Pancreatic and liver cancer

[WilsonMilson]

Diagnosed today. I can’t believe it. I thought I had gallstones. The liver tumour is already 7cm, I can’t even remember what the pancreatic one was, it’s on the head of the pancreas. They did more CT scans to see further spread but I don’t have those results yet.
I just am in a blur.
My pain has been getting really bad the last few days and I’m worried this is it. I will have a meeting probably next week to discuss the plan for treatment -if any.

I’m not ready. I’m 45. I have a son and a lovely husband. I have elderly parents.

I’ve gone into hyper organisation mode. It’s madness really, but tonight I bought birthday cards for my son, husband and mum for the next 4 years. I’ve been transferring money to different accounts to make it more accessible. I’ve emailed my son’s school, I’ve started writing to do lists.

My mum is flying in on Friday and will stay with me. I’m just so devastated and so sorry for my poor son and husband. I cannot believe this.

I'm so sorry. I've no experience of those cancers but that seems awfully unlucky at your age. You're the same age as me. Hopefully you'll have a bit of time.

I am so so sorry. That must be just devastating for all of you.

I am so very sorry. I have no advice that will ever help but I couldn’t just read and not comment. Sending so much love and strength x

Oh. I'm so sorry to read this. I'm awaiting results of blood tests as my body is going awry at 47 and I've lost 2 stone without trying.

I don't know what to say. You're in my thoughts. If there was any practical I could do for you then I would. However, I keep falling over and I think I've broken a knee (or both).

I'm just so sorry. Maybe if you're awaiting a treatment plan, there might some hope.

Just love.

Sending love, peace and strength to you and yours ❤

I'm so sorry 💐.
My Ddad got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2018 when he was in his early 70s. They operated - removed his pancreas, some intestine and gall bladder. I think it was called the Whipple procedure. The op went well, and with enzyme tablets, he was making a good recovery, and they removed all the cells.
He fell ill again in 2020, and tests and treatment were delayed due to covid. It turned out to be lung cancer, unrelated to pancreatic cancer. He would have more than likely made a full recovery if it weren't for the delays, and he passed away last year.
My DGdad had pancreatic cancer years ago, and they didn't even consider surgery, but the treatment nowadays is so much more advanced. Sorry, my experiences aren't what you probably need to hear, but I'm trying to say that my dad's treatment did go well for the PC and there is hope, and you have age and no covid related delays on your side. Thinking of you x

I think you're doing the right things. I don't know about liver cancers, but I know pancreatic cancer isn't great. Have they offered you any treatment? Apart from decent pain relief I mean.
One other thing is have you checked who is down as the beneficiary of your pension? Or I think you can withdraw the money yourself if you wanted to because of your diagnosis.
I am so sorry, I lost my dad to this, he was 96 though so we wouldn't have had him much longer, much more unjust when someone as young as you is diagnosed with it
I would also add get your GP to refer you to your local hospice, they were brilliant with my dad and also supporting the whole family.

I hope it's not as bad as you fear xx

I’m so sorry, what a shock for you. Just sending thoughts and strength your way, and hoping that you have as much good care and people around you at this time. 🌻

@WilsonMilson …my sisters partner is going to see consultant tomorrow phone call today at 5pm and I fear he will get same diagnosis. ! He had just a nagging discomfort in his upper abdomen ,all blood results were ok ,endoscopy ok but Ct showed a problem with head of pancreas. Am feeling sick with worry. Xx

Bloods being good is hopeful that at least if it’s the worst it’s been caught early.
My bloods are terrible, my white cells are through the roof, tumour markers just as bad. I hope he’s ok. I’m just in bits and I can’t sleep.

His bloods were ok I think ..my lovely sister is not medical so doesn’t really understand the results .
They are seeing the consultant tomorrow and it has been suggested that he will be referred to Kings College. Whereabouts in the uk are you ?
Am very happy to be your buddy ,if that helps you ❤️

I have responded on your other thread but couldn’t scroll past this. I remember the first couple of days after I was diagnosed were a blur and you are very much in the trenches right now. However if you can, try to focus on the fact that you do not yet know the prognosis. My brother had a massive tumour that invaded his bowel, liver and stomach. He’s still with us and very well - 25 years later! My tumour was 6cm and it was completely removed with surgery. My GP put me into an absolute spin because I had so many enlarged lymph nodes but as soon as I saw the specialist he reassured me that inflammation was common with my type of cancer and it didn’t necessarily mean anything sinister. And he was right. My liver enzymes have been elevated all along but I’ve had every scan under the sun and my liver is not involved.

