Has anyone had to undergo surgery shortly after therapy??
My husband had his last rad treatment 10 days ago.

He developed abd pain that led to CT..then this morning I did an ultrasound of his gallbladder and is appeared very abnormal and the radiologist said is suspicous for a cancer. We see his surgeon this afternoon. I am devestated and falling apart.
My husband doesn't know yet.

The surgeon told us yesterday that he would be at high risk for surgery right now because of recently receiving radiation to his neck. The intubation during anesthesia being a very big concern.
This was before the ultrasound was done. I don't know what he will tell us this afternoon with the more conclusive findings.
How am I going to get through this?

Vicki

I have two observations that may or may not be of value to you.

I had a PEG for a long time. People that do, frequently develop gall stones... in the hundreds. I ended up in an ER when my gall bladder went south in unbelievable pain. Surgery was done laproscopically the next day and it was removed without incident. Which is the second point, that the GB is not an essential organ, and its removal can be done easily with a minimally invasive procedure. Not knowing more about what makes your doctor think this is a cancer, I don't know if this information helps you. As a side note, in 6 years of working with patients, I have never heard of a gall bladder second primary cancer.

Vicki,
Oh, how I wish there was an easy answer for you.

I don't have to tell there isn't...you already know that. Look back...a couple of months ago, when you expressed the same feelings. All perfectly normal, and something we have all experienced. How do I get through this????

Something we all wonder, and surprise ourselves by doing just that; getting through it. We pull on reserves we didn't know we had, find strength we'd hidden all our lives, and WE GET THROUGH IT.

So will you. You'll get through this hurdle, and the next, and the next. You'll continue to surprise yourself, and you will learn things about yourself that will change you for the better.

We will be here when you need to vent, or cry, or cheer a victory. Much luck. I'm keeping you in my thoughts
Wayne

Hi,

Brian, yes gallbladder cancer is a rare one.
I have done ultrasound for about 19 years now and the first thing I thought when I scanned my husband today was that it was a cancer. It's definately not a stone. I haven't seen a gallbladder like this in a long time. What are the odds that he could have 2 primarys?? Who knows?
I'll find out tomorrow when surgery consult appointment will be. We will have to travel off island for that.
I am hoping it's a big misdiagnosis..


Wayne,
Thanks for the words of support. I am trying to pull it together because there are so many things to get in order. My husband is handling it quite well so far.
I am just spent and don't know where I will get the energy to get through all this.
My mother was just diagnosed with lung cancer, too. I'm surprised I am actually doing as well as I am.

Vicki

Vicki,
It may be a second, unrelated cancer, which would give him better odds of survival since it may not be SCC.

Vicki

Just wanted to let you know I am praying for you and all of your family. These times are truly rough. If we were closer I would just reach out and give you a hug. Lets pray for the best.

Hi, Vicki, Stay tough- you got a bunch to take care of. Amy in the Oz

Vikki


((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))) to you and your family !! I hope everything turns out for the best and as Wayne says ...we never know how we are going to get through it we just do , I dont know that we can even tell you afterwards how we did it ...Just know that in your heart we are all with you every step of the way ! LOVE AND PRAYERS are comin yor way !

Shar

Vikki - I would like to echo Wayne's words about "Getting Through It" - and you will get through it, too! Sometimes it is just 5 minutes at a time, before you go on to the next step but the important thing is that each step makes you stronger to handle the next hurdle that comes along. Before my son's OC, I thought divorce was the worst thing I've ever had to get through but even with the devastation of OC, I noticed that the hot baths I needed to get through the anxiety of divorce, had decreased from 4-5 a day to a couple of times a day with OC! Worrying about my son's OC was definitely the most anxiety producing event of my life, but I did find the strength from past experiences, trying different things, but especially from coming to this OCF site several times a day and absorbing all the good advice and compassion. You have so much to handle right now - I hope you can find time to be good to yourself, too. Sending prayers and positive thoughts your way.

Thanks to everyone for your support. When I do get overwhelmed, I keep reminding myself of what I went through when we found out about the OC...knowing that we were able to get through that has given me some strength.
I keep reminding my husband, too, that somehow we WILL get through this. He was SO down yesterday and this morning and was resisting tube feedings, but I had to be firm. With the recent abd pain he is reluctant to do a whole can at one time, so we are doing 1/2 cans at more frequent intervals and he seems to handle that.
We had a scare tonight where his abd started to hurt again so I was running around packing bags and getting ready to go to the hospital. It was a frantic time...trying to contact our house sitter and making sure I wasn't forgetting what to pack.
He managed to pull through and seems a bit more alert and getting back to his "post therapy" self.
Now that things have calmed down I'll have to do a more organized "repack" because he will be having to go to Oahu soon. We want to avoid, if at all possible having surgery in Hilo. If worse comes to worse they could remove his gallbladder here, but he would need a second surgery to remove part of his liver and for that he needs to go to Oahu. We just want a single surgery , of course, so he needs to stay healthy and hopefully avoid any more problems.

Vicki