CancerCompass message board discussion started by FiFaWall on 1/10/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,19583,0.htm Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ My 61 yr young mother was diagnosed with stage 4 GB in August.  She took Gem/Citabine until it stopped working this month.  They decided to do low dose radiation to shrink the largest tumor to stop the bleeding that is caused by the tumor invading her intestine.  For those of you who recently lost mothers/fathers/loved ones, my thoughts are with you.  If you wouldn't mind sharing, I would like to know what we can expect in the latest stage of this disease.  My greatest hope is for her to be without suffering and I'm not sure if this disease is one where there will be a lot of pain in the end.  Please shed some light.  I understand this is a sensitive topic, but I can't find info anywhere.    Many thanks,FiFa FiFaWall Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 1/10/2008 FiFaWall wrote:My 61 yr young mother was diagnosed with stage 4 GB in August.  She took Gem/Citabine until it stopped working this month.  They decided to do low dose radiation to shrink the largest tumor to stop the bleeding that is caused by the tumor invading her intestine.  For those of you who recently lost mothers/fathers/loved ones, my thoughts are with you.  If you wouldn't mind sharing, I would like to know what we can expect in the latest stage of this disease.  My greatest hope is for her to be without suffering and I'm not sure if this disease is one where there will be a lot of pain in the end.  Please shed some light.  I understand this is a sensitive topic, but I can't find info anywhere.    Many thanks,FiFa Dear Fifa,I am so sorry.  This is one of the most painful and worst kinds of death out there.  My grandmother died of bone cancer and my Mom just passed from gallbladder.  Both are very painful.  However, when Hospice comes in they will keep her comfortable.My Mom was diagnosed Memorial Day weekend.  She did chemo for 4 months until she got jaundice.  She was very weak and nauseated from the chemo.  When the jaundice hit, they stopped all treatment.  If they have told you they can't treat her any longer then get him to order Hospice.  They will come in and take care of things.  Moms urine got really thick and brown.  She would brush her teeth and spit up black stuff.  She was in alot of pain in her back and the gallbladder area.  She would wake up nauseated.  I found some honey from Israel that seemed to help.  She would throw up a lot.  It got to where she was so weak to get out of her chair so she would just throw up on herself.  We put a container by her chair.  At the end we got a hospital bed from hospice and finally asked for a cathater because she was too weak to get up.  They brought in oxygen.  The liver was shutting down.  That was a blessing.  Liver cancer is not painful and you just sleep alot..until you don't wake up.  At the end we had morphine in some syringes and we would just shoot them in her mouth under her toungue.  She had pain patches and pain pills too.  We just kept her comfortable.  She lived less than 6 months from the  time she was diagnosed.  At the end, she started talking to her Mom and Aunt's who had passed a long time ago and we knew it was about time.  She did not want to go.  She asked God to let her stay, but in His mercy He took her out of her pain.That is the best I can do.  She died 2 days before Christmas and I miss her so much.  If you need anything else specific I will be glad to answer.  My prayers are with you, your family, and especially your dear Mom.Eileen cpaeileen Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 1/10/2008 FiFaWall wrote:My 61 yr young mother was diagnosed with stage 4 GB in August.  She took Gem/Citabine until it stopped working this month.  They decided to do low dose radiation to shrink the largest tumor to stop the bleeding that is caused by the tumor invading her intestine.  For those of you who recently lost mothers/fathers/loved ones, my thoughts are with you.  If you wouldn't mind sharing, I would like to know what we can expect in the latest stage of this disease.  My greatest hope is for her to be without suffering and I'm not sure if this disease is one where there will be a lot of pain in the end.  Please shed some light.  I understand this is a sensitive topic, but I can't find info anywhere.    Many thanks,FiFaFIFA,I am so sorry to hear about your mother. May god be with you and your family. I lost my mother on November 2, 2007. She was diagnosed with stage 4 gallbladder cancer in early August and basically it was to late for any intervention that would significantly improve her chances. I spent as much time with mom as I could as I live 500 miles away. That was the toughest thing not being there at all times. I do have regrets and I think about her daily. Towards the end of her life, she started having mutiple strokes, stopped eating, and began sleeping the majority of the time. I take solace in the fact that my dad, my brother and sister-in-law, myself, and my mom's neice were at her bedside when she passed. That is the hardest thing that I have ever had to deal with was watching mom take her last breath. I am sorry if I am being to personal. I realize what you are about to experience and my heart goes out to you. My advice is to spend as much time as you can with her, support her , and tell her that you love her and that you will be ok.  