Awaiting dates for liver resection & rectal tumor removal

Devasted

Well, here we go...great news, I think! The surg. onc. is planning a liver resection.
May take two surgeries to resecet liver but it is possible. Thinks the rectal tumor is high enough to save rectum?

Step 1: A radiologist will perform a procedure to block a portion of the liver so the "good" part can overgrow? Anyone heard of this?
Step 2: Remove rectal tumor and liver resection
Step 3: Remove second part of liver if not possible with first surgery.

The surg. onc. and the onc. say this is a huge undertaking but is our best shot.

Today, started Xeloda as a "bridge" until after surgery.

Can you guys tell us kinda what to expect next? I know everyone's situation is different
but you all know more of what's next than we do, I'm sure.

Your advice has been invaluable and not sure we could have made it without you.
When talking with the person from hospice about info for our teen, to help explain
his dad's cancer, when I said stage 4, rectal cancer she sent me all this "how to
tell children about grief and dying." Although I realize how serious this is, without
you all I may have thought yes, this is it. But instead I thought of Scouty, Craig,
Philleng, Brooks and Buzzard (who first told me not to try to read those rad. reports)
any everyone else I haven't mentioned...all of you and how while life is never the same..it's possible to survive!

thanks to you all

Jaylo969

Devasted
Just wanted to tell you I am hoping for the very best results for you & family.

This site is seriously busy today and I saw that your post was getting 'lost' and I am sure somebody here knows about this type of surgery so thought I'd say 'hello' and give you my best wishes and do a little 'bump' to send your thread back up on top

-Pat

mom_2_3

Great News!
Step 1 is called "Portal embolization" and it is done to increase the size of part of the liver prior to resection. I have read of others having this procedure and most report that it is a relatively painless process. I had a single-step liver resection and while it was painful the first couple of days I got over the incisional pain pretty quickly. The biggest hurdle was being tired. I was fatigued for about 6 weeks as the liver re-generated.

I am really glad that you got good news about the resection!!

Devasted

mom_2_3 said:

Great News!
Step 1 is called "Portal embolization" and it is done to increase the size of part of the liver prior to resection. I have read of others having this procedure and most report that it is a relatively painless process. I had a single-step liver resection and while it was painful the first couple of days I got over the incisional pain pretty quickly. The biggest hurdle was being tired. I was fatigued for about 6 weeks as the liver re-generated.

I am really glad that you got good news about the resection!!

thanks
Pat & mom_2_3 ...thanks to you both.
Thanks for the name of the procedure, we had met with the surg. and
he said there is nothing we can do so this was qute a surprise.

again, thanks for your help and responding.

lisa42

glad
Hi,

I'm glad to hear your husband will be able to get the surgery for the rectal and liver resections- also that it looks good for being able to save the rectum. Even though I've been stage IV for a little over 2-1/2 yrs now, I still find myself shocked sometimes that I'm in the same category with people who are considered "terminal" or "dying". Even though I'm fighting round 4 with chemo (or is it 5, I get the different treatments mixed up sometimes!)...I feel far from dying! Why, I just walked the neighborhood twice today, and I enjoyed feeling so good today, that it was hard to go to bed (and now it's 2 a.m. and I'm here typing, instead of sleeping-lol- won't be funny when the alarm goes off at 6:30, though!) Anyhow, I just want to say that I'm sure it felt like a slap when the hospice worker gave your the booklet for your son on "grief and dying", but remember- she's used to working with people who are dying, but certainly not all stage IV patients die. I even just spoke to a neighbor's friend today who has had NED status from stage IV ovarian cancer for two years now. Several on this board, as you probably already know, also have been NED after being diagnosed stage IV with liver and/or lung mets. I plan on being around for a long time yet to come & so should you for your husband! Yeah, we all know the sad reality that there are definitely people who don't make it- I'm not telling you anything new there, BUT- there are many people who DO MAKE IT!!!!! Those are the ones we need to remember and remind ourselves of when we're feeling down. Other than my job gong from being a teacher to being home, going to dr. appts, and spending too much time on the phone with drs. offices and the insurance company, I do a lot of living & stay active in my husband's and 3 kids' lives! I have time to rest if I need to now, am home for my kids every day after school, and I'm actually happier in many ways now than I was before cancer (that may sound odd because I certainly don't think of my cancer as a good thing in any way, but good has come from the bad). Keep encouraging your husband and try not to allow people who think and talk negatively and who will bring feelings of doom and gloom to your husband, you, and your son to be around you- you don't need that! Minimize "negative vibes". Surround yourselves with people who have a positive outlook on life and who are supportive. Educate those around you who are gloomy- about how the statistics are outdated & that stage IV colorectal cancer patients are living longer in the past few years and some are even getting NED (no evidence of disease) status.

