Guest guest Posted August 30, 2004 Report Share Posted August 30, 2004 Nickie, My thoughts and prayers are with you. It sounds like you've had a rough year. Your father certainly has had his share of troubles in fighting his cancer. I just recently joined the group and after reading the many posts I see that people who have cancer in their liver are living longer than they were ten years ago. My brother also was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer with Metasis to the Liver in 1993 and fought it for a year. He lost his battle in November of 1994. He was sick for a year. The drs had originally given him 6 months to live and it was evident after 5 months that he was going to go soon. He finally went to Westchester Medical Center here in NY and they treated him with some experimental procedures and medications. He went on to live for 7 more months so I;m thankful for those drs. Please don't give up hope and don't let your father give up. There's an old saying that I like to believe in " Where there's life..there's hope. " I held out for a miracle until my brother finally closed his eyes forever. Little did I realize that was my miracle because God ended his pain and suffering. My hope was that people who would be diagnosed with liver cancer would live longer than a year and from the posts I'm reading it seems to be a good sign. Dianne Nic D wrote: This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! Hugs and prayers to all, Nickie --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 30, 2004 Report Share Posted August 30, 2004 Nickie, My thoughts and prayers are with you. It sounds like you've had a rough year. Your father certainly has had his share of troubles in fighting his cancer. I just recently joined the group and after reading the many posts I see that people who have cancer in their liver are living longer than they were ten years ago. My brother also was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer with Metasis to the Liver in 1993 and fought it for a year. He lost his battle in November of 1994. He was sick for a year. The drs had originally given him 6 months to live and it was evident after 5 months that he was going to go soon. He finally went to Westchester Medical Center here in NY and they treated him with some experimental procedures and medications. He went on to live for 7 more months so I;m thankful for those drs. Please don't give up hope and don't let your father give up. There's an old saying that I like to believe in " Where there's life..there's hope. " I held out for a miracle until my brother finally closed his eyes forever. Little did I realize that was my miracle because God ended his pain and suffering. My hope was that people who would be diagnosed with liver cancer would live longer than a year and from the posts I'm reading it seems to be a good sign. Dianne Nic D wrote: This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! Hugs and prayers to all, Nickie --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 30, 2004 Report Share Posted August 30, 2004 Nickie, My thoughts and prayers are with you. It sounds like you've had a rough year. Your father certainly has had his share of troubles in fighting his cancer. I just recently joined the group and after reading the many posts I see that people who have cancer in their liver are living longer than they were ten years ago. My brother also was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer with Metasis to the Liver in 1993 and fought it for a year. He lost his battle in November of 1994. He was sick for a year. The drs had originally given him 6 months to live and it was evident after 5 months that he was going to go soon. He finally went to Westchester Medical Center here in NY and they treated him with some experimental procedures and medications. He went on to live for 7 more months so I;m thankful for those drs. Please don't give up hope and don't let your father give up. There's an old saying that I like to believe in " Where there's life..there's hope. " I held out for a miracle until my brother finally closed his eyes forever. Little did I realize that was my miracle because God ended his pain and suffering. My hope was that people who would be diagnosed with liver cancer would live longer than a year and from the posts I'm reading it seems to be a good sign. Dianne Nic D wrote: This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! Hugs and prayers to all, Nickie --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 30, 2004 Report Share Posted August 30, 2004 Hi Dianne, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I think treatments have come a long way since a decade ago and people are living longer these days (even for Stage IV). When my dad was first diagnosed with liver cancer, his doctor gave us 3 months for him because his tumor was 15cm! We went to Stanford and the surgeon was wonderful...they were able to resect the entire tumor with clear margins. Unfortunately they were too late for the colon cancer. So I decided that since I can't turn back the clock for my dad, I will tell everyone about my dad's story...that it is crucial to get screening and be proactive with doctors. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, My thoughts and prayers are with you. It sounds like you've had a rough year. Your father certainly has had his share of troubles in fighting his cancer. I just recently joined the group and after reading the many posts I see that people who have cancer in their liver are living longer than they were ten years ago. My brother also was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer with Metasis to the Liver in 1993 and fought it for a year. He lost his battle in November of 1994. He was sick for a year. The drs had originally given him 6 months to live and it was evident after 5 months that he was going to go soon. He finally went to Westchester Medical Center here in NY and they treated him with some experimental procedures and medications. He went on to live for 7 more months so I;m thankful for those drs. Please don't give up hope and don't let your father give up. There's an old saying that I like to believe in " Where there's life..there's hope. " I held out for a miracle until my brother finally closed his eyes forever. Little did I realize that was my miracle because God ended his pain and suffering. My hope was that people who would be diagnosed with liver cancer would live longer than a year and from the posts I'm reading it seems to be a good sign. Dianne Nic D wrote: This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! Hugs and prayers to all, Nickie --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 30, 2004 Report Share Posted August 30, 2004 Hi Dianne, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I think treatments have come a long way since a decade ago and people are living longer these days (even for Stage IV). When my dad was first diagnosed with liver cancer, his doctor gave us 3 months for him because his tumor was 15cm! We went to Stanford and the surgeon was wonderful...they were able to resect the entire tumor with clear margins. Unfortunately they were too late for the colon cancer. So I decided that since I can't turn back the clock for my dad, I will tell everyone about my dad's story...that it is crucial to get screening and be proactive with doctors. