Wife's cancer

HarleyDog
HarleyDog Member Posts: 13
in Esophageal Cancer #1

I just found this site and it looks like a good place to be. My wife, 54 years old, was told she has Stage 4 cancer December 1st, 2012, and at first they called it undifferentiated cancer. It is in her ovaries, a mass tumor by her liver and clusters of cancer. It took 3 weeks for them to determine that. She had 7 litres of fluids in two weeks removed from her abdomen. Then when we had her port put in, they finally did a scope of her esphagus and found the mother tumor in stage 4. We have done three rounds of chemo, and blood transfusions. She is down to 98 pounds, and we have fluid infusions almost every day. Her next round of chemo starts Feb 18th. Her tumor is not operable. This is an unbelievable nightmare. Cancer is so cruel. I am looking forward to learning more by this site. 

Comments

  • joymitch
    joymitch Member Posts: 16
    #2
    wife's cancer

    So sorry to hear of your wife's diagnosis.  I am wondering what area of the country you live in.  It might be worth while to visit MD Anderson in Houston, Texas or Sloan Kettering in New York to get another opinion.

  • MattieFields
    MattieFields Member Posts: 11
    #3
    YOUR WIFE

    I'm not at this site often.  My husband passed away of EC last year.  He went through chemo/radiation, major surgery, complications, sent home to "get stronger" when in fact he got worse.  Checked back into the hospital and we were told there was no hope.  Got him home with hospice thank God; he didn't have to endure any more suffering or pain, and passed away a day and a half later.  He was a very young 65 year old, Vietnam Veteran and a wonderful man.  I'm so sorry to hear about your wife's cancer.  Yes it is a very cruel thing.  I hope and pray that someday there will be a cure for this Beast of a cancer.  I guess the only advice I can offer is to ask as many questions as possible of the doctors/surgeons and when something feels wrong listen to your gut.  If her tumor is inoperable then what are the doctors telling you?  Live a day at a time and treasure every single second.  I know it has to be the nightmare of nightmares for you. 

  • HarleyDog
    HarleyDog Member Posts: 13
    #4
    MattieFields said:

    YOUR WIFE

    I'm not at this site often.  My husband passed away of EC last year.  He went through chemo/radiation, major surgery, complications, sent home to "get stronger" when in fact he got worse.  Checked back into the hospital and we were told there was no hope.  Got him home with hospice thank God; he didn't have to endure any more suffering or pain, and passed away a day and a half later.  He was a very young 65 year old, Vietnam Veteran and a wonderful man.  I'm so sorry to hear about your wife's cancer.  Yes it is a very cruel thing.  I hope and pray that someday there will be a cure for this Beast of a cancer.  I guess the only advice I can offer is to ask as many questions as possible of the doctors/surgeons and when something feels wrong listen to your gut.  If her tumor is inoperable then what are the doctors telling you?  Live a day at a time and treasure every single second.  I know it has to be the nightmare of nightmares for you. 

    Chemo

    All they have offered is Chemo and infusions. They say they are trying to keep her comfortable and getting her some more time. The second round of chemo she also had a bag of chemo she carried for several days. That round was very hard on her. 

    She is now down to 97 pounds, and she was always around 125 before this. She is able to eat again, but has to take nausea medicine and the infusion has anti nausea also. 

  • HarleyDog
    HarleyDog Member Posts: 13
    #5
    joymitch said:

    wife's cancer

    So sorry to hear of your wife's diagnosis.  I am wondering what area of the country you live in.  It might be worth while to visit MD Anderson in Houston, Texas or Sloan Kettering in New York to get another opinion.

    Oregon

    We live in Southern Oregon. Our Chemo and infusion has all been done here. 

  • sandy1943
    sandy1943 Member Posts: 824
    #6
    Glad you found us, but sorry

    Glad you found us, but sorry for the circumstance. I haven't had to deal with stage 4, so I'm not good for advice. I'm sure you will hear from others  that can help you. We are here for you,

    Praying for her, Sandra

  • LauraandLarry
    LauraandLarry Member Posts: 184
    #7
    So sorry for your wife's

    So sorry for your wife's diagnosis. This is all so scary for all of us. Please get a second opinion, and a third as fast as you can. My hussband is scheduled for surgery March 12th, we are still going for second opinion. i remember years back when my mother , who had breast cancer was diagnosed several times to be terminal, and yes had positive cells in her lung fluid, lived on and on for many years. There is always hope. Good luck to you

  • HarleyDog
    HarleyDog Member Posts: 13
    #8
    LauraandLarry said:

    So sorry for your wife's

    So sorry for your wife's diagnosis. This is all so scary for all of us. Please get a second opinion, and a third as fast as you can. My hussband is scheduled for surgery March 12th, we are still going for second opinion. i remember years back when my mother , who had breast cancer was diagnosed several times to be terminal, and yes had positive cells in her lung fluid, lived on and on for many years. There is always hope. Good luck to you

    Round 4

    We start round 4 of Chemo this coming Monday. 

     

  • HarleyDog
    HarleyDog Member Posts: 13
    #9
    HarleyDog said:

    Round 4

    We start round 4 of Chemo this coming Monday. 

     

    Round 4

    She is finished with round 4, but is so very sick from the chemo now. We did fluid infusion and the bone marrow shot yesterday. CT scan scheduled for March 8th, and then we may see if we have held our own against the cancer. If so, we may do another round March 12th. 

