Good News!

One year ago on July 7th, 2008 my husband was diagnosed with non-resectable Stage IV adenocardinoma Pancreatic Cancer.  His onc told him last week that he may now be a candidate for resection!  We met with a surgeon last Fri who ordered an MRI to more clearly see how close the tumor was to the portal vein.  They called today saying they could do the surgery and that his tumor has actually shrunken more since his last CT two months ago! 

So...never give up hope...even with Stage IV PC there is still room for a miracle! 

Will keep you updated.  We meet again this Fri to schedule the surgery! 

What great news!  Keep us informed.  Nancy

 

 

On 8/24/2009 possumvalley wrote:

One year ago on July 7th, 2008 my husband was diagnosed with non-resectable Stage IV adenocardinoma Pancreatic Cancer.  His onc told him last week that he may now be a candidate for resection!  We met with a surgeon last Fri who ordered an MRI to more clearly see how close the tumor was to the portal vein.  They called today saying they could do the surgery and that his tumor has actually shrunken more since his last CT two months ago! 

So...never give up hope...even with Stage IV PC there is still room for a miracle! 

Will keep you updated.  We meet again this Fri to schedule the surgery! 

Very happy for you. My partner's mom has also been diagnosed with lung cancer..Looks like IIIA to us. still have not got a concrete report from the docs. Had 4 rounds of chemo but not effective. Could you be kind enough to tell me what treatment your husband is on? Praying for you..He will live happily and healthy for long with you..Don't you worry.

 

Thanks, Nancy and toasttolife...we are so excited about this wonderful turn of events.

 As to your question, toasttolife, about the treatment my hubby is on, he began with Gemzar and Cisplatin and took that for about 5-6 months...they tried him on Tarceva but he was severly allergic.(Tarceva is a pill primarily used for Lung Cancer)  He's been on 5FU and Leucovorin for about 7 months now.  He has not been without problems with side effects(edema, rashes, blood clots, headaches, fever, nausea) but the tumor has really responded to the treatments.  He began with mets to the lymph nodes but they are not gone.

 AFter we meet with the surgeon and oncologist this Friday I will post an update

That is good news.  I was diagnosed with Stage IV PC with Mets to the liver in 9/08.  I also went had Gemzar and Tarveva which didn't do any good and the side effects were terrible.  I also was switched to 5 FU and leukovarin and it has been effective for me also although I'm still not a candidate for the surgery.  I've been on it since January. 

I'm glad to hear your story.  It at least gives me some hope.  I was supposed to be gone by now but I'm still active, playing golf and doing most anything I want. 

I'm happy for you.

We met with the surgeon again today and he is confidant that he can perform the Whipple with good results so we gave him the go ahead to schedule the surgery, which will be on Sept 10

I'll probably be with my husband in the hospital for at least a week but hope to have my laptop with me and will post updates

asking for prayers that my husband recovers totally

Wonderful news.  Your in my prayers!

Wonderful, wonderful news! All the best for a successful surgery and recovery. My thoughts and prayers are with you both. BC

Yes there are miracles out there, my husband was told he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer in jan 06 they gave him at best 6 mo to live. Had  9 hr whipple in SF was out in 4 days, had bad path report, said it had spread to three other places went on chemo(gemstar,cistplat and tarceva) also did five weeks of raidation and a 5FU pill form wanted to go swim with the turtles and didn't want bag form. Went till April 08 and found three spots on his liver and had liver ablation told again this would buy him a few months. Started Gemstar again three times a month and went back on tarceva, well we're going on 44 months and he still goes for bike rides walks 5 miles three or four times a week and just put a new roof on our chicken coop and is starting on our barn. He does take about 98 herbal supplements a day and has since week one I don't know if this has helped but we're still going despite what the Drs have said. So hang in there and enjoy every day you have together.

Well...we are at the day before the surgery...my hubby is at home today on the liquids only diet and drinking the Magnesium Calcitrate (sp?) to clean him out...(sorry TMI)

He has been nauseated everyday for almost a week and couldn't even keep the magnesium calcitrate down...he lost half of it...so I hope he gets cleaned out enough to have the surgery...although he probably didn't have anything on his stomach anyway...I fixed him a big supper last night because i knew it would be awhile before he could eat like that again...but he lost it later that night.  It's almost like it was before he started taking chemo (he's been off chemo for about 3 wks now)

It's gonna be a long night but hopefully once the surgery is over he'll be on the road to recovery. 

His surgeon told him that the incision would be an upsidedown "V" but when David looks at it, it will look like a rightside up "V" and will stand for Victory!

Will post an update tomorrow evening hopefull