It was 4th August, 2009, and I was expecting a call from my family to confirm my brother's visit. The call came for sure but not to confirm the visit rather than to inform me that my mother was suffering from a rare cancer disease and that was gall bladder cancer. The news came as a shock to the family and later it was confirmed to be a stage IV cancer which in lay terms can be stated as last stage cancer.
Gallbladder cancer is a cancer that starts in the gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped organ located under the right lobe of the liver and more than 9 out of 10 gallbladder cancers are adenocarcinomas that starts in cells with gland-like properties that line many internal and external surfaces of the body. The doctors confirmed that these cancer are usually not detectable in the early stage and it explained the situation to us.
This diagnosis followed multiple tests including biopsy, CA 19-9, ultrasonograpgy etc. and a chemotheraphy was suggested to her as the cancer was beyond the stage of surgery. Hence the doctors preferred to keep her on palliation. Palliative therapy is treatment that is given to help control or reduce symptoms caused by advanced cancer. It is not meant to be a curative treatment. If the cancer has spread too far to be completely removed by surgery, doctors may concentrate on palliative operations, palliative radiation, and other palliative therapies.
The 3 cycles of chemo
After 3 cycles of chemotherapy doctors told that the improvement have been noticed and they agreed to go for a surgery to remove the gall-bladder and some portion of liver. The operation took place on 16-February, 2010 and went well. The doctor removed the organ and a large portion of liver, some nearby small organs and the tumor mainly.
It was a relief to us. However the cancer didn't go entirely, the following biopsy confirmed it to be shifted to Stage II from Stage IV. The doctors have further suggested some Radiotherapy which would start from next week.
I'm writing this article in good faith that other people may read it and unfortunately if someone from their family has been detected from any awful disease, they can hope good. Here I'd like to add a phrase from the movie - Sahwshank Redemption - Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.
Working as Jr. Project Manager in Online Promotions & Internet marketing department of SynapseIndia, Noida.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mridu_Bhattacharya
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-My-Mother-Fought-With-the-Last-Stage-of-Gall-Bladder-Cancer&id=3909715
No comments:
Post a Comment