Family, friends and carers
A forum for family, friends and carers' of pancreatic cancer patients.
654 topics in this forum
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I feel like a fraud posting
by Vikingv- 4 replies
- 8.9k views
I suppose I’m suffering from survivors guilt......and that’s before we’ve lost hin. You see my Dad was diagnosed with this vicious disease two weeks ago and it’s terminal. I’m heartbroken. He’s survived two other types of cancer and it’s this one that will get him. The one that has virtually no symptoms, the one who’s survival rates haven’t changed in decades. I’m angry, I’m lost but most of all I feel a fraud for feeling like this because it’s not happening to me it’s happening to him I can’t even cry into the cat as another lady has done, as mine is at that unsociable teenage stage.....clearly I need a dog.
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My Lovely mum
by Honey759- 2 replies
- 7.2k views
My mum who is 82 next week has just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She has severe arthritis and Parkinson’s disease but at the moment remains independent in her own home The oncologist offered chemotherapy but she has turned this down, which I do agree with as she wants to carry on going out and about with her friends and not held back by the main side effect of tiredness The plan is to rescan the first week in January then see the oncologist again mid January I know everyone is different but I’m so anxious about what the future holds for my mum and wondered if anyone has any thoughts to share with me Thanks for reading
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I have been on this journey for 15 months. My beloved hubby was diagnosed in May 2015 with a non-metastatic mass on the head of the pancreas. He was 59 and we were, naturally, devastated. As the tumour appeared to be contained within the pancreas, a Whipple was attempted but sadly aborted as the tumour involved his portal/SM vein. Before sewing hubby up, the surgeon performed a palliative double gastric bypass, connecting hubby's bile duct and stomach to his jejunum. After the operation the surgeons told us that the next step was to get hubby fit enough for Folfirinox in the hope that it would shrink the tumour away from the veins, and then to have another try at a Whippl…
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New - feeling scared
by suemc- 8 replies
- 9.9k views
Hi, we returned from a lovely holiday in Nov 17, believing yet again my husband had a great colour, after a day or two of being home my children mentioned that the colour was yellow, in the natural daylight yes it was. This started to become more apparent over the next couple of days, that's when my mind went into over drive, actually on holiday my husbands appetite was very minimal, he complained of indigestion and belly ache, he would no admit things were not right in fact, things started to add up. over the last couple of years there had been lots of little things, back ache, tummy upset, indigestion which all had been ignored. now he was very yellow, I booked an emer…
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Mum just been diagnosed with PC
by Devastated- 7 replies
- 10.3k views
Following mum being diagnosed suddenly with type 2 diabetes 2 years ago, and gradual decline in her weight, which we thought was due to her eating more healthily, we now find out, having attended the doctor with the indigestion type pain, and sore back, not to mention the erratic blood sugar levels - that she has pancreatic cancer which may have spread to her liver, but has wrapped itself around a main artery. This was discovered following a ct scan only 10 days ago, and on Friday we spoke to the Consultant who confirmed our worst fears, that mums cancer is beyond operable. She is fit, active, doesn't drink, and was a moderate smoker 40 years ago. She lives the hea…
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Our story...
by WhatEvenisaPancreas- 24 replies
- 32.5k views
I'm hoping writing this down will feel cathartic and allow me a nights sleep! Hello! My step dad was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer with mets to his liver in January 17. It was discovered through a CT scan to get to the bottom of something unrelated, which turned out to be nothing. It was an incredible shock, obviously. He is 57 this year, incredibly fit (a postie) and healthy and had experienced no symptoms other than a tummy pain which the doctor said could be muscular. No timescale was ever discussed as he didn't want to know, but he was told it was inoperable and would be on palliative care only. I took to Google straight away to absorb every piece…
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You've got to be kidding me...
