PM FAO Doodab's liver

[Scrag Meister]

A tad late reading this thread.

Really sorry to hear your news Doodab, keep fighting.

[d000hg]

I had thought about asking about the Royal Marsden earlier in the show, as it isn't that far from me, but the hospital I'm at already collaborates with them on cancer care anyway and thus far the care I have had has been absolutely excellent (IMO) and as the hospital treating me is where I will end up in an emergency I'd like to stick with them.

I don't think there really *are* that many other treatment options TBH, I have two on the table depending on results of some genetic testing, there might be different combinations of chemo drugs but as for how much difference they might make, it seems to be really just clutching at straws. There isn't a miracle cure in the trial pipeline or anything like that.

I will of course keep researching and asking questions about anything interesting I find, but so far the doctors have been brilliant, taking time to answer my questions and drawing diagrams and so on. I think the fact I've been reading sci-am and similar for 20+ years and so I'm aware of quite a lot of the recent advances in knowledge about cancer probably helps as well, between that and googling cancer research and macmillan they haven't really had to explain too much of the basic stuff to me.

If you don't mind saying, what specifically did you get diagnosed with?

Is treatment chemo only, or are they talking about any surgeries?

[Halo Jones]

Now that’s just tulip

Not a lot one can say but

As for the drug induced constipation I found that switching to black coffee (even de-caff) can work wonders there – or fybergel if you don’t like coffee

[DS23]

make sure your loved ones can spend time with you - that's the only thing worth a damn.

there is also the option to not fight. i know this seems wrong but you might well have a better quality end-of-life by not going through chemo. i've seen lives extended but the effect of the treatment is so debilitating...

not sure if you're a reader or not but look up "the emperor of alll maladies". it's a fascinating and beautifully written biography of cancer.

[doodab]

If you don't mind saying, what specifically did you get diagnosed with?

Is treatment chemo only, or are they talking about any surgeries?

Stomach Cancer. It's stage T4 and has spread around the lymph nodes and wall of my abdomen.

The stages of stomach cancer : Cancer Research UK : CancerHelp UK

There are some more details about the exact type of cell differentiation etc, I'm still researching those.

Treatment is chemo only, there is no point removing half my stomach as it's already got me and that would just make me weaker for the chemo. I asked about stent implants, but that won't actually benefit me i.e. relieve symptoms, due to where the primary lump is located.

I have a lot of meds to manage the symptoms, I've actually spent two hours putting together a spreadsheet to keep track of those as well as my eating and bowel movements (these apparently are vital to keep an eye on, I'm not just obsessed)

[doodab]

there is also the option to not fight. i know this seems wrong but you might well have a better quality end-of-life by not going through chemo. i've seen lives extended but the effect of the treatment is so debilitating...

I thought about it, but without the chemo I have 6 months tops (doctors opinion, borne out by stats). I owe it to my kids to fight for as long as I can, it's the last good example I can set them.

[rhubarb]

This makes heartbreaking reading.
I wish you all the best.

[suityou01]

Stomach Cancer. It's stage T4 and has spread around the lymph nodes and wall of my abdomen.

The stages of stomach cancer : Cancer Research UK : CancerHelp UK

There are some more details about the exact type of cell differentiation etc, I'm still researching those.

Treatment is chemo only, there is no point removing half my stomach as it's already got me and that would just make me weaker for the chemo. I asked about stent implants, but that won't actually benefit me i.e. relieve symptoms, due to where the primary lump is located.

I have a lot of meds to manage the symptoms, I've actually spent two hours putting together a spreadsheet to keep track of those as well as my eating and bowel movements (these apparently are vital to keep an eye on, I'm not just obsessed)

T4 means the tumour has grown right through the outer lining of the stomach. It is further divided into T4a and T4b. T4a means the tumour has broken through the outer lining of the stomach wall. And T4b means it has grown through the stomach wall and into other organs or body structures nearby such as the liver, foodpipe (oesophagus) or abdominal wall.

So given the lumps on your liver, it is T4B?

Whether cancer cells have spread to lymph nodes (N)

N0 means that there are no lymph nodes containing cancer cells
N1 means that there are cancer cells in 1 to 2 lymph nodes near to the stomach
N2 means there are cancer cells in 3 to 6 nearby lymph nodes
N3a means there are cancer cells in 7 to 15 nearby lymph nodes
N3b means there are cancer cells in 16 or more nearby lymph nodes

So which N number are you?

Also M numbers. Get's confusing for someone with a squirrel brain like meself.

Sorry for all the questions, just can't help but think a doctor with a more aggressive approach might have better odds, and maybe you should look at second opinions or whatever.

Really sorry to butt my nose in Doodab, I mean well.

[russell]

One of the pernicious things about cancer is the symptoms don't show in the early stages of some types, short of doing full body scans every 6 months it's silent. I guess one of the first questions is what might have caused it e.g. lifestyle, genetically predisposed or even virus. I hope you are in the far right tail of the curve regarding time.

[RedSauce]

This is really awful to read, I hope that through medication and lifestyle changes, you can give your children, family and friends as much time with you as possible. I am someone who always finds excuses to delay doing things, since I was young I have always wanted to travel but have always pushed it back a 6 months to a year at a time. But reading this has made me wonder what happens if i suddenly find I have not got time to do all the things that I had planned.

Please keep us updated with your progress and I really hope your symptoms aren't too bad to allow you to enjoy every day.