Pennymac

ketziah35

How are you doing?

Luv
Ktz

Pennymac02

OK I guess
Meeting with the onc tomorrow. If she says the cancer has mets we will be getting a hospice referral. If not, AND one of the four V.A. transplant centers agrees to treat, we will probably be air ambulanced to the center for an immediate eval for transplantation. Per the hospitalist, we're looking at a prognosis of weeks rather than months, so the transplant option is looking a little slim. Espeially since we still have to wait for a donor liver.

We did find out that we are looking at two masses in the liver, but due to size and they have only focused on trying to shrink the larger one. I don't know the size or location of the other tumor.

Mike forgot what the doctor said to him on Friday, so when we me with him this morning, it was like he had to deal with the grim prognosis all over again. Not an easy day. I came home to feed the cat and check the mail, and will be back in Gainesville tomorrow. All my friends are calling and checking with me, you know, the standard "How are you doing, what can I do, if you need anything..." which, don't get me wrong, its very nice. But I'm in numb "just get through the day" mode. After spending these past days in a five bed V.A. ward with a husband who is glowing school bus yellow from liver failure, I can't even think of what I need, much less what I need help with.

Although winning lottery numbers would help since I'm on unpaid leave...
Thanks for asking, Ketz.
Hanging in there,
Penny

3Mana

Pennymac02 said:

OK I guess
Meeting with the onc tomorrow. If she says the cancer has mets we will be getting a hospice referral. If not, AND one of the four V.A. transplant centers agrees to treat, we will probably be air ambulanced to the center for an immediate eval for transplantation. Per the hospitalist, we're looking at a prognosis of weeks rather than months, so the transplant option is looking a little slim. Espeially since we still have to wait for a donor liver.

We did find out that we are looking at two masses in the liver, but due to size and they have only focused on trying to shrink the larger one. I don't know the size or location of the other tumor.

Mike forgot what the doctor said to him on Friday, so when we me with him this morning, it was like he had to deal with the grim prognosis all over again. Not an easy day. I came home to feed the cat and check the mail, and will be back in Gainesville tomorrow. All my friends are calling and checking with me, you know, the standard "How are you doing, what can I do, if you need anything..." which, don't get me wrong, its very nice. But I'm in numb "just get through the day" mode. After spending these past days in a five bed V.A. ward with a husband who is glowing school bus yellow from liver failure, I can't even think of what I need, much less what I need help with.

Although winning lottery numbers would help since I'm on unpaid leave...
Thanks for asking, Ketz.
Hanging in there,
Penny

Just hang in there!
Penny,
I hope you're taking care of yourself during this stressful time. I know with the holidays coming, you probably feel like I do and wish it would just be over. How can we make it through when something like this is going on.
My husband died in March & we always had so many outdoor decorations out and tonite when I came home I almost cried cause the house looks so sad. This is going to be a very hard Christmas.
You still have Mike, so cherish every day with him. Have you heard of the CaringBridge.org website??? It's so nice cause you can post something every day and your friends and relatives can write in a guest book too. And then if you update things about Mike, you won't have to keep repeating it all the time.
Well, be strong and keep posting so we know how Mike is doing!! Good luck!
"Carole"

luz del lago

Pennymac02 said:

OK I guess
Meeting with the onc tomorrow. If she says the cancer has mets we will be getting a hospice referral. If not, AND one of the four V.A. transplant centers agrees to treat, we will probably be air ambulanced to the center for an immediate eval for transplantation. Per the hospitalist, we're looking at a prognosis of weeks rather than months, so the transplant option is looking a little slim. Espeially since we still have to wait for a donor liver.

We did find out that we are looking at two masses in the liver, but due to size and they have only focused on trying to shrink the larger one. I don't know the size or location of the other tumor.

Mike forgot what the doctor said to him on Friday, so when we me with him this morning, it was like he had to deal with the grim prognosis all over again. Not an easy day. I came home to feed the cat and check the mail, and will be back in Gainesville tomorrow. All my friends are calling and checking with me, you know, the standard "How are you doing, what can I do, if you need anything..." which, don't get me wrong, its very nice. But I'm in numb "just get through the day" mode. After spending these past days in a five bed V.A. ward with a husband who is glowing school bus yellow from liver failure, I can't even think of what I need, much less what I need help with.

Although winning lottery numbers would help since I'm on unpaid leave...
Thanks for asking, Ketz.
Hanging in there,
Penny

You need love and a hug.
You need love and a hug. Sending it your way.

