Is this really good news??.....

debs38uk · Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 5:54 pm Post subject: Is this really good news??.....

My dad has been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. Almost 4 weeks ago he had Whipple procedure (they removed it all) and the results showed that the tumour was malignant and had spread to only one of the many lymph nodes they removed. Am I right in thinking this is positive? Does it sound like they got it early? He is advised to have chemo in case any cells had escaped before the tumour was removed, but it is his choice.

Any help with understanding this would be great as am not sure if what I am thinking is right.

Debs x

freeio · Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 7:41 pm Post subject: I've been there

That sounds like what they told me after my Whipple procedure in October of 2004. They followed up with radiation with chemo (Xeloda) and then two more rounds of Xeloda after that. I did really well until about February of 2006, and then it came back as metastatic. First it was a peritoneal (soft tissue) tumor, then bone cancer was added. Next there has been secondary lymphoma, followed by apparent involvement of my lungs. I am still alive, and being treated with chemo (Gemzar) to keep me that way, but none of these new tumors are gong away - far from it, they continue to slowly take over.

My point is this: accept any good news you receive with joy, but also with the realization that pancreatic cancer is very nasty stuff. All it takes is for one cancerous cell to have escaped, and it can start all over again.

If you are interested in seeing how my case has gone, there is a link to my pancreatic cancer blog below. I am most blessed that two and a half years after the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer I am still alive and able to work part time, teach Sunday School, sing in the choir, and do other things I love. But I know that my time here on earth is probably still short, because pancreatic cancer is very aggressive.
_________________
-------------------------------------------------
whipple procedure, Oct. 21, 2004
28 days of radiation
56 days of Chemo using Xeloda
diagnosed as progressive recurrent pancreatic adenocarcinoma (Stage IV) Jun. 20, 2006
was treated with gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, and tarceva, which all failed.
Cancer blog: http://diehlmartin.com/cancer.html

Big Sister · Experienced user Joined: 02 Nov 2006 Posts: 68

I am so glad that Freeio replied to your question. He has the experience with both the Whipple procedure and the aftermath; he continues to have faith as well to meet whatever comes next. The rest of us, for the most part, have had loved ones too far gone to have surgery as an option; chemotherapy alone just prolongs -- sometimes life, mostly the agony for both patient and family.

I haven't written in a while as my own brother died a week before Christmas and it has taken all of us until now to get back to a semblance of normal. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 just eight weeks earlier and was never a candidate for surgery.

We miss him dreadfully and will have a celebration of his life this summer when the last of his ashes are sprinkled in our lake, near his favorite fishing hole. I haven't told the family, but this will be the final summer for my cottage as there are too many family memories there for me to enjoy it without pain.

I am forever indebted to the wonderful writers on this forum who shared their stories with me. The tenderness, kindness and patience came through your tears and I am eternally grateful. Even though I realize now that there was never any hope for Geoff, knowing that there are others who were in a similar condition made the whole thing a little easier to bear.

Good luck to you and I will continue my prayers - for all of us.

Big Sister

debs38uk · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:52 pm Post subject: I hate this cancer.....

Thank you both so much for your replies.

I think I have mixed feelings about the future because I have already lost 2 other family members to cancer and so I know all too well how it goes. My mum was diagnosed with cancer of uterus and died 16 yrs ago, and my step-mum (who dad married in 1999,and was more like my mum than anyone else I know) was diagnosed with ovarian cancer (another silent killer) in October 2003 and died last yr in July - actually 4 days after the anniversary of my mum's death. So you see things are still very raw for me (and dad) and the thought of having to lose another parent almost tips me over the edge.

At the moment I am back home for a week to see my husband and 2 daughters (aged 9 and 11). I was away for 4 weeks constant with my dad - he lives 230 miles from me - and I needed to be there with him through those days. I am enjoying being back home and am beginning to get my head around stuff. I will go back to dad on Sunday, but will then only stay away from home Mon-Fri.

Dad tellls me he is now eating a light diet, which he enjoys, and the catheter and insulin pump are gone. I feel normality is returning for him slowly, and I am so proud of the way he is handling all this.

From what I read PC is a very nasty and aggressive cancer (although no cancer can be called 'nice'); I mean with most other cancers to be told the surgeon got it all out would be a cause for celebration, but not so with PC. I HATE IT, and I know hate is such a strong word, and as a Christian it's not something I do a lot of, but with cancer it is evil and I HATE IT.......

Thanks for all your thoughts and stories of your experiences. It is good to know I'm not alone.

Debs xx

freeio · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 5:21 pm Post subject: Our hearts g out to you.

I am very sorry to hear of your several losses. That is indeed simply awful.

You are not alone with this. I lost my grandfather to pancreatic cancer. Lost my dad to esophageal cancer. I lost my dad's younger brother to leukemia. I lost my mom to lung cancer. Every one of them was a hard loss, and there are no easy words to say. It hurts. It hurts a lot, and there is no easy way out of this.

Now it is my turn to fight the same dread disease. It has been quite a trial, but I am among the most blessed of patients, in that I am still alive two and a half years after diagnosis. My dad lasted a month after diagnosis. My grandfather lasted about six weeks. My dad's younger brother lasted two weeks. My mom lasted a year past diagnosis, but she was put through a full year of what I can only describe as medically sanctioned torture to last that long. So my two and a half years is good, but only by comparison.

The one consolation I see in all of this is that, as a Christian, I am not worried about the final outcome. So I have some number of years(?) months(?) weeks(?) or days(!) left. And that remaining time is spent is varying amounts of pain. Yet, at the end, I am fully confident that I will once again see my grandfather, my dad, my favorite uncle, and my mom. I do not say this lightly, because in my case I am the pancreatic cancer patient. When my time is up, I am ready to go. But as long as I am here I will try to help however I can.

I hope this helps.
_________________
-------------------------------------------------
whipple procedure, Oct. 21, 2004
28 days of radiation
56 days of Chemo using Xeloda
diagnosed as progressive recurrent pancreatic adenocarcinoma (Stage IV) Jun. 20, 2006
was treated with gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, and tarceva, which all failed.
Cancer blog: http://diehlmartin.com/cancer.html

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