My girlfriend took ill in Feb with abdominal pain, jaundice, nausea. She was taken to A&E and treated for a biliary obstruction with a stent. Her bilirubin improved and all her blood levels returned to normal except her CRP for a while.
Since then she has been in and out of hospital with sharp pain under her right ribs radiating to her back, the diagnosies have varied from acute pancreatitis to constipation, treatment was usually pain medication. In all this time she was almost constantly nausious and has lost almost 20 kilos, something that was never addressed by the doctors. Never was there any talk of cancer, she even asked once and was told there was no indication.
She has been back in for 2 weeks and I found out yesterday that the doctors are almost certain my girlfriend has Stage IV metastatic pancreatic cancer that has metastasized to her liver and lungs. I've done my research and I know this is pretty much a death sentence for her.
She hasn't even found out yet, the doctors have been pussyfooting around with maybes till they get the final biopsies to confirm but I have gathered from my conversations that they are almost sure, the dark spots on the liver and shadow on the pancreas on the CT are very clear indicators.
Now I don't know what to do, she is in hospital but healthy, eating properly, 46 years old and clean living. I want her to come home and be with her family not stuck in a hospital with no visitors allowed. I know there are treatment options but that the hope for success is slim.
I feel like I need to tell her what I know and help her prepare but I also can't face breaking her heart and think I should let the doctor do it.. Then I feel like a terrible coward.. does anyone have any advice? I'm so so sad..