peggyp
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Hi Grover,
Welcome to the CC family. Keep that positive attitude and it will help you in your fight. My husband was diagnosed over 3 years ago and he is still hanging in there. He just started on a different chemo today; he had been on gemzar/cisplatin/avastin but it was affecting his kidney (one was removed when he had surgery in ’08) so his oncologist said he had to come off it. Hopefully, the Xeloda will be more kind to him. Many have referred to this journey as a rollercoaster ride, and you’re right when you say it’s the worst reality TV show. So hang in there and keep posting. PeggyP
Hi Bkat,
Sorry to hear your dad is not feeling well. My husband always seems to feel bad about the 3rd day after his treatment. Also, if his counts drop too low, that also contributes to his weakness and fatigue. Hopefully, you will get some answers tomorrow. Tell your dad that well wishes are coming his way and to keep on fighting and try to stay positive. Will keep him in my prayers, PeggyP
Dear Kris and Cindy,
I will be keeping you both in my prayers and I hope that your scans will be good ones. Stay strong and positive and know that many good wishes are coming your way. PeggyP
Hi Susie,
I’m glad your radiation treatments are going well. You are an inspiration to others with your positive attitude. My sister and I are always making jokes about the difficult situations we have gone through over the years; we figure that the joking is what has kept us sane, or we both would be in the nut house by now. Continue on your path and may God light your way. Hugs, PeggyP
Hi Everyone,
John and I met with Dr. Hwang on Monday and he thinks John should try the Xeloda first and see if that keeps the cancer stable. He said that there’s only one clinical trial that he would consider John for right now but that probably wouldn’t begin until after Thanksgiving and he would rather hold that in his back pocket if the Xeloda doesn’t work. He, also, is concerned about John’s Kidney function and said that would have to return to a certain level before he could participate in any trial. Today, we met with the nurse practicioner at the oncologist here, and she went over the Xeloda with us. She said John may start on that sometime next week. We were just glad that there still are some options out there for him. Thanks for all of your good wishes for us. PeggyP
Hi,
I am sorry to hear of your dad’s condition. My husband was on gemzar/cisplatin/avastin and also has intrahepatic CC. He had a resection a little over 3 years ago. The chemo makes him very tired and he is only 58 and otherwise in good health. If your dad is slow at recovering from his aborted surgery, and his primary physician sees his decline in health, the chemo may be too much for him. I agree with Lainy that quality of life far outweighs quantity. I lost my dad almost a year ago to a very aggressive melanoma. He was in his 80’s and chose not to do chemo as he had witnessed what my oldest sister went through 12 years ago when she died from metastatic breast cancer. My dad lived for 3 years without treatment; he was very strong-willed and my mom had altzheimers, so I think he wanted to stick around to make sure she was taken care of. Mom died last June and dad passed away in November. I know this is a hard choice for you to make so if your dad is up to discussing the options, I feel the choice should be his. My prayers are with you and your family, PeggyP
Hi Rob,
When my husband was diagnosed, the surgeon told him that CC is a very slow growing cancer; that’s why it’s usually in the late stages when you first show symptoms. John had no symptoms and was very healthy; he ran about 5 miles 3 or 4 times a week and had yearly physicals. He questioned why nothing showed up in his blood work but the doctors said it was because the blood work he was having done wouldn’t show this type of cancer. The surgeon told him that he could have had CC for 10 to l5 years. His right kidney was completely shriveled up and the surgeon said it had not functioned in a long time. To tell you the truth, I don’t think the doctors really know how long you’ve had it or what your prognosis will be. That’s why you’ve got to keep a positive attitude and fight with everything you’ve got. Oh, they did tell John that had he not been as healthy as he was and still relatively young, they probably would not have done anything. Yet, I see posts on this site where people in their 80’s are being treated. So, just hang in there and you’ll get a lot of support from the people on this site. PeggyP
Dear Debbie,
Please accept my sincere condolences in the loss of your husband, Ric. I know you and your children must be going through a trying time. My husband John has also been fighting this battle since July ’08. It never gets any easier. I am sending many hugs and prayers your way. Take comfort in knowing that Ric is now at peace and he will always be in your hearts. PeggyP
Hi Andrew,
I’m sorry to hear about your sister’s recurrence. My husband had a resection in August ’08. He was diagnosed Stage IV intrahepatic CC. Within 7 months, he had multiple tumors in the part of liver that wasn’t taken. The surgeon said another resection wasn’t an option nor was a liver transplant. They had originally told us chemo or radiation weren’t options, either. John has been on chemo since March’09. As his oncologist feels he needs to take him off the gemzar/cisplatin/avastin, we are scheduled to see a specialist on Monday at Georgetown to see if he can offer any other options or if there is a clinical trial that he might qualify for. Keep a positive attitude and stay strong for your sister, and never give up hope. Keep asking questions and seeking other opinions as Lainy suggested. Sending well wishes to your sister, PeggyP
Dear IChase,
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your beautiful daughter from this terrible disease. Please accept my sincere condolences and I pray that God will see you through this most difficult time. It is a shame that such young people have to suffer from such a devastating cancer. I pray that each day will get a little easier for you; take comfort that Sara is no longer in pain and that she is at peace. May God bless you and your family, PeggyP
Dear absolutelybrenda,
I’m sorry to hear about your mom’s new diagnosis. She will receive the best of care through Hospice. I lost my mom and dad within five months of each other last year; and my husband, John, is battling this terrible disease. Life can be tough; and I agree, this site has been a godsend for me. Sending hugs and prayers to you and your mom. PeggyP
Dear HopefulDaughter,
I will keep you and your mom in my prayers. I hope your mom’s surgery goes well and that she has a speedy recovery. Lots of hugs coming your way, PeggyP
Hi Percy,
Thanks for the information on Xeloda. We are scheduled to meet with Dr. Jimmy Hwang at Georgetown on Monday, Oct. 17. His nurse called yesterday and asked a lot of questions and told me I needed to get all the radiology disks from each hospital John had tests done and bring them with us when we come for our appointment. She also sent me a lot of paperwork to fill out. I think John was also taking oxiliplatin with the 5FU when he had that adverse reaction. He said that he had never felt so much pain as he did that day in his back. He also got very cold and they had to keep heating blankets to put on him. They actually gave him a morphine shot to knock him out because the pain was so bad. The oncologist said he couldn’t be sure which drug caused the reaction so he just switched over to the gemzar/cis/avastin. The nurse from Dr. Hwang’s office told me that she had already received all of John’s records from his oncologist here so hopefully between those and me Dr. Hwang will be well informed. I’m hoping that there might be something new that he will recommend. Just anything that will help keep John around for many more years.
Whitrockj,
Thanks for your good wishes and you are right; this is a roller coaster ride that we have been on for over 3 years. I hope your mom is doing better today and continues to improve. PeggyP
Dear Ken,
My husband, John, was diagnosed with Stage IV intrahepatic CC a little over 3 years ago. They told us that if surgery didn’t take care of it, we had no other options. He had a resection where 70 percent of his liver, his right kidney, gallbladder, part of stomach, and part of colon were removed. Within 7 months, he had multiple tumors in the part of liver that had been left. He has been treated with chemo since March 2009. We take one day at a time and John makes himself do as much as he can handle on a daily basis. We are scheduled to see a specialist at Georgetown on Monday, Oct. 17 to discuss any other options that might be available as his scans in August showed the disease was progressing. As we are not ready to give up the fight, we will continue to pursue anything that is out there. John is 58 and we just celebrated our 36th anniversary in September and I still want to keep him around for many more years. I pray that your next scans will be good ones, so continue to look forward to life and stay positive. PeggyP
