Help with information am I on the right direction

caregiver4all
caregiver4all Member Posts: 26
edited March 2014 in Stomach Cancer #1
Hi,

I feel like the doctors that have taken care of my brother have wasted so much time....I feel like he has lost out on precious time for a cure/remission.

In March 2010 he was hospitalized at Bellevue Hospital for two bleeding ulcers. They really fuddle his care but that is where the ambulance took him. My brother has had ulcers all his life since age 17 he is going to be 60 in October please God. All were h plyroi in orgin. I was a little surprised when the doctors came back and said he did not have hyplori in either ucler.

Anyway he had another follow up endoscope in at the end of April. He went back to the Bellevue for a follow up on June 17th and that is when they told him he had stomach cancer! Almost two months after the fact! Since June 17th I have been scrambling around to get him in to see a surgeon. As that is what Bellevue is recommending but no way I am going to send him back there.

The CAT scan reveal that so far it hasn't spread outside the stomach. But we don't know how deep it is or if it is in the lymph nodes. I am besides myself thinking of all the time that was wasted since March.

I brought my brother up to my gastroentronlogist in Bronxville and he said I was on the right course and to keep pushing to get all the tests and surgery done.

I have three appt schedule this week with cancer surgeons--anyone know anything about these fellows let me know. Dr. Altorki at NY Cornell, Dr. Steven Libutti at Einstein, Dr. Coit at Sloan. I know Sloan has a great reputation but I had to jump through hoops this past week to get him an appointment.

I am concerned that my brother has gained 27 pound in just a month could it be fluid or what. No tumor was seen. I take care of him with all his other medical issues, diabetes, heart disease, mental health and now this. Please someone give me some encourgagement that time was not lost because of Bellevue.
Ellen

Comments

  • Tina Blondek
    Tina Blondek Member Posts: 1,500 Member
    #2
    Hi Ellen and welcome to you
    Hi Ellen and welcome to you and your brother. I was a caregiver for my dad. He passed away in March after a 16 month battle with ec which went to his liver in December. I was like you, I made all of the appointments, I went to all of the appointments, I did all of the research, etc. You are on the right track. Give yourself a pat on the back! I know that Sloan has a great reputation, I would go with them for sure. I am in Virginia, we went to UVA, and were very pleased. They were our second opinion hospital. Keep up the good work. Let us know how you are making out. Yes, time has been wasted, but that was then, and this is now. You have to live in the now. God bless you.
    Tina
  • caregiver4all
    caregiver4all Member Posts: 26
    #3
    Tina Blondek said:

    Hi Ellen and welcome to you
    Hi Ellen and welcome to you and your brother. I was a caregiver for my dad. He passed away in March after a 16 month battle with ec which went to his liver in December. I was like you, I made all of the appointments, I went to all of the appointments, I did all of the research, etc. You are on the right track. Give yourself a pat on the back! I know that Sloan has a great reputation, I would go with them for sure. I am in Virginia, we went to UVA, and were very pleased. They were our second opinion hospital. Keep up the good work. Let us know how you are making out. Yes, time has been wasted, but that was then, and this is now. You have to live in the now. God bless you.
    Tina

    Thanks for responding
    Hi,

    Thanks for writing back. I am so drained and down about my brother. I feel like I want to shout at the world it is so not fair. My brother was hospitalized in March for two bleeding ulcers. The first endoscope didn't come back with any cancer cells. I didn't even think about him having stomach cancer nobody mention it to me. At the time they were focus on his heart issues. He has moderate/serve stenosis of the aortic valve. I was taking to private doctors to treat this. He had a second endoscope on April 27th. The results/report was done on May 5th. No one contact my brother or me to let us know the results. He just went for a follow up on June 17th.

    As much as I don't want him to have this surgery the quick the better for him. I am sorry about your dad's passing you must have been a great comfort to him. I was with my mom, another brother who died as a result of injuries in a fire, an aunt and other close family members. But this one scares me the most.

    Take care

    Ellen

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