My Dads diagnosis

[allyc1]

My dad has being diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer at the head of his pancreas, it is locally advanced but unable to operate as it is on an artery. He is having chemotherapy fortnightly, but has been unwell so is missing this one, and they have reduced it. He has lost over 6 stone in weight since November 14, but i think a lot of it was the stress. His moods are very up and down, more down then up, and i find it so hard to be strong.I woukd like to know if other people are going through the same, as he feels so isolated and he we just dont know the outcome. I woukd appreciate any feedback if anyone has the same diagnosis or has gone through it as i feel really helpless.

Thankyou

[LMD]

Hi there

So sorry to read about your Dads diagnosis. Just to say hello .. You'll find a lot of support and information here and you can always telephone the nurses if you'd like to speak to someone. (They're amazing and so helpful)

My advice just now would be to try and take each day as it comes. I hope your Dads next chemo goes well. Try and stay strong and positive (I know it's hard though) sending you a hug x

[allyc1]

Thankyou for your reply, and i know to take one day at a time as each day he is different.

[sandraW]

Hi Ally,

Sorry to hear about your Dad, I too wanted to welcome you to the forum.

It is all so scary I am not surprised your poor Dad is feeling the stress. My husband did get down at some points in his treatment, but on the whole managed to stay positive and upbeat, but everyone is different in how they handle things.

The not knowing what is going to happen is the worst, the constant highs and the lows, are all so draining and we are all going through, or have been through it, just like your are now. The feeling of helplessness is normal too, and we are helpless, caught up in the endless round of appointments and treatment, all we can do is support and love them.

I hope the treatment helps your Dad have more time and a better quality of life, is he taking Creon? and the fortified drinks, they help too with weight control.

Keep posting and let us know how you Dad is doing, take care sandrax

[allyc1]

Thanks Sandra

He is taking the creon and the fortified drinks and we are seeing the consultant today to see how the ct scan went, and hopefully it hasnt spread anywhere else, at his last scan it hadnt so fingers crossed x

[jay]

Welcome to the forum Ally,fingers crossed for the scan results.

Take care ,

love Jayne

x

[kittycat]

Hi Ally, hope the oncologist appointment went well. My husband was diagnosed with the same as your dad and he lost weight last year but the doctors just ignored it and said it was less to carry around. He was only 8St 11lbs to start with and is now about 7st but he has good days and bad and we just enjoy everyday as best we can. I know it's difficult and it breaks your heart seeing your loved ones going through this but there is a tremendous amount of support on here and the nurses are excellent so keep posting and take care.

Sue

[Levi1]

Hi ally,

I'm going through the same with my mum at the moment. We are still waiting for the biopsy at the moment but should be within a week for that. We as a family are committed to try nanoknife, I've read a lot into it and seems like the best option as they can go close to blood vessels etc with this treatment. It's definitely worth doing all the research you can as already in this early stage it seems that I have told the GP what we can do to help my mum rather than him tell us.

I've got strength from talking about it on here and with people around me- stay strong and most of all positive!

Levi

[Sueoliver]

Hi Ally,

I am sorry about your Dad. Welcome to this forum you will find it invaluable. Everyone is helpful and most of all everyone understands. It is hard to be strong but somehow we manage it. I am sure you are a tremendous support to your Dad.

Stay strong and take care.

Love Sue x

[allyc1]

Thanks for your replies, we got positive news yesterday the consutant thinks the tumour has reacted well to the chemo and definitely hasnt spread, in fact he thought it may have shrunk!. He thinks the next course of action will be a block of Radiotherapy on its own. Has anyone else has this? My dad was told if its shrunk enough they may try to operate (whipples op)but he has heard bad stories from this, and the consultant himself said that 4 out of 5 have the cancer coming back.Thanks for taking the time to read it really does help to think other people are going through this

[sandraW]

Hi Ally,

There are people that do very well after surgery, it is the only cure! but its also true that the cancer does come back in a lot of cases, I think that's because it lies dormant in the liver, then raises its ugly head again, a few months after surgery.

