Advanced pancreatic cancer
385 topics in this forum
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bri's progress 1 2 3 4
by laura- 93 replies
- 70.4k views
hi everyone, just to say that our visit to the specialist today was very positive, there has been NO changes shown on his scan of last week, so we have an appointment for three months time, preceded by a further scan , this is. of course the absolute best we could of hoped for and i am so relieved, but feel sort of strange, cant explain it.!! have sat reading on here for an hour,wanting to post, not quite knowing what to say, cos i feel so bad about all the sadness of others on here, please remember my thoughts are with each and every one of you. love laura xxx
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How much longer?
by Samelia- 18 replies
- 16.9k views
Hi everyone- this is my first post but have been reading previous posts for about 2 weeks now. Unfortunately my family and I were shocked at the news that my dad has advanced pancreatic cancer that has already spread to his liver. There were no treatments available as it was too progressed and aggressive. The drs in the hospital said they estimated he only had a few months to live: this was three weeks ago. Already my lovely dad has become bed ridden, weighs less than 7 stone, is hardly eating anything and his eyes are bright yellow. In the last few days we have been giving him oramorph as he said he was having some discomfort at night. He seems to be deteriorat…
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What should we expect next?
by Dandavie- 3 replies
- 7.6k views
My father-in-law was diagnosed with inoperable Stage 4 PC at the end of July 2014 with spread to his lungs. He had a biliary stent inserted within a few weeks of diagnosis and has been lucky with no major stent issues. He did start on Gemcitabine but only tolerated 1 cycle (3pulses) before making the decision to stop (Nov 2014) as it was flooring him and reducing any quality of life he had left. His appetite has never been good and has lost over 5 stone - he is on Creons! We have had a reasonably well 7 months with him and he has only been hospitalised once in this time with a diabetic hypo. The last few weeks though have been a bit of a struggle and he was hospita…
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Mums crushing pain
by KatieB- 3 replies
- 6.9k views
Hi, My mum was diagnosed with locally advanced pancreatic cancer one month ago and despite being offered Folfirinox she has rapidly deteriorated and being given end of life care in a hospice. In the last few days she has constantly complained of a crushing sensation, and has had full chest scans which are all clear and not showing blood clots etc the pain is directly associated with her tumour. The doctors are tweaking her meds but the constant crushing is really affecting her mood. I wondered if anyone else experienced these feelings and the best advice for them? She says it's not a pain but a discomfort that she feels as if she cannot breathe as its so much pressure.…
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Pancreas pain 1 2
by Didge- 29 replies
- 18k views
Ok, one for you old timers. We got the results of the CT and PET scans today. Increased tumours in liver (and tumour marker levels) but none showing anywhere else. However, he has extreme gnawing pain just under the breast bone (although not going through to back) and is now on morphine to dull it. Sounds familiar, right? I wonder if this is a case of the scans being behing the tumour activity as we have talked about before, but wondered if anyone else has had this type of familiar PC pain but without the tumours to match. He does not take creons, but I wouldn't imagine that not taking creans could cause pain - or am I wrong? he is going to try creons anyway. Oh a…
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my husband of 2 weeks with weeks to live 1 2 3
by scoobymandy- 74 replies
- 59.7k views
Hi I am new to this website but feel that my husband (of 2 weeks) has been poorly treated by our hospital. A brief guide to what has happened. My husband was complaining of a bad stomach last November he was fobbed off every time he went to the doctors, saying it was constipation. This carried on until Feb 2013 between then he had an ultrasound scan, x-rays, so on so forth, just saying blocked bowels and take laxatives and sent away. In February, he saw an emergency doctor who told him to go to our local hospital as they could hear no bowel movements he was given a BLOOD TEST as his amylase levels were to high he was in hospital for 5 days. Whist there, th…
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Looks like straight to palliative care
by hannie- 5 replies
- 7.8k views
After a meeting with a consultant at the hepatology where my mum is right now. Basically told he wouldn't recommend chemo as it would only extend life by 4 weeks. So to talk to palliative care and make plans. Saying this we still have a appointment with oncology but it wasn't today it's next week! Wish that the hospital wouldn't have been so slow with everything. I know it's probably because of the time of cancer but it seems so unfair on my mum! She has said she still wants to try chemo whatever.
