h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Like I reported my parents had quit their jobs at the end of last year. The school work was really harrowing for them and my father was looking forward to time to relax and work on his art and writing. However, for a while he had been feeling poorly: upset stomach, back pain, and other problems. When these things did not get better, he went to the doctor and from there on a large series of examinations took place. First the doctor found he had a swollen prostrate; then he went for blood tests and abdominal scans, which (the scans, that is) found spots on his liver. More tests followed. There was cancer in the liver and prostrate, and also cancers in the pericardium and some of the lymph nodes.

However, these cancers were identified by the doctors as metastases ... in other words cancers that had spread to those areas from some other primary cancer. But the primary cancer could not be found! The blood tests actually showed no cancer. But my dad went for more tests: prostrate and liver biopsies and examinations of his colon and also a brain scan. This was really a bad time, as some of the operations and procedures caused my dad a lot of pain and discomfort. And what's worse, most of the time the procedures were inconclusive, so after all the inconvenience we were still no wiser than before!

We're still not exactly sure what's going on. The oncologist said that this is a kind of 'small-cell' cancer that's spreading itself around. My dad's going to start chemotherapy in a week's time and we're just going to see where things go from there.

Willem, I am so sorry. All of you must have been having a dreadful time. I do hope the chemotherapy works, and that at some stage they can identify the root cause.

Take care of yourself, and your Mum and give them both our best wishes.

Websailor

Awww, hun, I'm so sorry too. Best wishes for the effectiveness of the chemo. This is such sad news. I'm sure you will be a strong support and comfort to your Dad and the rest of your family too. I wish we didn't live on opposite sides of the globe, so that we could just share a cup of tea and talk.

This may not be any help to you my friend but at the beginning of last year an old friend of mine was told he had cancer and had had it for many years, at around christmas time he finished his sixth go around with chemo. Last week he was told the chemo was finally working and his cancer was getting smaller and that they may be able to operate soon .

Don't lose hope already, try to think of it as the start to recovery.

Very dear Willem,
So very sorry to hear about your Dad.

all I can say is never give up - you have some encourging information from anoldgreaymoonraker, and I am sure that one;s personal approach is tremendously important

So start planning what you are going to do and let the doctors take care of the other things.

With kindest regards to Ma and Pa, and very much affecrtion to you.

Christiane and Keith.
AlsoRan80 and son.

So sorry to hear this Willem, . I hope the treatment goes well.

Waz

Thinking about you and your family, Willem I know just how this feels

GB

Hello folks and thanks for your replies! Since first hearing of the possibility of my dad having cancer a few weeks ago, I've passed through a lot of 'stages' and I think I'm at acceptance now. So is he! We're talking frankly about everything. The worst time for me was the first time he went into the hospital ... since then it felt like every day with him being still around, is a gift. We are going to let the doctors do their thing, and try to make 'quality time' for each other whenever we can from now on! My father still must teach me much of what he knows so the knowledge isn't lost for posterity! We're taking things day-by-day now but still we are hoping.

Good thinking ou kerel,

Enjoy every minute and try and do all the things that you all wanted to do and have put off for one reason or another.

it makes every day so very precious.
met liefde,

Christiane
AR80

Hello again folks! I'll try and do what I can, with my dad. He's been extremely tired lately so not much chance of doing fun but potentially wearying activities! We do spend some time talking though. Some times he feels OK ... we had some visitors yesterday and during the first visit he felt great, but then by the second visit started getting exhausted.

He still wants to *do* stuff, like painting and writing, but he has a hard time finding the energy and motivation! I think it would be good for him to do something creative ...

Talking is wonderful. It is not something we get the chance to do with our parents often, and it is too late when they are gone for all the thoughts and questions that rise up, so do it now. Whatever happens you won't regret it.

I hope he can paint, it would be less exhausting than writing, and therapeutic too. He is so talented

Websailor