My father was diagnosed in Aug with pancreatic cancer, the tumor is wrapped around the blood vessels and cant be removed. He is losing weight pretty rapidly and his feet and ankles are CRAZY SWOLLEN ( why is this?). does anyone know what i should expect? seems like all doctors want to do is play the optimist, but right now i need a realist. Thanks to anyone that can give some input
Hi, I am sorry about your dad. Are they doing chemo to help shrink the tumor away from the blood vessels? The swelling may be due to ascites. I may not be spelling it correctly.
If no action is taken, then the cancer usually spreads. What stage is your dad? Most of the time this cancer is diagnosed at stage 4 which means it has spread to another organ, usually the liver.
Are the doctors behaving as optimists in front of your dad? Can you talk to the drs? There is an organization called PanCan that can provide a lot of great information and support.
It depends on the stage the cancer is in, the type of cancer, and if they are able to do treatments. I know it can be very frustrating when you aren't sure what to expect. I would talk to the doctors without your dad present so you can be better prepared. Many times cancer is a long hard road for all of the family members. You may want to continue to seek support for yourself. Being a caregiver can be overwhelming at times. Take care, your in my thoughts.
Hey.. I know that I'm responding to this post late but I just signed up for the message board. My Mom was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in August... We've been everywhere and I feel like I'm an expert at this point (although I'm surely not)... I'm sure you've gotten the answers already but the swelling in his legs could be blood clots. My mom's legs were super swollen and she had bad blood clots. They put her on arixtra and put in a filter (outpatient procedure) which really helped. Everyone keeps saying that my mom's prognosis is terrible (pancreatic cancer metastacized to the liver and lung) but she seems completely fine almost 6 months later. She gets chemo (5FU) and has been taking her pancreatic enzymes but so far so good. We go out all the time and we're all taking a vacation across the country next week so don't let internet searches get you down.
My father was diagnosed in Aug with pancreatic cancer, the tumor is wrapped around the blood vessels and cant be removed. He is losing weight pretty rapidly and his feet and ankles are CRAZY SWOLLEN ( why is this?). does anyone know what i should expect? seems like all doctors want to do is play the optimist, but right now i need a realist. Thanks to anyone that can give some input
Hey kozzy, Most doctors will try to keep there patients family optimistic and thats a good thing, you want to show your dad that there is still hope cause that will make him feel better. My father passed away last November and it was the hardest situation I have ever faced (and am still facing) I didnt have that chance to spend the last days of his life with him because we lived on opposite sides of the world, so all I can say is do all you can to be with him as much as possible cause you never know when you will have the chance to see him again. Take care