Take care and God bless! Let us know when the exact surgery date(s) is/are, when you know!

Lisa

kg

lisa42 said:

glad
Hi,

I'm glad to hear your husband will be able to get the surgery for the rectal and liver resections- also that it looks good for being able to save the rectum. Even though I've been stage IV for a little over 2-1/2 yrs now, I still find myself shocked sometimes that I'm in the same category with people who are considered "terminal" or "dying". Even though I'm fighting round 4 with chemo (or is it 5, I get the different treatments mixed up sometimes!)...I feel far from dying! Why, I just walked the neighborhood twice today, and I enjoyed feeling so good today, that it was hard to go to bed (and now it's 2 a.m. and I'm here typing, instead of sleeping-lol- won't be funny when the alarm goes off at 6:30, though!) Anyhow, I just want to say that I'm sure it felt like a slap when the hospice worker gave your the booklet for your son on "grief and dying", but remember- she's used to working with people who are dying, but certainly not all stage IV patients die. I even just spoke to a neighbor's friend today who has had NED status from stage IV ovarian cancer for two years now. Several on this board, as you probably already know, also have been NED after being diagnosed stage IV with liver and/or lung mets. I plan on being around for a long time yet to come & so should you for your husband! Yeah, we all know the sad reality that there are definitely people who don't make it- I'm not telling you anything new there, BUT- there are many people who DO MAKE IT!!!!! Those are the ones we need to remember and remind ourselves of when we're feeling down. Other than my job gong from being a teacher to being home, going to dr. appts, and spending too much time on the phone with drs. offices and the insurance company, I do a lot of living & stay active in my husband's and 3 kids' lives! I have time to rest if I need to now, am home for my kids every day after school, and I'm actually happier in many ways now than I was before cancer (that may sound odd because I certainly don't think of my cancer as a good thing in any way, but good has come from the bad). Keep encouraging your husband and try not to allow people who think and talk negatively and who will bring feelings of doom and gloom to your husband, you, and your son to be around you- you don't need that! Minimize "negative vibes". Surround yourselves with people who have a positive outlook on life and who are supportive. Educate those around you who are gloomy- about how the statistics are outdated & that stage IV colorectal cancer patients are living longer in the past few years and some are even getting NED (no evidence of disease) status.

Take care and God bless! Let us know when the exact surgery date(s) is/are, when you know!

Lisa

Thank you Lisa42 for posting
Thank you Lisa42 for posting positive thoughts. I just joined this website today because I am tired of being told I am dying by the medical and insurance worlds. I want to read about people surviving stage IV rectal cancer.

kg

Yes I had liver resection with rectal cancer
I had the rectal tumor removed in May of 2008. It was a 6 hour operation and consisted of 3 different surgical teams, the colorectal surgeon,gynecologist oncologist surgeon,urologist surgeon. I had chemo/radiation treatments before surgery to shrink the tumor. I went in not knowing if I would have my anus permanently closed. I woke up with an ileostomy but still had an anus. I had the ileostomy reversed after 3 months and the new rectum worked. It took at least a year to get the pain under control with what I could or could not eat. I just told myself when the bad days out number the good days I would ask for a ileostomy. I had a liver resection done in November of 2009 at Barnes/Jewish Hospital in St Louis Mo. That surgery took about 4 hours. The incision starts between my breast to my waist line then goes the the right all the way to my side (14 inches long). I was in intensive care for 2 days and then moved into a regular room for 5 days. What was different after this surgery was they checked my blood glucose (pick my finger) every 4 hours. The liver needs protein, so I drank protein drinks for my first meals. I had 40% of my liver removed and it completely grew back by January. The biggest thing I can caution you on is how tired you will be. It was beyond anything I had ever felt. Talking was even to hard to do. Just give yourself plently of time to heal. Also you might not be able to bend over and pick anything up for months. I found a claw thing with a long handle on it at Menards that helped. I had a lung resection done in May 2009 before the liver resection (total 5 surgeries in 16 months). I am still working outside the home and have a husband, 13 year daughter and just moved into a handyman's special of a home and still alive and kick'n. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Devasted

