On Wednesday my Husband was diagnosed with Stage 4 Liver Cancer and to be honest it has hit us both like a ton of bricks and we honestly don't know what to do, who to talk to, where to find help. Our heads are all over the the place and its not good. We have been told his Cancer is not cureable but can be treated in an effort to keep it under control and at bay. We were also told that the detailed organ specific MRI has shown it has now affected his lungs, although there was no evidence of this after him having a CT Scan which was only performed a few weeks before the MRI. How can this horrid thing spread so fast and into another organ in such a small space of time?
We asked for a prognosis and was told at best 12 months and at worst 6 months which were within the average timescales.
He now has to wait for an appointment for a Liver Biopsy before they will prescribe Sorafenib. They have suggested a Clinical Trial also but after reading the first few pages of information it has scared us to death. The Oncologist said she would need to know whether he wanted to go onto the trial within 2 weeks otherwise it could not not be considered.
All of this has literally knocked us for six. We are scared, finding it difficult to come to terms with and basically both in an absolute mess. Our boys are 30 and 25 respectively and telling them has been the hardest thing we have ever had to do.
Can someone please help us? Can we ask for second opinions? Who do we ask about this? Why won't they try to shrink these tumours? We have been told that most of the liver is affected by the cancer.
I'm sorry there are so many questions here but after being hit with that news on Wednesday there is so much we should have asked but were just to shocked to even speak.
After speaking with the Oncologist we then saw a Liver Dr who said he was there to check that his Liver was performing well. He seemed genuinely shocked, after asking us so many questions, at how well and fit my Husband was and said that was very much in his favour. My husband does not really have many symptoms apart from the occasional pain in his side and a feeling of sickness. His appetite is roughly the same and he is and always has been quite active with work and his country sports.
Any idea of where we can go from here? We've been married 41 years and he is my life.
Hi LR19602003 welcome to the forum and I'm so sorry to hear about what is happening for you. I am not surprised that you are in shock with that news and all that information trying to process this and make decisions.
I wonder if there is an opportunity for you to go back and speak with the Oncologist and ask all the questions that you have posed here as this will not be the first time they have been asked to do this so please don't be put off by asking for this. Make a list of the questions that you want to ask as this can be helpful when you get into the consult and can become nervous or anxious both perfectly normal but sometimes makes us forget to ask the questions so having them written down is easier for you and your husband.
This beast has no rules unfortunately and can be lurking when we don't even know it is there.
I dont know what else to say to you except to let you know that we are here when you need us and we are thinking of you.
Sending some huge big hugs your way meantime. xx
gail
