cholangiocarcinoma (Page 1 of 2)

carolann-I was in your shoes 1 1/2 years ago.  Father in law admitted with pain, jaundice, anorexia(not eating).  His cancer was classified as stage IV.  That was 19 months ago he is still here now.  Prayer works.  You might have a rough road ahead so stay strong and informed.

Chris

they havent sed how progressed the tumour is they sed they cant say, it was yesterday we got the news, and took it really bad, although she as picked up with the eating now. im trying to stay strong for the family, its not easy.

ands how is ur father in law doing now?

thnx for ur reply, she got told there is no cure, n she cant av surgery, althought she may b able to av chemo,its the initial shock that devastates,i av spent the past wk by her side now she as been transfered hospitals, makes it harder to visit, i feel so helpless, will keep the site updated with the progress, n hopefully look up to the future, sorry to hear bout ur loss too.

thnx so much j mneypenny where located s yorks, shes at sheffield at the moment, were not getting to find out much of wots happening the only thing we no is that shes going into theatre fri to av bile duct stretched n sumthing out in. then there letting her home.

Hya Carolann Just read your mail.
So sorry about your mom.
  However. I am in Birmingham and lost my son.
  Like jmoneypenny advise that you get as much information of this site as you are
   able at this time. If need be get second or even third opinions but make sure the docs and you have as much information  as possible. Some on this site have spoke about a prof. lodge at leeds. ?
    I found that my biggest concern with alan was how to stop him losing the weight that he had so quickly. There are lots of threads on here about food and vitamins etc.

At the time alan was so ill I offered to pay for some scans etc but was advised not to do this by the hospital. I now wished we had gone ahead and got them much quicker
as time was of the essence.
If you need to speak or mail someone please feel free to contact me by mail and I will give you my number and help in any way possible. All of my best wishes go to you and yours.
love and light  Alans Mom

thnku so much kate, im trying to get as much help n information i can get, its a pretty numb moment for us all, the more i no bout the disease the better i think i will feel, its not knowin things that makes it harder to cope with. good luck bestwishes.

Carolann - I see that you're in the UK and already the UK people have gotten right on track, giving you the information you need. I'm in the US so couldn't help you with that stuff - I'm so glad there are such knowledgeable and helpful people on this board who CAN help you with all the practical details. I should have realized you were in the UK since it was 5 in the morning here! I just can't sleep since my mother passed.

Anyway, keep in mind that everyone's case is different with this horrible cancer. Some people live only 2 months - like my mother - and some people live 8 years or more after diagnosis (there are a few miracle stories on this forum, lots of people still going after years, especially if they're young when diagnosed). The doctors tell everyone they have a year, maybe 2, and everyone's different. If they're putting a stent in her bile duct so that it's not blocked, that seems to work wonders for many people and gives them a lot more time and a lot more quality of life.  Right now you still have hope - so cling on to that or you'll go crazy!

Best of luck and sorry I didn't respond sooner, but I had to go to bed eventually- Joyce

Hya Carolann it is 5.43/pm thursday now.
Good luck to you and your mom tomorrow for stent insertion.
Hopefully your mom will not feel too bad.
You will feel dazed and numbed by all of these things at the moment.
However, if need be personally I would either speak to docs over the weekend and find out as much as possible.
OR E-MAIL, FAX or telephone the number given for prof lodge etc.
Whilst I know most doctors are quite quick many in this country are not informed enough concerning this type of cancer and tend to take too much time.
There is no harm in making enquiries and having more information and more options.

Every little helps and please make use of all of us on this site as there are some marvellous stories. love and light  Teresa

once again thnk u so much, 4 ur help and support, how r u feeling? they say times a healer, im glad to av found this site it is of much help.

Carolan mate!
As far as I'm aware, the insertion of a stent is not a big worry in itself. My Mum had to have one put in last year before she had her resection (operation to remove the tumour), and it was quick easy and painless. I hope the Docs have explained this to you. The stent should allow the bile duct to open again and relieve her jaundice, which is caused by the bile not being able to flow through the bile duct, because the tumour constricts it.
I am going to PM you Carolann.

Carolann-

Stents have worked wonders for my father in law.  As with any procedure involving a foreign object being placed in the body, there is a risk of infection.  The stent will most likely need to be replaced after time-the frequency is usually determined by whether the stent is metal or plastic.