Husband is in Stage IV Adenocarcinoma

lindo656
lindo656 Member Posts: 3
edited March 2014 in Caregivers #1
Hi, I am new to this site. My 53 year old husband was diagnosed 2/14/02 with Stage IV Adenocarcinoma of the outside of his small intestine, colon, and stomach. He was given less than a year to live. All tests he had previously had to surgery were normal, even PET Scan. He had an obstruction and the surgeon opened him and found the cancer. He said it looked like someone had thrown in a lot of seeds (like flower seeds) into the abdominal cavity. His cancer is not in the colon or stomach, but on the outside. This is very rare. He does not have a tumor and it is very hard to try to treat.

We were just told yesterday that they think he has another obstruction in the small intestine. He has lost from 170 lbs at Christmas to 118 lbs now.

I have previously lost 2 other husbands, one was electrocuted on the job and the other was killed in a car accident. I was a lot younger then. My husband and I have been together for 10 years and we knew from the beginning that we were soul mates.

We also found out last week that my sister's husband has Lymphoma, but they do not know what stage yet.

If anyone out there has any advice for me, I would really appreciate it. We are both having a hard time accepting this. My husband is a very strong person and has really been fighting this but with the latest news, it is really hard.

Thanks. Lindo

Comments

  • pelica
    pelica Member Posts: 2
    #2
    Lindo,
    I wish I, or anyone else on here, had the perfect words for you to help you. I'm finding that I have to pray constantly to make it thru all this.
    My husband was diagnosed with a metastatic small blue cell neoplasm in the brain. His PET scans and Octreoscan, Contrast CTs, all of them have come out clean. Nothing shows up on them other than a tiny spot on his lunch that his doctors (all 7 of them) feel is not cancerous. We don't know what to think anymore because his oncologists are not sure themselves what to think. His case is being presented at Barnes-Jewish / Washington University's Tumor Board Monday night because it's so unusual.
    Anyway, reach out to people and keep your faith and trust in God to help you thru. Some people may "poo-poo" that, but prayer will help you and your husband maintain the positive, will-to-live that you both will need.
    And remember, the "year to live" is their best guess based on statistics. I have a friend who had a friend who had a brain tumor and was given 3 months to live - at the most. That was 10 years ago and they are fine now.
    Have faith.
    If you need friends, me and probably alot of others are here.
  • aswest
    aswest Member Posts: 2
    #3
    Lindo,

    I know a lot about how you're feeling. My 47 year old brother was just diagnosed with adenocarcinoma and it, according to his doctors, is terminal. They have given him anywhere from 6 months to a year to live. He has lost over 40 lbs. in about a month. His entire stomach was filled with cancer, so they removed it. Evidently, my brother isn't a candidate for radiation or chemotherapy. His doctor said with 100% certainty that his cancer will come back and take his life. I find that so hard to accept because I am a Christian and I believe that God can perform miracles. Who am I to say that my brother won't be his next one? My brother lives alone in Richmond, VA., so that makes it even more difficult. I live in Alabama and I have another brother who lives in GA. My mom died 1 1/2 years ago of breast cancer, so my dad lives alone in Arkansas. My poor dad is staying with my brother right now until he gets released from the hospital, which will hopefully be next week. My dad is 77 years old and I worry that he isn't emotionally strong enough to carry this load. My other brother and I just got back from being with our dad and brother for 4 days, but we had to return to our families and jobs. I am dealing with a lot of guilty feelings right now. I worry what the future holds for all of us.
  • BELLA
    BELLA Member Posts: 1
    #4
    aswest said:

    Lindo,

    I know a lot about how you're feeling. My 47 year old brother was just diagnosed with adenocarcinoma and it, according to his doctors, is terminal. They have given him anywhere from 6 months to a year to live. He has lost over 40 lbs. in about a month. His entire stomach was filled with cancer, so they removed it. Evidently, my brother isn't a candidate for radiation or chemotherapy. His doctor said with 100% certainty that his cancer will come back and take his life. I find that so hard to accept because I am a Christian and I believe that God can perform miracles. Who am I to say that my brother won't be his next one? My brother lives alone in Richmond, VA., so that makes it even more difficult. I live in Alabama and I have another brother who lives in GA. My mom died 1 1/2 years ago of breast cancer, so my dad lives alone in Arkansas. My poor dad is staying with my brother right now until he gets released from the hospital, which will hopefully be next week. My dad is 77 years old and I worry that he isn't emotionally strong enough to carry this load. My other brother and I just got back from being with our dad and brother for 4 days, but we had to return to our families and jobs. I am dealing with a lot of guilty feelings right now. I worry what the future holds for all of us.

    I AM SO GLAD THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE GOING THROUGH THIS. MY HUSBAND WAS RECENTLY DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE 4 ADENOCARNCINOMA. DOCTORS HAVE SAID THERE IS LITTLE HOPE. WE ARE GOING TO MD ANDERSON IN HOUSTON? IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE GOING TO MD ANDERSON? HE FEELS GREAT AT THIS TIME AND RADIAATION HAS SHRANK MOST OF THE TUMORS IN HIS BACK THAT HAD SPREAD. WE START CHEMO, JANUARY 24TH? WHAT DO WE EXPECT? PLEASE HELP.
    BELLA

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