Ovarian Cancer small intestine obstruction

[CurtisParrish]

My sister is bravely battling ovarian cancer. Year 3 and it's back with vengeance. 5 weeks ago her abdomen bloated again. She went to the hospital and they drained a little over a litter of fluid on one side. Vomiting became a reoccurring item. Few days later back into the hospital, they put a tube down her nose to relieve the bile which cause her to gag a lot. After a day or two she elected to remover the tube and deal with the vomiting instead. A week went by no change. They inserted a tube to drain her abdomen and sent her home. The drainage tube worked for a day or two before it would clog with tissue. Tissue they defined as diseased tissue. They flushed it and it would work for a short stent less than a day. The vomiting persisted and the intake of food was next to nothing. Back to the emergency room. IV's with antibodies, her lower port became infected, they removed the drainage tube from the abdomen it too became infected. IV's were supplemented with nutrients. Where the lower port was healed up in the next week. The incision of the drainage tube is still healing. Got strong enough to begin chemo again, took one dose and released. At home still eating very little, very little getting through bowels. Still vomiting. Drinking shakes, taking nausea medicine, anxiety medicine, eating very little, vomiting about four times a day. The intake of food and water is very close to the same of the vomiting output. Her physic is looking like a POW of starvation. She goes in this week Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for IV infusion and hopefully by next week will be able to take second chemo. Meeting with a third doctor this Wednesday. Praying the chemo will remove the obstruction. Its tough getting answers and I feel she has no real direction. Has anyone been to this point and had the obstruction cleared so they can eat and reduce the ascites?

[Hidden]

I can't offer any insight into your sister's problems,but I just want to say how sorry I am to hear of her suffering so much..........

Juliet

[CurtisParrish in reply to Hidden]

Thank you.

[Hidden]

HI there, you must be feeling so upset looking at your sister going through so much at the moment. I cant offer you any great support but I am sending you a hug so that you know you are not alone

[CurtisParrish in reply to Hidden]

As simple as that sounds, it really does mean something and I greatly appreciate it. She as repeatedly told our mom and our dad who are helping out that she doesn't want to die. She has three daughters who are out of the house but not married yet. We have a lot of faith but it still hurts.

[Lily-Anne]

How scary for all of you, have you spoken to Macmillan and your GP for some extra support.

Sending a virtual hug

LA xx

[CurtisParrish in reply to Lily-Anne]

Who is Macmillan?

[LittleSan in reply to CurtisParrish]

It sounds like you are not from the UK. Macmillan are a wonderful support organisation over here.

My thoughts and prayers are with you, your sister and the family. Hope she geta a solution soon. X

[thesilent1]

So sorry your sister is having these problems at present. Hugs to you all. x

[Goingcrazy]

I'll be praying for her, so sorry she is going through this....

[Mims34]

Will be keeping your sister & your family in my thoughts. Xx

[Hidden]

merckmanuals.com/profession...

Has she been offered or has perhaps received tpn? If there is no contraindication, it might be helpful.

A continuing theme of sorts am noticing on these posts: we have to discover for ourselves, and then request, some of the helpful interventions. It should not be this way!!

Thankful for this and similar boards. Still, it is very unfortunate that this seems, all too often, to be the way things are.

All good wishes for you and your sister!

[CurtisParrish in reply to Hidden]

She had a TPN a few weeks back. She will be put on one tonight, she still has one hope of a feeding tube and/or a drainage tube. There is blockage in her small intestine, and they are trying to determine how to get food to the stomach or small intestines and then out again. One of the doctors on the Gastroenterologist team told her that she will probably have only a couple of weeks to live. Very sad words.... They are still hopeful about surgery to put in tubes to bypass the mass near her stomach.

[Hidden]

I am so very sorry. Thinking of you both with heartfelt wishes for all good and peaceful things.

Loathe this disease...