It's been one hell of a year.....

aarque

This may be a little off the subject, but here it is. I was diagnosed with DCIS in 2005, underwent an excisional biopsy, a re-excision to get the rest of the cancer out and then radiation. A year later, DCIS was found on the other side, but was small enough that I just had surgery. In January 2010, I went from 5 years of Tamoxifen to Femara. This past June, I had a vist with my oncologist. Other than feeling tired, I'd been doing OK. She said that I would be seeing her once a year. I thought everything was behind me, finally. Five weeks later I ended up in the hospital undergoing tests and procedures. The bottom line: I have pancreatic cancer. My onc dr was absolutely shocked. A nearby hospital told my husband they can keep me comfortable but I had barely a year left. My onc sent my case to Johns Hopkins Hospital and they are taking me on. I'll be going down there in a few weeks (after I finish two cycles of chemo) and will be discussing upcoming surgery...a Whipple procedure.

But that's not all.... . My older sister was operated on in January for a sarcoma and the surgeon had to remove her butt muscle. My younger sister has been diagnosed with breast cancer the same time I was diagnosed with PC. We will be doing a gene study. My onc says this is crazy..to have five cases of cancer between three sisters. My mother is 80 years old and is healthy as a horse. We are all hanging there.

MrsNice

aarque - I am so sorry you and your sisters are struggling so with this disease.  It seems to have no mercy!  I have heard that pancreatic cancer is the toughest, but I've also heard a few miracle stories of people who are surviving it for some years.  I pray your docs find a way to not only keep you comfortable, but find out what's going on in your family's DNA.  My thoughts are with you.

Kathy

Kitchenwitch

Dear MrsNice, My thoughts are with you and your family during this unbelievable time. Somehow I continue to be shocked by how much misfortune a person can be dealt (I've had a reasonably full plate myself, these last 15 years) while others seem to just glide through. Wishing you strength, peace and courage.

 Jill 

dmorgan2

Aarque-

I am so sorry about your new DX!! That's an awful lot for one person to bear! I am really sorry.

My Mom had pancreatic cancer and did the Gemzar too. I think it's wonderful that you can have the Whipple proceedure! I think that's encouraging news. If they can do that, a lot time, they can get it all. That proceedure isn't always able to be done. That's something to hope in and pray for for sure! I will pray for you. Do you mind my asking what your symptoms were?

3monstmama

I'm so sorry for you and your sisters and your mother.  Wishing you all strength.

ThumperTami

Dear aarque, my prayers are with you and I totally agree with kitchenwitch I to am one of those who have had more then my share of full plates over the years I don't get it.  I too would be interested in knowing your symptoms were, it's always so scary people don't understand once your diagnosed it's so hard to not think everything you feel is it coming back somewhere else. God Bless and stay strong!

aarque

Sorry for the long silence..so much has happened. To answer your question, I started losing weight, about a pound a week. the loss was so small I didn't pay much attention to it. l also had a dull ache between my shoulder blades off and on.  I felt tired and dragged out, but woke up one morning and discovered I was yellow..that sent me to the emergency room and was the start of this journey. I had surgery at Sloan Kettering on Oct 14, but the Whipple procedure couldn't be done because the cancer is hooked into a blood vein. I have been undergoing radiation every day and chemo (24 hours a day, 5 days a week administered by a pump that I wear in a fanny pack). The plan is that if the cancer shrinks off the vein, I may be able to have the surgery. if it hasn't, then it's more radiation. A recent CAT scan has shown that the cancer has shrunk a bit, but will undergo a diagnostic CAT scan to see if it indeed has shrunk off the vein. In the meantime, I'm fighting llike hell.

JanetinVirginia

Wow aarque!  I was happy to see your update.  Here's all my hope that the next scan shows it's off the vein!  Did genetic testing turn up any answers?  I can't help but think they are close to connecting the dots on familial cancers.  In my family tree - on my mother's side three of four siblings; three different cancers (lymphoma, colon, thyroid).  In my generation, three different cancers in two of three siblings (thyroid, leukemia, breast).  My very best to you.

June2268

OMG aarque, I am so sorry to hear you are going through this......Your poor family has suffered enough!  I am praying that with all your treatments that you can go in and be able to have the whipple procedure.  Thinking of you!  June