CancerCompass message board discussion started by Andraste on 2/26/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,21365,0.htm Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ Help...is there anyone out there that can give us hope?  My father is scheduled to have his stomach removed on the 14th of March and he is 80 yrs old.  My siblings and I are so very worried about his quality of life after the surgery and whether he will even survive it.  He had a heart attack 18 years ago, has had his carotoid artery scraped and then a shunt put in the second time around.  He is on blood thinners as well.  My mother is in the first stages of Dementia or Alsymers and really is not capable to look after him.  We think he should not have any surgery and try to have some quality of life for a little longer.  How can anyone decide to have this surgery knowing that they will be choking, foaming, throwing up, have diareah, nausea, B12 shots, that may not give what is needed and then have the risk of dying from infection, bleeding to death on the operating table, heart attack or stroke while having surgery, etc etc.  M God we are panicking!  He is 80 and though in pretty good health, we don't think he understands the ramifications of this radical surgery.  Can you advise? Thanks, Wyn Andraste Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT