By Admin on Jul 27, 2010 in Gastric Bypass
My uncle 65yr/ male/ smoker 50yrs. There was a golfball sized tumor in the bladder diagnosed by biopsy after presenting with severe jaundice, excruciating pain, often noddining out with chronic fatigue, rapid weightloss (roughly 60 lbs over a period of less than several months), brown urine, grayish stools, a sudden onset of gastric problems… i.e. gerd, diabetes, etc, and incapacitating weakness. I have been staying with him so i have seen him deteriorate like this the last 2mo. About how far along is this?? can anyone with some background on the subject give me either a diagnostic opinion or personal experience?? It is definately unresectable i know that.
So as far as gemzar chemo or any other regiment.. out of the question?? does he even have months??
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So sorry to hear this sad story I hope your uncle will not suffer and that his pain will be minimal my prayer is also for you and your family and hope you all receive the best care and compassion God Bless you all
tigerlily | Jul 27, 2010 | Reply
I lost my mom to pancreatic cancer 5 years ago.
Stage 4b is very advanced cancer, meaning he’s had it for 1-2 years.
If all his doctors are recommending hospice, that would be the best option at this point. Even with the best chemo and radiation treatments, alternative therapies and pain management, living with pancreatic cancer is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
tiny Valkyrie | Jul 27, 2010 | Reply
Hi. As someone said, his oncologist is the best source of info, and if you’re his caretaker, you certainly have the right to know.
Predictions about how long he has left are vague at best. And a lot depends on him. Many cancer patients want to keep fighting until the last breath; others reach a plateau and then announce they’re done with treatment. Make sure you understand where he’s at with this.
Also, if he hasn’t had any treatment yet, ask his oncologist about clinical trials he might qualify for. (This assumes he wants to do this).
Messykatttt | Jul 27, 2010 | Reply
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Sheila C | Jul 27, 2010 | Reply
Your uncle’s oncologist is the best person to discuss his prognosis and treatment plan with. Since you do not mention ongoing chemo, would it be correct to say that he has shifted to palliative care?
Multi-site metastasis with rapid weight loss indicates the inevitable will come, but saying when is extremely difficult. Some patients stabilize for weeks or months, albeit at a low level. Other patients go downhill rapidly.
As another posting related, you need to be ready right now. It could be months or it could be tomorrow. Sorry for your troubles.
BSherman | Jul 27, 2010 | Reply
The median survival is 6-9 months. However, from your description I’m sorry to say it sounds like he may have less time. I think you should look into hospice ASAP. Things can change quickly in a matter of days.
EDIT: Treatment, chemo or anything else, is not out of the question. It may prolong his life and/or relieve some symptoms, but it will not cure him and therefore would not be treated aggressively.
I answered you the way I did as you were asking about life expectancy. Of course, it is not possible to predict a timeframe for an individual with great accuracy, but the survival rates we have are based on very detailed information we keep on cancer and they are as accurate a prediction that can be made. I wish you both the best.
Denisedds | Jul 27, 2010 | Reply
I’m very sorry for your uncle and your having to go through this. It sounds like he just has a short time, a couple more months or less – it is unpredictable and everyone is different, and truthfully, the will to live can keep one going longer than many expect. Specific time is really a guess for any medical professional, but once the weight loss is so severe it is hard for them to keep their energy up, and organ failure starts to be a problem. My father got to this stage and lasted about six weeks longer. My dad had lost almost 70 pounds and had very little strength left – like your uncle. I think you should say everything you need to say, and get things taken care of. Make him as comfortable as possible and make sure he gets to do whatever he needs to do. Again, I’m sorry, and send my best wishes.
EDIT: Hon, understand your question, but I’d like you to take a look at this link of information about gemzar. The toll on the body is pretty intense. http://www.chemocare.com/bio/gemcitabine.asp
To tell you my personal feeling: my closest friend went through a very aggressive treatment when she was already very weak. It was dreadful for her, and ended up hastening the end. I still feel that had I known more at that time, I would have told her to stop the treatments and be as comfortable as possible and just enjoy watching sunrises and sunsets for awhile and read books to her and held her hand. I wished I had more time with her – she went so quickly then.
There really is no way to say how much time someone has, but I think you really should prepare yourself. Yes, it could be more than a couple months, and it could be less, it’s just too hard to say with any certainty, and certainly as we are not his physician, who could give you more but would likely say the same. This would be the time to make sure your uncle has all his things in order. And friends and family should know that as well. Acceptance will make this easier in the long run. It’s difficult enough to face the loss but acceptance can turn one from despair. My mother just passed three weeks ago. As painful as it was, I had come to accept that this was going to happen and for my mom, welcomed the blessing of relief of pain for her. You need to know that they try so very hard to keep going for us, they don’t want to disappoint us. We told my mom, and I told my friend, ‘if you need to go home, it’s okay, we love you, but it’s okay to go home.’ We’d surely want them to stay, but you have to think of what is best for them.
You might want to consider hospice care as well, here’s a link with some information that may be helpful to you. http://www.hospicenet.org/html/faq.html
moonrabbit | Jul 27, 2010 | Reply