I will pray for you and your family. Eric Arnold Grieving1 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Fifa,Everyone tolerates treatment differently.  My mom was diagnosed in May and passed 8 months later.  She was on Gemzar and it was very tough on her.  She was very nauseous and could not eat much.  The medication Emend helped her a lot.  Diet plays a big role in increasing there immune system and that can help them fight the effects of Chemo.  Try the tea Flor-essence and the honey from Israel.  Also cut out procesed foods,and sugar and add tons of fruits & veggies.  My mom was not willing to change her diet and only ate soup sometime.  I still feel she could have lived longer and a better quality of life if she had not gotten infections.  we fought as loing as we could now I am just rying to fight my bad memories and focus on some good ones.  Take care, Sherry Smlev Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 2/11/2008 Smlev wrote:Fifa,Everyone tolerates treatment differently.  My mom was diagnosed in May and passed 8 months later.  She was on Gemzar and it was very tough on her.  She was very nauseous and could not eat much.  The medication Emend helped her a lot.  Diet plays a big role in increasing there immune system and that can help them fight the effects of Chemo.  Try the tea Flor-essence and the honey from Israel.  Also cut out procesed foods,and sugar and add tons of fruits & veggies.  My mom was not willing to change her diet and only ate soup sometime.  I still feel she could have lived longer and a better quality of life if she had not gotten infections.  we fought as loing as we could now I am just rying to fight my bad memories and focus on some good ones.  Take care, SherryI lost my mother to lung cancer 4 years ago April and now my Father in law has been diagnosed with Stage IV  gallbladder cancer.  the Doctor is recommending Gemzar Chemo to slow the growth and to give a better quality of life.  From my experience with my mother and others I have never found chemo to be easy for anyone or a better quality of life while going through it.  This  Dr. recommending is our second opinion His regular Dr.  said there was nothing else to do and suggested we contact Hospice to be prepared.  But Dr. #2 gave my Mother in law and her children HOPE.  My father in law is 77 and has had several open heart surgeries, currently has a 12" anurisim and has had his gallbladder removed and this is now reoccuring  cancer.  He is now getting weak but is not currently sick.  Can Gemzar give him a better quality of life. How did your mother respond to Gemzar and did it give her a better quality of life?  i would appreciate your response. Thank yousue  alliemar Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT This is one of the worst cancers.  I lost my mom to GB cancer exactly one year ago.  The cancer was discovered during the removal of her gall bladder, her remaining six months were filled with abdominal pain.  Her therapy was Gemcitabine/Capcitabine combination.  The day the jaundice happened, is actually the day my mom died, so I would advise you to get hospice as soon as the doctor starts to recommend ending therapy, don’t wait for jaundice to happen.  Unfortunately I didn’t have hospice assistance and it is rough to watch your loved one die from this disease.   Please get any assistance you can before it is too late!    My mom stayed in bed most of the time.  She would throw up black fluid, which I later learned was blood that is sitting in the stomach.  I had to keep a pail in bed with her.  She started on dilaudid medication for the pain and in the end she was on oxycoten for the pain, and even with taking both medications together she had terrible pain.  Just like everyone else, I tried FlorEss tea, which helped a little, and I had her drink Resurgex drinks to keep energy since she couldn’t eat much without being in pain.  After four months she was really weak and needed assistance with most movements.  The fifth month is when the hallucinations started to occur and it scared my mom, she would wake me up in the middle of the night so that she wouldn’t talk with dead people.  Also with the pain medication sometimes your loved one my say something hurtful to you, but they don’t mean it and will not remember saying hurtful things to you.   In the end my mom died from having three heart attacks in one day.  I had to make the decision to sign a dnr (do not resuscitate) form to end my mom’s suffering.  A dnr form is something you and your family should discuss now, so that if its needed in the future you don’t have to carry the burden of making that decision with you for the rest of your life.  I still question if I should’ve signed that form even with my mom suffering from the cancer.   Make your mom as comfortable as possible and spend as much time with her as you can. If she is still able to move around take her to do something that she really likes, it will make both of you happy.  Doctor’s visit made us sad, so I took my mom out after a doctor’s visit and it did a lot of good for her attitude.  My mom lived for 6 months after her diagnosis.  It’s been a year and not a day goes by that I don’t miss my mom.  It gets better, but it will never be the same – you only have one mother. Hope this information helps.  Your mom and family are in my prayers. Nia29 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT