Asking for a little prayer...

[Realgone]

I just learned this evening, that my older sister has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She is 51yo...we are 7 years apart. I'm not sure how to even process this devastating news. She just had her biopsy on Tuesday, and today she was informed that there were cancer cells found in the biopsy. The next step is for her to see an oncologist to discuss how advanced it is and treatment options. I know this is an aggressive and very deadly form of cancer that progresses quickly, but that's all I really know about it. Can anyone here shed some light on this? Thanks.

Linda

I would recommend getting advice from a Naturopath in conjunction with the Oncologist. I tried for years to get someone I loved who was diagnosed with colon cancer to do this, but they never did. I think his outcome would have been better and I would not missing him every day and thinking about him all the time. I believe it was the chemo that killed him.

[goldfinch]

Naturopaths can't cure cancer. They can't and they don't and they never have. False hope is cruel.

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/...thic-oncology/

[smilingcat]

No one wants to hear the worst news, the nightmare and the fear we all want to avoid.

The news truly saddens me. There is no other way to put it or to lessen to devastating news. The most important thing from here is to try to get involved in something enjoyable and to help stop dwelling on the inevitable. Some may want to call it denial; but, I see it more as a means to a quality of life to celebrate who we are.

Sincerely,

Shawn

[nscrbug]

Well...I just spoke with my sister. She and the rep from her HR department have been on the phone most of the morning with BC/BS to see if there was some way around this "loophole". Unfortunately, she was told "no". She will not be able to switch her insurance plan from "basic" to the "standard" plan, which DOES cover a portion of out-of-network costs....as opposed to her basic plan which does not. She feels like we are "spinning our wheels" here, and doesn't want to waste anymore precious time. So...CTCA is no longer an option, and we are on to "plan B"...which is back to Northwestern for the standard line of treatment. She is calling them today to set it all up and we will go from there and hope for the best.

Linda

[indysteel]

Well...I just spoke with my sister. She and the rep from her HR department have been on the phone most of the morning with BC/BS to see if there was some way around this "loophole". Unfortunately, she was told "no". She will not be able to switch her insurance plan from "basic" to the "standard" plan, which DOES cover a portion of out-of-network costs....as opposed to her basic plan which does not. She feels like we are "spinning our wheels" here, and doesn't want to waste anymore precious time. So...CTCA is no longer an option, and we are on to "plan B"...which is back to Northwestern for the standard line of treatment. She is calling them today to set it all up and we will go from there and hope for the best.

Linda

We're all hoping for the best, too, Linda. We're here for you no matter what.

[mudmucker]

I haven't been on the forum much and am late to this thread. I wish you and your sister strength and peace through all of this.

[nscrbug]

I just realized that it's been a while since I posted an update to this thread, so here goes. The last time I posted, my sister's insurance had been rejected by Cancer Treatment Centers of America and we were moving on to Plan B - back to Northwestern for standard line of treatment, which consisted of a fairly new but extremely aggressive 3 chemo "cocktail" called Folfirinox. It required a chest port to be implanted so that the "fanny pack" pump she would have to wear for 46 hours could easily be attached for the treatments. Well...right before she was to have the chest port implanted (last Thursday), she decided that she didn't want to go through with the Folfirinox treatment. This regimen is considered very tough and only offered to the healthiest of patients due to the very harsh side effects. She basically had decided that she didn't want to spend her last few months here in misery and agony from the effects of the chemo...so she declined. But before we left the hospital, our NP called us back in to talk about another option. That option would be the old, conventional chemo treatment - gemcitabine. It's not as effective as the Folfirinox regimen, but it is much better tolerated by most patients. This is the treatment that Patrick Swayze underwent initially after he was diagnosed back in 2008. After taking the weekend to think it over, my sister has decided to give the gemcitabine treatment a try. She is tentatively scheduled for her first treatment on July 7th, but they are trying to get that date moved up sooner. She has been feeling nauseous and not eating much lately and is working with a nutritionist at the hospital. Naturally, they want her to maintain her weight as much as possible, so they are encouraging her to eat small, frequent high-protein, high-fat snacks/meals. Hopefully, she will have a positive response to the gemcitabine chemo and be willing to stay on it long enough to see if it helps.

That's all I have for now. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers...it is very much appreciated.

Linda

[PamNY]

Thanks for the update. Your sister sounds like an admirable woman. Still wishing the best for all of you.

Pam

[shootingstar]

Be with her.

Stay healthy yourself, meaning don't get a cold and expose it to her. Her immune system will break down with that chemo treatment.

I feel for you.