tess
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You’ve been there from day one Jan, thanks for that. There is definitely a void of our ‘part-time-job’ & loved ones Bill, that simply can’t be filled. We only get one Daddy Brookerpt, like you- I’m running in circles lately, getting nothing done. Thank you for the beautiful poem, and I hope one day I can focus again on the pre-cc times with Dad. I am very sorry for your loss. You’re right Pam, it’s all part of the cc journey, which I guess never really ends, even in death. Darla, the site has been a blessing for myself as well- wonderful people such as yourself to help all the way! Thanks for the hugs Amy, cc definitely makes us slow down, find appreciation for the small things, and cherish moments together that we may have otherwise overlooked.
Thanks for the support everyone!
Love to you all,
TessGood for your Dad for following his dreams & continuing to stay in good health….. he is indeed lucky!
Best,
TessHi Rose, I too am so sorry for all the problems. When my Dad had the bag attached to his biliary cath for awhile, it filled very irregularly (sometimes going a while day without coming out – and then pouring out the next day). His fluid too was dark yellow, and they indicated it was fine. They even cultured it at times.
-Tess
Very interesting Sambaman. I see simular LOX studies in mets supression are of interest to U.S. research teams as well, “Inhibition of LOX eliminates metastasis in mice with orthotopically grown breast cancer tumours.”….
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16642001
Hi Patsy, my Dad went through the same thing back in Dec. He was hospitalized for a week- just to get it under control with a heavy dose of antibiotics. It did the trick and we took him home a week later. While they ran him through a battery of tests & were not exactly clear where the infection (which had made its way to the blood) started, they believe it was with the biliary cath.
Mary is in our thoughts.
Best,
TessDear Aberdeen, it sounds like you have the right spirit! This is a wonderful support team here with a wealth of knowledge- for the big & little questions that may arise…. keep the board posted & come and visit anytime. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.
Best,
TessThank you so much for the kind words & thoughts Ashlea, ljg, Darla, Barbara and Pam. I feel like this site is a bunch of old friends, that I have to periodically check in on, as your encouragment on this journey has been priceless. In a strange way, I also feel very distanced from cc right now…. as if it’s a class that I”ve been attending daily & I”m burned out on it, I’m sick of studying, researching, reading, learning, breathing, living this stuff everyday. And I was only a caretaker! I never felt that before this week, because every little concern was worth burning the midnight oil over, if it could bring new answers. With Dad’s death, I feel like the chapter on cc is closing & class is over. I don’t have anymore questions about cc…. & the greatest challenge/fear of this whole process, Dad’s death, has come to fruition. Perhaps this is a ‘normal’ response to the cancer and grief.
Best,
TessDear Pam, Mary, Barbara, Valerie & Jeff, and Janet, thank’s so much for your kind words. Barbara, your words definitely helped us through Dad’s final days and Jeff was always there to answer the little-big important questions along the way, many extra hugs to you all for that. Dad’s funeral is just a couple of hours away, I feel so sick right now & angry. THis final celebration makes things so ‘official’ & even Dad hated this stuff. When it’s all over I really need to find a place to connect again with Dad, that can’t be done in the presence of hundreds of strangers.
Love,
TessMuch love coming your way as well Gary and Elaine. It is so good to have our Myrtle Beach family here to celebrate Dad’s life – I thought of you this week and continue to wish you well. Thank you for your prayers.
Many hugs,
TessDear Patsy, Kris, Jean, Michelle, Jan, Marion, Barbara, Carol, Lainy, Joyce & Darla, thank you so much for your kind words & notes, and for continuing to keep Dad and my family in your prayers.
Love,
TessHi Michelle, it is not an easy journey & I’m right there with you…. my Dad was diagnosed with cc in Nov. This board has been an incredible support system to us since Dad’s diagnosis and I hope that you find it to be the same- so many wonderful people that really understand what you and your Dad are going through. Normality does not exist these days, in my world either, without a handful of tissues. I know what you mean, the pain & sense of loss are very real & intense…..
You’re in our thoughts & prayers Michelle.
Tess
Hello Katie, I hope it went well today. Dad was on Gemzar for 3.5 mo. & he tolerated it very well. No hair loss either. He did not have the port, the docs indicated it could serve as a source of infection… he had a blood infection in Dec. & they weren’t certain of the source. Fatigue & ‘off’ taste buds were the key side effects for him. Please keep us posted!
Tess
Thanks guys. Today was Dad’s toughest day yet. He slept 90% of the day, his ankles are quite swollen and for the first time ever – he could not get out of his chair without assistance. We’re hoping that it was just an unusually rough day, because there is no way that he could have been alone today. His stomach is a bit swollen too & the docs know it. He’s not eating either, only a breakfast drink. He’s also very confused. We’re going to have to watch him very close & definitely tell the docs. Thanks again.
Hi Rose, the docs told Dad last week that the CA-19 is one of several diagnostic tools used to guage the status of the cancer. In Dad’s case, following 3.5 mo. of Gemzar, his CA-19 went down from a ~28,000 to a ~6,000. This past week, it was back up to 9,000- along with an elevated bili levels (~22). While the scans did not show growth in the size of the tumor, the doc. did not interpret the results to be very positive- in that 2 out of 3 of the diagnostic measures did not come back in Dad’s favor. I too had read that normal levels were somewhere in the 37-50 ballpark, so you can imagine our shock when we’re talking tens of thousands!
I am certainly no authority on this source, I can only share what we’ve been told as part of the process.
Best to you.
-Tess
