I have just been diagnosed with HCC and I'm going in for vein mapping at Moffitt Cancer Center in preparation for injection of Theraspheres. Has anyone had experiance with this and what was the outcome?
liver cancer
- Thread starter grayghost
- Start date
When the Doc wheeled up to me, looked me straight in the eye from about 14" away and said "You've Got Cancer" I almost puked. Almost 3 yrs ago now when I was 50 and he had to throw in there "In 30yrs you're the second youngest I've seen with this advanced Prostate Cancer". It took my Father. The biopsy's from all four quadrant's where all over 90% except two samples.
Radiation, Seeds, or Removal. I went with the Da Vinci method of removal (Robotic). Made my choice and stuck with it. You Sir are obviously dealing with a different Cancer so I can only speak regarding "Being In The Club". We'd obviously rather not go through this, but we're in whether we wanna be or not right.
I made myself as familiar as I could with my condition and my choices and what the down side of those choices could be. You will be challenged, scared, angry, and a bevy of other emotions that will overtake you from time to time. Stay the course. Keep your head up. Do your utmost to stay positive and stare this thing down till it flinches.
From my heart, I wish you all the strength in the world to face and overcome this most unfortunate circumstance.
SoapBox: For the rest of ya, please if you're over 40-45 get your PSA checked. It could save your life.
Radiation, Seeds, or Removal. I went with the Da Vinci method of removal (Robotic). Made my choice and stuck with it. You Sir are obviously dealing with a different Cancer so I can only speak regarding "Being In The Club". We'd obviously rather not go through this, but we're in whether we wanna be or not right.
I made myself as familiar as I could with my condition and my choices and what the down side of those choices could be. You will be challenged, scared, angry, and a bevy of other emotions that will overtake you from time to time. Stay the course. Keep your head up. Do your utmost to stay positive and stare this thing down till it flinches.
From my heart, I wish you all the strength in the world to face and overcome this most unfortunate circumstance.
SoapBox: For the rest of ya, please if you're over 40-45 get your PSA checked. It could save your life.
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Hang in there Grayghost. You are not down until you are done, so just don't be done. Keep fighting. You will beat this. Lots of people have.
I do not know anything about liver Cancer. But, I do know a few people who have beat Cancer, and I know some people who lost to it. Of course it does not hurt to be lucky. It does not hurt to have people who love you and will support you. It will help if you can visualize beating it. It will help if you have good things in your life that you really want to live for. But, most of that stuff just is based on what your life has been so far and is not really about what you need to do now.
In my experience one thing that separates the winners from the losers in the battle with cancer is how they use time.
Please allow me a shooting analogy. Say some casual plinker is sitting around the house Saturday morning thinking maybe I'll go out and do some shooting. Lets see, I've got two old bowling pins a six pack of empty beer cans a ole water jug and some paper and a sharpie I could use to draw a target. So lets pack all this crap and get in the car and go find some place to do a little pinking. That's a lot of fun, I do it all the time. If you have not then I hope you give it a try after you beat the big "c". But the shooter mentioned above may not get any shots off until hours after the decision to go shooting. Contrast this with a top tactical competitor at a stage. A timer starts and he begins to move into position with speed and precision, the rifle rests on a barricade, bang-PING. Seconds not hours have elapsed.
If you want to win this one be the second guy. Find out which cancer centers have a good track record with liver cancer, make an appointment ASAP and get there. Make your first shot your best shot. Go all in.
I have lost people I loved who saved their best shot for last, then it was too late.
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Point "b" Ask who is doing experimental trials on new drugs and find out if you can get into a trial. It's like a rule that even the people who get the placebo get state of the art treatment. And the people selected to do trials on new drugs are people the drug companies believe are the best with the disease. That's worth something.
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Point "c" I think a couple of oncologist are on the hide, I do not remember the board names. Perhaps "The German" posted that his wife was an Oncologist. Perhaps they could steer you toward some good info.
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I'll send my prayers.
