Family, friends and carers
A forum for family, friends and carers' of pancreatic cancer patients.
654 topics in this forum
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Happy New Year/Decade
by Juliana- 3 replies
- 4.9k views
Hello to all the ladies and gents on the forum, I would just like to wish you all a Happy New Decade, I know most of us are going through very trying times, but I truly wish that we all experience some good health, and happiness in the not so distant future that awaits us. *raises a glass* Juliana x
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Advice Post Operation
by Guest CFF- 4 replies
- 5.2k views
Hi, My dad has recently been diagnosed with PC and is having the Whipples op on Christmas eve. His spirits seem quite low going into the operation, unsurprisingly, after months of extreme jaundice, weight loss etc and I know he is scared about what's going to happen. Whilst a difficult time me and my family are pleased that the operation is a possibility and I know that others are not so fortunate. I was hoping for some advice really on realistically what's going to happen post op - is this operation really a cure or is it likely that the cancer will return somewhere else? And is my dad likely to return to 'normal functioning' i.e. have the same energy, weight, e…
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life is so hard
by pauline- 1 reply
- 3.7k views
hi all , wanted to come on and say what i'm feeling at the moment........... where do i start....as you know my dad passed away from p/c 6 months ago that was very hard and still is every day without him he was my rock......... now my best friend of 9 years has the same thing and has been told 3 months tops left..... what can i do i'm feeling like everything with dad has come flooding back and them feelings i had then are as strong now if not stronger then what they were back then.... i'm also torn in two of what to say because she keeps asking me to tell her how bad it is going to be for her family and is wanting me with her at the end I can't do it i fee…
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Advice please
by LTSmith- 12 replies
- 10.9k views
Hi my name is Lorraine and my mother was diagnosed with terminal Pancreatic cancer in September of this year after several months of being in extreme pain. She has just spent the last 10 days in a hospice as the drugs they were giving her no longer work. I have never experience death or illness with my family or friends and am finding it very difficult to understand. My Mum was a real doer who ran various organisations supporting our community and has recently been awarded an outstanding citizen award by our major. My dad was the wind beneath her wings and always in the back ground supporting her. Since being diagnosed he just crys and is so scared both of her d…
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- 4 replies
- 5.4k views
In March of this Year my step dad was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, he had a successful whipples in April and has now just finished 6 months of Chemo (Capcetabine and something else..) Two weeks ago we got the results of his CT scan Which was all clear. He is now scheduled to begin Radiotherapy and chemo combined due to the fact that the tumor was so close to the vein, but his tumor marker keeps going up, it was a steady 10 or 11 all through the chemo and now it is just over 70. The consultant has never known this happen before and has looked repeatedly at teh scan results and can still not see anything. He is scheduled for a PET scan next Tuesday. Does anyone have an…
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- 4 replies
- 13.9k views
When he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, one of the most dangerous forms because it is usually diagnosed in late stages, in 1994, Chris Rea had the world at his feet. He was preparing to tour the US, had many hits climbing the charts, money in the bank, millions of fans adoring him and a wife with whom he shared everything. The cancer diagnosis was not the end, though, the singer says now in the first revealing interview about his condition, but rather the beginning of a new – and, surprisingly enough, better – stage in his life. Like most celebrities we see today, Rea too thought he was invincible, the center of the universe without whom the world would not even …
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Latest from across the Atlantic ...
by emcee46- 1 reply
- 4.1k views
I thought everyone may be interested in this from the USA:- New Pancreatic Cancer Study Results From M.T. Mueller Et Al Described NewsRx.com October 8, 2009 "Pancreatic cancers contain exclusively tumorigenic cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are highly resistant to chemotherapy, resulting in a relative increase in CSC numbers during gemcitabine treatment. Signaling through sonic hedgehog and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), respectively, may be essential for CSC self-renewal and could represent putative targets for novel treatment modalities," scientists in Madrid, Spain report. "We used in vitro and in vivo models of pancreatic cancer to examine the ef…
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Message for Pauline
by Nardobd- 6 replies
- 7.1k views
Hi Pauline I didn't want to hijack Gill's topic but just wanted to say that it's nice to hear from you again and to know that you and your family are getting some comfort from knowing that your Dad is at peace. Do let us know how you're doing from time to time. Love Nicki xx
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Message for Gill
by Nardobd- 11 replies
- 9.6k views
Hi Gill I hope the question doesn't upset you but I just wondered whether you'd like to share with us how you and the rest of the family coped with the anniversary in August. Of course, I'm sure you all found it very difficult and if it's too soon to speak about it that's fine. As much as anything it was just a shout to let you know we're here if you need to talk. Love Nicki xx
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Advice please!
