2ww - DH and suspected liver cancer

[Lulubo1]

This is so strange and new to me. DH has been suffering from so many strange symptoms and it's taken me months to convince him to go to the doctor. He ended up in A&E last Sunday and they did a CT scan and found something on his liver. They wanted to do an MRI, but the department was closed (it was 2am Monday morning by this point). They sent him home and told him they would call him back as an outpatient. Well, he's heard his MRI has been booked for 30th April and the A&E doctor has asked for him to be referred under the "two week wait" for hepatic malignancy. DH is so calm about it, but I'm freaking out (I'm a worrier and over thinker). I hate not knowing what's ahead of us and what to expect. Everything I see online is so doom and gloom when it's the liver. I just feel very lost. I'd like to ask what should we expect, but I suppose it's different for everyone. This is not the 2ww we thought we'd be doing this year. I want to be supportive, but inside I'm falling apart and nothing has been diagnosed as yet.

Oh OP I'm so sorry to read your update.

@Lulubo1 I'm so sorry to read your update and agree with PP this is the worst part when you don't know the stage or treatment. Lean heavily on the nursing team at this point as they are brilliant and so helpful plus are used to dealing with lots of crying! Sending hugs.

Thank you for all your kind words. We went away on our planned holiday to Scotland and it was lovely. We put it all behind us for over a week, we hiked and acted silly with our DD. However, we are back to reality with a bump. DH has another MRI on Wednesday and had a phone call for another colonoscopy booked for mid June. We are awaiting the staging and treatment plan, and hoping this comes soon so we know what we are dealing with. The wait is hard, but I'm glad we had this break away to distract us. I'm sorry to vent to strangers, it just is easier to tell strangers than people I know right now

I’m so glad you managed to get away on your trip OP! Sounds like you all had a fab time.

Could you perhaps think about planning/ jotting down a few more small trips, even if it’s just a day-trip or picnic, to give yourselves something to focus on and look forward to amongst all the other things going on.

Sending very best wishes for the next steps.

Gosh that's a shock. Try to think of the positive as it's a answer so it can be treated next.

Been through this with DH. Turns out he has primary sclerosing cholangitis which has caused significant scarring of his liver. No cure but he will live. Good luck.

I'm very glad you enjoyed your holiday.

Ace news

I had this late 2023
They put the fear of god into me re mass on liver
And maybe liver cancer.
It was not
I have fatty liver ( i have pcos )
And another liver condition

We met with the surgeon. I'm numb. DH is going to have surgery to remove a cancerous polyp from his bowel, then he will have chemo and then after that - a liver resection. He apologised for the delay, he said a lot of people were all off at the same time in the oncology team and it's led to a delay and a backup. It's such an emotional rollercoaster. From being told it's not liver cancer to then finding bowel cancer and then being told, actually it has spread to the liver. I'm an emotional mess. The colo-rectal nurses have been so kind, but now I'm panicking. Rhetorical questions....is my DH going to be ok? How are we going to cope? How are we going to pay the bills? My poor DH is not taking it well. I'm trying to stay strong for him, but I'm falling apart internally.

@Lulubo1 I'm so sorry to hear this and agree it is an emotional roller coaster. The oncology team will do their very best and the nurses are a great support but it is s@@t! My husband is Stage 4 oesophageal cancer and despite it being diagnosed on 1st April, he's still yet to start any treatment. Just keep trying to stay strong but there will be times when you can't - you are human! One day at a time and support each other. There is lots of support around and don't feel bad to reach out for it. 💔

Im so sorry to hear

The team @ Macmillan can be a great support

So sorry. Does he have critical illness cover ? Sickness cover from Work? Maggies cancer units are absolutely incredible and will be able to advise about benefits he will be entitled to. Do you have sickness cover? You can get signed off for stress if you have good sickness cover whilst he’s recovering from surgery. His chemo won’t likely make him lose his hair if that makes you feel any better. Usually for colon cancer it is a pump so he’ll go to hospital and they’ll fit a little bottle with a bag inside it to him and he’ll go home with it attached. He’ll likely need to have a tube fitted for chemo, either one that goes into his chest and remains outside, or one in his arm that is a lot less visible, or he can have a port fitted.

stage 4 bowel cancer is really treatable these days it’s not necessarily the death sentence it feels like. He needs to engage with all the support that is available.

I’m so sorry about what you’re going through. My DH was diagnosed with Colo-rectal cancer a year ago and we also have a very young dd. His treatment was different, he had chemo-radiotherapy last summer to shrink the tumor (which was large) and then surgery in December to remove it. He’ll have a stoma for the rest of his life but he’s cancer free and doing well and getting back to himself. I completely fell apart when we got his diagnosis. I remember crying in my DMs arms but once the initial shock is over, it seems to become a new normal and you get on with it. We tried to focus on the next stage of treatment and getting through that, rather than trying to look ahead to the unknown. It’s hard, very hard but there is support (Maggie’s are brilliant), and remember that you matter too so seek support for you if you can.

how awful for you all OP
I am so sorry to read the update
sending you strength 💐

I’m very sorry to hear your news OP. In terms of the financial side of things, does your DH have Critical Illness Cover? Or Income Protection? These should both be able to be claimed on. The Critical Illness Cover pays a lump sum and the Income Protection a regular monthly amount, both tax free.

Is he employed? If so check the contract for sick pay and also what benefits he gets with work.

I wish you both the very best.