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Finally off to Oncology
by hannie- 5 replies
- 7k views
After my mum found out she had pancreatic cancer on the 2nd January! The having a dvt in the back of her knee and then had biopsy on the 27th January! To then be rushed to hospital last Tuesday and now been in a ward for a week...haven't what's been wrong! Think I've been scared to ask well today I was upset my mum's side room a mess and be told gad a fall. So I was like why didn't I have a phone as I had previously. Me and nurse got rather defensive but after time calm she came back and I think she realised we didn't know what was happening! She kindly got a doctor to come speak to us which I appreciated. Even though that meant find that the liver biopsy c…
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FOLFIRINOX for patients over 75
by Faye- 3 replies
- 6.9k views
Hello Having read a number of posts, its great to see how positive everyone stays - despite it all! My mother has recently been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer (met in liver). We are meeting with the oncologist today. My mum really wants to go for FOLFIRINOX, but I am concerned about how hard this will hit her and whether she would be better off opting for Gem/Abraxane instead. The latter seems to have had some very positive results and wondered if it is still considered 'lesser' to FOLFIRINOX. I'm also concerned that if mum goes for FOLFIRINOX and it doesn't work out/she doesn't tolerate it, we will have blown our chance to try Gem/Abraxane. Sorry …
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Wilko fought this off! Never give up hope.
by yorkypaul- 6 replies
- 8.9k views
Never thought I would see the day! Hope is out there: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-29727632 Thinking of you all xx
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Not long left I fear 1 2
by karen68- 26 replies
- 21.4k views
I have been reading the forum for several weeks and have gained lots of knowledge and insight into this awful cancer which is taking my lovely dad from us. Dad is 78 and was diagnosed with untreatable PC in May this year, and given just 2 - 3 months. Needless to say we are so happy that he is still with us. However, I feel that time is not on our side and in the pit of my stomach I know that the end is very near. He has suffered greatly from ascites, having 11 litres drained the first time a month ago and since then, back in for a 5 litre and 6 litre drain. The last time was this time last week when he also had an infection, spent 5 days in hospital being treated with a…
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so upset about my mum 1 2
by littlefairy- 33 replies
- 22.2k views
hi My mum was finally diagnosed with PC cancer a week ago after numerous visits to Drs who said nothing was wrong despite her being in agony and losing over 4 stone in weight. They have said it is terminal and non operational, we live over 300 miles away so I hadn't seen her for a while, we visited today and I was shocked at how awful she looked. Despite a morphine pump and oral morphine she is still in a lot of pain and is basically skin and bones, she didn't look like my mum anymore, she is so frightened and my dad is completely worn out as my disabled sister also lives with them. Macmillan nurses are visiting twice a day but the pain is waking her in the night an…
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Only 1 week left with my dad
by root- 18 replies
- 15k views
So yesterday I got the call I had been dreading from my mum asking me to come down as she felt dad was close to the end. He has gone downhill quite suddenly. Can't get out of bed, sleeping lots, vomiting black bile, very little urine output. Nurse from hospice came to assess him and says he has just a few days left with us. I am so sad but just want him to be at peace. Ive been dreading this moment for a year and I can't believe am about to loose my very dear Pops.
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- 14 replies
- 11k views
Hi all. First of all, I am so glad there is a place to read up on things and to feel there is support out there... a big thank you to everyone who contributes here. My mum, who was until recently a picture of good health, at 74, was diagnosed only yesterday. From what I understand (she lives abroad) she has a tumour on the outside of the Pancreas but it has wrapped itself around the blood vessels to/from the liver. Initially I thought it would be 'good' news that it was external to the Pancreas but apparently on Holland, where she lives, the doctors do not / cannot operate on tumours affecting these blood vessels as it would be 'tantamount to murdering her'. I a…
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- 5 replies
- 7.6k views
Hi everyone I've been with dad this weekend and he is not well at all. He cannot keep any food down - banana, soup...nothing of any substance and this is not new but considerably worse. He has no appetite for food at all and Dr's have said he is anorexic. He is taking fluid but not in any great amount. He spends much of his time sleeping but when he is awake he is lucid and can get up for a while to talk or read, though he has no energy to do anything. He is so skinny and looks pretty awful. He is nearly a year into diagnosis. He has no known spread to any other organs but Dr's stopped chemo 6 weeks ago and are suggesting a course of steroids -dexamethasone. It…
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Jonathan's final performance 1 2 3
by Cathy- 73 replies
- 44.2k views
Hi all, I cannot describe how sad I am to let you know that my wonderful, kind, funny and talented partner, Jonathan, finally lost his fight against advanced PC last Friday afternoon (10th Jan). Jonathan was diagnosed 12 Dec 2012 with PC that had advanced to lymph nodes, liver and abdomen. Amazingly he had had few symptoms and looked really well. Folfironox started Feb which he tolerated well (tho hated, mainly due to fatigue and tingling) and he completed his last cycle in June. He was lucky as he was pain free after the 2nd cycle and remained free for some time after. We managed a 2 week holiday in Corfu in July where he swam and enjoyed lots of mythos and won…
