not a candidate for surgery because of the metastasis. And that’s when I start thinking maybe I should go somewhere else. Then I see so many here post being told the same thing – no surgery because of metastasis – and I figure why waste my time and energy going somewhere else just to be told the same thing.

Holly, thank you so much for listening. I wish you the best after all you’ve been through.

Peace,
Mary

Lisa,

I will be keeping you in my prayers on Friday and sending positive vibes your way!!! I’m going to try to call you today to chat for a bit.

Peace, hugs and love,
Mary
aka…your soul sister from NJ.

Thanks for the info Holly. My oncologist told me I’m not eligible for the MEK trial because I’ve had some of the chemo drugs they’re using in that trial. I’m not a candidate for surgery because I have metastasis in lymph nodes around my celiac trunk. I have tumors in my liver and right outside the liver. I’m stage IV. Half of my liver is dead and the other part has small tumors. That part was stented in May and so far is keeping my bilirubin down to normal. I’m on Paclitaxel now. Two weeks on then a week off then back on again.

I’ve thought about contacting Dr. Kato at NY Presbyterian to see if he would take a chance on resecting my liver but the more I read the more I feel he wouldn’t do it either. Right now I’m stable but I have had to increase my pain medication due to more pain in the lower abdomen and back. I’m pretty active and feel lucky I’m doing as well as I am but I worry about the future and how quickly things can change with this disease.

Thanks for listening.
Mary

Hi KrisV,

Congratulations on your good news with both Mark and your son. You all certainly deserve it!!! I’m sure going back to work is a big positive for Mark. I hope he does well with it.

Blessings to all of you!

Mary

Hi jz1,

Happy to hear the clinical trial is working for you. Can you give more details about your cancer? When you were diagnosed, other treatments you had before the clinical trial, what stage is your cancer and is it intra or extrahepatic?

Thanks
Mary