Dying from liver failure

 

How do you know the end is near? Although you would think dying from liver failure is the logical outcome when a person is diagnosed with terminal liver cancer, father didn’t even have jaundice the day he died.

 

Janet summarizes what we all do when we hear our loved one has cancer:

 

I began playing doctor.

 

Then Janet asks herself how she could have missed her mom’s leg blockage being a cancer growing in there for 2 1/2 years…

 

This is the sad truth of our modern health system and not Janet’s error:

 

how can our so called modern healthcare body
miss a cancer for 2 1/2 years?

 

• Why did it take us and our father more than a year running from one hospital to another trying to find out what was wrong with him being nauseous?
   
• Why does it take 2 1/2 years to diagnose a blockage in a person’s leg to be a cancer?
   
• Why do I get mad when a GP diagnoses an elderly persons problem as "old age", next patient please?

 

Why is it that our government prefers to shoot away our money in Afghanistan and Iraq in stead of doing a few extra tests in order to see now what you cannot miss when the cancer is so huge there aren’t any cancer treatment options left?

 

Why is it that our government doesn’t give us cancer insurance so we don’t have to worry about money once we need to choose cancer treatment options?

 

When do you say a patient is terminal?

 

Also in answer of Janet’s questions below, we would love you to discuss and get your feedback from:

 

• do you need to know the prognosis of a metastatic liver cancer patient
   
• do you tell a patient he has a terminal cancer
   
• how do you know the end is near?

 

Do you tell the patient he has a terminal cancer

 

My take on this is as follows:

 

• yes you do tell a patient when there are no cancer treatment options available to cure the cancer AND the terminal cancer will strongly reduce the patient’s lifetime on earth.

 

Meaning: when father being 75 only had 3 to 6 months to live according to his metastatic liver cancer prognosis, we told him and his closest loved ones.

 

It was clear for all there were no "normal" cancer treatment options available and most likely chemotherapy side effects would reduce father’s quality of life even more than when not doing any chemotherapy nor treatment aiming to cure the cancer.

 

Why do you tell?

 

Most people are survivors. Their body and mind is ready to undergo any new cancer treatment as long as there is a good chance to get better.

 

Nobody will do these patients a favor dragging them from one hospital to another, from one cancer treatment to another, from one surgery to another… when it is clear there is no cure using our healthcare options within reasonable trying.

 

If you only have a limited time left on this planet, it’s better you know, so you can die in a place you love, surrounded by the people you love.

 

Why don’t you tell?

 

I wouldn’t tell an elderly prostate cancer patient there is no prostate cancer treatment to cure his cancer. (read more at Prostate cancer treatment options )

 

Why?

 

Because most likely the person will die from old age and not from prostate cancer.

 

Doctors don’t feel like telling, patients feel like knowing

 

According to studies, 9 out of 10 terminal cancer patients favored to know the truth but 8 out of 10 doctors favored avoiding the truth.

 

Although the latter is understandable: who want’s to tell somebody he is going to die, this "not saying the truth" attitude is not in favor for the patient.

 

I do remember my 2 grandparents dying in hospital for which I feel now was liver cancer (he had jaundice and wad dying from liver failure) and colon cancer (he got many surgeries in the last days of his life…).

 

But those days the big C was something you didn’t talk about, so hospitals tried to keep the persons alive in the hospital as long as possible.

 

But if this was you and you know doctors couldn’t cure your colon cancer, would you undergo the surgeries still or rather sit at home?

 

I would rather sit at home with the sad knowledge my days are numbered in stead of hoping for a miracle and undergoing one cancer treatment after the other. I do know that it’s only "the better choice"of 2 scenarios I don’t wish to experience.

 

Dying from liver failure: when is the end near?

 

Easy to see and follow liver failure symptoms according to our GP were:

 

• eyes getting yellow (jaundice)
   
• a very irritating itchy skin

 

Father never experienced the above 2 symptoms, so he didn’t die from liver failure. But you need to know that the tumors in his liver caused father’s liver to expand and work much less than it should resulting in:

 

• fluids building up in father’s feet
   
• less appetite
   
• hallucinations (seeing things that only he saw and we didn’t)

 

Now when you don’t see the symptoms of a liver failure, then how do you know the end is near?

 

First and foremost your doctor and specialists are the people to give you a prognosis. If you are a care-giver, you need to know:

 

• when you take leave from work and
   
• when you invite more care-givers inside the life of your loved one (the earlier the better so your loved on gets used to these people who can gave the extra needed care you won’t be able to give 24/7).

 

Secondly you need to trust your gut. I called my brother to come over for the weekend and visit father for the last time, as indeed that was their last weekend together.

 

The day before father died, I didn’t see that coming.

 

But you know that a person who’s:

 

• eating less,
   
• sleeping more,
   
• getting more disoriented,
   
• getting more fluids built up
   
• getting more and more dehydrated and 
   
• in need for stronger pain medication,

 

… is reaching the end.

 

Please read Janet’s cancer story and share your experience!

 

For Janet:

 

• please take all the doctors and specialists you know aside and ask for their opinion, diagnosis and prognosis.
   
• some people do undergo chemotherapy aiming to reduce the symptoms of their cancer problem while others undergo chemotherapy aimed to cure the cancer. Ask the oncologist what he is aiming at.
   
• Please ask any more questions you have!

 

Janet’s mom: breast cancer metastasized to the liver and bone
 

Commented at Can chemotherapy cure metastatic liver cancer.
 

I am sorry to hear your story. It sounds a lot like the road I am on.

 

My
mom and my best friend was just diagnosed with breast cancer metastasis to the liver and bone – Advanced Stage IV.

 

We celebrated when we thought she beat Breast Cancer in 2006.

 

They did a bone scan and ct scan in 06 that said – 4 foci consistent with metastasis in the bone.

 

Then they did a petscan and ruled it out.

 

We celebrated!!

 

Then just 2 months ago she started getting sick a lot.

 

We thought it was because of the pain medications she was taking for the pain in her back. Then she would not eat and she lost 24 pounds in 2 months.

 

I began playing doctor back in 06 and started a medical library on her. I was with her in every single test – seriously – I was in the room for x-rays and ultrasounds and in the prep room of every surgery. I thought I was on top of all her medical issues.

 

In reviewing her
records, I brought it to the docs attention that she had diabetes.

 

We were just
about to treat her leg blockage when we got hit with this diagnosis. How could I have missed this!??! This cancer has been growing in there for 2 1/2 years and we were worried about diabetes and blocks.

 

Anyway, today she can eat and can’t stop throwing up. She can’t even take any medications for the pain or nausea – that comes right up.

 

She is dehydrated and gets fluids every other day at radiation (which is done M-F – Chemo on Tue).

 

The docs don’t want to say she is dying but IS SHE?

 

What is the path of this brutal disease? Am I on borrowed time?

 

I haven’t left her side in the last 2 weeks except to take care of my kids and husband at home and to work.

 

I don’t want to miss a minute of her – even if it’s holding her barf bucket and wiping her face.

 

My Dad and Mom both are holding onto hope that she will get better soon.

 

I can’t be that optimistic. I saw the cancer in her lung on the screen and the bone cancer all over her body (including her facial bones).

 

Can someone tell me what stage of this nasty disease we are at? Days, Weeks, Months…..

 

Should I take a leave from my job? Are we at the end?

 

I want to be with her when God takes her.

 

I need to be with her holding her hand when she leaves.

 

Please give me any info and insight you have.

 

I have accepted Gods will but I need the peace of being with her.

 

Please give me an idea where we are so I don’t miss that.

 

Janet