peritoneal carcinomatosis
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Southernsurvivor - letmywifelive was saying that's the same problem with his wife, wanna pm him, he was concerned too. I think they thought it's treatment also. He wrote in the liver mets thread. You mean the AST/ALT? and the Alkaline phosphate also? Well, you could ask onco how long can you wait till you do some scanning to make sure things are getting better or not. It is very nerve wrecking.
I must say that in this trial D is in - the IMMU132 her ALP levels is been going up real fast, I have to wait another few days to know the last results, but it does make me very anxious.
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Thanks, Momallthetime!
It appears elevated liver enzymes (as seen in my ALT and AST) can be a side effect of Faslodex. This makes more sense to me as the only change from 4 weeks ago until now is starting the Faslodex shots. I will talk to my oncologist at my next appointment in 4 weeks. Really nothing I can do about it now, besides be anxious and worry, which probably will happen anyway. 😩
Keep us updated on your daughter. Hope everyone is having a pain-free day!0 -
After two weeks on Ibrance my platelets went down to 118 and hemoglobin down a bit too. MO was very concerned yesterday that it's not working and the cancer is causing it. I got a call today that my tumor marker has gone down 25 points since starting Ibrance so I would guess it's working. She is having me come back on Monday to check my blood again. I am praying so hard that it's working.
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I was initially diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer at the age of 39. My two girls were 2 and 4 at the time.
I was recently diagnosed with recurrent metastatic stage IV cancer in January. My tumor marker started rising in October. The CT scan showed some pericolic stranding but was essentially called normal by my oncologist. In December, I started having more abdominal and epigastric discomfort. My oncologist finally decided to do a PET scan in January which was suspicious for possible gastritis vs metastatic disease. I underwent an EGD with biopsies which revealed linitus plasticus of the stomach with metastatic breast cancer to the lining of the stomach. It is felt that the pericolic stranding represents peritoneal involvement. I was started on weekly dose dense Carbo/Taxol in January. My CA 15-3 was 50.3 and the CA 125 was 105 at the start of chemo. After 4 doses of chemo the CA 15-3 stabilized. However, it has continued to increase since then and is currently at 65.6 after 3 cycles of chemo. The CA 125 increased to 193 but came down to 93 most recently. I continue to have epigastric discomfort but I can't tell if it is side effects from the chemo or the cancer itself. My oncologist says that the chemo has decreased the multiplication rate but is not killing the cancer. I have a repeat PET scan scheduled for next week and an appointment with my oncologist to discuss other chemo options. She mentioned Xeloda as a possible option. Ibrance was also discussed to help stabilize but not to treat. I also have an appointment with a surgical oncologist to discuss possible surgery for tumor debulking . It is not the standard of care with breast cancer metastasis but they think it might help.
I want to do whatever I can to remain a survivor for as long as I can. I feel blessed to have been cancer free for the last 4 1/2 years but I am not ready to give up. So many of your stories are so inspiring! Any recommendations that you have would be greatly appreciated.
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Dear DesireMiracles! Welcome!! I am so very sorry for what you are going through. I'm not so great on the technical stuff so I really can't give you ideas on your treatment. I just wanted to tell you after 5 years with metastatic disease, I have learned to handle it with humor, trying to focus on all the great things in my life, and during the times I feel good enough, I try to make memories with my family. I'm currently on my 2nd course of treatment with Navelbine for peritoneal carcinomatosis due to lobular breast cancer. I missed treatment yesterday because my immune system is shot at the moment. Ultrasound, paracentesis and treatment are in my future for the end of next week. You sound really remarkable! How old are your children now? They must bring so much joy to you! Wish I could be of more help, but welcome. So glad you found us. Love and Hugs, Cathy
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DesireMiracles, Glad you found us - we all struggle with these belly mets, but also support, encourage, and share our experiences with each other. I too have ILC that has completely blocked my duodenum. Had surgery in March 2015 to move my intestines from right side to the left side directly off my stomach, to allow me to eat again. At the time, the surgical oncologist did look to see if he could remove any of the cancer, but he said it was too extensive and embedded within the tissue and therefore could not remove any.
I am currently on Ibrance & Faslodex but not sure yet if it is working. This combination has been the easiest so far, so would really like to stay on it for awhile if I could. Having issues with elevated liver enzymes, so not sure how long I'll be on it. I was on Xeloda after my surgery in March 2015 and did get a good 16 or so months of TM reduction before cancer started progressing again. I tolerated Xeloda pretty well (a little nausea and did get HFS after 9 months which progressively got worse over time.) I found Xeloda more tolerable than IV chemo and would think it could be a great option for you to try. We all react so differently to these meds, so it is impossible to say if a chemo will work or not. Having belly mets is rough as you don't know if the nausea/stomach discomfort is the cancer or the chemo side effects! Keep us updated on your treatment decision - I will be praying for you.
