Asking for a little prayer...

[Possegal]

A comprehensive cancer center is a great place for your sister to be seen. I'm glad she's going to an appointment there. Ask the surgeon if there is potential that if chemo/radiation shrinks the tumor enough, could it then make surgery an option? I have no idea, but that has happened with people I know with other cancers. My sister wasn't a surgery candidate for another reason but then after the chemo/radiation, she was. It wasn't successful, but they were able to try. But she's still doing very well. She doesn't have pancreatic mind you, but sometimes it helps to hear of other people doing well beyond what the median survival time is.

And that is the only number a doctor can really give you, median survival. At this time, half of the people with this stage of this disease are still alive, half are not. Then there are many reasons why what happens to the population isn't indicative of what will happen to any one person. No one person is a statistic. No doctor knows how long anyone has to live. They know what the population statistics tell them. I'm always dismayed when I hear of doctors telling anyone "you have X months to live". This is all horrid enough, without being told a defined timeframe. My sister was told that 23 months was the median for her disease, that was hard enough. I'm glad she wasn't told that she had 23 months to live. Next week will be 49 months.

I'm so sorry you and your family are going through this. I understand all too well how it feels to sit there feeling so helpless while your sister is in a battle like this. It sounds like you are doing everything you can for her, but the powerless feeling totally s*&#s. I have a good bit of experience in this area - both professionally and 49 months as a sister to a cancer patient. If I can do anything, don't hesitate to PM me.

You and your sister are in my prayers!

[spindizzy]

Your sister has a wonderful sister. Strength and healing are sent your way.

[pll]

Thinking of you and your sister this morning. Best wishes for today's appointment.

[indysteel]

thinking of you and your sister this morning. Best wishes for today's appointment.

+1.

[nscrbug]

Today we went to see the oncologist at Northwestern to consult about my sister's latest CT scan, which she had this past Friday. The news wasn't good, unfortunately. Apparently, the new scan is showing a lesion on the liver. She is scheduled for a biopsy of the liver lesion, but the doctors are almost certain that the cancer has now spread...making it Stage IV. Surgery is no longer an option now. Her only options are aggressive chemo/radiation therapy, or getting into an open clinical trial at the University of Chicago. We were so hopeful going into this today...thinking that there was a chance of shrinking the tumor with chemo/radiation in hopes of getting her to the point of surgery to remove it. And now everything has changed from "survival" to just prolonging the inevitable, which is something my sister is not sure she wants to go through. She doesn't want to suffer and be in pain for her last few months here...and I can't say as I blame her...I wouldn't want that either. This is just so overwhelming. I know she is looking to me for guidance on what to do, and I honestly don't know what to tell her.

Linda

[Catrin]

Oh my, I am so very sorry. Sending warm thoughts and prayers for you, your sister, and your family. Your sister has a wonderful sister helping to support her!

[blackhillsbiker]

You are both in my prayers.

Deb