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, My thoughts and prayers are with you. It sounds like you've had a rough year. Your father certainly has had his share of troubles in fighting his cancer. I just recently joined the group and after reading the many posts I see that people who have cancer in their liver are living longer than they were ten years ago. My brother also was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer with Metasis to the Liver in 1993 and fought it for a year. He lost his battle in November of 1994. He was sick for a year. The drs had originally given him 6 months to live and it was evident after 5 months that he was going to go soon. He finally went to Westchester Medical Center here in NY and they treated him with some experimental procedures and medications. He went on to live for 7 more months so I;m thankful for those drs. Please don't give up hope and don't let your father give up. There's an old saying that I like to believe in " Where there's life..there's hope. " I held out for a miracle until my brother finally closed his eyes forever. Little did I realize that was my miracle because God ended his pain and suffering. My hope was that people who would be diagnosed with liver cancer would live longer than a year and from the posts I'm reading it seems to be a good sign. Dianne Nic D wrote: This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! Hugs and prayers to all, Nickie --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 30, 2004 Report Share Posted August 30, 2004 Hi Dianne, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I think treatments have come a long way since a decade ago and people are living longer these days (even for Stage IV). When my dad was first diagnosed with liver cancer, his doctor gave us 3 months for him because his tumor was 15cm! We went to Stanford and the surgeon was wonderful...they were able to resect the entire tumor with clear margins. Unfortunately they were too late for the colon cancer. So I decided that since I can't turn back the clock for my dad, I will tell everyone about my dad's story...that it is crucial to get screening and be proactive with doctors. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, My thoughts and prayers are with you. It sounds like you've had a rough year. Your father certainly has had his share of troubles in fighting his cancer. I just recently joined the group and after reading the many posts I see that people who have cancer in their liver are living longer than they were ten years ago. My brother also was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer with Metasis to the Liver in 1993 and fought it for a year. He lost his battle in November of 1994. He was sick for a year. The drs had originally given him 6 months to live and it was evident after 5 months that he was going to go soon. He finally went to Westchester Medical Center here in NY and they treated him with some experimental procedures and medications. He went on to live for 7 more months so I;m thankful for those drs. Please don't give up hope and don't let your father give up. There's an old saying that I like to believe in " Where there's life..there's hope. " I held out for a miracle until my brother finally closed his eyes forever. Little did I realize that was my miracle because God ended his pain and suffering. My hope was that people who would be diagnosed with liver cancer would live longer than a year and from the posts I'm reading it seems to be a good sign. Dianne Nic D wrote: This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! Hugs and prayers to all, Nickie --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Nickie, Your father had a very good doctor who was able to resect his liver. My brother's doctor told us that my brother's liver was so full of cancer and he took out what he could without risking his life. I just wish I could go back in time because I would have tried harder to talk my brother into going to Sloan-Kettering or any hospital in NYC that was more familiar with Stage 4 Colon Cancer than our local hospitals. Maybe it wouldn't have changed the outcome for my brother but I would've felt better. Instead he trusted his dr until the dr told him he couldn't help him anymore then he went to Westchester Medical Center who gave him 7 additional months. I think if he had better treatment to begin with we might have had him longer. Like you there's nothing I can do for my brother except tell everyone his story and hopefully it will help them to make the decision to have a colonoscopy. So far it has worked on my co-workers. 11 out of 12 of them have had their colonoscopy and only one was diagnosed with Stage 2 Colon Cancer. That was 4 yrs ago. She nows wear a colostomy but she's alive. She was 38 when she was diagnosed. At first her dr inisisted she was too young and her symptoms were from hemorroids. If I hadn't insisted she change drs. I hate to think of what her outcome would have been. Take care. Hugs and prayers for you and your dad. Dianne Nic D wrote: Hi Dianne, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I think treatments have come a long way since a decade ago and people are living longer these days (even for Stage IV). When my dad was first diagnosed with liver cancer, his doctor gave us 3 months for him because his tumor was 15cm! We went to Stanford and the surgeon was wonderful...they were able to resect the entire tumor with clear margins. Unfortunately they were too late for the colon cancer. So I decided that since I can't turn back the clock for my dad, I will tell everyone about my dad's story...that it is crucial to get screening and be proactive with doctors. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, My thoughts and prayers are with you. It sounds like you've had a rough year. Your father certainly has had his share of troubles in fighting his cancer. I just recently joined the group and after reading the many posts I see that people who have cancer in their liver are living longer than they were ten years ago. My brother also was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer with Metasis to the Liver in 1993 and fought it for a year. He lost his battle in November of 1994. He was sick for a year. The drs had originally given him 6 months to live and it was evident after 5 months that he was going to go soon. He finally went to Westchester Medical Center here in NY and they treated him with some experimental procedures and medications. He went on to live for 7 more months so I;m thankful for those drs. Please don't give up hope and don't let your father give up. There's an old saying that I like to believe in " Where there's life..there's hope. " I held out for a miracle until my brother finally closed his eyes forever. Little did I realize that was my miracle because God ended his pain and suffering. My hope was that people who would be diagnosed with liver cancer would live longer than a year and from the posts I'm reading it seems to be a good sign. Dianne Nic D wrote: This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! Hugs and prayers to all, Nickie --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Hi Dianne, My heart breaks hearing about your brother, but I know you did your best to help him and he fought a brave battle. I agree with you that my dad had a great surgeon. His original doctor was a primary care physician who only gave him 3 months to live because of the 15 cm tumor in his liver amongst a few smaller ones. I am thankful that I insisted on a referral to Stanford Hospital in Northern California. Even at Stanford, we still had to be very proactive with the doctors. My dad never said much but his doctors communicate with me...I am sure they are sick of dealing with me! I know so many people who have similar stories like yours and it saddens me. But hindsight is always perfect. I know you did your best and your brother is in peace now. I think the only thing we can do now is to spread the word on screening and prevention. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, Your father had a very good doctor who was able to resect his liver. My brother's doctor told us that my brother's liver was so full of cancer and he took out what he could without risking his life. I just wish I could go back in time because I would have tried harder to talk my brother into going to Sloan-Kettering or any hospital in NYC that was more familiar with Stage 4 Colon Cancer than our local hospitals. Maybe it wouldn't have changed the outcome for my brother but I would've felt better. Instead he trusted his dr until the dr told him he couldn't help him anymore then he went to Westchester Medical Center who gave him 7 additional months. I think if he had better treatment to begin with we might have had him longer. Like you there's nothing I can do for my brother except tell everyone his story and hopefully it will help them to make the decision to have a colonoscopy. So far it has worked on my co-workers. 