So my dad got diagnosed with stage 3-4 Cholangiocarcinoma of the bile ducts about a year ago exactly after months of sickness. Started treatment with MD Anderson, was on a very heavy and aggressive chemo regimen. Half way through the treatment, scans showed marked improvement and my dad had even gained about 15-20lbs back of the weight he had lost from being sick. End of treatment scans came back poorly. Cancer had grown and chemo no longer an option. He was placed on a trial immunotherapy regimen. He felt good after the first 4 weeks of treatment but scans showed no improvement. The doctor said that if there is not improvement the treatment protocol is to remove from trial, but since there was also not growth, he left him on for another 4 weeks. So here we are, that 4 weeks is up and things are looking poorly. Over half the days now he can not get out of the house. My parents have already said they are not going to be able to make the family vacation that is scheduled for June. My brother is helping my mom pick up a wheelchair and medical bed for the house today. God I hate this fucking thing called cancer and I am terrified of how quickly things are going south. Hug the necks of the people you love every chance you get.
I’m very sorry. Our experience with cholangiocarcinoma was very similar. Let me know if you need anything or want to talk.
Thank you. And yes, the timeline you laid out a year ago is pretty much following identically unfortunately.
So sorry to hear this. Has your family had any discussions about hospice care if he is no longer on treatment?
As of right this moment, he is still in treatment although it is not going well. Conversations have begun though.
Fuck cancer indeed. Sorry to hear your stories guys. My old man has bladder and prostate cancer. He had them removed so he now pees in a bag. He's going really well now and has treatment called immunotherapy which he gets every few weeks.
Just found out a friend passed from cancer. Not even 40. Went through chemo and we thought she was doing better. Man I fucking hate cancer.
My dad had his last cancer visit today. His scans from 2 months ago showed large tumor and small tumor without additional growth along with one small spot of concern. Yesterday’s scans that he got the results of today showed rapid growth of large and small tumor, spot of concern now small tumor, and 5 new spots of concern. Conversations with him the past 2 weeks have been tough. He barely has talked above a whisper. Wife and boy are headed down Sunday to stay a week with my parents. I will be flying down on Wednesday and joining them and driving back with my wife and boy on Sunday. All signs point to this being a rapid descent from this point. For the first time today the Dr showed his hand and said my dad did amazing job fighting and he made it much longer than most do with his type of cancer. Not even 2 years since he started feeling off, less than 18 months of treatment. I am not quite a mess yet but I am on the verge of it. It will happen at any time. Thanks for letting me vent guys. And thank you Rabid for mapping this out for me since your dad went through the exact same type. It has helped me not be surprised and gave me an exact timeline to watch out for in advance. As always, fuck cancer and stay strong folks.
Damn. So sorry a.tramp wish I could say something to ease your pain. I wish I could be there for you like you were there for me.
Very sorry to hear this. going to visit my brother in law for his birthday saturday. He was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2020. He’s fought a good fight but I dont know how much longer he can fight. Super sad situation.
Here, and in the Grief thread, it feels awkward to leave a "like" on posts of bad news. Rest assured it's meant as a show of support and understanding. I'm sure that's a given, I just felt the need to put it in writing. Hang in there all...
So sorry to see this update, a.tramp I know you're going through so many emotions in this process and your perspective will be different than mine, but as your friend I am proud to know how intentional you and your wife have been making the most of this time for yourselves and your son. There will be lots of sadness and grief ahead, but when that time passes I hope you hold your head up high with how you've lived as a son and as a father since this all started.
About 2.5 years ago. Which is exactly how my old man looked about 1.5 years ago. When he started feeling off. How he looks today. This was the best he looked the entire week. He had a nice nap late morning and came out smiling and laughing. He was trying to make my boy happy because my boy was upset we would not let him run around the house with scissors and markers. It worked by the way. Scissors were forgotten about.
a.tramp sorry to hear brother. Reminds me of my last visit with my dad. Two months earlier he was fine and working around the house helping me recover. I was able to get down with my sister and nephew to visit him for his first chemo. It was heartbreaking. Remember all the good times and treasure this time. This board is a great outlet and message me if you want to talk or vent.
My dad had hospice consultation on Wednesday after having worst day of his life on Tuesday. They told him he needed to have a drain tube put in his stomach immediately to relieve all the fluid from his abdomen due to liver having basically failed. And then start hospice care immediately. He had tube put in yesterday and hospice starts today. The hospital lost his hearing aids in the process of the procedure so now my dad is going to be basically bedridden for his remaining few days along with not being able to hear and I am a fucking disaster right now. What a fucking way to go.
So sorry, a.tramp . Hang in there. That is some tough stuff. Been through it with my parents. Feel free to vent in here if it helps you.
Our 3 year old had an unexplained 5mm spot on his brain when he did an MRI 6 months ago. They believed it was either there from birth or he had bumped his head at some point and scheduled a follow up to monitor. Two weeks ago he had the follow up MRI. It was supposed to come back the following Monday for our pediatrician to call us. We didn’t hear anything for a week so my wife started pushing for info. Finally on Friday my wife was able to get a hold of radiology. They said they’ve been emailing around the office and want to meet with us on August 9. The appointment is with neurosurgery and neuro oncologists. I’m so scared for him right now.
Stay strong Rabid . I have no words that would help but know I am holding space for you in whatever manner is possible via a stranger 1000s of miles away on the internet.
Yes. Lung. He had to have a lobe removed. The reason they were doing scans in the first place was because they were trying to get him off the oxygen. During a sleep study they realized he had developed central sleep apnea so they wanted a brain scan to see what was happening.
Update on this. My dad had been faithfully making a 9 hour one-way trip to his old town in Oklahoma once a year to get his hearing aid check-up and replacement. I told my mom to call that office and ask for help. His faithfulness was rewarded by them having him a demo set sent that was an almost identical prescription at about 1/10th of the cost and he had them within a week. Update update. My mom told me last night to change date for next visit from 12th of August to the 5th and be prepared to come down even sooner at a moments notice. All the fluid can not be drained anymore off of his stomach due to the systematic organ failure and he had to take morphine last night for the first time.
I'm sorry dude. The edema was the worst part for my dad. I know it was so painful for him when they would stick the needle in and drain it. I wish the best for your father and your family.
Found out not too long ago my mom (early 60s) has metastatic breast cancer. First tests after starting the chemo pill had positive markers. This last batch not so much, and now they did some scans and think it has spread to the liver, which is apparently relatively common. She's doing ok for now, but it's just a tough thing for her and us to know she now has what's ultimately going to get her.
Sorry man. Hopefully she has plenty of time and good years left. What has been odd for me to see playing out is that when you inevitably know the outcome, and in my case pretty much the timeframe, each new step is a kick in the gut even though you have a roadmap in front of you. Maybe some people process things better than me, idk. But I wish you and your mom well on this journey.
a.tramp Rabid Baseballman86 No words, my guys. Do whatever helps ensure your fulfillment in each situation.
You guys aren’t going to believe this. We did our meeting with the head of neurosurgery and somebody from oncology this afternoon. They think radiology misinterpreted what the scan showed. The spot changed from black to a lighter color which is a positive and could show healing. They want to do a follow up in December with dye in his blood to get a more clear look but they don’t think it is anything to be concerned about. Obviously great news. My reaction is one of relief. My wife is angry that we worried for that time and came in for an appointment that could have been a phone call two weeks ago.
Brother in law passed early this morning. He had been fighting brain cancer for the last 3 years. Im glad he isn’t in pain anymore, but to see a very healthy guy cut down like that…fuck cancer.