End-Stage Liver Cancer

[DadsHelper]

My father is 78.  He was diagnosed with prostate cancer 6 years ago and treated it with radiation.  The cancer reappeared a few years later as colon cancer and he had a section of his colon and his gall bladder removed.  About a year ago the cancer surfaced again, this time as liver cancer with spots detected in his stomach and lungs as well.  We have known for some time that the cancer is terminal.  My dad has been on chemo. until recently, in hopes of extending his life.

Last week he was feeling particularly weak and went to his doctor.  His doctor detected jaundice and further tests revealed that the cancer has progressed throughout his liver and lungs.  He has begun to retain water and is sleeping more.  I understand that these are symptoms of liver failure.  The doctors told us that there is nothing more they can do and estimate he has only a few weeks left.  They have stopped all medications (except for nausea, pain, and diarretic meds).

We took my father home and immediately setup hospice care for him.  I'm trying to learn what we can expect over the next few weeks so that I can help my family prepare for it and make my father as comfortable as possible for as long as we're blessed to have him.  Can anyone help guide me on what we can expect to happen as this progresses?  I've read about the possibility of the loss of cognitive function, random hand movement, and even water seeping from body tissues.  But all that the doctors have told us is that my father will sleep more and more until he eventually falls asleep and never wakes up.  While that's a comforting thought, I suspect the reality is somewhat different (I lost someone to luekemia and lymphoma, and know what that's like).  Any help or pointers to websites would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[sadgirl847]

Sorry, I hit the wrong button.  However, she gained about 10 lbs. since a couple of weeks ago.  I'm trying to figure out why.  Her doctor is not a good communicator and has not given us much information.  So we ask others and I look up information on internet.  She is home with us and we have not called hospice yet.  My sister, another lady and I will be caring for her.  Her last stay in the hospital was a terrible experience once they found out the Doctor was going to call hospice.  They did not want to provide her with any service at all to the point of not cleaning her room!!  I'm also looking for information on what's next.  She dozes off alot and walks with a walker or is in a wheel chair.  Her hands and feet are col.   The bottom of her feet are numb (another side effect of the chemo).  Her hair is thin but she still has some left.  I plan to be with her as much as I can and make her life as comfortable as possible.  I'm urging family members to come see her or call her.  She loves visits and talking to people. May God Bless all of you and your loved ones.

[sadgirl847]

Last year my 78 year old mom was diagnosed with colon cancer.  Her first treatment was radiation.  When that didn't work, she had surgery to remove the mass and had a colostomy done.  Her rectum and portion of her intestine were removed and the remaining intestine rerouted through a opening on her side.  This was a major life change for her she was an active person.  However, in May 2011, cancer cells appeared on her liver.  She had been on chemotherapy since June 2011.  Last week her white cell blood count and platelets were dangerously low.  She ended up in the hospital where they tried to bring up her white cell blood count.  They could not after a couple of transfusions or injections of platelets.  She was also bleeding internally (platelets are blood clotting agents).  The Doctor decided to take her off chemotherapy because the side effects (low white cell blood count/platelets) were doing more harm than good.  But, with no chemotherapy, the cancer is spreading at an alarming rate.  The Doctor gave her about one more month to live.  While on chemo she lost considerable weight

[emma551219]

I wrote aboute my dad 1 hour ago( 2a.m)...Couldn't sleep...I have called my mom back to Europe(8 a.m there )...I called my mom to see how is dad...She said he had died.Funeral is tomorrow at 2 p.m.My dad's body is inside the house and I can't even be there,I can't even kiss him,tell him I love you....My mom told me he was in coma with his eyes open looking at a sealing,breathing heavily,puffing air out more then breathing...She told him to hold on that I'm comming on tuesday and then he started puffing the air out even harder.And as she was talking and holding his hands he just stoped breathing closed his eyes and he was gonne.Just like that...I'm all alone in my house ,I have no one to call or talk so  I appologize if I'm a bit to much but I have to say to someone.All my family is in Europe,beside my dad where I should be  as well... at least I wouldn't be alone in my pain....My dad passed away few hours ago.I can't belive it.Three days ago he was just fine.Now I don't have him anymore and will never say my godbyes or see him again waiving at me on front of the old house.That's where I saw him last time  almost a year ago.Hope this helps someone to  know how little time some people have and how preciuse is every moment.