Cathy, so good to hear from you. I'm sorry about your current struggles. Are you having ascites now? I'm thinking that is what the paracentesis is for? Does the oncologist think the Navelbine is working? Seems like things can change so quickly for us. My liver enzymes just about tripled in one 4 week period. So incredibly frustrating.
Dianarose, saw you are still on Ibrance in another thread. Great news - hang in there!
All - let us know how you are holding up. We can support each other through the tough times.
Take care,
Sheri
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Southernsurvivor- MO is lowering my Ibrance to the 100. My platelets got low so she had me stop three days early and will start up again Thursday. It has been the easiest of treatments so far. Not crazy about the Faslodex shots in the butt.
I hope everyone has a great Easter and is able to eat. Hugs to all..
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Hey Sherri. We are assuming it's ascites that has made me so miserable this week. A lot of bloating and pain that never quite goes away. Just had one treatment of Navelbine this time and my "absolute neutrophils" went too low. Hoping I can get the treatment next week as this already feels like it's trying to get away from us. Only 2 weeks since I realized I was having symptoms again. I was hoping for Xeloda this time but my Doc wanted to go to something he knew had worked for me before. Said he was saving Xeloda for maintenance. Dianarose, those Faslodex shots are literally a pain in the butt. I'm having to use lots more Benadryl cream this time. I just barely get over being sore and then it's time to do it again. Wrapping you all in a big hug!! Love, Cathy
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Oh Cathy, it's so hard to know what chemo works for each of us. I pray you can have another treatment of Navelbine soon. Do know that Xeloda worked well for me for awhile, so that is good to still have in your arsenal.
Hope you feel well enough to enjoy Easter.
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Cathy- I use numbing cream an hour before my appointment on my butt, port, and arm. It helps quite a bit
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Thank you Dianarose, Sherri, and Cathy for being so welcoming. Although I don't wish this on anyone, it is nice to know that there are other people like yourselves that can relate. I hope everyone had a nice Easter weekend.
Are there any other threads that you might recommend?
My girls are now 6 (almost 7) and 8. They are a blessing to me. I live every day for them. They are so loving and supportive. I think they may know more about breast cancer and chemo than any other girls their age.
I'm keeping all of you in my prayers!
In His Grip,
Kim
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Hi all -
Wanted to check in to see how everyone is feeling today. I'm doing pretty well. Did follow-up bloodwork last Friday after my liver enzymes (AST & ALT) had basically tripled in 4 weeks at the end of March. Looked online earlier this week at the bloodwork results and both AST and ALT tests showed in the normal range. Although I was very pleased to see this, it seems very weird to me that these tests would fluctuate like they did. My liver enzymes had been in the normal range for as long as I can remember until the bloodwork taken at the end of March, although I had just started on Faslodex in early March which could have been the cause of this.
I see the doctor next Friday and we will see how my tumor markers are doing. Need this current treatment of Ibrance & Faslodex to work, as my options are starting to dwindle.
DesireMiracles, there is a thread for "Mothers with school aged children" within the Stage IV forum that you may want to also look at. Nice to have support from people in the same stage of life.
Hope each of you are able to enjoy the upcoming weekend!
Take care,
Sheri0 -
Hello Everyone!! Had a crazy week. So 2 wks. ago I had my 1st (this time) treatment of Navelbine. By Monday morning I woke up with terrible abdominal pain and vomited off and on all that day. Pain subsided somewhat but continued to hurt. Saw my Doc the week after for my next treatment and my "absolute neutrophils" and other blood test results were pretty bad so I didn't have my treatment. By Monday of this week I was feeling pretty great--no pain. I went in for an ultrasound and possible paracentisis yesterday because of all the abdominal pain and bloating. NO ascites--yeah! But it made me start thinking--what if the abdominal pain was caused by the chemo? When I missed the week I started feeling better. Anyway, went in today to start over with the Navelbine since I skipped last week. My blood test was still bad but borderline so was supposed to get chemo. My port wouldn't work today. For over 2 hours the nurses tried everything they could to get my port to work--nothing. I had to bend over, stand up, raise my arms in the air, look to the left and cough, pushed the recliner back so far, I was practically standing on my head. I think we were all exhausted. By this time, I had probably 5 - 7 nurses working on me. LOL While I was waiting for a drug to work ( it didn't), I pulled out my phone and played "Cake by the Ocean" by DNCE (clean version). I had been joking with the nurses about dancing our way through it, so we did. It was almost 5 on a beautiful Friday, and we all danced!! Made a bad situation bearable. So I finally got a CA 125 test done. I agreed to pay for it because my insurance is so stinky about paying for it. Normal range is 0 - 35. Mine is at 118. I have such a hard time with my cancer showing up on tests that it's actually a bit of a relief to find a tumor marker test that works for me. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and that we can all "dance our way through it!" Cathy p.s. I go back on Monday to try again. I start early so the nurses and docs have time to get my port to work. HUGS!!
