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HOLLY


Hi, My husband, Stewart,was diagnosed 3/29/03. He started having abdominal pain in July, 2002, but did not see a doctor until 10/02. Since that time he has been hospitalized twice with his pain getting increasingly worse. He has been unable to work since January of this year. His doctor's had been unable to find the source of his pain. All CT Scans and MRI's were 'normal'. No one was looking for cancer in a 38 year old man. Most recently he was being treated for shingles until the pain got so bad he could not stand it. So I insisted that they admit him to the hospital once again and do not discharge him until they found the source of his pain. After almost 4 weeks in the hospital and every test available, he had a PET scan with a subsequent exploratory laparoscopy which showed pancreatic cancer that had metastasized throughout his abdomen and in the lymph nodes. Well, we got our answer.They were unable to remove any of the cancer and suggested to just make him comfortable. We have been married for 17 years (more than half our lives) and have 3 children (all boys) ages, 15, 12, and 2. My husband has been active in our community coaching Little League baseball for 10 years. So needless to say, not only is our family devastated, this diagnosis has devastated so many of our friends, family, and the many other families he has come to know over the years as well. We don't know what the prognosis is (we haven't asked and they haven't said). They only tell us it isn't good. I have given this to God and only he knows when and why. My only hope is that my husband can find peace with God (he is so very angry at this point) and that my children will get through this without too many permanant scars. Some days I find it hard to even breath I'm so overwhelmed, but I can't give in to it. I have too many people to take care of right now. That's why I'm so grateful to have found this board. Thanks to all for your love and support. Just reading your posts gives me hope.

Posted 05/01/2003 02:05 am by Holly
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