Posts by slyowl10

My dad passed away on September 27th.
I’m going to miss him every single day for as long as I’m around. Ever since then, there’s just been this massive, empty hole in my chest.

My dad is battling a pancreatic tumor, and honestly, things are looking really grim. He’s starting to get disoriented, like he doesn't even know where he is anymore.
He keeps insisting on going home, but he’s already there. He hasn't eaten anything for days; he just lies there. Is it possible the cancer has spread to his brain? He isn't complaining about headaches—just pain in his stomach area—but he’s incredibly depressed.
How can I make this easier on him? It’s terrifying even typing this out, and I can only imagine what he’s actually going through right now.

My dad’s liver is incredibly swollen right now. He just had an ultrasound, and it showed fluid starting to build up on the right side of his liver. The doctors are acting like it's no big deal, though, since he already has metastases in the liver and needs to start chemo.
Will chemotherapy actually help reduce the swelling, or what?
I’m honestly terrified... I can't stop worrying that the swelling—or that fluid buildup—might just burst or something and suffocate him.

Does my dad, who's dealing with esophageal cancer, actually qualify for home nursing visits?
He's in a lot of pain, honestly—he's currently relying on Tramadol and Ibuprofen just to get through it.

Question for anyone out there who’s had to deal with losing someone to a serious illness.
How did you actually know when the end was coming? Did you just sort of sense it beforehand?
Is there a way to tell just by looking at them?

Are all these symptoms I listed actually just from the chemo?

Do you think an IV drip might actually help him?

I really need some advice here. My dad is currently going through chemotherapy—specifically gemcitabine. He’s in his fourth cycle right now, and ever since he got the treatment last Thursday, he hasn't been able to get out of bed. He has zero appetite, he’s completely wiped out, and he can't stop sweating...
I’m honestly terrified because he’s never acted this way after a treatment before.
Are these symptoms just a side effect of the chemo?
And how long does it usually take for things to start looking up?
If they even do improve at all?

He’s taking Zoldiar for the pain, which I guess seems okay on paper, but honestly, it just makes him feel totally wiped out. It's like he's constantly stuck in a fog.
What else could actually help take the edge off the pain?

The tumor actually shrank from 2.5 cm down to 1.7 cm, which is something, I guess, but there are metastases in the lymph nodes now, and that's why the pain is so intense. We're just sitting around waiting on the tumor marker results. Can anyone actually explain what having metastases in the lymph nodes really means?

Is there any chance the metastases have spread to other organs, and maybe that's why the pain is hitting so hard?

My dad’s dealing with pancreatic cancer and liver metastases, and honestly, things aren't looking great. For the last two weeks, he’s been in absolute agony with these brutal, aggressive pains in his lower abdomen. He went in for chemo yesterday, and his oncologist told him he needs to see a surgeon immediately. Right now, he’s stuck in the hospital getting run through every test imaginable. I’m probably going to lose my mind while we wait for the results and find out what's actually happening. The doctors are mentioning a possible gallstone?! How dangerous is that, given everything else he's fighting?
It doesn't help that I don't live in the same state as my parents. It just kills me that I can't be there to physically help him...
I fly back home every single weekend to try and lift his spirits, but watching him go through those pain spikes is just the worst part of it all..

My heart really goes out to anyone who’s dealing with a loss right now. Honestly, I can barely handle the thought of being separated from my own parents, so seeing what slyowl10 is going through has just completely shaken up our whole family.
To everyone else out there fighting their own battles with illness—I know it’s brutal. It’s just one treatment after another, and man, the bad days really pile up. But I guess you just can't give up or lose hope, no matter how heavy it gets.

Hey everyone.

My dad is 58, and about three months ago, everything just fell apart. He was diagnosed with a 2cm tumor in his pancreas, plus it’s spread to his liver. He’s doing chemo right now—I think it’s Gemcitabine? He’s currently in his second cycle, and honestly, I’m just sitting here waiting for my mom to call and tell me how he actually handled it...
Last time he had the treatment, he felt absolutely terrible. He ran a fever, and then the pain started hitting him hard..
I read on some website that if the pain gets really intense, it means the end is near.
I am so incredibly close to my dad and I'm terrified of the worst happening, even though I know deep down this disease is just brutal and unforgiving.
What has your experience been like surviving this?
Is there anything I should even be hoping for?