     

  • LauraandLarry
    LauraandLarry Member Posts: 184
    #10
    HarleyDog said:

    Round 4

    She is finished with round 4, but is so very sick from the chemo now. We did fluid infusion and the bone marrow shot yesterday. CT scan scheduled for March 8th, and then we may see if we have held our own against the cancer. If so, we may do another round March 12th. 

     

    ???

    I was wondering what chemo regimen your wife is getting. Also, are you going to a center that specializes in EC? It sounds to me to she is really fighting this battle. Please don't take the opinion of only one Dr. As you have probably seen from this site alone there are so many different stories. Many have outlived and amazed the stats and others have lost their battles unexpectantly. One never knows. I feel so bad for you right now, as this is truly a nightmare.

  • HarleyDog
    HarleyDog Member Posts: 13
    #11
    No round 5 chemo

    We went to Oncology today and we were prepared to start round 5 of chemo. My wife is down to 95 pounds, and is in great pain all the time. Her back, her stomach, her lower back. They looked at her and decided not to do a round 5 as she is just too weak. We did anti nasea today and fluids. We will do fluids again Wednesday and Friday. Back to Oncology next Monday to see if we can do our round 5. Her BP today was 205 over 105. She says it is from the pain. Put on her BP medicine now as well. 

    She is fighting so hard, but all this is taking a huge toll. The CT scan on the 8th showed we have shrunk some of the tumor in her abdomen. She can eat and swallow some again, but she is sick to her stomach all the time. It is a Platinum Chemo of sorts. Four full months now and into month 5. 

  • LauraandLarry
    LauraandLarry Member Posts: 184
    #12
    HarleyDog said:

    No round 5 chemo

    We went to Oncology today and we were prepared to start round 5 of chemo. My wife is down to 95 pounds, and is in great pain all the time. Her back, her stomach, her lower back. They looked at her and decided not to do a round 5 as she is just too weak. We did anti nasea today and fluids. We will do fluids again Wednesday and Friday. Back to Oncology next Monday to see if we can do our round 5. Her BP today was 205 over 105. She says it is from the pain. Put on her BP medicine now as well. 

    She is fighting so hard, but all this is taking a huge toll. The CT scan on the 8th showed we have shrunk some of the tumor in her abdomen. She can eat and swallow some again, but she is sick to her stomach all the time. It is a Platinum Chemo of sorts. Four full months now and into month 5. 

    no round 5

    My husband as well as many people on this site have had to have cycles of chemo postponed or in my husbands case cancelled altogether. My husbands bp went through the roof during chemo as well. Hopefully she will improve...good news the treatment is working! Hang in there. Prayers

  • eternalife
    eternalife Member Posts: 36
    #13
    HarleyDog said:

    No round 5 chemo

    We went to Oncology today and we were prepared to start round 5 of chemo. My wife is down to 95 pounds, and is in great pain all the time. Her back, her stomach, her lower back. They looked at her and decided not to do a round 5 as she is just too weak. We did anti nasea today and fluids. We will do fluids again Wednesday and Friday. Back to Oncology next Monday to see if we can do our round 5. Her BP today was 205 over 105. She says it is from the pain. Put on her BP medicine now as well. 

    She is fighting so hard, but all this is taking a huge toll. The CT scan on the 8th showed we have shrunk some of the tumor in her abdomen. She can eat and swallow some again, but she is sick to her stomach all the time. It is a Platinum Chemo of sorts. Four full months now and into month 5. 

    Chemo treatment

    Hello,

    My husband is stage iv EC, diagnosed in Dec 2011, with mets to a few lymph nodes and one right rib, after the first round of chemo, there was NED in the nodes and rib. He has been on chemo for a year , different ones though. Will have a PET scan tomorrow as his lower esophagus showed some irritation on the CT scan, a biopsy was done .

    Stay positive , anything is possible .

     

    Best

  • HarleyDog
    HarleyDog Member Posts: 13
    #14
    Round 5

    They decided to do a round 5 of chemo today after her labs. About 2 hours into the chemo, her blood pressure hit 244 over 125, and the Oncologist stopped her treatment for the day. We are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, with fluids on Friday. Tonight she is very tired and in so much pain again. Probably need a bit of morphine. She weighed in at 96 pounds today. She is so fragile it seems. 

  • dlrepic
    dlrepic Member Posts: 62
    #15
    HarleyDog said:

    Round 5

    They decided to do a round 5 of chemo today after her labs. About 2 hours into the chemo, her blood pressure hit 244 over 125, and the Oncologist stopped her treatment for the day. We are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, with fluids on Friday. Tonight she is very tired and in so much pain again. Probably need a bit of morphine. She weighed in at 96 pounds today. She is so fragile it seems. 

    So sorry

    I was reading your posts and recognize your struggle.  Since my doctors tell me it's a "man's" disease, can you tell a little about the symptoms your wife was having?  I'm trying to get in for a screening and hitting Kaiser road blocks,

    Thank you

    Danielle

     

  • dlrepic
    dlrepic Member Posts: 62
    #16
    dlrepic said:

    So sorry

    I was reading your posts and recognize your struggle.  Since my doctors tell me it's a "man's" disease, can you tell a little about the symptoms your wife was having?  I'm trying to get in for a screening and hitting Kaiser road blocks,

    Thank you

    Danielle

     

    sorry - computer glitch.

    Anyone know how to delete multiple posts?

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