11 out of 12 of them have had their colonoscopy and only one was diagnosed with Stage 2 Colon Cancer. That was 4 yrs ago. She nows wear a colostomy but she's alive. She was 38 when she was diagnosed. At first her dr inisisted she was too young and her symptoms were from hemorroids. If I hadn't insisted she change drs. I hate to think of what her outcome would have been. Take care. Hugs and prayers for you and your dad. Dianne Nic D wrote: Hi Dianne, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I think treatments have come a long way since a decade ago and people are living longer these days (even for Stage IV). When my dad was first diagnosed with liver cancer, his doctor gave us 3 months for him because his tumor was 15cm! We went to Stanford and the surgeon was wonderful...they were able to resect the entire tumor with clear margins. Unfortunately they were too late for the colon cancer. So I decided that since I can't turn back the clock for my dad, I will tell everyone about my dad's story...that it is crucial to get screening and be proactive with doctors. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, My thoughts and prayers are with you. It sounds like you've had a rough year. Your father certainly has had his share of troubles in fighting his cancer. I just recently joined the group and after reading the many posts I see that people who have cancer in their liver are living longer than they were ten years ago. My brother also was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer with Metasis to the Liver in 1993 and fought it for a year. He lost his battle in November of 1994. He was sick for a year. The drs had originally given him 6 months to live and it was evident after 5 months that he was going to go soon. He finally went to Westchester Medical Center here in NY and they treated him with some experimental procedures and medications. He went on to live for 7 more months so I;m thankful for those drs. Please don't give up hope and don't let your father give up. There's an old saying that I like to believe in " Where there's life..there's hope. " I held out for a miracle until my brother finally closed his eyes forever. Little did I realize that was my miracle because God ended his pain and suffering. My hope was that people who would be diagnosed with liver cancer would live longer than a year and from the posts I'm reading it seems to be a good sign. Dianne Nic D wrote: This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! Hugs and prayers to all, Nickie --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Hi Dianne, My heart breaks hearing about your brother, but I know you did your best to help him and he fought a brave battle. I agree with you that my dad had a great surgeon. His original doctor was a primary care physician who only gave him 3 months to live because of the 15 cm tumor in his liver amongst a few smaller ones. I am thankful that I insisted on a referral to Stanford Hospital in Northern California. Even at Stanford, we still had to be very proactive with the doctors. My dad never said much but his doctors communicate with me...I am sure they are sick of dealing with me! I know so many people who have similar stories like yours and it saddens me. But hindsight is always perfect. I know you did your best and your brother is in peace now. I think the only thing we can do now is to spread the word on screening and prevention. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, Your father had a very good doctor who was able to resect his liver. My brother's doctor told us that my brother's liver was so full of cancer and he took out what he could without risking his life. I just wish I could go back in time because I would have tried harder to talk my brother into going to Sloan-Kettering or any hospital in NYC that was more familiar with Stage 4 Colon Cancer than our local hospitals. Maybe it wouldn't have changed the outcome for my brother but I would've felt better. Instead he trusted his dr until the dr told him he couldn't help him anymore then he went to Westchester Medical Center who gave him 7 additional months. I think if he had better treatment to begin with we might have had him longer. Like you there's nothing I can do for my brother except tell everyone his story and hopefully it will help them to make the decision to have a colonoscopy. So far it has worked on my co-workers. 11 out of 12 of them have had their colonoscopy and only one was diagnosed with Stage 2 Colon Cancer. That was 4 yrs ago. She nows wear a colostomy but she's alive. She was 38 when she was diagnosed. At first her dr inisisted she was too young and her symptoms were from hemorroids. If I hadn't insisted she change drs. I hate to think of what her outcome would have been. Take care. Hugs and prayers for you and your dad. Dianne Nic D wrote: Hi Dianne, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I think treatments have come a long way since a decade ago and people are living longer these days (even for Stage IV). When my dad was first diagnosed with liver cancer, his doctor gave us 3 months for him because his tumor was 15cm! We went to Stanford and the surgeon was wonderful...they were able to resect the entire tumor with clear margins. Unfortunately they were too late for the colon cancer. So I decided that since I can't turn back the clock for my dad, I will tell everyone about my dad's story...that it is crucial to get screening and be proactive with doctors. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, My thoughts and prayers are with you. It sounds like you've had a rough year. Your father certainly has had his share of troubles in fighting his cancer. I just recently joined the group and after reading the many posts I see that people who have cancer in their liver are living longer than they were ten years ago. My brother also was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer with Metasis to the Liver in 1993 and fought it for a year. He lost his battle in November of 1994. He was sick for a year. The drs had originally given him 6 months to live and it was evident after 5 months that he was going to go soon. He finally went to Westchester Medical Center here in NY and they treated him with some experimental procedures and medications. He went on to live for 7 more months so I;m thankful for those drs. Please don't give up hope and don't let your father give up. There's an old saying that I like to believe in " Where there's life..there's hope. " I held out for a miracle until my brother finally closed his eyes forever. Little did I realize that was my miracle because God ended his pain and suffering. My hope was that people who would be diagnosed with liver cancer would live longer than a year and from the posts I'm reading it seems to be a good sign. Dianne Nic D wrote: This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! Hugs and prayers to all, Nickie --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Hi Dianne, My heart breaks hearing about your brother, but I know you did your best to help him and he fought a brave battle. I agree with you that my dad had a great surgeon. His original doctor was a primary care physician who only gave him 3 months to live because of the 15 cm tumor in his liver amongst a few smaller ones. I am thankful that I insisted on a referral to Stanford Hospital in Northern California. Even at Stanford, we still had to be very proactive with the doctors. My dad never said much but his doctors communicate with me...I am sure they are sick of dealing with me! I know so many people who have similar stories like yours and it saddens me. But hindsight is always perfect. I know you did your best and your brother is in peace now. I think the only thing we can do now is to spread the word on screening and prevention. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, Your father had a very good doctor who was able to resect his liver. My brother's doctor told us that my brother's liver was so full of cancer and he took out what he could without risking his life. I just wish I could go back in time because I would have tried harder to talk my brother into going to Sloan-Kettering or any hospital in NYC that was more familiar with Stage 4 Colon Cancer than our local hospitals. Maybe it wouldn't have changed the outcome for my brother but I would've felt better. Instead he trusted his dr until the dr told him he couldn't help him anymore then he went to Westchester Medical Center who gave him 7 additional months. I think if he had better treatment to begin with we might have had him longer. Like you there's nothing I can do for my brother except tell everyone his story and hopefully it will help them to make the decision to have a colonoscopy. So far it has worked on my co-workers. 