CancerCompass message board discussion started by Audra on 2/1/2006 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,4343,0.htm Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ Here is what I know of my dad's treatment. My dad was first diagnosed with bile duct cancer in 2003. In October of 2003 he had an operation to look and see if any cancer could be removed. After the operation was done the doctor told us that she got all of the cancer out. my dad's chemotherapy doctor, told him that he could go on chemotherapy and radiation for 1 year just to make sure that the cancer didn't come back. He decided to do that and did a year of chemo and radiation(2003-2004). In 2004 he went back to work for almost a year. The end of may and the beginning of june of 2005 my dad started having symptoms again like he did when he had the cancer in 2003. The doctors checked him and told him the cancer wasn't back. My dad stopped eating and lost a lot of weight. Finallly in August they told him that the bile duct cancer did come back. They opened him up again in the end of August or september. They said that none of the cancer could be removed. They decided to put the stent in and a drain. He went on chemotherapy for a couple of months. It was called xeloda. The end of November he went to the doctors because he wasn't feeling good and wouldn't eat. They said that his bile duct was blocked. So they opened him up to unblock it. A couple of days later they said that his liver was blocked so they did another procedure. While he was in the hospital he had an infection which they gave him a lot of antibiotics for. After about two weeks on the antibiotics they did some tests on him and said that his kidneys were failing. They took him off of the antibiotics and put him into the hospital December 13th. He stayed in the hospital for about a week. A kidney specialist checked him out and told him that his kidneys stabilized. January 3rd he had a follow up appoiontment to see the kidney specialist. He said that his kidneys weren't better or worse. They said his right kidney was good but his left was blocked. He met with his chemotherapy doctor on January 10th. At that appointment they told him that there was nothing else that they could do for him. They said that chemotherapy would do more harm then good. So they stopped treatment. He recieved a second opinion and they said also that everything that could be done for my dad was done already. In the beginning of January he weighed 149. 2 1/2 weeks later he weighed 130. Now he was lost more weight. He has trouble eating. SOrry this is so long. any suggestions would be helpful Thank you Audra Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT Hi Audra, My heart is heavy as I read about your Dad. I will be praying for your Dad, you, and your family. I wasn't sure about responding to your message, but I decided that I would. Your Dad sounds like a courageous man and I know that you are on an emotional roller coaster right now. My Dad was diagnosed as having inoperable cholangiocarcinoma (intraheptic) in May of 2004 @ 56 years old (most likely from working around carcinogens for 35 years - he did not have any family history or any risk factor such as drinking or smoking or stones, etc.) He had never been sick a day in my 35 years of life, so we couldn't believe that he had cancer - it was quite a shock to say the least. We desperately searched for a miracle and Dad was determined that he would find a way to survive. He continued to have chemo right up until he passed away (his choice - so we didn't discourage him). However, we (Mom and kids) wanted to say, "Please stop" after about 6 months of treatments. Oh, how I wonder now if he just continued treatments because he thought it was what we wanted. I wish we would have said, "Dad we want you to do whatever it is that you feel is best, but if you want to leave this in God's hands, that is o.k. too." Dad's doctors "pushed" him to continue treatment. I am not sure that continuing treatment was a good idea. After a certain point, I think that he would have been more comfortable without treatments. I wish his doctors would have said, "I think that you will be better off to stop treatments for a while and let your body rest." My Dad weighed 235 when he was diagnosed and I don't even want to know what he weighed toward the end of his life. I just know that his liver could not process the drugs after a certain point and that I truly believe that continuing the treatments made things worse. I certainly don't feel qualified to give suggestions because everyone's situation is different and HOPE and Faith are SO important. But if I could offer any advice from our experience, it would be this: Continue to be supportive, let him see who he wants to see, let him express his emotions,don't forget to "take care of yourself", and MOST importantly "follow your heart". If you believe in prayer - pray. Seek support from friends and family. Find a healthy outlet for your emotions - cry, write, run, listen to music - whatever helps you "let it all out". Again, my prayers are with you and your family and I hope that others can offer you suggestions and comfort at this VERY difficult time. Sincerely, T. Faith22 Thu, 02 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT Hi Audra! I would recommned you contact Vincent at www.natural-oncology.org. All the best, Janet Ehypnotism Thu, 02 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT My Dad (78) was just diagnosed with bile duct cancer the first week of January. Doctors have told him 3-6 months to live with not treatments possible. He is being very subborn, but I did get him in for a second opinion, which the doctor said he could not see how the first doctors could make a decision like that without better imaging. He is going in today with the 2nd opinion dr. for an MRCP, and was told this would determine if surgury would be possible. In the meantime, I have talked him into going on Natural Cellular Defense (aka Cellular Zeolite). Check it out at www.waiori.com This will either be the answer of the century for many people, or it will be the scam of the century. But something inside me tells me it will work. I am also going to order him some all natural liver supplements, which he has agreed to take. I am going to order the liver supplements from www.cantron.com "Liver Wellness Program". Have you researched going the all natural route? Please let me know what you think. Vickie 7-yracing Fri, 03 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT