How Will I Make It Without My Best Friend?

My best friend & soul mate of 32 years just got diagnosed with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer that has metasticed to her lungs & lymph nodes.  She is a diabetic and noticed around 10/07 that her stomach kept bothering her & she didn't want to eat, thought it was an ulcer.  She had a upper GI & Drs said she had a hyital hernia, bad gallbladder & gastro paresis.  After several months of excrusiating pain (Drs told her to "ruff it" and take tyenol, didn't want her taking Percaset because their an addictive narcotic), they finally removed her gallbladder & noticed a large "mass" in her pancreas.  She's been rushed to emergency room several times & has been omitted for a hospital stay twice.  FINALLY, last month they diagnosed her correctly.  It took more blood work & a CT scan to suspision it & then a pancreas bisopy.  They've given her a "median survival rate of 6 months" when the reality is we KNOW she's on the tail end of that.  She's trying chemo (gimcitibine), but the side affects are making her too sick.  I think the Drs "missed the boat" & didn't find the correct diagnosis early enough (not this it would have mattered)  There is NO CURE.  THIS IS A HORRIBLE disease.  Pls visit www.pancan.org.  Watch ABC's 20/20 this Wed, 04/09/08 when Diane Sawyer interviews a patient who has it.  HE WILL AMAZE YOU.  I"m so unbelievely sad and heartbroken....  God bless..

 

On 4/7/2008 LesPaulyGirl wrote:

My best friend & soul mate of 32 years just got diagnosed with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer that has metasticed to her lungs & lymph nodes.  She is a diabetic and noticed around 10/07 that her stomach kept bothering her & she didn't want to eat, thought it was an ulcer.  She had a upper GI & Drs said she had a hyital hernia, bad gallbladder & gastro paresis.  After several months of excrusiating pain (Drs told her to "ruff it" and take tyenol, didn't want her taking Percaset because their an addictive narcotic), they finally removed her gallbladder & noticed a large "mass" in her pancreas.  She's been rushed to emergency room several times & has been omitted for a hospital stay twice.  FINALLY, last month they diagnosed her correctly.  It took more blood work & a CT scan to suspision it & then a pancreas bisopy.  They've given her a "median survival rate of 6 months" when the reality is we KNOW she's on the tail end of that.  She's trying chemo (gimcitibine), but the side affects are making her too sick.  I think the Drs "missed the boat" & didn't find the correct diagnosis early enough (not this it would have mattered)  There is NO CURE.  THIS IS A HORRIBLE disease.  Pls visit www.pancan.org.  Watch ABC's 20/20 this Wed, 04/09/08 when Diane Sawyer interviews a patient who has it.  HE WILL AMAZE YOU.  I"m so unbelievely sad and heartbroken....  God bless..

Please don't give up! I'm sorry it took so long to get the diagnosis-seems it is a very common thing. My husband struggled to get diagnosed also. I'm sorry the gemzar is not working for your wife. My husband strted on gemzar and it actually made him feel better, because the tumors in the lymph glands shrank and there was no pressure on the sciatic nerve any more. His main problem with gemzar was the fatigue.

He has also taken 5-FU which is fatiguing also, but has come through the first year with tumor marker down to 8 then back up to 44, but the d is not that worried. He goes back for more blood work the 30th.

The dr expects it to come back, but he is not God he is just going by statistics.

Please just don't give up. My husband keeps saying as long as he is alive- he is going to live!

Jan