[emma551219]

My dad (64)had a stomach cancer two years ago.Doctors removed all of his stomach and said that nothing else was afectet and never gave him chemo.One year after surgery cancer came back above his left kidney and on his esophagus.sence the cancer was small dr said they will do aggresive chemo.Aggresive they did...My dad was taking it so bad and made him realy sick,his blood count was all over chart but my mom would mange to get it back to somewhat "normal range".After his last (third) dose of chemo my dad was so week that he couldn't walk anymore,he couldn't go to toilet on his own neither...He was in diapers.In hospital they gave him two bags of blood but it didn't help.They also didn't change his dipers so my dad ask to go home.And they let him do so.By that time in hospital he developed jaundice ...When my mom ask why she was told that is after chemo effect.Two weeks after he came home jaundice didn't go away his blood results were worst and worst.Still his gastroenterologist was saying that he will be ok and that is just chemo working.I live in Canada but my family is in Europe.So my mom ask dr againe is dad ok "cause I'm far and it takes time to book a flight.Dr asured my mom not to be worried.That was on the sunday.Monday they check his blood and my dad's family dr said it's very bad.But that he will check his billirubin's on thursday.Tuesday same week my mom told me that dad's stomach is swolen and his feet that he didn't urinet sence sunday but did have BM.Dad also said to my mom that he is kind of halucinating.By the evenig same tuesday he was making no sence in his talking,yelling and trying to push someone away even do that person wasn't there.He had few spoons of soup and fell asleep.Wendsday (today) he is in coma not reacting to my mom or any talk or questions.My mom called gastroenterologist more then dozen times dr didn't even had a disancy to call back.Finally she called emergency ,they refuse to take him to hospital to ,refused to insert catatar to empty his blllader,gave him morphine shot and told my mom that there's nothing to be done and it's just a matter of hour or days...Bottom line is dr told mytwo days ago mom he will be fine,cancer is gonne...Today two days later I've found out my dad is dying and that I won't probably make it to his death bed ,probably his funeral neither.I'm very angry at dr and medical stuff that pride themselfs in humanity and helping sick...It looks that my dad had secondary liver cancer or as  far as I'm concerned they have killed him with chemo.Be awere people,if you see your loved ones getting worst.weeker,depresed and dr is saying evrything is fine don't listen.Listen your loved ones and your heart.I have bought the ticket and will be livig on monday and be in Europe by friday noon time.Hope my dad still waits for me...I want to say how much I love him,that I'm sorry and to say thanks for being my dad and that he was the best dad one girl could have.Love you dad....Wait for me,dad just a few day longer,I"m comming....

[shill007]

Hi all, I seem to be different ot you all as I am the paitent i have secondary livery mets from beast cancer, i am 42. I think im now in the fial stages i had been diagnosed with 3 moths maybe but things have changed his last 2 days, with alot of sleeping arrythmia has gone mad i feel very sick and faint all the time. i sweat alot too. so who knows i feel instintively that its coming to and end i knew each time the cancer had spread too and where too im quite intuitive and in touch with my own body. its hard to find info on the net about liver mets, theres not much info for symptoms thanks to you all for sharing as it does help to pick thru it all and find out what might be happening to me.

[catriona234]

hi i just lost my mum 9 weeks ago to secondary liver cancer. My sisters and i only got a few hours notice as the hospital thought they were treating my mum for gallstones. She became quite stressed on the friday night and had started to hillucinate and when the doctor came round on the saturday morning he said she would only last a few hours. she died at 2pm.