by MaxineR- 7 replies
- 13.5k views
Apparently not. Two years (July 2015) ago my mother was diagnosed with T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma. It was described to us as rare and aggressive and she was so poorly we had 'the chat' in the quiet room; you know the one with the warning shots across the bow and then the boom - she's on a knife edge. But my mother is made of the strong stuff and after a half dose of chemo she was well enough to complete the course and kick cancers butt. Apparently not. Fast forward to 2017. A routine check up on bloods for the lymphoma in June was all clear. Amazeballs, we all cried hurrah! and carried on business as usual. However at the beginning of July Mum started that thing again …
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New diagnosis 1 2
by Cjg- 25 replies
- 30.3k views
Hi. My partner is 52. He has just been diagnosed with adenosquamous carcinoma of the tail of the pancreas that has spread to the liver. We are in turmoil. He has had his first course of Folfirinox last week. Our lives have been turned upside down in a matter of 5 weeks. I have no idea how we are going to get through this. We feel this is just one big nightmare that we are going to wake up from sometime soon. Everything is just too much at the moment, and I feel overwhelmed and am struggling to cope with the every day issues of life. We have 5 wonderful children between us and some good friends. We are terrified for the future but really trying to be positive but it's so h…
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- 3 replies
- 11.2k views
Hello to all of the wonderful people of the forums, I am still in shock so please excuse the very confused nature of this Post... I am the sort of person who likes to study and find out as much about things as possible, if that makes sense. The Consultant informed my Mum yesterday that the Cancer is inoperable but that a biopsy taken from his liver will determine the type of cancer as one responds well to chemo and the other doesn't? I am not sure if this has been discussed with the local pancreatic specialist centre (but I presume a discussion has taken place). I am trying to research as I much as I can, having found the Pancreatic Cancer website and read some of t…
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FIL recently diagnosed
by Wonderland- 2 replies
- 8.6k views
Hi everyone, i've been reading through this forum for a few weeks but hadn't plucked up the courage to post. My FIL has just turned 60, he had stomach cancer about 4.5 years ago, had chemo and had part of his stomach removed. That treatment worked and he was fine up until about 8 weeks ago. Started getting more tired, losing weight etc, then turned yellow. Was admitted into hospital, they put a drain in and did a scan, said they could see a blockage within the pancreas. Due to the reconstruction from last time, they can't put a camera down his throat or even through his belly to have a proper look. They've said they will treat it as cancer but aren't 100% sure. I be…
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Re dark thoughts
by Norma- 4 replies
- 11.4k views
Hello everyone, new to this my dad god bless him has reached the ripe old age of 87 without much illness when suddenly to be told in January this year that he probably only has 3 months to live, he has got pc with it having spread to his liver I am caring for him but I am finding it very difficult to deal with all the thoughts about ending his life sooner he keeps saying what about throwing myself under a bus or shall I book a one way ticket to Switzerland I tell him this is not going to happen but he still persists, I have told the nurse but all she says is don't leave any tablets about, anyone else had this situation, please reply as I am really struggling not to loose …
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Grumpy's Story 1 2 3 4
by Quickasyoucan- 95 replies
- 98.1k views
No not one of the 7 dwarves! My Dad, John, aka grumpy to his 7 grandkids (his choice of grandparent moniker) Just thought I'd start a thread in honour of my Dad. Dad is 83 and until a few months ago a v active go up a stepladder with a chainsaw to trim the hedges type of 83. We lost my darling Mum at 70 to motor neurone disease in 2010 so unrelenting b*stard diseases seem to be our thing. Dad had a blip in 2014 with a large dvt in his leg and, as I have mentioned elsewhere, they did ultrasound him at the time but nothing pc found. Since then he has made several trips here to Australia (where 2 of us live) and generally acted like a 60 something. Fast forward to end …
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Support from your local Hospice
by Sandiemac- 4 replies
- 10.1k views
I have a thread running elsewhere (Stephen's Story) but I wanted to let you know about the support we are getting from our local hospice in the hope it might encourage someone to contact their local hospice in case they were unaware of the help available. I know Marmalade is a fan and has benefited from their resources. Stephen is stable at the moment and at our most recent visit to the oncologist at the beginning of May we were asked by the Macmillan nurse if we wanted the hospice to contact us. Like most people I associated hospices with end of life but they are much more than that. Anyway, briefly, Stephen is now attending a Wellness day weekly where he gets pe…
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Hi. I've been a lurker for a few months and have taken the plunge, so to speak. My husband was diagnosed last October 2016 after being ill for 9 months. He also has bladder cancer but this hasn't been a major problem and has taken a backseat since PC was diagnosed. He had a biliary stent fitted before Christmas because of the jaundice and had 1 round of chemo but it caused the bladder to bleed and he spent 2 nights in hospital on antibiotics so he's decided not to have anymore. The Macmillan nurse calls every week and the DN calls every 2 weeks. The GP also calls every 2 weeks. He's on 120mg MST daily with Oromorph as and when he feels he needs it. He's also on dexomthaso…
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Nina's Dad 1 2 3
by Justamo- 57 replies
- 61.3k views
started for Nina to post her news . . . and copied over from my thread. Hope everybody is happy with that !
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A time to live
by Didge- 3 replies
- 10.5k views
If anyone missed the BBC's A time to Live this week it is really worth watching on catch up.