11 out of 12 of them have had their colonoscopy and only one was diagnosed with Stage 2 Colon Cancer. That was 4 yrs ago. She nows wear a colostomy but she's alive. She was 38 when she was diagnosed. At first her dr inisisted she was too young and her symptoms were from hemorroids. If I hadn't insisted she change drs. I hate to think of what her outcome would have been. Take care. Hugs and prayers for you and your dad. Dianne Nic D wrote: Hi Dianne, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I think treatments have come a long way since a decade ago and people are living longer these days (even for Stage IV). When my dad was first diagnosed with liver cancer, his doctor gave us 3 months for him because his tumor was 15cm! We went to Stanford and the surgeon was wonderful...they were able to resect the entire tumor with clear margins. Unfortunately they were too late for the colon cancer. So I decided that since I can't turn back the clock for my dad, I will tell everyone about my dad's story...that it is crucial to get screening and be proactive with doctors. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, My thoughts and prayers are with you. It sounds like you've had a rough year. Your father certainly has had his share of troubles in fighting his cancer. I just recently joined the group and after reading the many posts I see that people who have cancer in their liver are living longer than they were ten years ago. My brother also was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer with Metasis to the Liver in 1993 and fought it for a year. He lost his battle in November of 1994. He was sick for a year. The drs had originally given him 6 months to live and it was evident after 5 months that he was going to go soon. He finally went to Westchester Medical Center here in NY and they treated him with some experimental procedures and medications. He went on to live for 7 more months so I;m thankful for those drs. Please don't give up hope and don't let your father give up. There's an old saying that I like to believe in " Where there's life..there's hope. " I held out for a miracle until my brother finally closed his eyes forever. Little did I realize that was my miracle because God ended his pain and suffering. My hope was that people who would be diagnosed with liver cancer would live longer than a year and from the posts I'm reading it seems to be a good sign. Dianne Nic D wrote: This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! Hugs and prayers to all, Nickie --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Nickie, Thanks and even though it's been almost 10 yrs since my brother died it still hurts just as much. I'll always miss him. I'm glad your father has you to speak up for him and I know you want the best for him. Sometimes people are afraid to question the doctors and they accept whatever decisions are made. Keep speaking up for him. I did that when my mother was sick and I'm sure the drs were sick of me too and so were the nurse's but once they learned that I was taking an active part in my mother's hospital care and was there to help them then they were ok with me. She was in and out of the hospital so much that some of the employees thought I worked there so I pretty much did what I wanted and they appreciated what I was doing. The trouble with Colon Cancer is that there are too many stories like mine and yours. If it is the most preventable through screening then why aren't more people being screened? I know there are people who refuse to be screened and just don't want to talk about " that cancer " but the more it's talked about the more comfortable people will get with it. I have two siblings who refuse to be tested because of the " embarassment. " I can't get them to change their minds so all I can do is pray they don't ever need the advice from anyone in this group on how to deal with the various aspects of chemo, radiation etc. I agree that my brother is peace now and his suffering is just a bad memory and one I wish I didn't have to live with but because of my brother I have had many of my friends and co-workers go for colonoscopies before the age of 50. Hugs, Dianne Nic D wrote: Hi Dianne, My heart breaks hearing about your brother, but I know you did your best to help him and he fought a brave battle. I agree with you that my dad had a great surgeon. His original doctor was a primary care physician who only gave him 3 months to live because of the 15 cm tumor in his liver amongst a few smaller ones. I am thankful that I insisted on a referral to Stanford Hospital in Northern California. Even at Stanford, we still had to be very proactive with the doctors. My dad never said much but his doctors communicate with me...I am sure they are sick of dealing with me! I know so many people who have similar stories like yours and it saddens me. But hindsight is always perfect. I know you did your best and your brother is in peace now. I think the only thing we can do now is to spread the word on screening and prevention. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, Your father had a very good doctor who was able to resect his liver. My brother's doctor told us that my brother's liver was so full of cancer and he took out what he could without risking his life. I just wish I could go back in time because I would have tried harder to talk my brother into going to Sloan-Kettering or any hospital in NYC that was more familiar with Stage 4 Colon Cancer than our local hospitals. Maybe it wouldn't have changed the outcome for my brother but I would've felt better. Instead he trusted his dr until the dr told him he couldn't help him anymore then he went to Westchester Medical Center who gave him 7 additional months. I think if he had better treatment to begin with we might have had him longer. Like you there's nothing I can do for my brother except tell everyone his story and hopefully it will help them to make the decision to have a colonoscopy. So far it has worked on my co-workers. 11 out of 12 of them have had their colonoscopy and only one was diagnosed with Stage 2 Colon Cancer. That was 4 yrs ago. She nows wear a colostomy but she's alive. She was 38 when she was diagnosed. At first her dr inisisted she was too young and her symptoms were from hemorroids. If I hadn't insisted she change drs. I hate to think of what her outcome would have been. Take care. Hugs and prayers for you and your dad. Dianne Nic D wrote: Hi Dianne, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I think treatments have come a long way since a decade ago and people are living longer these days (even for Stage IV). When my dad was first diagnosed with liver cancer, his doctor gave us 3 months for him because his tumor was 15cm! We went to Stanford and the surgeon was wonderful...they were able to resect the entire tumor with clear margins. Unfortunately they were too late for the colon cancer. So I decided that since I can't turn back the clock for my dad, I will tell everyone about my dad's story...that it is crucial to get screening and be proactive with doctors. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, My thoughts and prayers are with you. It sounds like you've had a rough year. Your father certainly has had his share of troubles in fighting his cancer. I just recently joined the group and after reading the many posts I see that people who have cancer in their liver are living longer than they were ten years ago. My brother also was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer with Metasis to the Liver in 1993 and fought it for a year. He lost his battle in November of 1994. He was sick for a year. The drs had originally given him 6 months to live and it was evident after 5 months that he was going to go soon. He finally went to Westchester Medical Center here in NY and they treated him with some experimental procedures and medications. He went on to live for 7 more months so I;m thankful for those drs. Please don't give up hope and don't let your father give up. There's an old saying that I like to believe in " Where there's life..there's hope. " I held out for a miracle until my brother finally closed his eyes forever. Little did I realize that was my miracle because God ended his pain and suffering. My hope was that people who would be diagnosed with liver cancer would live longer than a year and from the posts I'm reading it seems to be a good sign. Dianne Nic D wrote: This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! Hugs