by Maxine- 3 replies
- 5.3k views
New to forum, Hi to everyone. My Mum has just been diagnosed and starts chemo on Monday. At the moment she is on shut down mode and pushing those who care away from her including her partner of 23 years and myself. I am her only child and to top it off I also live on my own! I do have a good network around me with neighbours and friends but at the end of the day I shut the door and there is only me that's going to live with the emotions that lives with the carers. I would really appreciate any advice you can give me as to what to expect over the comming months, the realities of chemo etc...
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Patrick Swayze
by Ellie- 10 replies
- 9.2k views
Hi all Just seen the sad news that Patrick Sayze has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. It's upset me because, in a way, I was using his progress to stay positive. He seemed to have fought his way back to health and I thought he would make it. Update on my husband is that he is doing well at the moment. He's had a scan, after 3 months of Gemcetabine, which we are hoping will have either shrunk the tumour in his liver, or at least slowed it down. For those who don't know his back ground, he had a whipple in July 2008, coped with pneumonia, a pulmonary embolism and a bowel resection in the months after his op. He'd just about finished his course of chemo when …
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Young Children
by gillvb1- 9 replies
- 8.9k views
My Dad was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and had his Whipples operation in October 2008. I decided to be as honest as I could with my 5 year old daughter and I explained that Grandad had cancer and that the bad cells in Grandad's body were taking over the good cells. Dad went on to have Chemotherapy and I explained that this treatment would try to 'zap' the bad cells. My Daughter was extremely close to her Grandad but she took his initial illness in her stride and her reaction was unremarkable. Throughout his 6 months of Chemotherapy, my Dad would take my daughter on outings every weekend. I would remind her that Grandad may become tired and she was mindful of t…
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Message for Dora
by Nardobd- 0 replies
- 3.5k views
Hi Dora I just wanted to thank you for sharing the beautiful photo of your Mum with us and ask how you were getting on. I hope you've now managed to deal with all the necessary paperwork. How is your Dad and the rest of the family? Love Nicki xx
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Mom's gone - so suddenly
by Guest Lisa- 6 replies
- 7.7k views
Hi All, I haven’t wrote an update for a while and unfortunately this update is to let you know that my mom passed away on the 18th of July. The last time I wrote she was doing well on her first course of chemo – for those who don’t know mom was diagnosed with PC on 9th April which had already spread to her liver, lungs and lymph glands. Well mom was receiving the GemCap combination and was on 3 weeks on and 1 week off. After her last lot her and my dad went away for a few days to their usual holiday spot and although they had a lovely time mom started suffering from swollen legs and diarrhea towards the end of the break. This continued but when she went back in to star…
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My mum!!!!!The love and strenght will alway be with us!
by dorabcoelho- 17 replies
- 15.3k views
Mum is in hospital! It~s 2.30 am here in Brazil I just left my mum with my sister. When mum was diagnosed with PC last July 2008 we were told that she wold live 8 or 9 months.... It~s been a year now and she is still alive! After too much pain, chemo and all the stuf that PC brings; she went 21days ago to hospital for a blood test and never came back home. She had pneumonia (consequence of the chemo). During her stay in the hospital her PC got worse and she was too weak for chemo... her belly and leg started swollow(Spelling..) so much that i even asked the doctor if there was a risk the organs blow up. By the second week in there she was no longer able to walk,because of…
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A Breakthrough in Treatment?
by Ellie- 1 reply
- 4.3k views
Hi all Did any of you read this in the papers today? The experts seems quite excited by it! "Exposing tumours to oxygen can radically increase the effectiveness of radiotherapy, new research has indicated. Scientists at Oxford University found slightly increasing the supply strengthened blood vessels in cancer cells, making chemotherapy more effective. The new way of destroying cancer was heralded as a “very exciting” breakthrough by scientists. They said it would allow drugs to “prime and soften up” potentially deadly tumours before they are targeted with intensive treatment, reports The Daily Express. Research was carried out on breast, head and neck…
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Message for Rach
by Nardobd- 2 replies
- 4.8k views
Dear Rach I read about your Mum's diagnosis on the diagnosis section of the forum and was shocked to say the least! I'm sure that you are very angry and distraught about how your Mum was treated and please don't forget that we're all here to listen if that's what you need. I hope that everything goes as well as it can on Wednesday. Let us know how you're getting on from time to time. Kind regards Nicki
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Help - Questions for first visit to the oncologist?