What I’m saying - gently - is try not to get too far ahead of yourself. Medicine is advancing all the time and cancers that used to be untreatable can now be treated. All my very best wishes to you and I hope I haven’t upset you. I’m lucky my friends are tolerant because I snapped at so many people in the early days who said what I perceived as the ‘wrong’ thing.

@Remaker …thank you . A very positive post 💕

I'm very sorry you're going through this OP. I saw your thread from yesterday and now today's update. My friend's husband was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer 5 years ago. He had the whipple operation. Not sure what mix of other therapies he had. He is still with us and quite active. Thinking of you and hope you get some rest tonight.

I just wanted to wish you good thoughts and strength ♥️
Wait and see how things look once you’ve spoken with your medical team. Sending love your way

So sorry to hear this

Thank you, that’s actually so hopeful and I’m trying not to just think the absolute worst. That said, I’m sitting up in bed writing letters to my family to tell them all how much I love them.
I feel like I’m up against time here and need to do all these things. I just cannot sleep at all.

I remember lying awake and trying to cry quietly so I didn’t disturb DH. I hope that you will have many many decades ahead to tell your loved ones what they mean to you. My teens now tolerate the hugs and daily ‘I love you’ with much better grace than they used to. My 15yo DS even holds my hand on the couch sometimes! Some small positives after a cancer diagnosis.

I'm so incredibly sorry OP. Sending you a huge hug I'll be thinking of you.

So sorry OP. Sending you positive thoughts and strength. One day at a time. 💐

I'm so sorry, and I also am sending positive thoughts and strengths. Try to take one day at a time.

Dear OP
Wanted to say hello and that I'm so sorry to hear your shocking news. My sister -same age- had same diagnosis last year and we are walking the same road, albeit in different circumstances. The oncologists have been so responsive and the nurses amazing. They will likely get you on to chemo as soon as they can to attack the tumour and stop secondaries. There's no rule book and no map, that's the difficult thing: just a lot of waiting and hoping and testing and scanning - and praying, a lot of that too. The diagnosis genuinely was the most awful and shocking day for our family ever.
I wish you peace and strength and that you know the support of all around you.

I'm so sorry to hear this OP. It must be such an unbelievable shock for you and your family. Wanted to send a message as my sister was also diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 2 years ago at age 49. Sadly cancer does not discriminate by age it seems. She had the Whipple Procedure followed by chemo. Hopefully you'll hear back soon regarding your treatment plan as sometimes having a plan of action offers something to focus on and a small comfort that something is being done about it. It'll be a rocky road ahead for you for sure but it sounds as though you have a lot of family support and there's no reason to think your prognosis can't be good. Apparently Chris Rea was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the 1980s and is still here!

i haven’t slept all night. I keep thinking if I had just followed it up last year and pushed for more tests when I first got sore and got fobbed off with gastritis. I could have caught it much sooner.

As it is, a 7cm liver secondary tumour is very big, let alone as a primary. I’ve really gone downhill in health and up in pain even in the last few days and I’m very very very scared by the speed of the progression. I know I need to sleep but I’m in hyper overdrive and simply cannot settle. I fall asleep for 10 mins and jump awake again.

I just want to start any treatment as soon as I can. I wish so much it had been found earlier, I have so much I want to do with my family, me and my husband have so many plans, my son is just 17. He hugged me today and he never does that. We haven’t told him yet, though he knows I’m ‘having some tests’. He knows something is up. God I cannot believe this.

My wife (we are both female) was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2017. Like you, she had been backwards and forwards for almost a year to the GP with the pain, but was repeatedly told it was a side-effect of the medication she was on for Parkinson's Disease.

The pain was so severe one night I called 111 and when my wife described the pain the call handler thought she was having a heart attack so sent an ambulance. It was the blood tests that were done in A&E that alerted them to the fact that something was very very wrong, and after various scans she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

I won't bamboozle you with details of why some treatments (eg the Whipple procedure that has been mentioned) were not appropriate in my wife's case, but she had chemotherapy which gave her a very good quality of life for many months longer than we had been told to expect. We returned from holiday 6 days before her death in August 2019.

I remember with vivid clarity the whirlwind yet numbness of the early days where you are now, and my heart goes out to you. My wife went into super-organised mode too, she said there were things she could still be in control of at a time when so much was spiralling out of her control.

I've rambled a bit there, but I suppose the point I wanted to make is that there are so many things that can be done and it was our experience that the doctors involved in my wife's care investigated and offered every possible treatment, both physical and emotional.