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Cathy, what a trooper you are! Loved that you danced to make a bad situation bearable - you are inspiring! Is your chemo room one big open room like mine? Would have loved to see all the patients' reactions to your and your nurses' dance moves. And, last but not least, hallelujah to no ascites!
Let's pray your port works on Monday. Good idea to start early. Will be interesting to see how treatment #2 goes. I'm always a bit anxious when I start a new treatment as I like to know how my body will react.
I don't think I've ever done the CA 125 test. Always do the CA 27-29. Just nice when you are able to find one test that is actually indicative of your cancer activity.
Enjoy your weekend and thanks for the update!
Hugs, Sheri0 -
Hi Sheri, I guess the CA 125 is usually used for ovarian cancer but sometimes works for breast cancer. Hence the reason that insurance doesn't like to pay for it if you don't have ovarian cancer. How are you feeling? I really hope Ibrance works for you--it made me really tired but all in all it was pretty easy to tolerate. Thanks Dianarose for the numbing cream idea. I will try that next time! By the way, Sheri, it was late enough in the day that there were just a few people being treated on Friday. It is one big room surrounded by private rooms. Nurses came out of the private rooms to join in. Wish chemo was always that fun. LOL Cathy
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Hello Everyone! Port worked on Monday so I had my Navelbine push. Wow am I tired!! I see the Doc next week so I will see about my CA-125 test and how my blood tests are shaping out. Hope you are all doing well. HUGS. Cathy
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Cathy, so glad your port worked and you were able to get your Navelbine! Pray your blood tests show great results!
I see the doctor on Friday but don't expect any big news or treatment change yet. I've been on Ibrance since Oct 2016 but only on the Ibrance/Faslodex combo for about 8 weeks. Last week my tumor markers showed an increase of over 80 points in just 2 1/2 weeks. I'm praying the combo is killing the cancer cells and causing a tumor flare. Ugh. Hate having to be anxious every time they draw blood for TMs!
How is everyone else feeling?
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Cathy- I am so glad that your port worked! You were such a trooper last week. I don't know that I could have been that calm. That is great news. I hope you start to have more energy soon.
Southernsurvivor - I will pray that your markers are down with the next draw. Let's hope it is the addition of the faslodex that is causing a tumor flare. I don't start to get anxious about the TM until I have it drawn and then I can't stand the waiting period for the result.
When I was first diagnosed in 2012 they only looked at the CA 27-29. They switched to the CA 15-3 about 2 1/2 years ago. I was worried it wouldn't be the same but it has been. They didn't add the CA 125 until they suspected peritoneal involvement, similar to what happens with ovarian cancer. It can be highly nonspecific and elevated for many different reasons. MO was not going to follow the CA 125 anymore because she said it could paint a confusing picture if one was going up and the other was going down. She said she knows the CA 15-3 correlates with my disease and that is the one she is following for treatment success or failure.
I had my PET scan last Tuesday. It miraculously showed resolution of the uptake in the stomach that was seen on my previous PET. Thank you GOD! It was surprising given that the TM CA 15-3 was rising. I have to hold on to the good news though
I met with my oncologist on Thursday morning. She has decided to proceed with this chemo regimen given that I have shown such a significant response on the PET scan. She can't, however, explain why the tumor marker has not gone down yet. She wants to repeat the tumor marker in 3 weeks. She is not willing to abandon this regimen too early because she feels it could be a disservice if all of the sudden the marker starts dropping after additional treatments. She is constantly watching for clinical trials that I may qualify for that she feels fits my situation. She is not ready to abandon the standard of care, that they know works, to try something that is unknown. She continues to state that we have many alternative options in chemo drugs moving forward if needed. Overall, the appointment went well.