My husband had surgery in September 2013, and we found the cancer had returned in the liver in Jan 14 but he did have a very aggressive form and they found cancerous cells in two lymph nodes, after surgery.

He had 5 fu and Folfirinox chemotherapy, 23 in total, and remained really quite well throughout, he had a 5 and a half month break last summer and had a wonderful time working in his garden and going on holiday. He died in April this year, but was only really unwell for a short time and I know for certain he was glad he opted for surgery.

It is of course a personal choice and surgery is usually only offered if there appears to be no spread, but this is a very sneaky disease.

Best wishes to you your dad and family, and I hope he gets the chance for surgery, he might well be one of the lucky ones, take care sandrax

[allyc1]

Thanks Sandra, sorry to hear about your Husband. How was your Husband after the surgery? Its a really big op isnt it? Did your husband have Radiotherapy also? I appreciate your advice as it is all so new to us x

[rsk1974]

Whipples is a big op, but if that's an option then that's surely a positive as so many people don't have this option. My dad had it, but I would have also understood if he didn't have it as it's a big operation. He then had a 6 month course if chemo after.

[rsk1974]

Whipples is a big op, but if that's an option then that's surely a positive as so many people don't have this option. My dad had it, but I would have also understood if he didn't have it as it's a big operation. He then had a 6 month course if chemo after.

[knutsford4]

Hi allyc1

My husband had full whipples in Oct 2012, took all the complications, was in hospital 8 weeks, got the all clear, did 6 months of preventive chemo, went back to work, January 2014 came back give him 3 months, more chemo so far he's had a total of 23 months of chemo but he's still here, ups and downs but leading a good life and even taking about doing a cruise when he gets his CT results next week, so hopefully you dad will do good and work to his agenda not the docs

Good luck

[allyc1]

thanks for the information, its really helpful to hear other stories and it may help my dads situation

[allyc1]

rsk1974 wrote:

> Whipples is a big op, but if that's an option then that's surely a

> positive as so many people don't have this option. My dad had it, but I

> would have also understood if he didn't have it as it's a big operation.

> He then had a 6 month course if chemo after.

How is your dad now?

[rsk1974]

I'm.afraid my dad passed away a year after his op, he was one of the unlucky ones, but he wanted to do everything he could to beat the cancer, However the difference was that even.when they started the op they where going to close him.back up as they couldn't find a tumour then.found one deeply buried. We hadn't had a diagnosis of pc until a year after first symptoms and 4 weeks after whipple, so my dad was a bit strange medically. We are still glad he had the op though and was by a brilliant surgeon.

[jay]

My husband who was 48 had a whipples nov13 but by jan 14 a 4 mm lesion appeared on the liver, he had 6 months of chemo which kept it at bay and he had a good summer but died sept 2014 with an infection he caught following a stent being fitted, Take care, love Jayne x

[allyc1]

Sorry to hear that Jayne, its so difficult isnt it, my dad hears from the Drs the week after next to see what the next step is? Thay are going to recommend Radiotherapy i think, as he has had about 5 Chemos. My dad is so worried about the Whipples if it becomes an option. as it really is a major op and you have to be fighting fit which he doesnt seem to be at the moment. We will have ti wait and see what the specialists suggest.

Thanks Alison

[rsk1974]

Hi Alison, you do have to be fit for the op, but if it's any help my dad had it and he only had 1 kidney and a damaged heart from a heart attack.All you can do is support your dad and sometimes go somewhere and scream! X

[allyc1]

I know what you mean, i feel like screaming plenty. I have to be strong all the time when im with him, then when i get home all you do is worry. You hope for a miracle cure too. x

[kittycat]

I think a miracle is what we're all hoping for, but they do happen sometimes so try to stay strong.

Sue

[allyc1]

Can anyone tell me what the protein markers indicate? I know my dads have come down but not really sure what they mean?

[allyc1]

I just wanted to know about the nanoknife? My dad has cancer on the head of the pancreas which is on the artery'it has responded to check and he is going to be starting radiotherapy in a couple of weeks. Just wondered if nanoknife would be an option? Does anyone know the criteria?