[Cassiel]

I'm looking for some straight answers about what to expect. Has anyone here known someone with it? My mother was diagnosed with this today. It is also in her liver and has wrapped around some blood vessels. I know the news isn't good, but I really want to hear from someone who knows about this.

 

[veggielove]

First, cassiel, I'm so sorry to hear about your mother's diagnosis. :-(

My advice to you - treasure every moment you have with her from now on. My personal experience with pancreatic cancer has not been good, but I can't speak for all cases of course. I lost one friend after a 6 month fight, another after a year. But as sad as it was to lose the people I loved, both of them had the same attitude - "I've lived a good life, I've done good things, and I'm proud of what I'm leaving behind." I think that attitude helped them as much as it helped the rest of us struggling with it.....

Cancer is a terrible thing. Its touch is wide. Let your love for your mother be a strength to her, and hers for you be a strength to you. I will pray for you both.

 

[gaya]

I'm sorry to hear this sad news. My story is the same as veggielove. I've known two people who have had it and both passed within a year. One of my best friends was diagnosed after giving birth (the pregnancy masked her symptoms) and she left us within in weeks. My girl-friend's dad had it and he was around for about a year. He spent time with his family, got his affairs in order and never gave up hope.

 

[IamJen]

cassiel. I'm sorry to hear about your mom's diagnosis. My grandfather had pancreatic (and other) cancer. He went through varied treatments and survived for about a year and half, I want to say. That was a good while ago though. The problem, I understand, with pancreatic cancer is often that by the time it's diagnosed, it's already spread to other places.

 

[zoebird]

much love to you and your family during this time.

 

[echowarrior]

Cassiel my father passed away from pancreatic cancer almost 28 years ago now. Cherish every moment you can with you mother.

Just this summer my good friend lost her FIL to the same diagnosis. She wrote something so touching and beautiful regarding this in her blog if you would like I'd love to share this with you.

Love

and blessings,

Vera

 

[Lothar M Kirsch]

Hi, Cassiel,

so sad to hear about your mother. My grandmother died of pancreatic cancer at the age of nearly ninety and it was more a passing away. The father of a dear friend died 1 1/2 years after a gruesome battle. The last pateint I diagnosed pancreatic cancer was the husband of one of our nurses. And he died after 3 months.

What you tell about your mother doesn't sound good as the liver is involved and blood vessels.

The only advice I can give: love can make the difference.

 

[Cassiel]

Thanks everybody. It helps a lot just to feel like I'm not alone. We're all kind of reeling from this news at the moment. Anybody know some good holistic sorts of remedies for the discomfort?

 

[rabid_child]

I'm sorry Cassiel

Your family will be in my thoughts.

The best advice that I can give is my general social work-y advice... you may want to seek out some mental health services for your family because serious illness is very stressful and you want to make sure you and the rest of your family stay as healthy as possible for your Mom. If you are working through a hospital, see if they have a social worker on staff who can help you with service coordination and making sure you all understand what is happening with your mother's care. Best wishes to you.

 

[missbelgium]

Quote:

Anybody know some good holistic sorts of remedies for the discomfort?

You may want to try Reiki or Yin Shin Jyutsu. These are energy healing techniques that will (partially ?) restore balance in the body. I have a good experience with both in the auto-immune range, and the therapist I go to tells me she has helped cancer patients too. I also hear homeopathy and/or acupuncture could help with the nausea resulting from chemotherapy.

There is registration for Yin Shin Jyutsu healers in the USA (and I suppose for Reiki and homeopathy too), which helps to avoid charlatans.

http://www.infoholix.net/category.php?mId=31

http://www.healingartsnetwork.com/midatlantic-reiki.htm

etc. there's a bunch of those websites on the net.

I have no personal experience with this particular form of cancer but I hear it is very bad. I wish you, your family and your mom strength in these terrible times and can only hope that love and support, and maybe some energy healing, will help your mom while she is dealing with this.

 

[Cassiel]

Thanks! She is not big on holistic medicine though she has gone to a naturopath and actually learned how to perform reiki at a novice level several years ago, so I am sure she will be receptive to that.

Rabid_child (or anyone), can you recommend any good books for families trying to provide care and support to someone with a serious illness?

I want to know as much as possible while my brain still is operating (at whatever level it actually is operating at the moment...).

 

[missbelgium]

Any books by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross will be good.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_K%C3%BCbler-Ross

The Wheel of Life is her autobiography and I found it an amazing book.

 

[Wolfie]

Check out Cancer Treatment Centers of America. If any place can offer your mom hope, it's them.

http://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-s...gy-kessler.cfm

My prayers are with you and your mom. My grandma had pancreatic cancer.

 

[cftwo]

Cassie - my second-hand experience with pancreatic cancer isn't too positive, either. It's one of the scarier ones, from what my MD friends tell me. When (if, hopefully) it gets to the point where you need to think about end-of-life care, remember that you can get some really good support and help from Hospice centers. There are nurses and volunteers trained to help out everyone and give support. Hang in there. And as Rabid Child suggested - don't forget to get some support for YOU.

(I think Rosalyn Carter (the former President's wife) wrote a well-received book on care-givers.)

 

[Cassiel]

Thanks for all the support, everyone. It means a lot. I checked out that Cancer Treatment Centers of America page - there's a woman on that whose diagnosis sounds just like my mom's! I mean, I know her odds are long, but even a tiny possibility is more than most people have alluded to.

It ain't over till it's over, right?

 

[Eclipse]

I've heard this is one of the worst cancers to get.

First off...I'm sorry this must be very hard ( understatement

.)

One of my mom's friends had it and it was just a downhill struggle.

She died exactly in the time slot predicted.

Same with a relative of mine.

I hope in the meantime that some treatment options have come along so there is a chance.

 

[fontrella]

Hi Cassie, my prayers is with you and your family as well as your mother. My cousin had it. The out come wasn't good either. Spend time with your mother and research on this.

Again I am keeping you in my prayers.

 

[karenlovessnow]

So sorry to hear the news about your mom!

I will keep her, you and your family in my prayers.

 

[Wolfie]

Are you in the US? Here's another place to check out, the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Care. Here's the web site:

http://www.blockmd.com/home.html

It's in Evanston, IL, near Chicago.

I was reading a magazine article last night about a woman with stage 4 pancreatic cancer who was treated here with the chronotherapy the website mentions. After two years, she has no signs of cancer.

I'm not trying to give you false hope, just hope. Best wishes to you and your mom again.

 

[Cassiel]

Thanks, Wolfie. In my reading I've come across several avenues that offer some hope. The prospects are relatively grim, but what are we going to do - give up?