stents and liver mets

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Thank you for all your support whilst I’ve been having all these investigations and stent insertion.
Now still feel in need of support as this is so different to any of my other secondaries.
I just can’t believe there was noting to see on 11th June an 4 weeks later having a blocked common bile duct but there agaih that is how fast my cancer grows.
I’m so angry about the ercp. I told them the rads had failed and was still only on pureed foods but they were sure they could do it via an endscopy. They were then going to wait until 25th or even this week before trying to do the stent the other way. The problem was that my bilirubin wasn’t climbing that high so from the liver bods point of view I wasn’t urgent but they weren’t taking into account how quick my cancer grows and if they hadn’t got a stent in quickly I’d be dead in a month!!Luckily, my oncs pushed and I had a ptca on 23rd July which was horrific as they didn’t sedate me properly. They were pleased they could do just a stent as they thought they may have o leave me with an open drainage bag which would have been horrible.
The ptca is where they go in through your side directly into the liver and then find the common bile duct so the risks are higher of bleeding internally, piercing of the bile ducts etc.
Now my questions -

  1. Do you get pain from your stent?
  2. do you get pain from your liver?
  3. Does your tummy always stay swollen
  4. Do any of you stick to low fat, high protein diets
    5 Do any of you drink alcohol?
  5. Have your LFTs gone back to normal?
    7 Have any of you had weekly taxol for this - this is my last option of chemo now?
    8 What can I expect future wise - more fluid in stomach,

Sorry, I’m sure a lot of this has been answered in some of your amazing threads but just wanted an edited version of what I could expect to happen and how I will feel.
Been told a stent will only last 6 months but as only going to be allowed 10 tax - not sure that will come into it
thanks
Kate

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Hi Kate,

Lovely to hear from you though I am afraid I can’t be much help with any of your questions. One thing I did want to say is - I think they can replace the stent when it wears out, and that is all they mean - IT physically won’t hold up longer than 6 months - not YOU. Also, I am sure that if you had a good response and could tolerate it, they would surely allow you more tax. In the states there are women who have been on it ages. I did have weekly taxol which wasn’t too bad (even so, still my least favourite chemo so far). Watch out for low bloods and infections. I didn’t let a little thing like taxol stop me enjoying the odd glass or so of wine (but then it would take something pretty major… enough said).

I do hope the pregnant look reduces. I would imagine that your poor tummy has taken such a battering that there is swelling and bruising which needs to settle. I think that when you have any invasive liver procedure you are likely to feel some pain or discomfort though I know there are some who don’t. If it starts to ease in a few days - this could be a likely reason?

So this is all I can offer I’m afraid. I’m sorry you had such a traumatic time of it, but then Kate, that is your style! Not a good style but your style.
Hope you are enjoying the benefits of a refurbed bedroom - sounds lovely - and being home with your family.

Jenny
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