On 5/26/2007
Lauranyc wrote:
Hi,
I found this message board while trying to find some information about Liver Cancer online, and I felt like maybe if I wrote here it would help me alittle bit.
My mother is 52 years old and has always been very healthy. In the beginning of March she started to complain about stomach pain and fullness after eating three or four bites of whatever she was eating, she also gagged alot but never actually threw anything up. She finally went to the doctors in April and he ordered a CT scan of the abdomen. The CT scan showed a tumor in her left liver lobe that has taken over the whole lobe and a smaller tumor in the medial segment of the right lobe.
She then went for a biopsy a week later after talking with her primary physcian. The bipsy results showed that from the 6 pieces of tissue they removed from her liver, only 20% were cancerous. There concern was the this was secondary liver cancer and that it could be coming from another organ of the body. She went and had an endoscopy of the stomach and that was clear, she went into the hospital for 4 days because of severe pain and bloating. While in the hospital they did a colonoscopy and that showed nothing as well. Chest xray..etc...they can't find any cancer or masses or tumors any where else which is good. Before she left the hospital they did another CT scan directly of the liver now. The radiologist and surgeon who would have done the chemoembolization said he did not want to do it, because there were too many blood vessels he would have to shut off to stop the blood from feeding the tumor, which could result in liver failure.
Now her primary physcian wants her to get a second opinion and wants to refer her to Memorial Sloan-Kettering. I know that hospital is the #1 cancer hospital, so I am relieved and one of their specialties is Liver Cancer, which is also a good think. She wanted to read about Sloan kettering and her options. I have been reading about liver resection. But is her tumor too large for this? Her left lobe was replaced by the tumor and it is also in the medial segment of the right lobe (I'm not sure what medial segment is?) What other treatments should she consider that does not have a lot or any side effects?
It's been two months since she has been home and out of work and she isn't the type of person that likes to do nothing. She has been retaining water in her legs/feet and the doctor has given her a water pill for that, she has taken it for 2 days now, and it goes away and comes back over and over again. She has been elevating her legs as well. She is weak and out of breath when she walks up the stairs. The pain medicine(Dilaudid) has been making her loopy and fatigue. She loves to read books and lately she has been opening the books but falling asleep with it in her hand and dozing off, I believe it's the pain medicine.
I'm only 24 years old and it hurts me to see her like this. I try so hard not to cry in front of her, because I know that upsets her knowing I'm upset. I just want to be there for her and help her through this and I can't wait for her to start feeling better. I miss going to the mall and out to eat with her almost every weekend.
I hope someone can help me lift up my spirits, and tell me some good information that I can look forward to.
Thanks to anyone and everyone who took the time to read this.
Laura
Concerned Daughter