Posts by Tyler Rogers3

They wouldn't operate on my Dad... three massive lesions on his liver... not even Ms. Jadrijevic would budge. He cried—he was terrified, just like a little kid—and he hadn't even retired yet... in the end, that "inoperable" diagnosis turned out to be the best thing. He lived for another three years, enjoying life immensely thanks to the Johanna Budwig diet, even though he used to be obsessed with meat and cooked foods. He went all in on life and got three years in return; he wanted more, but the illness wouldn't allow it. I’ll remember him as a fighter—as a man who loved watching sunsets, a good Western, and the sounds of a great sirtaki...

neoncyclist792 said:She didn't wake up this morning.

Please accept my condolences...

My Dad passed away on August 3rd... it feels like an eternity ago, and I’m sitting here crying my eyes out just typing this. I couldn't do anything to help him—not with the morphine, nor the Tramal, nor even when the paramedics arrived. If I can somehow offer some advice to others, I'm here, because I was right by his side through those final months. And thank you, Angela Wright, for starting these threads; once I realized we were losing him, I don't know if I would have made it through without her support... and it was truly awful. May God watch over us in times like these.

One day, when this whole agony finally settles down, I’ll write about how my dad—facing inoperable adenocarcinoma with a one-year prognosis at most—actually managed to squeeze out three incredible years just by changing his diet. Right now, though, he's going through hell. He's had two emergency room visits already. The staff is wonderful, really, but the 35/mcg patch isn't doing a thing. He’s developed oral candidiasis, he's completely swollen up, and he's still fighting—he wants to walk on his own, but he just can't.
It’s true that almost nobody can understand what this looks like unless they've lived through it themselves—I’m only just beginning to realize that.
I wonder how long it will take me to get used to all these grim sights and start focusing on the good memories instead, but that’s a conversation for another time.
I just wanted to say that sharing information matters; maybe our story might someday help someone beat their own prognosis.
Unfortunately, they told us jaundice hasn't set in yet, so we're basically just waiting for the worst of the suffering to begin.

Fursemid isn't doing anything—his blood pressure is spiking, and he can't even swallow anymore. Does anyone know what else could be given to bring down a reading of 200/116?

Angela Wright said:The mods asked me to start this second part of the thread—since the first one hit the 10,000 post limit set by the admins. Everything stays right where it is, and you can still read all the old posts; we’re just moving the conversation here.

Here are the links to the first and last pages of the old thread.

Let me take one more quick look back at the original thread.

When I first started this, I was in an incredibly difficult spot in my life—more out of pure desperation than any actual need for answers, I guess. I was driven by that idea that if you give something to someone else, it comes back to you tenfold, so I hoped God would help me through my situation. And honestly, He did. This thread ended up bringing a lot of good things into my life personally. Unfortunately, some of those big things turned into massive disappointments, but I never wanted to stop writing here. It’s become a habit, I suppose, and I still believe that if I help others, God will help me—but it has also become my way of finding some sort of higher purpose in all the horror my mother and I went through together.

501 pages, 10,014 posts, 1,338,026 views. Those numbers represent so much sadness, despair, and agony—but also plenty of positive realizations, comfort, and peace. When I started this, I had no clue what these numbers would eventually mean, or how many fundamentally devastating life situations they actually hide. Today, after seven years on this thread, I’ve gathered a mountain of experience, knowledge, and insight. One thing I've learned is that if we don't pass our knowledge along—even when our own situation ends well or poorly—there won't be any real progress, and these numbers will just keep growing because the world is getting older and sicker.
In that sense, I’m asking everyone who writes here: please come back and check in once you've dealt with your own issue, and help someone else solve theirs. You don't have to be a fanatic like me, but think of it as a beautiful way to offer an oblation for the suffering of your loved ones or your own struggles. For those who lost their battles, it honors their souls; for those who overcame them, do it out of gratitude. Personally, it gives me a damn good feeling—one I’d recommend to anyone. 😉

See you in the threads.🙂

Thanks, everyone.

