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tony, i don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but pleural effusions and particularly ascites, in patients with pancreatic cancer, are pretty poor prognostic indicators.
i would hate for you to be taken by surprise - i assume your father's prognosis has been discussed by him with his doctors. i would strongly recommend that, if not done already, he has his affairs in order.
as with many things in life, it is prudent to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst, and i would be delighted to be proven wrong.
Most likely, he has ascites. The doctors still don't know what caused it.
Generally, this is not good news. If the tumors on his liver are affecting his liver function (I don't remember the technical details, but it's something for you to ask the doctor about), that may be what's causing the ascites. There may be other causes.
Did the doctor check for any infection in the fluid? Something else to watch out for.
tony, i don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but pleural effusions and particularly ascites, in patients with pancreatic cancer, are pretty poor prognostic indicators.
i would hate for you to be taken by surprise - i assume your father's prognosis has been discussed by him with his doctors. i would strongly recommend that, if not done already, he has his affairs in order.
as with many things in life, it is prudent to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst, and i would be delighted to be proven wrong.
all the very best.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81
Generally, this is not good news. If the tumors on his liver are affecting his liver function (I don't remember the technical details, but it's something for you to ask the doctor about), that may be what's causing the ascites. There may be other causes.
Did the doctor check for any infection in the fluid? Something else to watch out for.
Best to you both.
The CT scan came back fine. He is still draining fluid though. If it doesn't stop soon, the doctors will inject him with talc powder to stop it. Chemo will also stop the fluid. His doctor said that it is nothing to worry about.
The fluid is finally slowing down. The doctors at the hospital are going to put a pleural catheter tomorrow morning to help drain all the fluid from his right lung. His top lobe of his lung came back to life but the bottom lobe is still struggling. Once the fluid is out, it should open up again. My dad has been in the hospital since Tuesday. He was in the hospital 3 weeks ago because of pains. They didn't find anything back then. I have no clue why. His oncologist visited him yesterday and said that his blood work came back great. His platelets went from 50,000 to 125,000. He wants to start chemo right away after the fluid is drained. Good news. My dad should be out tomorrow or Wednesday. His birthday is tomorrow =)
The fluid is finally slowing down. The doctors at the hospital are going to put a pleural catheter tomorrow morning to help drain all the fluid from his right lung. His top lobe of his lung came back to life but the bottom lobe is still struggling. Once the fluid is out, it should open up again. My dad has been in the hospital since Tuesday. He was in the hospital 3 weeks ago because of pains. They didn't find anything back then. I have no clue why. His oncologist visited him yesterday and said that his blood work came back great. His platelets went from 50,000 to 125,000. He wants to start chemo right away after the fluid is drained. Good news. My dad should be out tomorrow or Wednesday. His birthday is tomorrow =)
happy Birthday to your dad, let's hope he gets to spend his birthday at home..
happy Birthday to your dad, let's hope he gets to spend his birthday at home..
Nita
Thanks but it didn't happen.
He had the procedure done yesterday. He was in the operating room from 5pm - 11pm because it was so busy. He had a Catheter put in to drain all the fluid. He is now pain free. He is feeling much better. His chest X-ray after the surgery came back good and his whole lung is now coming back to normal. Before, the top was normal and the bottom was not good. Today is already 8 days that he is in the hospital. Hoping that he is home for Easter. Other than the procedure, he is doing well. His blood work keep on coming back good. His platelets ( that were causing trouble for the chemo ) skyrocketed from 50,000 to 125,000. His oncologist wants to start chemo right away after the fluid is gone. His doctor is determined to fight this.
He had the procedure done yesterday. He was in the operating room from 5pm - 11pm because it was so busy. He had a Catheter put in to drain all the fluid. He is now pain free. He is feeling much better. His chest X-ray after the surgery came back good and his whole lung is now coming back to normal. Before, the top was normal and the bottom was not good. Today is already 8 days that he is in the hospital. Hoping that he is home for Easter. Other than the procedure, he is doing well. His blood work keep on coming back good. His platelets ( that were causing trouble for the chemo ) skyrocketed from 50,000 to 125,000. His oncologist wants to start chemo right away after the fluid is gone. His doctor is determined to fight this.
what a lousy way to spend a birthday but let's hope his Easter is a better day.
Despite his chest xray coming back good, he had to get 2 blood transfusions yesterday because his red blood cells were low. I don't get why all the transfusions if his oncologist at the other center says that his blood is good. I hate hospitals.
Tony, no point in hating hospitals. You are the one who wanted your dad to fight this hard. This is what you get with that choice. It's confusing, frustrating, an up-and-down ride, and for some it ends well, for some it doesn't. Don't take out your anger/fear on the doctors and hospitals, they are all doing the best they can.
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