I met with the surgical oncologist on Thursday afternoon. He did not feel that surgery was an option at this time. He felt that surgery could do more harm than good. Again I was reminded that this is a systemic disease that needs systemic treatment. Even though the PET scan only shows activity in the stomach, the cancer is likely circulating in the bone marrow and blood stream. We know this from the prior bone mets at initial diagnosis. He says that doing surgery to remove the cancer in the stomach would potentially cause immunosuppression, allowing the circulating cancer to take the upper hand and overgrow. I would also have to avoid systemic treatment for up to 3 months. He did say that there are lots of options for palliative surgery IF things progress. I will continue to pray that things DO NOT progress. It was helpful to hear him say the things that I have read in my own research.
It was a long day to say the least. It reminds me to enjoy God's blessings everyday! I praise God for all of the things He has done in my life. I look at my beautiful girls in awe. They are growing up so fast. I remind them constantly that God made them exactly as He imagined them, perfectly in His eye!Thanks for all of the updates! You have all been in my prayers!
Ki
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Ki so happy for you. By my DD also, her TM's are not really evidence of progression or otherwise, at times there was progression and it did not show and sometimes the opposite. Yes, the little ones grow up so fast. Enjoy these beautiful moments.
Sheri interestingly this Onco goes by CA15.3 and CEA she kinda ignore the others.
Cathy you know you reminded me of a Youtube clip I saw about this woman she was gonna be operated on, everyone was very aprehensive,and to make a little lite of the situation, before the surgery she danced with the nurses in the operating room, it was a memorable moment. Glad for you that you got your treatment going.
Dani is starting her 2 weeks on her 3rd cycle on the trial Immu134, her numbers were not gr8 so either they'll wait for the end of the protocol to do the scans or they will decide to do it sooner. We still don't know the status on the ascites. It's a constant waiting game.
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Hello everyone!! Had abdominal pain all week. Nothing I can't handle but it does get old!! I have chemo today so I'm wondering if my blood tests did better this time. Blood test yesterday and port worked fine! My husband's company moved us all over the U.S. When I found out I was stage IV we were in upstate NY. It was still in the middle of the real estate crisis so in order to move back West and closer to family, we found people who wanted to rent our home and eventually buy it. Well they told us in November (3 years later) that they had changed their minds. They are just now finishing moving. It's taken them at least 2 mos. to get almost moved out. Our realtor sent us pictures of the home and it's a mess. I call it "a big mess of deferred maintenance!" Holes in walls and ruined floor, paint chipped everywhere. The yard looks like a hurricane blew through it. They seemed to be such wonderful people too. So I've been having trouble sleeping. I wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep. My anxiety level is awful and for once it's not about the cancer. Our retirement account will take a huge hit as we will need extra money to get the house in selling condition. I'm thinking thousands. Thanks for listening. I just needed to tell someone!! LOL I will let you know how the chemo goes. I think of you all each and every day and hope you are feeling well and getting the treatments and attention you need. I'm so scared about the changes to come in health care. My insurance is through my husband's company but I've been reading that any changes to the overall system could affect us (U.S.) all big time--from preexisting conditions to maximum payouts for care. One more big reason for anxiety. Okay, now I will go dance my way through a shower!! HUGS, Cathy
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Hi all-
DesireMiracles - who hoo on your PET scan - that is great news!
momallthetime- praying this trial is working for your daughter. I hate the waiting game too!
Cathy - oh my, so sorry you have this house mess on your hands now. It is amazing to me that people can trash the home they live in. Hate that you now have to clean up after them and repair & pay for all of the damage they have done. It is so hard to deal with life's "normal" struggles on top of our cancer. I've been fighting 2 claims with BlueCrossBlueShield related to my son since February 10th - almost 3 months now!! The inefficiency and incompetency of BCBS has really been unbelievable. I think it is finally resolved as of yesterday but am following-up with the providers to ensure they know about the 2 revised claims, as I don't need the provider's initial bills going to a collections company. Just ugh! Sometimes I feel nothing is easy.
Take care all and I'll be praying for pain-free days ahead. As always, keep us updated. You are in my thoughts and prayers daily.