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- 7 replies
- 8.5k views
Hi all. Dad was diagnosed in January with locally advanced PC after a failed whipple attempt. He had a billary bypass and was until recently on gemcap for palliative chemo. He stopped treatment 3 weeks ago as he thought some of his symptoms may be due to chemo. However, there has been no noticeable improvements. In fact things have gotten slightly worse. He is throwing up mainly bile when he tries to eat ( and what he eats is very little - maybe 400 calories a day) he belches a lot and has hiccups fairly frequently. My concern is that I thought the billary bypass would prevent this symptom?? 2 months ago his cat scan showed no spread of his cancer and it was still contai…
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How long and how much will mum suffer 1 2
by Mum2three- 30 replies
- 19.3k views
My mother was diagnosed only a few short weeks ago after months suffering pain, being unable to eat and ending up bed bound. Her diagnosis was missed by a few doctors although I had suspected that cancer would end up Being involved. It was a shock though, when the diagnosis finally came, when we were told nothing could be done and survival for six months would be very optimistic. Chemo was discussed but my mother was so ill and weak and treatment would make her worse for very little gain. That and the thought of losing her crowning glory made it seem not worth while to her. My mother came home from hospital with strength of mind and determination, she never cried wh…
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75 y/o Grandma told 4month to live...High BM
by Jinglish10- 8 replies
- 7.6k views
Hi, my Grandma has been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and no treatment is available. She claims to have no pain (not sure if she's just being brave), she has the weight loss, and just this weekend has became Jaundice. She was in hospital last week with Blood Sugars of >30, the hospital have now given her a low dosage of insulin and sent her home? Her bloods are 14 in the morning and >23 on an afternoon/evening? Could anyone suggest what bloody sugars have been like in others or what is normal for someone with Pancreatic Cancer? My whole family are lacking in information on what signs to look for? Is this a journey to weakness, bed bound then demini…
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XXXtreme Thirst!! Stage IV "terminal"
by jbistrong- 8 replies
- 10.8k views
My brother is 1 year out from his initial diagnosis. He's had a whipple surgery initially, and then a double intestinal bypass a month and half ago. The surgeon reported that he saw cancer all throughout his stomach and said we'd need a miracle. He opted out of chemo because there was no way he could handle it and they said the best it would do would be to add a few months of life. We have already reaped full benefits from conventional medicine. They have already sent us home to die 4-5 times and have absolutely nothing more to offer. We've been to multiple facilities and seen multiple doctors. Standard protocol seems to be to not touch anyone at his stage in his con…
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Hereditary PC
by Neg73- 3 replies
- 5.6k views
I lost my father back in February to PC (66 years old), along with my paternal gran the year previous to PC (87 years old) and much earlier my great uncle (57 years old). I have been in too much pain to deal with the reality of a familial connection and was offered no advice from GPs. I decided recently to research it myself and have pushed for a genetic consultation in local hospital and also have registered with EUROPAC. Has anyone else been in this situation? I promised my father as he died that my sister and I would not endure this awful disease and we would research all possible prevention. I have made huge changes to my lifestyle but am aware that familial PC h…
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brushing it under the carpet
by daddys girl- 3 replies
- 5.6k views
My dad was diagnosed with pc three weeks ago after 6mnths of him going to his gp something was wrong he went to a&e several times but was turned away now he's been given 6mnths to a year I'm finding this particularly hard as he's all I've left I'm only 32
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I am lost
by Anila- 5 replies
- 6.3k views
I miss my dad. I want to see him for the last time but I know I can't. Finally managed to say something. I have reading posts and information for some time now but didn't have the courage to write anything. My dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October last year and it has also spread to his liver. Now he cannot eat much and his face is swollen a lot. Why is that? I live in UK with my family but my parents are in Albania. Health care or palliative care is almost non existent there. Patients are just left on their own. I found out that Sue Ryder had an office in Albania and approached them. They have helped but I still feel I should have done more. I have back to …
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Folfirinox.... Stroke ??
by Lucyloo- 3 replies
- 6.1k views
This is my second post, my 66year old dad has been given 3 months, and we are about 7 weeks into the time, (he had pancreas removed 12 months ago, but cancer has showed up in liver and lung) decided he would take folfirenox with a mix of 2 other chemos I think... Can't think of names, it's to help with symptoms and possible more time, he took one dose, about 11 days ago, and was quiet unwell, we came away for a couple of days about 4 hour drive from home, on Saturday my dad lost movement in right arm, stoke like symptoms, and was admitted to the local hospital, being a long weekend we are only meeting with doctors today, symptoms have gotten no worse, all we now want is h…
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Devastated 1 2
by charney- 46 replies
- 33.5k views
Hi I can't believe I'm posting this, after losing my mother in law To this disease over a year ago my husband 54 has been diagnosed Today . We are numb and just in total shock. Hunting the internet Fir options it is inoperable and after reading David s post re nano knife Would like to know more Cheryl
