Definitely a new topic for me.....

trencher · New User Joined: 21 Oct 2009 Posts: 3

My brother was diagnosed today with stage 4 pancreatic cancer...he lives in northern Wisconsin and is 8 hours from the rest of the family...none of us (the kids) drink, smoke, do drugs and come from a pretty healthy family so this is a major shock to all of us, especially cosidering we lost our mother to a heart attack just one year ago...it seems like stuff is going on with everybody now! He had what I am now finding out by reading here a lot of other people have as the warning signs or symptoms...He also has/had type 2 diabetes which I assumed was brought on by his being overweight..?? He was about the same height as me 5'11" and weighed around 275 or 300 (just by guessing) and now weighs in at about 170! He had 5 liters of fluid taken from his stomach and has lesions on his spline, liver, and pancreas....he said he will start chemo and we will hope for the best...This is new to me so I guess all I can do is hope for the best and learn what I can and be there for him.. Crying or Very sad

brainman

Trencher, I am so sorry about your brother's advanced Pancreatic Cancer. I often say that in my opinion Pancreatic Cancer is one of the worse kinds of cancers known. I say this because it can have such a devastating impact on quality of life and because we have so few good/effective ways to treat it. Nevertheless, you can do more than just hope for the best; you can try and help bring some measure of quality to your brother's life... no matter how long or short it may be. Obviously, this task is complicated be distance, but you can figure out a way to reach across the miles and have a positive impact on his life.

You and your brother are in my thoughts and prayers.
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Adagio7780

Trencher, let me also add my best wishes for your brother. While there are contributing lifestyle factors to any cancer, I remember one of my early doctors say that there is 'nothing I did that caused this, and nothing I could have done to have prevented it'. This is almost certainly true in your brother's case. I hope you can spend some good time with your brother in the difficult time ahead.
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trencher · New User Joined: 21 Oct 2009 Posts: 3

[quote="Adagio7780"]Trencher, let me also add my best wishes for your brother. While there are contributing lifestyle factors to any cancer, I remember one of my early doctors say that there is 'nothing I did that caused this, and nothing I could have done to have prevented it'. This is almost certainly true in your brother's case. I hope you can spend some good time with your brother in the difficult time ahead.[/quote]

I am leaving for Wausau today, my brother's condition is worse, blood sugar has crashed and he is in ICU now, they say days, maybe weeks is all he has Crying or Very sad

and now for the 7 hour drive

Adagio7780

Godspeed, trencher.
_________________
Man tracht, Got lacht (Man plans, God laughs)

trencher · New User Joined: 21 Oct 2009 Posts: 3

thanks for all the well wishes. My brother's fight ended yesterday around 2 pm...what a terrible way to go... my thoughts and prayers are with all your families who may have to deal with this terrible disease

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