Hugs, Sheri0 -
Chemo went fine. I'm pretty darn anemic but my WBC count is doing ok. We have possible buyers for our home in NY. Waiting for the inspection report to find out the damages. Hanging in....I hope you all are too. I've had a few fights with insurance. Took me 2 (yes I said 2) years for my insurance to finally cover my port placement. They had all kinds of excuses. Finally had to have someone from my husband's company kick butt with the insurance company to get it covered. They kept telling the hospital they would pay it and then wouldn't. It was a mess. Oh the fun we have!!! Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Hugs, Cathy
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Cathy my heart goes out to you. I so understand it. You know, my sister had the same thing. She rented her apartment to a family, they seemed so nice, working people with children, then she needed the place, they did not want to leave, they threatened my sister, the sheriff had to be called in, the court ordered the renters to leave. Well, they left, but there were holes in the walls, everything and anything that could be destroyed was. It's shocking. It's really a bad thing to live through this. So so sorry. No you certainly don't need to have this stress. What's with the abdominal pain? Ascites? You doing something about it?
Southernsurvivor and Cathy you will appreciate this. Dani is due to have her promised Pet/CT at the end of the first cycle of this trial. Anyway the Pet/CT she scheduled for this thursday. Yesterday was last infusion. She gets an email last Friday from Onco's office that Ins is only approving a CT. I went ballistic. She never had just a CT. She always had a Pet/CT , so first the comparison is not gonna be optimum because of course the last scan was a PET/CT. And seriously, with her History, she's got tonz of mets in the bones, liver lungs, they are playing with it. Emails are going back and forth, first we had to convince Onco's office to try harder, not just speak to a moron on the phone, as Onco herself said, peer to peer did not go well, D got a bunch of supervisors numbers, and she is at it. It's just so aggravating. What's their excuse? She pays a fortune for Insurance she should not have these issues. Well, it all has to be worked out because she's got this Tomorrow and Brain MRI on sunday. So messed up!!
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Hello to the "Belly Mets" club. I haven't posted in a long time, but I do check in and see how you all are doing. I was heartbroken to read of the losses over the last several months. Just makes me sad. I hate this disease.
Welcome to the new crew, I am in the thick of it again but not nearly as bad as summer 2015 when I was hospitalized for the blockage. Anyway - markers went up in April after 14 months of Faslodex so we scanned and sure enough - peritoneal carcinomatosis is rearing its ugly head again - bowell thickening and a new small spot on liver. Boo. Started Ibrance/Arimidex on 4/9 and am now in my second cycle. So far it has been pretty tolerable - only side effect really has been being more tired than usual.
I saw someone above mention the CA125 - that is the ONLY marker that has ever registered my disease and so far it has been on the money. Everytime it has jumped even slightly above 30 in the past 6 years - scans confirmed progression. All other markers are always normal.
Momallthetime - so frustrating on the PET - my insurance has started requiring me to have a CT scan first and if there are areas of concern, then they authorize a PET - so silly - they end up paying way more than if they would just have auth'd the PET to begin with.
Sending love to you all.
Sally
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MustangIA love your code! Thx for the support, and it's exactly what I am thinking, and she told them that. It's her life they are playing with , she told them. And then she'd have even more radiation exposure, and the time of travel etc... but if you talking to someone sitting in a chair, if that person never had something serious happen to him, so it's hard for them to understand what others could be going through. The way the left is that it's pending, she is going early in the morning, and we'll find out soon enough.
In a way, i am always wondering if another modality is better for the liver purposes. If a Pet/CT is sufficient. I think maybe an MRI is more accurate for details of the liver, but I can't ask for this and that, so that's the reason we have to stick with the Pet/CT to cover the whole thing. I would be very much interested what type of scan do most of you ladies have.
So sorry for the news you got. You were not feeling any discomfort in the belly? Hope this thing works pretty quick.
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Hello ALL! Sally, thanks for the info on the CA125 test. It's the only marker that shows up for me as well. My peritoneal carcinomatosis from lobular breast cancer just doesn't show up on scans very well. We know it's there because of severe ascites which tested positive 2 years ago. I too had a partial bowel blockage at the time. I didn't have chemo yesterday because my immune system tanked again. So far I've only been able to have my treatment (Navelbine) every 2 weeks. I hope it's enough that it's working. Hope everyone has a great weekend. Love and hugs, Cathy
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Hi all! I hope you all had an amazing Mother's Day yesterday!
I can't believe all of the trouble everyone is going through or has gone through with their insurance. I have been very lucky with mine since I was diagnosed in 2012. I can't imagine having to worry about what is or isn't covered while just worrying about trying to survive!
Cathy- I hope that you were able to sell the house in NY. I can't believe how disrespectful people can be towards other people's property. I hope the treatments every two weeks is working for you! How has your abdominal pain been?