Thanks, Angela Wright, for all the effort you put into looking out for us and sharing what you know.
We had the home health nurse come by for his dexamethasone and ranitidine injections—but the IV fluids are a real issue right now because of the edema. They can't get the Braunid in, and his blood pressure is through the roof; it hit 200 systolic today. We're giving him one dose of Fursemid, though I'm honestly not sure if we're even allowed to increase the dosage.
I suppose the hardest part is that he’s occasionally conscious enough to realize what’s actually happening...

I’m typing this while my 67-year-old dad just sits there—eyes closed, rocking back and forth in his chair. I feel completely hopeless. For about six days now, he hasn't really known where he is; he just cries like a child, wailing and clinging to the furniture. Nights are the absolute worst. He takes 5 mg of Normabell before bed, but clearly, it isn't doing enough. We're looking at the end of a three-year battle with inoperable liver adenocarcinoma—it's spread to his lungs, bones, and brain. When he is actually conscious, speaking is a struggle because his tongue is so swollen. How can I make him more comfortable? Is there even anything I can do?

My dad takes Megostat in the morning—it’s actually helped his appetite, unfortunately—but everything else just isn't working.
I suppose I don't know if this applies to everyone, but it did save us regarding his hunger, though for the pain, we were just given a patch.

Rebecca Garcia35 said:Tummy, yeah, that’s most likely ascites. My mom dealt with that—pancreatic cancer. That fluid doesn't just vanish on its own; they have to drain it via paracentesis. Mom was taking Fursemid, but even that didn't really help much. It made breathing incredibly difficult because the fluid was pressing against her lungs and other organs... we had to go in for drainage constantly.

I am so sorry you're going through this—I know how hard it is. Maybe try to talk your dad into going to the hospital, just so he can get some relief.

Thanks for the reply. Sadly, he wouldn't listen to me—he’s terrified of hospitals, and I can't really blame him. We'll see how things look tomorrow. Thanks again, truly.

I need some advice—my dad has liver adenocarcinoma with metastases, and tonight his abdomen feels hard; it looks like fluid is building up. I'm not sure if I should insist on rushing him to the clinic since he’s refusing, or if there's any hope this just settles down. Please help if you know anything.

wanderingcobra76 said:Based on the description, it unfortunately seems to be primarily about metastases. Does the report mention anything regarding how the lesions behave after the contrast agent is administered?

Generally speaking, patients with newly discovered liver metastases are often referred to a gastroenterologist first—who then coordinates the follow-up to pinpoint the primary tumor and confirm if those changes are truly metastatic—but waiting two months is simply far too long.
In principle, these patients really ought to be admitted to a hospital for a full workup as soon as possible.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, unfortunately, I had to pull some strings just to get a hospital gastroenterologist to walk me through the results. I’m posting this for anyone else who might feel as desperate as I do and is looking for answers. I was told that metastases over 4 cm aren't surgical candidates—and that maybe I have a year or two left with medication. If anyone has any experience with this, please let me know, thanks.

Could anyone who actually understands radiology explain my father's scan? He's 64. MSCT of the upper abdomen:
The liver shows an inhomogeneous structure. Three hypodense lesions are visible within the liver. The largest lesion is located in hepatic segment V, measuring 6 x 3 cm. The second largest is in segment VIII, measuring 4.2 x 3.6 cm. The smallest lesion is in segment IV, measuring 1.5 cm. These described lesions, which are mostly necrotic, would primarily correspond to secondary deposits.
A 2.7 cm lymph node is visible in the hepatoduodenal ligament, along with a 1.4 cm interaortocaval lymph node.
The other parenchymal organs of the upper abdomen show no focal changes.

Searching online, I've come across that secondary deposits indicate metastases—m.t. [meaning] cancer. However, his primary care physician insists that isn't the case—that some might just be cysts—but instead of referring him to an oncologist, she's sending him to a gastroenterologist, and he won't be seen for another two months 🙄. Otherwise, he feels fine; he had the MSCT because a blood test showed certain changes in the liver.
Thanks in advance for any help!