and prayers to all, Nickie --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Nickie, Thanks and even though it's been almost 10 yrs since my brother died it still hurts just as much. I'll always miss him. I'm glad your father has you to speak up for him and I know you want the best for him. Sometimes people are afraid to question the doctors and they accept whatever decisions are made. Keep speaking up for him. I did that when my mother was sick and I'm sure the drs were sick of me too and so were the nurse's but once they learned that I was taking an active part in my mother's hospital care and was there to help them then they were ok with me. She was in and out of the hospital so much that some of the employees thought I worked there so I pretty much did what I wanted and they appreciated what I was doing. The trouble with Colon Cancer is that there are too many stories like mine and yours. If it is the most preventable through screening then why aren't more people being screened? I know there are people who refuse to be screened and just don't want to talk about " that cancer " but the more it's talked about the more comfortable people will get with it. I have two siblings who refuse to be tested because of the " embarassment. " I can't get them to change their minds so all I can do is pray they don't ever need the advice from anyone in this group on how to deal with the various aspects of chemo, radiation etc. I agree that my brother is peace now and his suffering is just a bad memory and one I wish I didn't have to live with but because of my brother I have had many of my friends and co-workers go for colonoscopies before the age of 50. Hugs, Dianne Nic D wrote: Hi Dianne, My heart breaks hearing about your brother, but I know you did your best to help him and he fought a brave battle. I agree with you that my dad had a great surgeon. His original doctor was a primary care physician who only gave him 3 months to live because of the 15 cm tumor in his liver amongst a few smaller ones. I am thankful that I insisted on a referral to Stanford Hospital in Northern California. Even at Stanford, we still had to be very proactive with the doctors. My dad never said much but his doctors communicate with me...I am sure they are sick of dealing with me! I know so many people who have similar stories like yours and it saddens me. But hindsight is always perfect. I know you did your best and your brother is in peace now. I think the only thing we can do now is to spread the word on screening and prevention. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, Your father had a very good doctor who was able to resect his liver. My brother's doctor told us that my brother's liver was so full of cancer and he took out what he could without risking his life. I just wish I could go back in time because I would have tried harder to talk my brother into going to Sloan-Kettering or any hospital in NYC that was more familiar with Stage 4 Colon Cancer than our local hospitals. Maybe it wouldn't have changed the outcome for my brother but I would've felt better. Instead he trusted his dr until the dr told him he couldn't help him anymore then he went to Westchester Medical Center who gave him 7 additional months. I think if he had better treatment to begin with we might have had him longer. Like you there's nothing I can do for my brother except tell everyone his story and hopefully it will help them to make the decision to have a colonoscopy. So far it has worked on my co-workers. 11 out of 12 of them have had their colonoscopy and only one was diagnosed with Stage 2 Colon Cancer. That was 4 yrs ago. She nows wear a colostomy but she's alive. She was 38 when she was diagnosed. At first her dr inisisted she was too young and her symptoms were from hemorroids. If I hadn't insisted she change drs. I hate to think of what her outcome would have been. Take care. Hugs and prayers for you and your dad. Dianne Nic D wrote: Hi Dianne, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I think treatments have come a long way since a decade ago and people are living longer these days (even for Stage IV). When my dad was first diagnosed with liver cancer, his doctor gave us 3 months for him because his tumor was 15cm! We went to Stanford and the surgeon was wonderful...they were able to resect the entire tumor with clear margins. Unfortunately they were too late for the colon cancer. So I decided that since I can't turn back the clock for my dad, I will tell everyone about my dad's story...that it is crucial to get screening and be proactive with doctors. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, My thoughts and prayers are with you. It sounds like you've had a rough year. Your father certainly has had his share of troubles in fighting his cancer. I just recently joined the group and after reading the many posts I see that people who have cancer in their liver are living longer than they were ten years ago. My brother also was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer with Metasis to the Liver in 1993 and fought it for a year. He lost his battle in November of 1994. He was sick for a year. The drs had originally given him 6 months to live and it was evident after 5 months that he was going to go soon. He finally went to Westchester Medical Center here in NY and they treated him with some experimental procedures and medications. He went on to live for 7 more months so I;m thankful for those drs. Please don't give up hope and don't let your father give up. There's an old saying that I like to believe in " Where there's life..there's hope. " I held out for a miracle until my brother finally closed his eyes forever. Little did I realize that was my miracle because God ended his pain and suffering. My hope was that people who would be diagnosed with liver cancer would live longer than a year and from the posts I'm reading it seems to be a good sign. Dianne Nic D wrote: This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! Hugs and prayers to all, Nickie --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Nickie, Thanks and even though it's been almost 10 yrs since my brother died it still hurts just as much. I'll always miss him. I'm glad your father has you to speak up for him and I know you want the best for him. Sometimes people are afraid to question the doctors and they accept whatever decisions are made. Keep speaking up for him. I did that when my mother was sick and I'm sure the drs were sick of me too and so were the nurse's but once they learned that I was taking an active part in my mother's hospital care and was there to help them then they were ok with me. She was in and out of the hospital so much that some of the employees thought I worked there so I pretty much did what I wanted and they appreciated what I was doing. The trouble with Colon Cancer is that there are too many stories like mine and yours. If it is the most preventable through screening then why aren't more people being screened? I know there are people who refuse to be screened and just don't want to talk about " that cancer " but the more it's talked about the more comfortable people will get with it. I have two siblings who refuse to be tested because of the " embarassment. " I can't get them to change their minds so all I can do is pray they don't ever need the advice from anyone in this group on how to deal with the various aspects of chemo, radiation etc. I agree that my brother is peace now and his suffering is just a bad memory and one I wish I didn't have to live with but because of my brother I have had many of my friends and co-workers go for colonoscopies before the age of 50. Hugs, Dianne Nic D wrote: Hi Dianne, My heart breaks hearing about your brother, but I know you did your best to help him and he fought a brave battle. I agree with you that my dad had a great surgeon. His original doctor was a primary care physician who only gave him 3 months to live because of the 15 cm tumor in his liver amongst a few smaller ones. I am thankful that I insisted on a referral to Stanford Hospital in Northern California. Even at Stanford, we still had to be very proactive with the doctors. My dad never said much but his doctors communicate with me...I am sure they are sick of dealing with me! I know so many people who have similar stories like yours and it saddens me. But hindsight is always perfect. I know you did your best and your brother is in peace now. I think the only thing we can do now is to spread the word on screening and prevention. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, Your father had a very good doctor who was able to resect his liver. My brother's doctor told us that my brother's liver was so full of cancer and he took out what he could without risking his life. I just wish I could go back in time because I would have tried harder to talk my brother into going to Sloan-Kettering or any hospital in NYC that was more familiar with Stage 4 Colon Cancer than our local hospitals. Maybe it wouldn't have changed the outcome for my brother but I would've felt better. Instead he trusted his dr until the dr told him he couldn't help him anymore then he went to Westchester Medical Center who gave him 7 additional months. I think if he had better treatment to begin with we might have had him longer. Like you there's nothing I can do for my brother except tell everyone his story and hopefully it will help them to make the decision to have a colonoscopy. So far it has worked on my co-workers. 11 out of 12 of them have had their colonoscopy and only one was diagnosed with Stage 2 Colon Cancer. That was 4 yrs ago. She nows wear a colostomy but she's alive. She was 38 when she was diagnosed. At first her dr inisisted she was too young and her symptoms were from hemorroids. If I hadn't insisted she change drs. I hate to think of what her outcome would have been. Take care. Hugs and prayers for you and your dad. Dianne Nic D wrote: Hi Dianne, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I think treatments have come a long way since a decade ago and people are living longer these days (even for Stage IV). When my dad was first diagnosed with liver cancer, his doctor gave us 3 months for him because his tumor was 15cm! We went to Stanford and the surgeon was wonderful...they were able to resect the entire tumor with clear margins. Unfortunately they were too late for the colon cancer. So I decided that since I can't turn back the clock for my dad, I will tell everyone about my dad's story...that it is crucial to get screening and be proactive with doctors. Hugs and prayers, Nickie dianne herring wrote: Nickie, My thoughts and prayers are with you. It sounds like you've had a rough year. Your father certainly has had his share of troubles in fighting his cancer. I just recently joined the group and after reading the many posts I see that people who have cancer in their liver are living longer than they were ten years ago. My brother also was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer with Metasis to the Liver in 1993 and fought it for a year. He lost his battle in November of 1994. He was sick for a year. The drs had originally given him 6 months to live and it was evident after 5 months that he was going to go soon. He finally went to Westchester Medical Center here in NY and they treated him with some experimental procedures and medications. He went on to live for 7 more months so I;m thankful for those drs. Please don't give up hope and don't let your father give up. There's an old saying that I like to believe in " Where there's life..there's hope. " I held out for a miracle until my brother finally closed his eyes forever. Little did I realize that was my miracle because God ended his pain and suffering. My hope was that people who would be diagnosed with liver cancer would live longer than a year and from the posts I'm reading it seems to be a good sign. Dianne Nic D wrote: This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! Hugs and prayers to all, Nickie --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Diane, I so agree with you that one should never be forced to take a doctors " word " or " explanation " as a final or only answer. Speaking up may make you get on their nerves, but it can also produce very positive results. And besides, those doctors that do have that mightier than thou attitude, I don't want on my team because they truly do believe that their words are God's lips to your ears. Another name for it is arrogant! In reading your post, I must say that you hit a very " sore " spot with me and my attempts to make people aware of colon cancer and screenings and that is the nature of the beast and how people are so embarrassed to talk about it. My GOD, we are all adults and this is simply another organ in the body which is suceptible to cancer...just like the lungs, stomach, liver, etc., etc., etc. To think that otherwise responsible adults won't get screenings or don't want to talk about it because colorectal cancer has to do with that part of the body that makes you go poop is insanity. As long as this kind of " puritanical....no offense meant to anyone " attitude prevails, brining about mass requests for regular screenings before age 50, or just screenings period remains in " deep doodoo " because of the I don't want to talk about that cancer attitude and the ignorance involved. I'm sorry, but it just makes me so mad. It's cancer for goodness sake...very deadly, yet so easily caught in time but because of embarrassment...... I agree with you. I hope all the people out there who fall into this category never end up on a board like this because they were too embarrassed. How quickly embarrassment drops by the way side once diagnosed. Just my thoughts. Monika > > This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). > > My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. > > I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. > > I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! > > Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! > > Hugs and prayers to all, > > Nickie > > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Diane, I so agree with you that one should never be forced to take a doctors " word " or " explanation " as a final or only answer. Speaking up may make you get on their nerves, but it can also produce very positive results. And besides, those doctors that do have that mightier than thou attitude, I don't want on my team because they truly do believe that their words are God's lips to your ears. Another name for it is arrogant! In reading your post, I must say that you hit a very " sore " spot with me and my attempts to make people aware of colon cancer and screenings and that is the nature of the beast and how people are so embarrassed to talk about it. My GOD, we are all adults and this is simply another organ in the body which is suceptible to cancer...just like the lungs, stomach, liver, etc., etc., etc. To think that otherwise responsible adults won't get screenings or don't want to talk about it because colorectal cancer has to do with that part of the body that makes you go poop is insanity. As long as this kind of " puritanical....no offense meant to anyone " attitude prevails, brining about mass requests for regular screenings before age 50, or just screenings period remains in " deep doodoo " because of the I don't want to talk about that cancer attitude and the ignorance involved. I'm sorry, but it just makes me so mad. It's cancer for goodness sake...very deadly, yet so easily caught in time but because of embarrassment...... I agree with you. I hope all the people out there who fall into this category never end up on a board like this because they were too embarrassed. How quickly embarrassment drops by the way side once diagnosed. Just my thoughts. Monika > > This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). > > My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. > > I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. > > I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! > > Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! > > Hugs and prayers to all, > > Nickie > > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Diane, I so agree with you that one should never be forced to take a doctors " word " or " explanation " as a final or only answer. Speaking up may make you get on their nerves, but it can also produce very positive results. And besides, those doctors that do have that mightier than thou attitude, I don't want on my team because they truly do believe that their words are God's lips to your ears. Another name for it is arrogant! In reading your post, I must say that you hit a very " sore " spot with me and my attempts to make people aware of colon cancer and screenings