Waiting for my dad's diagnosis... looping in my head

Hi

I usually don't post on forums, but I need to get this out of my head before it implodes...


My dad is 75, has always had a very healthy life, save for smoking which he quit 47 years ago. No alcohol or very little, no processed food, etc.
He had 2 meningioma in the past 5 years, one was operated one followed by radiotherapy. The other they couldn't operate but chemo took care of it and the meningioma is really small and has not grown back for months.

He started having digestive issues a few months ago, which he put down to some prostate medication. As it got worse despite a change of treatment, and he kept losing weight, he went for colonoscopy which came back clear. They also scanned his pancreas, stomach and liver, and found some stain on the liver. Sent him for MRI, which revealed multiple nodules, including one (the stain revealed by the scan) that has apparently grown since the scan only 3 weeks ago.
He saw the gastro enterologist yesterday, who sent him straight to a professor of oncology. Both are quite concerned with the growth and the fact that he has other symptoms. He is booked for a biopsy on the 23rd, a CT scan on the 31st and they have already booked him for treatment for the 6th of January. 

Part of me want to think they booked the last appointment to allow for the worst outcome, but that it's only a precaution. But I am not comfortable with this, it's like they just feel they need to confirm what they know. The oncologist is working in the best oncology department in their home town, so it's unlikely he would send people for scans without initial suspicions.

I know no one can give me a definite answer, and I'm not asking for one. I just want a bit of recomfort. I don't want to burden my husband who lost his mother last year to cholangiocarcinoma.

Thanks for reading

  • Hi Babouchka,

    Welcome to Cancer Chat. I'm very sorry to read about what you're going through at the moment with all this uncertainty with your dad.

    As you say, no-one can really advise on any specifics. However in a way it's good that he has each of the next steps booked in, and without too much waiting. Hopefully things will become a little easier or at least more certain once you have results and then are in the process of treatment.

    I hope it's helped for you to write some things down here - this forum is always a safe space to write any thoughts or worries you may have, it's a very understanding community of people here and as you say it's important to not keep things bottled up too much.

    Wishing you all the best,

    Ben
    Cancer Chat Moderator

  • Thanks for your kind words, Ben. The call came this morning, he is unfortunate enough to fall into the smallest number ever of extra cranial metastasis related to the meningioma. There is no other known case in the oncology centre (large, well known one in France) he is in. I guess we are just starting another battle