Good luck, and god bless you
In my experience one thing that separates the winners from the losers in the battle with cancer is how they use time.
Please allow me a shooting analogy. Say some casual plinker is sitting around the house Saturday morning thinking maybe I'll go out and do some shooting. Lets see, I've got two old bowling pins a six pack of empty beer cans a ole water jug and some paper and a sharpie I could use to draw a target. So lets pack all this crap and get in the car and go find some place to do a little pinking. That's a lot of fun, I do it all the time. If you have not then I hope you give it a try after you beat the big "c". But the shooter mentioned above may not get any shots off until hours after the decision to go shooting. Contrast this with a top tactical competitor at a stage. A timer starts and he begins to move into position with speed and precision, the rifle rests on a barricade, bang-PING. Seconds not hours have elapsed.
If you want to win this one be the second guy. Find out which cancer centers have a good track record with liver cancer, make an appointment ASAP and get there. Make your first shot your best shot. Go all in.
I have lost people I loved who saved their best shot for last, then it was too late.
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Point "b" Ask who is doing experimental trials on new drugs and find out if you can get into a trial. It's like a rule that even the people who get the placebo get state of the art treatment. And the people selected to do trials on new drugs are people the drug companies believe are the best with the disease. That's worth something.
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Point "c" I think a couple of oncologist are on the hide, I do not remember the board names. Perhaps "The German" posted that his wife was an Oncologist. Perhaps they could steer you toward some good info.
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I'll send my prayers.
Good luck, and god bless you
Dude, get ready for the roller coaster. I am literally going into surgery for kidney cancer tomorrow, removing one of them and the giant growth coming off of it.
The tests really really suck, but allow them to test for everything, even if it seems mundane and repetitive. Also, don't go scouring with web for info - it'll just drive you crazy and do more harm than good. Coming here and asking advice from people who have experience with it is the smart way about it. Also, talking to a urologist (you're probably already doing) is best for straight answers. Either way, do your best to eat and stay healthy, fit before surgery as it will help the procedure tremendously. I was still doing Crossfit five days a week until about a month ago because the growth was beginning to aggravate me too much. And no matter how it all goes, get used to being in a hospital because even if you come out in the clear, you'll need to get CT scans once or twice a year for the next five years or so to make sure you're cancer free.
After going through so much war and conflict, it sucks that cancer's one of those threats you can't just fucking shoot in the face.
The tests really really suck, but allow them to test for everything, even if it seems mundane and repetitive. Also, don't go scouring with web for info - it'll just drive you crazy and do more harm than good. Coming here and asking advice from people who have experience with it is the smart way about it. Also, talking to a urologist (you're probably already doing) is best for straight answers. Either way, do your best to eat and stay healthy, fit before surgery as it will help the procedure tremendously. I was still doing Crossfit five days a week until about a month ago because the growth was beginning to aggravate me too much. And no matter how it all goes, get used to being in a hospital because even if you come out in the clear, you'll need to get CT scans once or twice a year for the next five years or so to make sure you're cancer free.
After going through so much war and conflict, it sucks that cancer's one of those threats you can't just fucking shoot in the face.
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Bro, your account scares the SHIT out of me. I'm 41 and had an abnormal PSA a few years ago. Any day now my President is going to make it possible for those of us without a real place of residence to get health insurance. He said it, and I believe him
As with all in life.......... Attitude is everything....... It can do wonders for healing. My prayers are with you..........
dealt with a lot of cancer in the family the last few years, best advice is to stay positive and fight to live. makes all the diference. My prayers are with you.