and that is the nature of the beast and how people are so embarrassed to talk about it. My GOD, we are all adults and this is simply another organ in the body which is suceptible to cancer...just like the lungs, stomach, liver, etc., etc., etc. To think that otherwise responsible adults won't get screenings or don't want to talk about it because colorectal cancer has to do with that part of the body that makes you go poop is insanity. As long as this kind of " puritanical....no offense meant to anyone " attitude prevails, brining about mass requests for regular screenings before age 50, or just screenings period remains in " deep doodoo " because of the I don't want to talk about that cancer attitude and the ignorance involved. I'm sorry, but it just makes me so mad. It's cancer for goodness sake...very deadly, yet so easily caught in time but because of embarrassment...... I agree with you. I hope all the people out there who fall into this category never end up on a board like this because they were too embarrassed. How quickly embarrassment drops by the way side once diagnosed. Just my thoughts. Monika > > This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). > > My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. > > I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. > > I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! > > Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! > > Hugs and prayers to all, > > Nickie > > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Monika, I'm sure there are going to be alot of people who feel as though you and I do. I get so mad at not only my other two siblings but everyone who doesn't want to talk about Colon/Rectal cancer. I agree that it's just another part of our bodies and is just as important as our eyes, hearts, lungs etc but there are still people who don't want to think of getting a colonoscopy done because of they will be embarassed. I work for the State of NY at a very large institution for the Developmentally Disabled and I can't begin to tell you how many people I work with that have said " eewww I don't want that done to me. " I've talked to them for the past 10 yrs and I intend to keep talking to them. I hate to have to take it a step further with them but I will. My next step is going to be showing them pictures of my brother when he was a healthy 215lbs and then showing them the pictures of him that were taken of him at Valentines Day 4 months after he was diagnosed and was already down to about 160lbs. If that doesn't wake them up nothing will. As for my siblings I'm not going to give up on them either. You're so right when you say " how quickly embarassment is dropped by the wayside after being diagnosed. " There's no way in this day and age when everything and anything is talked about on tv that people should be dying of embarassment. If Colon Cancer got the media attention like Breast Cancer has then maybe people would be more used to talking about it. Has anyone ever seen an Avon book? You can't order perfume anymore without seeing the pink ribbons and I'm not saying Breast Cancer doesn't deserve all it's getting because my mother had it twice and survived. Maybe those of us who want more media attention should start speaking up and then we'll start seeing the national symbol for CC everywhere. Unless Colon Cancer hits people in the hearts like it has done to everyone here people are going to continue to ignore it. I'm not saying everyone feels like that and I'm sure there are people out there who haven't been affected by it but feel as strongly about it as we do. And I hope I didn't offend anyone about the pink ribbons. I'm also a firm believer in Breast Cancer prevention but more so for Colon Cancer because it robbed me of the big brother I adored. We were very close and when he died I lost not only my brother but my best friend. Dianne msisecureu2 wrote: Diane, I so agree with you that one should never be forced to take a doctors " word " or " explanation " as a final or only answer. Speaking up may make you get on their nerves, but it can also produce very positive results. And besides, those doctors that do have that mightier than thou attitude, I don't want on my team because they truly do believe that their words are God's lips to your ears. Another name for it is arrogant! In reading your post, I must say that you hit a very " sore " spot with me and my attempts to make people aware of colon cancer and screenings and that is the nature of the beast and how people are so embarrassed to talk about it. My GOD, we are all adults and this is simply another organ in the body which is suceptible to cancer...just like the lungs, stomach, liver, etc., etc., etc. To think that otherwise responsible adults won't get screenings or don't want to talk about it because colorectal cancer has to do with that part of the body that makes you go poop is insanity. As long as this kind of " puritanical....no offense meant to anyone " attitude prevails, brining about mass requests for regular screenings before age 50, or just screenings period remains in " deep doodoo " because of the I don't want to talk about that cancer attitude and the ignorance involved. I'm sorry, but it just makes me so mad. It's cancer for goodness sake...very deadly, yet so easily caught in time but because of embarrassment...... I agree with you. I hope all the people out there who fall into this category never end up on a board like this because they were too embarrassed. How quickly embarrassment drops by the way side once diagnosed. Just my thoughts. Monika > > This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter and had lung disease from his job). > > My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had any problems before. > > I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. > > I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be different! > > Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as he could...I'm not ready to give him up! > > Hugs and prayers to all, > > Nickie > > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 > Monika, > Has anyone ever seen an Avon book? You can't order perfume anymore without seeing the pink ribbons and I'm not saying Breast Cancer doesn't deserve all it's getting because my mother had it twice and survived. Maybe those of us who want more media attention should start speaking up and then we'll start seeing the national symbol for CC everywhere. Yeah, but the ribbon for Colon Cancer is brown! I'm sorry, but I think that is gross and inappropriate. I don't even care if all the other colors were taken. Plaid would better than brown. Cheri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 > > > > This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken > off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a > member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my > grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father > just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle > with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter > and had lung disease from his job). > > > > My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't > give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and > avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his > 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now > (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and > occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had > any problems before. > > > > I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't > take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents > will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a > trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. > > > > I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My > dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in > 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing > in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this > polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me > so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid > of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection > before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and > insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be > different! > > > > Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as > he could...I'm not ready to