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tko683
tko683 Member Posts: 264 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1
I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. I know it is sometimes hard around the holidays to celebrate when you are not feeling good. My husband's liver resection is 4 days away and I am starting my panic mode. For those of you who have been through this do you have any words of wisdom or advice for the caregiver? I have read all the older posts about this but I am just looking for some advice to calm me down. The surgeon will be working on both sides of his liver and he doesn't know how much surgery will be involved until they cut him. I just want it to be over and successful. I don't want any bad surprises. I have a feeling these next 4 days are going to be very very long.....Thanks for any advice you have. You all are always so helpful. I do appreciate all your advice. Stay well. Hugs, Teri
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  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #2
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    Hi Teri
    I'm glad you folks got to enjoy Thanksgiving. I can't offer much in the way of being a caregiver since I've been the one with the cancer but try to remember that they are trained surgeons and nurses. This is what these people do day in, day out for a living.
    If you can, try to stay busy to keep your mind occupied. I know it's easier said than done.
    All the best,
    -phil
  • plh4gail
    plh4gail Member Posts: 1,238 Member
    #3
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    I did not have liver
    I did not have liver resection, but still want to let you know I hope it all goes well for him and bless you for being a caregiver!

    Hugs, Gail
  • Brenda Bricco
    Brenda Bricco Member Posts: 579 Member
    #4
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    Hi Teri, I cannot give you
    Hi Teri, I cannot give you any advice as you are my pioneer (few weeks before hubby's resection) but I just want to put his thought in you head. Try to look forward to Christmas... you will be weeks out from this stressful time and hopefully he will be feeling up to some Christmas cheer. Maybe looking forward to something further away will help the next few days go by for you. Please keep us posted on how is doing as much as you can. I was lucky that UW Madison has computers in their surgical waiting area, it helped to pass time during surgery and you guys were a lot of support while I was waiting. :)
    I will be thinking and praying...
    Brenda
  • mommyof2kds
    mommyof2kds Member Posts: 519
    #5
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    Brenda Bricco said:

    Hi Teri, I cannot give you
    Hi Teri, I cannot give you any advice as you are my pioneer (few weeks before hubby's resection) but I just want to put his thought in you head. Try to look forward to Christmas... you will be weeks out from this stressful time and hopefully he will be feeling up to some Christmas cheer. Maybe looking forward to something further away will help the next few days go by for you. Please keep us posted on how is doing as much as you can. I was lucky that UW Madison has computers in their surgical waiting area, it helped to pass time during surgery and you guys were a lot of support while I was waiting. :)
    I will be thinking and praying...
    Brenda

    Can't offer any info, but
    Can't offer any info, but will be sending positive thoughts your way. Petrina
  • laurettas
    laurettas Member Posts: 372
    #6
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    Brings back memories
    Thinking about your situation brings back memories from this spring. My husband was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer on the 13th of April, saw the oncologist on the 18th and he had surgery on the 20th. It was a lot to go through in a week and the first major surgery either of us had ever had. We had both nursed parents after surgeries but not each other.

    I was a wreck until the night before surgery. For me I just had to step off into that darkness of unknowing and trust that things were going to work out in the way that was best. I am a Christian so it meant trusting that God was going to get us through this even though I could see nothing, had no idea what the outcome was going to be. It was really hard but God gave me the peace to deal with the surgery, comfort other family members who were very frightened and take care of whatever Jake's needs were in the days ahead. Didn't know about these sites yet so hadn't read about all the good stories and great advice that is available.

    Another thing is to pay attention while he is in the hospital. Things get missed, nurses get busy and sometimes you need to be an advocate. I can't help with the specifics of liver resection but just having surgery in general. I have had to intervene with both my dad and my husband to get what they needed and was best for them. The doctors and nurses are great but they do miss things and don't have the perspective we do from being there every minute.

    Hang in there and just try to focus on the needs of the moment and don't anticipate what might be cause we don't know. You'll get in the routine quickly and do great!
  • tanstaafl
    tanstaafl Member Posts: 1,313 Member
    #7
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    our effort was...
    I think the biggest decision anyone can make is about cimetidine for protection from new met spread due to immunological decline around surgery. Most doctors are totally oblivious about cimetidine and may say "well most data is for stage III" for the most obvious data, but there are various stage IV data, thin but impressive, where the fundamentals are common molecular targets at stage IV and immunological.

    Cimetidine has been approved for surgery for decades. My wife's last surgery (stage IV), the surgeons embraced cimetidine wholeheartedly for the prophylaxis of aspiration during surgery, 800 mg per 6 hours the day of surgery, where they now usually use a newer proton pump inhibitor. My wife literally shudders or shakes her head when she hears about people not having cimetidine.
  • buckeye2
    buckeye2 Member Posts: 428 Member
    #8
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    My strategy for getting
    My strategy for getting through these anxious days is red wine. Hang in there. There are better days ahead for the both of us. Lisa
  • relaxoutdoors08
    relaxoutdoors08 Member Posts: 521 Member
    #9
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    Prayers for Good Results
    Hello,
    Thinking of you and your family. Trust your healthcare team. Those surgeons like to dot all the i's and cross all the t's so you can take it one step at a time. Usually they let you know step by step how the surgery is going during surgery. Prayers for good results.
  • eringray
    eringray Member Posts: 19
    #10
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    i dont have any information
    i dont have any information to offer but i wish you well!
  • tommycat
    tommycat Member Posts: 790 Member
    #11
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    I'm with Buckeye2...go the
    I'm with Buckeye2...go the red wine route, call your dr for some calming meds, bring a friend who calms you, and keep looking up.
  • Kenny H.
    Kenny H. Member Posts: 502 Member
    #12
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    tommycat said:

    I'm with Buckeye2...go the
    I'm with Buckeye2...go the red wine route, call your dr for some calming meds, bring a friend who calms you, and keep looking up.