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Hi everyone my 67yr old husband was diagnosed two weeks ago with PC with liver mets.He was diagnosed because of jaundice which steadily became worse over a two week period until we became so worried that we attended the A&E department of our local hospital . He was admitted that day and had an endescope next day which led to a diagnosis of PC and had a stent inserted to bring down his level of jaundice. We were told that his results would be sent to the pancreatic unit of another hospital who would then discuss any treatment options which could go ahead after the jaundice levels fell. However seven days later we got a phone call to say that he needed a liver biopsy so…
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Calling all survivors!
by Didge- 3 replies
- 10.1k views
I would like to make a request to survivors! We know that there are long-term survivors out there but they rarely post. Understandably, they want to get on with their lives and forget about PC if they are able. However, if you are one of those who has perhaps used the forum, or just been a silent reader, it would be very helpful if you could set a reminder once a year to come and say hello. It is very daunting for new patients on here when they read some of the posts and hard to keep their spirits up. Some survivors also feel somehow guilty when others are having to cope with bad news. But as it has been said before, we like good news and it is so important for thos…
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How long to get definite diagnosis 1 2 3
by Bowie- 72 replies
- 77.4k views
Hello, my beautiful husband was diagnosed on 27th March with likely pancreatic cancer stage iv. He hadn't been ill, just lost a stone since Christmas and some intermittent diarrhoea. GP wasn't convinced anything much was wrong so he paid for tests himself, colonoscopy and finally CT scan. He then had to wait to see a consultant, then biopsy and as that was inconclusive waiting for second biopsy of metastases, but how long does this all take. I'm ringing the hospitals everyday, but apparently there are a lot of other people waiting and if he chooses to go private the Macmillian nurse has said he will be taken out of the NHS and will have to pay for all and any future …
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Waiting for more news.....
by neurogirl- 13 replies
- 13.8k views
Hello All My sister hasn't been feeling too good for a few months now. She's been back and forth to her GP, had various blood tests with nothing being identified until the last set, which identified the possibility of pancreatic cancer. She's been urgently referred to an oncologist and is waiting to hear when the appointment is. We don't know what to think because pc being put forward as the thing that needs to be investigated further is very worrying. It hasn't been suggested on a 'we need to rule it out basis', it seems quite specific. Can anyone share their experiences a period like this, where something is a possibility, but how much of a possibility is uncertain, …
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My mum has been diagnosed with this awful cancer on 20th May. She is/was a fit and healthy 76 year old playing golf, tennis and walking! Just before Christmas she thought she had digestive problems and visited the dr a total of 4 times. Each time she was prescribed tablets that did nothing. On the bank holiday weekend she had stomach pains so booked a private scan at the hospital. They said they could see something and would fax her doctor. When she went to the dr's they hadn't faxed the results. My mum took herself to A and E and 2 weeks later they diagnosed pancreatic cancer! They have said it is inoperable! On Tuesday she is going in for a stent and then will see an on…
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My mums story
by Blossom- 11 replies
- 14.9k views
Hi everyone my mum is 83 and over a period of about 3 months I noticed her appetite had decreased and she had lost some weight, not a bad thing I thought because she was a bit overweight in the first place she also had a few tummy upsets on the odd day and it didn't occur to her to tell me that her stools were very pale. Then about 5 weeks ago at the weekend, we were out and I noticed that she looked really yellow. On the Monday morning (I live with her) I spoke to her about it and she said she hadn't noticed but I telephoned the Doctors and got an appointment that afternoon. Before we went my mum said shall I take a water sample and I said why not but was shocked when I …
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Mum refusing Whipple operation.
by michelleharrison- 9 replies
- 15.1k views
Hi All, My mum is 76 and we receieved the news that she has PC, we're not new to this cancer my grandmother died of it too. We're lucky and live close to a specialist centre. We went to see the consultant and he's told us that my mum is a lucky one and it's operable, and she can have the Whipple. I was delighted to hear this news, but my mum is refusing she's terrifed of the operation and she thinks she won't make it through the operation, or even the recovery. The thought that her digestion will never be the same again, seems to horrify her. I've spoken to the Macmillan nurse that's been assigned to us, he's suggested looking at the Whipple Warriors and I also cam…
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Travelling with stage 4 from spain
by Pipster- 3 replies
- 10.1k views
Hi, My dad was diagnosed in January with stage 4 pancreatic. Inoperable, but offering (initially) palliative chemo on a trial. Then he got jaundice and so has had 2 bile drains and a stent put in but now waiting to hear if chemo is still an option. Problem for me is he lives in Spain and i don't speak Spanish, and neither of my parents are really sharing full details. He is keen to come to visit me in the uk which i am keen to support. A short visit over easter, and then another at the end of april. My GP says he can sign on as a temporary patient for 3 months. Will he need any special permission to travel? Will he be fit for travel after chemo? Is he likely to have…
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Mom's Story
by LLA- 5 replies
- 11.3k views
Hello Everyone, My name is Lisa and my mom (67 yrs) is undergoing tests to find out what is going on with her. I've spent some time on this forum over the last week and have already learned a lot, thank you for sharing your stories! What we know so far: mom had severe pancreatitis (almost lost her) last summer but she pulled through that. Since then, she has had diarrhoea on and off, has had periodic pain in her abdomen, has been weaker than usual (weaving when walking and falling more often). She was also just told her kidney disease which was diagnosed about a year ago has increased to stage. Mid January, she got ill with either a virus or infection of some sor…