Mom All The Time- my oncologist has always relied on CT scans for me. However, it was the PET/CT scan that caught the recurrence in my stomach lining this time. The PET/CT scan is what she repeated to determine if treatment was working.
Sally- I am so sorry to hear that you are in the thick of it again. I hope that the Ibrance/arimidex is working for you.
My recent CA 15-3 continues to rise despite continued treatment with Carbo/taxol. MO wouldn't test the CA125 again. I have been having daily headaches for the last two weeks that I think are probably due to vision changes and my reading prescription not working, sinus congestion from allergies, and neck pain/tension. MO ordered a brain MRI to be certain it wasn't brain mets. The MRI was normal. She said if the brain MRI was negative she would consider re-imaging and looking into the stomach again and consider changing treatment. I imagine with re-imaging she must be talking about a CT scan because I just had the PET/CT. Waiting to hear back from her about the treatment plan moving forward.
Kim
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She got the PET/CT and good for that. Of course liver mets progressed it grew in size, which one for sure becoming confluent, their word not mine. Mild ascites still there. Bone mets some increased in size, few stayed the same, none disappeared. Yep, messy. Brain MRI from last night, more pressure in the Dura, not good, most of all the innumerable mets the same, so now what??
MO did not have the decency to let us know what her plan for the future is. Certainly the trial IMMU 132 she was on was a miss. Did not do a thing. Three months wasted. Now what? Chemo? I did get some great info from the wonderful ladies in the liver mets thread, maybe other trials, but first gotta speak to MO.Tomorrow we have an appointment with RO, another problem. She is very conservative, this Dura thing is almost reaching the Brain, go for Rads or do a good prayer and hope the next thing will do it?? Do we have time to wait? Questions to ask tomorrow.
i wish they would wanna do something for the liver, but Onco is adamant that it should be a systemic treatment and not mess with interventions. Her Alkaline phosphate also went up. So....
Kim i don't wanna make you nervous, but, from what I understood 15.3 would be a TM to check if treatment is working, Of course those numbers are never perfect. Some ppl have it as high 4000 some 30, but keep an eye on it.
Thanks everyone for your concerns, we'll keep you posted.
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All, just want to let you know that as a husband/caregiver I've followed this thread and your stories closely. Not sure why, but I find comfort in hearing that others are going through what my wife is, even if it's not always positive experiences.
To jump in a bit, my wife has had frequent liver/abdominal issues. My wife was diagnosed stage 4 with mets in the liver and nodes throughout the abdomen a little less than two years ago. Since then we've tried taxol (worked for about 8 months), Ibrance (maybe two months, if at all), the exemestane + everolimus + ribociclib trial (maybe two months, if at all), Xeloda (maybe five months) and now Halaven. Unfortunately, it seems as if the Halaven either never worked or has stopped working after only about one months. Her tumor markers have been rising (although not dramatically so), and they've always been a reliable indicator of progression. Additionally, she's had slight ascites and her abdominal nodes/liver mets have been causing a lot of abdominal/gastointestinal discomfort and she's dropped a lot of weight off an already small frame.
Last Thursday she did a Halaven infusion just in case it was working, but she had an abdominal CT on Friday. First thing Monday we heard from her onco that there was progression in the liver and abdominal nodes and that the nodes appeared to be intruding on the common bile duct. I've wondered recently whether she's experiencing slight jaundice, but it's so hard to tell. Anyway, we got called by the GE who scheduled her for an immediate ERCP to stent the bile duct. We did it last night, but it appears that the CT didn't show just how much disease is in the area. So the GE was only able to give some partial relief. Now she wants an MRI for clearer imaging and to go back in for the stent. Have others dealt with this before?
Also, it looks like we're starting on what's now her sixth line of treatment: carbo/gemzar. A little concerned as I've heard this combo can be rough. But I'm not sure what else there is that's both reliable and something we haven't tried.
Anyways, thanks for letting me vent.
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Dear Batfax, I'm so sorry for what your wife is going through. 2 years ago when I was so bad (my stomach had even quit emptying), I was put on Navelbine for 4 months. I did 2 wks on and 1 wk off. It really worked for me and beat back the cancer for over a year. It wasn't an easy chemo but when my stomach started emptying and the ascites went down, the relief was amazing. I watch what my husband goes through every day dealing with what is happening to us. It breaks my heart for him and I know I couldn't get through all this without his love and support. I know your wife must feel the same. I tell my husband all the things I love about him and how much he means to me. I don't want to leave him without him knowing. Please take good care of each other. Love and hugs, Cathy
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