kg said:

Yes I had liver resection with rectal cancer
I had the rectal tumor removed in May of 2008. It was a 6 hour operation and consisted of 3 different surgical teams, the colorectal surgeon,gynecologist oncologist surgeon,urologist surgeon. I had chemo/radiation treatments before surgery to shrink the tumor. I went in not knowing if I would have my anus permanently closed. I woke up with an ileostomy but still had an anus. I had the ileostomy reversed after 3 months and the new rectum worked. It took at least a year to get the pain under control with what I could or could not eat. I just told myself when the bad days out number the good days I would ask for a ileostomy. I had a liver resection done in November of 2009 at Barnes/Jewish Hospital in St Louis Mo. That surgery took about 4 hours. The incision starts between my breast to my waist line then goes the the right all the way to my side (14 inches long). I was in intensive care for 2 days and then moved into a regular room for 5 days. What was different after this surgery was they checked my blood glucose (pick my finger) every 4 hours. The liver needs protein, so I drank protein drinks for my first meals. I had 40% of my liver removed and it completely grew back by January. The biggest thing I can caution you on is how tired you will be. It was beyond anything I had ever felt. Talking was even to hard to do. Just give yourself plently of time to heal. Also you might not be able to bend over and pick anything up for months. I found a claw thing with a long handle on it at Menards that helped. I had a lung resection done in May 2009 before the liver resection (total 5 surgeries in 16 months). I am still working outside the home and have a husband, 13 year daughter and just moved into a handyman's special of a home and still alive and kick'n. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Thanks Lisa and kg
Thanks for the information, it is so helpful to have some idea what to expect.
It has also helped us come up with a list of questions for each vistit. And kg,
there are lots of survivors here. Not long ago Scouty (a stage 4 survivor) created a post calling all stage 4 survivors and it was so encouraging to read the posts...there is hope!
Thanks again for taking time to respond to my post. Take care

Shayenne

Devasted said:

Thanks Lisa and kg
Thanks for the information, it is so helpful to have some idea what to expect.
It has also helped us come up with a list of questions for each vistit. And kg,
there are lots of survivors here. Not long ago Scouty (a stage 4 survivor) created a post calling all stage 4 survivors and it was so encouraging to read the posts...there is hope!
Thanks again for taking time to respond to my post. Take care

Good Luck D!!
How great you're getting your surgery, I just wanted to wish you luck on it, I'd be really scared too, I'm hate surgeries, and always kind of wonder if I would even want it, if there's no guarantee in the cancer not coming back, and going though all that pain for it too...I don't know if I'd do it yet, you're very brave, I'm such a wuss, here I am on Oxy, scared to death of what side effects I'm going to get, But nothing has happened yet, I'm OK! (so far) Scared of spheres, but I'm going to do it, there is hope out there, just when I thought there wasn't, this onc wants me off of chemo already, I been on it for 14 months now, I'm going to be scared not having it unless it comes back, since there is no guarantee with spheres either, you will do this, and you will do fine, and I can't wait to hear your outcome, I just go back to the wonderful stories of our survivors who have been here a long time, and are still here. Kg there is hope, there have been people who have been here a long time as stage 4, and like Lisa, I sure don't feel like I'm dying, don't let cancer take you away, live with it, but don't let it define you, you aren't dying from it, you just have to learn the new normal, and don't let it get you down!

Hugsss!
~Donna