Any day now my President is going to make it possible for those of us without a real place of residence to get health insurance. He said it, and I believe him
I'm thankful that I'm an ex-pat living in New Zealand as my taxes pay for my healthcare here, so I've been covered from day one, all doctor visits, tests, etc. Scratch that: I paid $5 for a pain killer prescription. If this had happened when I was still living in the States, even with the pretty decent health coverage I had paid through the nose for (being a self-employed freelancer), previous experience suggested I would be in deep financial trouble and probably fighting the insurance companies for reimbursement and they would probably be trying to prevent me from getting all of the tests I needed. I spent the better part of OIF III fighting with my insurance company to get them to pay for an ultrasound I needed prior to deployment that was by their book even. At least with the ACA, when I return CONUS in the future, hopefully free of cancer, I can shop around for a plan and not worry about being turned down for having a pre-existing condition
grayghost, dude I wish you the best with this roller coaster you're climbing onto, especially knowing what an unbelievable nightmare the insurance companies can be. My suggestion on that front is to off load that hassle to someone in your family who's a fucking pitbull over the phone to argue on your behalf. You're going to have plenty to deal with as it is and don't need the extra anxiety of dealing with for-profit healthcare BS.
I'm thankful that I'm an ex-pat living in New Zealand as my taxes pay for my healthcare here, so I've been covered from day one, all doctor visits, tests, etc. Scratch that: I paid $5 for a pain killer prescription. If this had happened when I was still living in the States, even with the pretty decent health coverage I had paid through the nose for (being a self-employed freelancer), previous experience suggested I would be in deep financial trouble and probably fighting the insurance companies for reimbursement and they would probably be trying to prevent me from getting all of the tests I needed. I spent the better part of OIF III fighting with my insurance company to get them to pay for an ultrasound I needed prior to deployment that was by their book even. At least with the ACA, when I return CONUS in the future, hopefully free of cancer, I can shop around for a plan and not worry about being turned down for having a pre-existing condition
grayghost, dude I wish you the best with this roller coaster you're climbing onto, especially knowing what an unbelievable nightmare the insurance companies can be. My suggestion on that front is to off load that hassle to someone in your family who's a fucking pitbull over the phone to argue on your behalf. You're going to have plenty to deal with as it is and don't need the extra anxiety of dealing with for-profit healthcare BS.
The advice about having a family member deal with the bureaucracy is SPOT ON! When my father was battling cancer my Aunt, who was an attorney practicing business/contract law, went to war with the insurance companies just for the pure enjoyment of it. The amount of energy this left my dad to focus on the important shit can not be over stated.
Bro, your account scares the SHIT out of me. I'm 41 and had an abnormal PSA a few years ago. Any day now my President is going to make it possible for those of us without a real place of residence to get health insurance. He said it, and I believe him
I know. Case by case right. My numbers have stayed golden and they believe it remained encapsulated. Lymph nodes were not involved ! Like so many of these posts, attitude and the will to fight on. Stay on top of it, please.
As a survivor myself, all I can say is that you will be in my prayers.
Hold your family close. Learn who your true friends are (not always who you thought).
Take care of yourself during the treatment. Stay focused as much as possible. Rest, relax and do what the doctors tell you.
You can win. Never think anything else.
Hold your family close. Learn who your true friends are (not always who you thought).
Take care of yourself during the treatment. Stay focused as much as possible. Rest, relax and do what the doctors tell you.
You can win. Never think anything else.
my brother had the same thing 4 years ago in his late 30's they removed part of his liver.. As of today he is fine but he has not stopped drinking or smoking so we will see.. my thoughts are with you
Will ask the wife. She is a former Fellow at Moffitt.
I can tell you this however; whatever your chances are, they are the absolute highest at Moffitt, MD Andersen or Sloan-Kettering.
I saw my doctor last Friday to get the results of my Pet Scan after I finished Chemo 4 weeks ago and was told that I am in complete remission from Non Hodgkin's lymphoma. And like so many have already said never give up and never for one minute think you might lose this fight. You will be in my prayers!!!!!
Cancer SUCKS Kick it's ass
Mike
Cancer SUCKS Kick it's ass
Mike
+1 on MD Anderson - get the best care you possibly can - it really does make a difference - and make sure your using specialists not general cancer guys if at all possible
All the best to you brother. Healing thoughts sent your way.