Lucy

Pennymac02

3Mana said:

Just hang in there!
Penny,
I hope you're taking care of yourself during this stressful time. I know with the holidays coming, you probably feel like I do and wish it would just be over. How can we make it through when something like this is going on.
My husband died in March & we always had so many outdoor decorations out and tonite when I came home I almost cried cause the house looks so sad. This is going to be a very hard Christmas.
You still have Mike, so cherish every day with him. Have you heard of the CaringBridge.org website??? It's so nice cause you can post something every day and your friends and relatives can write in a guest book too. And then if you update things about Mike, you won't have to keep repeating it all the time.
Well, be strong and keep posting so we know how Mike is doing!! Good luck!
"Carole"

Caring Bridge
Thanks, Carole. My hubbys caring bridge site is moyerms. Its been a great way for his family in Nebraska to keep up to date, and a great way for me to post progress with out having to tell the story over and over to well wishers. I reccomend it to all caregivers!
Penny

Pennymac02

luz del lago said:

You need love and a hug.
You need love and a hug. Sending it your way.

Lucy

Hugs
Thanks Lucy. All love and hugs appreciated. Im off to travel the 2 hours to the hospital and see what news the onc has. This site is an amazing way of making me feel connected. Thanks guys!
Penny

Pennymac02

Pennymac02 said:

Hugs
Thanks Lucy. All love and hugs appreciated. Im off to travel the 2 hours to the hospital and see what news the onc has. This site is an amazing way of making me feel connected. Thanks guys!
Penny

No mets, scans all look
No mets, scans all look good. That's the good news. Where or not the treatments have left him with enough liver to last until possible transplant remains to be seen. Why don't the doctors tell you that aggressive treatment is as b
ad if not more than the cancer itself?

Barbara53

Pennymac02 said:

No mets, scans all look
No mets, scans all look good. That's the good news. Where or not the treatments have left him with enough liver to last until possible transplant remains to be seen. Why don't the doctors tell you that aggressive treatment is as b
ad if not more than the cancer itself?

don't know why
I don't know why things happen the way they do. This is temporary. Know that you have many people praying for you and your husband. The school bus image made me laugh, too! Some days mom is pale yellow, but these days she often looks bluish gray. We caregivers see colors others never see.

3Mana

Pennymac02 said:

No mets, scans all look
No mets, scans all look good. That's the good news. Where or not the treatments have left him with enough liver to last until possible transplant remains to be seen. Why don't the doctors tell you that aggressive treatment is as b
ad if not more than the cancer itself?

Good news!
Penny,
That's great news that his scans look good. I guess the doctors don't tell you about the agressive treatmend, cause it would scare the crap out of you. Chemo is awful and my husband had 10 radiation treatments to his brain also. I could see that it had done some damage, cause he started making mistakes in the checkbook and couldn't seem to concentrate. He was an Engineer and always very smart and great with numbers, so he started getting frustrated when he made mistakes.
Anyhow, please tell Mike not to give up! I'll say a prayer for him. Take care of yourself too, cause it's so hard on us to see them go through this. "Carole"

ketziah35

3Mana said:

Good news!
Penny,
That's great news that his scans look good. I guess the doctors don't tell you about the agressive treatmend, cause it would scare the crap out of you. Chemo is awful and my husband had 10 radiation treatments to his brain also. I could see that it had done some damage, cause he started making mistakes in the checkbook and couldn't seem to concentrate. He was an Engineer and always very smart and great with numbers, so he started getting frustrated when he made mistakes.
Anyhow, please tell Mike not to give up! I'll say a prayer for him. Take care of yourself too, cause it's so hard on us to see them go through this. "Carole"

Tell the husband I am an
Tell the husband I am an engineer and make mistakes balancing my checkbook. Don't feel bad. That is one of the worst things I have to do at home. I can run over a billion dollars worth of projects but I DETEST balancing my checkbook!

ricksherry

3Mana said:

Good news!
Penny,
That's great news that his scans look good. I guess the doctors don't tell you about the agressive treatmend, cause it would scare the crap out of you. Chemo is awful and my husband had 10 radiation treatments to his brain also. I could see that it had done some damage, cause he started making mistakes in the checkbook and couldn't seem to concentrate. He was an Engineer and always very smart and great with numbers, so he started getting frustrated when he made mistakes.
Anyhow, please tell Mike not to give up! I'll say a prayer for him. Take care of yourself too, cause it's so hard on us to see them go through this. "Carole"

Good News
Penny,

I haven't posted much at all here, but i have been ready quite a bit and have been following you and your husband, as my husband too has HCC, with Hep C and Cirrohis. I am so happy for you i am praying for you that your husband can get his new liver in time.
My husband's cancer has met. to his lymph nodes but his liver is doing good, he is currently on Nexavar, but he is sick all the time, with naseau and dirreaha, so sometimes you feel that it is the treatment that is killing him.

Praying for you and your family.

Sherry