by Guest Lisa- 17 replies
- 15.8k views
Hi All, First an update for those who read my last post: Mom had her biopsy last week and although she has had the camera down twice before she said this one was horrible. She had a lot of pain during the 40 minutes it took but couldn't let them know because she was pretty out of it. Luckily it did only last 40 mins and despite being sore afterwards she felt suprisingly well the next day. The only thing the doctor could tell her afterwards was that he was able to take lots of samples and he also found some dead cells (??) and saw some fluid in (or maybe around) her pancreas? Anyone heard of similar feedback after a biopsy? Ok, the next step is that mom FINALLY (7 …
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CHEMOTHERAPY 1 2 3
by gillvb1- 74 replies
- 52.1k views
Hi, My Dad has pancreatic cancer and we have been told that the Whipples operation removed the tumour but that Chemotherapy is needed to zap any rogue cancer cells. Can anyone give me their experiences of being treated with the drug Gemcitabine (Gemzar) please? Hope to hear from any of you soon, Kind Regards, Gill x
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Rest peacefully, beautiful Mum
by chinup- 10 replies
- 10k views
Just wanted to tell you that my lovely Mum passed away in the early hours of this morning. She was very peaceful and calm, with my Dad by her side, just as they wanted. The Hospice care we have all received has been outstanding and has made this terrible time a little easier for us. I don't know what to make of pancreatic cancer. After a reasonably good time, the speed at which it consumed her was unbelievable. But she was so stoic and brave and when we left her this mornng she was every bit as beautiful as she's always been. I loved her so very much, we all did. She was even loved by her son in laws. Just have to take one step at a time now and support my…
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Alternative Therapies
by Ellie- 1 reply
- 3.7k views
Hi everyone Just wanted to share something positive with everyone, for a change. My husband was put in touch with the Bradford Cancer Support charity and today they phoned and invited him to be assessed for an alternative therapy. It had been mentioned that they may give him a foot massage, which can have beneficial results, but after a consultation with a trained therapist he actually had hypnotherapy! He was asked to lie down and the very quietly spoken lady therapist then spoke to him and eventually got him to relax so completely that he said he felt no pain in his arms or back, which he normally has. He was aware of everything she said, but felt very soothed…
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- 4 replies
- 7.6k views
During the whipple op, surgeon realised that Mum's tumour had spread to liver and was deemed inoperable. After undergoing some plumbing work to bypass the tumour to prevent sickness and jaundice she is now recovering from the op and awaiting chemo to start. She is on morphine twice a day which is making her really constipated. She is taking laxatives prescribed by the hospital 3 times a day but hasn't been able to go in over a week. This is causing major discomfort on top of the "normal" pain associated with the op and cancer. Can anyone suggest a good laxative that will work for her, as everything she has tried has not worked...? I just want her to be in a…
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Tumour Markers ... ?
by emcee46- 6 replies
- 8k views
Hi everyone ... Like everyone else I guess, I'm looking to grab any good news with regard to this disease and would value everyone's opinions. After eleven doses of GemCis treatment, my partner's particular markers (adenosquamous carcinoma) have come down from 10,000 at the beginning, to 6,500 a month ago to 2,750 today. How good - or misleading - is this?
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How long after a Whipple does chemo start? 1 2
by Guest rachael- 47 replies
- 39.8k views
My stepdad was diagnosed Friday, he's having a whipple today (right now as I type actually), I am just wondering how long he will take/ be given to recover before the chemo will start?
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New Diagnosis - it all takes so long?
by Guest Lisa- 5 replies
- 7.3k views
Hi All, Fist of all thank you to every one who reads this, its great to know (even though unfortunate) that there are people out there who are feeling the same as me. The background; my mom, 51, never smoked, has a drink at Christmas and lives a pretty healthy and active life, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 5 weeks ago. She had suffered from pain accompanied by weight loss for about 3 months and was pushed from pillar to post with everyone convinced she had an ulcer or some other “stomach” problem. Then one weekend while waiting for yet another appointment to see another doctor the pain got so bad she decided to admit herself to hospital. After doing lots of t…