Bro, your account scares the SHIT out of me. I'm 41 and had an abnormal PSA a few years ago. Any day now my President is going to make it possible for those of us without a real place of residence to get health insurance. He said it, and I believe him
Any male over 40 should be taking Saw Palmetto every day. Its cheap and its gold for the prostate. Ever since I was about 18 I had restricted urine flow. We would go out drinking and riding around, stop for a piss break and everybody would be done and I would still be there for 2-3 minutes. Been that way ever since. Im 64 now and four or so years ago I woke up one day and pissed a bit of blood. didn't think much of it but 20 minutes later I had to piss again and it burnt and more blood. So I went to the doc who said I had a bladder infection and he gave me some antibiotics and cleared it right up. six months later same thing happened. then Three months. Finally I went to a urologist who did a test and said the PSA was ok and it was probably just an old prostrate that was slowly contracting. He gave me some antibiotics and some stuff called flowmax which didn't do shit. So he says the words we don't want to hear "I can operate'. I told him I wanted to think about it and did some research and found out that a large percentage of men who have hat operation end up incontinent (Gotta wear a diaper) or impotent, often both. I thought on that and decided that if I had to wear a diaper and no sex Id just keep taking the antibiotics til they didn't work anymore and then eat the big pill. Fuck wearing a diaper. Was drinking with a buddy who is a nurse and he just off handed asked if I had tried Saw Palmetto. I said no and he said I should try it. I went down to Walgreens and bought 250 capsules for about $20 and started taking 2 in the am and tow in the pm. Took about 2 weeks but I started pissing like a horse (albeit an older some what worn out horse). That's been 2.5 years now and I feel better in that way than I have felt since I was a kid. Ive told others about it and its helped them. Cant guarantee it will work for you but its cheap and works for others.
Also some diet change can help. Cut back on the salty foods, less red meat and pork, and junk foods. They all are hard on the system and especially the prostate.
Thanks to all for your prayers. I've not been on this sight a real long time but have found lots of useful info on shooting and have gotten a lot of laughs reading the banter between a few on different posts.
BBC News - Tiny stem-cell livers grown in laboratory
This probably will not figure into your treatment plan, but it is a very interesting story about growing Human Livers in the lab.
This probably will not figure into your treatment plan, but it is a very interesting story about growing Human Livers in the lab.
As said many times before. If you need encouragement or support, your SH family is a few clicks away. Beat it's butt man, we're pulling for you.
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Latest up date; I got some bad news on Monday it seems that the radiation spheres will not work and they are going to try a chemical solution in order to slow down the cancer. At this time the best they can give me for an out come is 6 months to a year. But I plan on being around a lot longer. Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers
Prayers for you to the Great Physician, greyghost. Never doubt the power of prayer. Also, put yourself in God's Hands, and take each day from Him.
I sincerely hope and pray for you to beat this cancer, but if you can't, I hope and pray that you find peace in your situation, and either way, that you learn how to make the most of every day you have.
Stay Strong, my friend.
I sincerely hope and pray for you to beat this cancer, but if you can't, I hope and pray that you find peace in your situation, and either way, that you learn how to make the most of every day you have.
Stay Strong, my friend.
Exactly, keep positive. Have faith in the smart folks working hard to save your life - they live for this kind of stuff
Stick with the care regimen, keep up your nutrition, do what you can to maintain your fitness, it will all contribute to the plus side. Family needs to be supportive and not evasive; when you have Cancer, sugar coatings don't help. Check in with The Creator; He's already in the job (always), but it's good to take some time and thank Him.
2X survivor, Mixed Cell Lymphoma 1992, Hodgkin's Lymphoma 1997.
Cancer Centers of America and the VA carried the load for me when I needed the help.
Greg
2X survivor, Mixed Cell Lymphoma 1992, Hodgkin's Lymphoma 1997.
Cancer Centers of America and the VA carried the load for me when I needed the help.
Greg
Thanks Greg; I plan on being around at least till the end of the century. I'm glad you are doing well