    Wine, yeagermeister to.
    Just
    Wine, yeagermeister to.
    Just dont give up hope.
  • jjaj133
    jjaj133 Member Posts: 867 Member
    #13
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    I had 2 liver resections (
    I had 2 liver resections ( we think they missed some the first time) all went well. But i do agree with Laurettas, while in the hospital it helps to have someone there. Hang on, your fear is natural. too bad they can't give the caregiver anesthesia!
    Good Luck and prayers coming your way,
    Judy
  • tko683
    tko683 Member Posts: 264 Member
    #14
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    jjaj133 said:

    I had 2 liver resections (
    I had 2 liver resections ( we think they missed some the first time) all went well. But i do agree with Laurettas, while in the hospital it helps to have someone there. Hang on, your fear is natural. too bad they can't give the caregiver anesthesia!
    Good Luck and prayers coming your way,
    Judy

    Thanks everyone
    Thanks for the helpful advice and well wishes. I appreciate it very much. Thanks also for all the prayers. I do appreciate it more than you all know. I am definately having a harder time being the caregiver than when I was the cancer patient....interesting to get to see both sides....Hugs to everyone....will post soon after surgery...teri
  • maglets
    maglets Member Posts: 2,576 Member
    #15
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    tko683 said:

    Thanks everyone
    Thanks for the helpful advice and well wishes. I appreciate it very much. Thanks also for all the prayers. I do appreciate it more than you all know. I am definately having a harder time being the caregiver than when I was the cancer patient....interesting to get to see both sides....Hugs to everyone....will post soon after surgery...teri

    teri
    I too have been through 2 resections.....the first lasted 7 hours and took a lot of the liver....but I would not give up one second of that surgery....it has done soooo well by me.

    from the patient's point of view....in hospital for first 3 days....really did not care if anyone was there or not....long visits were tiring. after 3 days loved having fresh fruit and yogurt ....the hospital food was that sugar diet of ginger ale.....

    when home I super appreciated little meals....bland at first....always a drink beside the bed...

    good luck my darlings......I know it will go well

    mags
  • Brenda Bricco
    Brenda Bricco Member Posts: 579 Member
    #16
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    2 days away Teri! I am
    2 days away Teri! I am keeping track and anxiously waiting to here the good news.
    I am praying! May GOD bless you and your hubby.
    Brenda
  • taraHK
    taraHK Member Posts: 1,952 Member
    #17
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    advice
    Thinking of you. I'm not sure how useful this advice is but my suggestion is (a) take care of yourself and your emotional needs (b) think about which people and/or activities will bring you the most emotional sustainance (sp?) and support. It is not a time to be around or give any time to people who drain you. You need to be a little "selfish" in order to be able to support hubby --and other family? -- through this time period.

    Love,
    Tara
  • tko683
    tko683 Member Posts: 264 Member
    #18
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    Update
    Just wanted to let you all know that my husband is out of surgery and in his room now. The surgery went well lasted a little over 4 hours and I am so thankful to have thatbpart over with. He is in a lot of pain but doing pretty good considering he just had liver resection. Thanks for all the kind words,advice, and prayers. I appreciate you all very much. Hugs, Teri
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #19
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    tko683 said:

    Update
    Just wanted to let you all know that my husband is out of surgery and in his room now. The surgery went well lasted a little over 4 hours and I am so thankful to have thatbpart over with. He is in a lot of pain but doing pretty good considering he just had liver resection. Thanks for all the kind words,advice, and prayers. I appreciate you all very much. Hugs, Teri

    Teri
    I'm glad for your update to hear that the surgery is over and he is doing pretty well so far. Yes, the first few days will be rough (On my first couple of days after my surgery in '08, I thought I'd never be able to sit upright again). But recovery comes soon and it will definitely get easier. I went from feeling like I couldn't move, laugh, or sneeze without great pain to two months later going river rafting on a vacation (probably not the wisest thing to do, but I did it and was fine).

    Best wishes & I will say a prayer for your husband to recover well with no complications.

    Hugs,
    Lisa
  • laurettas
    laurettas Member Posts: 372
    #20
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    tko683 said:

    Update
    Just wanted to let you all know that my husband is out of surgery and in his room now. The surgery went well lasted a little over 4 hours and I am so thankful to have thatbpart over with. He is in a lot of pain but doing pretty good considering he just had liver resection. Thanks for all the kind words,advice, and prayers. I appreciate you all very much. Hugs, Teri

    Great news
    So glad to hear the surgery went well! Now a couple of days of your husband not being too lucid--those were hard on me--and then he will probably start getting anxious to be able to begin doing some things--like eating. So nice when they feel good enough to be cranky!!
  • tko683
    tko683 Member Posts: 264 Member
    #21
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    laurettas said:

    Great news
    So glad to hear the surgery went well! Now a couple of days of your husband not being too lucid--those were hard on me--and then he will probably start getting anxious to be able to begin doing some things--like eating. So nice when they feel good enough to be cranky!!

    Yes he is definately out of it
    Well I have to say that I am looking forward to better days ahead....you all were right about him being out of it....got him to a chair today...not easy..and not sure about the walking part today....one day at a time....thanks for all the positive thoughts...hugs Teri

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