give him up! > > > > Hugs and prayers to all, > > > > Nickie > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Do you Yahoo!? > > New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 1, 2004 Report Share Posted September 1, 2004 For the record though the original color for color for colon cancer WAS brown it is now royal blue. This is because many people find brown offensive. However I am coming around on it as one of the reasons people don't get colonoscopies is embarrassment. The brown takes colon cancer out of the closet and into the spotlight. Narice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 1, 2004 Report Share Posted September 1, 2004 For the record though the original color for color for colon cancer WAS brown it is now royal blue. This is because many people find brown offensive. However I am coming around on it as one of the reasons people don't get colonoscopies is embarrassment. The brown takes colon cancer out of the closet and into the spotlight. Narice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 1, 2004 Report Share Posted September 1, 2004 For the record though the original color for color for colon cancer WAS brown it is now royal blue. This is because many people find brown offensive. However I am coming around on it as one of the reasons people don't get colonoscopies is embarrassment. The brown takes colon cancer out of the closet and into the spotlight. Narice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 1, 2004 Report Share Posted September 1, 2004 Jana, It sounds like we are both in the same boat. I also had the precancerous polyps twice. The first time was just before my brother was diagnosed and the second time was 2 yrs after he passed away. I make sure I get my follow-up colonoscopies every 2 yrs and my sister and brother know what the test involves because I have explained everything to them numerous times but like you said all we can do is inform them. It is up to them to get screened. I know what my brother went through and I saw him everyday because I babysat for his daughter while my sister-in-law worked till 11pm every night. My brother's house is less than 3 miles away but yet they never came to see him either. They kept their heads in the sand. There were many nights when it was just me and him together. I know he would've welcomed the company. I looks as if there's always in the family who takes the responsibility to care for the ones we love. I just hope I never have to take care of these two like I did . Take care and hugs. Dianne janalwilliams53 wrote: > > > > This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken > off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a > member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my > grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father > just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle > with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter > and had lung disease from his job). > > > > My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't > give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and > avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his > 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now > (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and > occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had > any problems before. > > > > I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't > take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents > will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a > trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. > > > > I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My > dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in > 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing > in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this > polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me > so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid > of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection > before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and > insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be > different! > > > > Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as > he could...I'm not ready to give him up! > > > > Hugs and prayers to all, > > > > Nickie > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Do you Yahoo!? > > New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 1, 2004 Report Share Posted September 1, 2004 Jana, It sounds like we are both in the same boat. I also had the precancerous polyps twice. The first time was just before my brother was diagnosed and the second time was 2 yrs after he passed away. I make sure I get my follow-up colonoscopies every 2 yrs and my sister and brother know what the test involves because I have explained everything to them numerous times but like you said all we can do is inform them. It is up to them to get screened. I know what my brother went through and I saw him everyday because I babysat for his daughter while my sister-in-law worked till 11pm every night. My brother's house is less than 3 miles away but yet they never came to see him either. They kept their heads in the sand. There were many nights when it was just me and him together. I know he would've welcomed the company. I looks as if there's always in the family who takes the responsibility to care for the ones we love. I just hope I never have to take care of these two like I did . Take care and hugs. Dianne janalwilliams53 wrote: > > > > This has been a heck of a year. In Jan and Feb, my dad was taken > off chemo because nothing was working...our family dog (who is like a > member of the family to us) passed away in March...then my > grandfather passed away in May...and finally my boyfriend's father > just passed away this weekend. He fought a brief but hard battle > with lung cancer and lung disease (he was a retired NYC firefighter > and had lung disease from his job). > > > > My dad is still hanging in there even though his doctors didn't > give him much time after he was taken off chemo...when erbitux and > avastin was approved earlier, he was back on chemo. He's now in his > 6th cycle of avastin/xeloda. He's starting to have more symptoms now > (abdominal pain/cramps, excessive mucous, constant fatigue and > occassional " tumor chills " )....in his 3 year battle, he's never had > any problems before. > > > > I just want him to make it for as long as he could...I just can't > take another loss this year. I am so scared for my dad... my parents > will celebrate their 35th anniversary this November. I booked them a > trip to the Carribbeans and hope they can enjoy it. > > > > I see many posts recently about how doctors can mess things up. My > dad had primary liver cancer, which was in remission after surgery in > 8/01. His doctors didn't pay attention to the polyp that was growing > in his colon...by the time he had colon resection in 11/02, this > polyp turned malignant and already spread to his lungs. It makes me > so angry and frustrated because I should have pressed them to get rid > of it sooner....they wanted him to recover from the liver resection > before undergoing any procedures. I wish I can turn back time and > insist that he had a colonscopy earlier...maybe things would be > different! > > > > Now I just pray that my dad can still hang in there for as long as > he could...I'm not ready to give him up! > > > > Hugs and prayers to all, > > > > Nickie > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Do you Yahoo!? > > New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 1, 2004 Report Share Posted September 1, 2004 Yeah, I know. Any color would have been preferable. Monika > > Monika, > > Has anyone ever seen an Avon book? You can't order perfume anymore > without seeing the pink ribbons and I'm not saying Breast Cancer > doesn't deserve all it's getting because my mother had it twice and > survived. Maybe those of us who want more media attention should > start speaking up and then we'll start seeing the national symbol for > CC everywhere. > > > Yeah, but the ribbon for Colon Cancer is brown! I'm sorry, but I > think that is gross and inappropriate. I don't even care if all the > other colors were taken. Plaid would better than brown. > > Cheri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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