Anyone diagnosed with Gallbladder cancer?

I have been diagnosed with Gallbladder cancer. Already had surgery to remove the T4- Stage 4a tumor that invaded half my liver, a portion of my intestines and bile ducts which were all removed. I’ve never even heard of Gallbladder cancer before I was diagnosed. They want me to start on Xeloda and then after 4 months on chemo they want me to start on both Xeloda nd radiation. I feel very ALONE with this diagnosis as only 2 in 100,000 people get it and very AFRAID bcz of the poor prognosis. Can ANYONE relate???

Yes

I hope you find a sense of community here and can start to feel less alone. Your situation sounds complex and challenging. One day at a time, as they say. While the prognosis in general may be poor, that doesn't mean YOUR prognosis is poor. Try to not let your fear rule the situation. Expect answers from your health care providers, gather information, and make decisions based on the reality of your situation. I have to have my gallbladder removed on April 2, and I, too, am worried about gallbladder cancer since it is a higher risk because of my genetic mutation (Lynch Syndrome). Let's both hope for the best and face whatever we have to face. I hope others will join the discussion and offer you some support. You will be in my thoughts.

Thank you for responding and for thinking of me. Yes, let’s remain positive!! Mind over mater! I used to work for the American Cancer Society and never heard of gallbladder cance bcz the estimate only 2 people out of 100,000 people get it.. Hopefully there are those few survivors out there that lived to tell about it and what treatment they had to kill it Al. Please share if you have had this aggressive cancer.

@theresamoh, I'm tagging fellow members like @formayor @viopp @johnny2053 @edie78t @tammie4jc @maortiz1987 who have experience with gallbladder cancer. They may be able to share experiences with Xeloda and radiation treatment after surgery.

Theresa, have you started Xeloda now? How are you doing?

@livingwithlynch, you are having your surgery today. I just wanted to send this note to let you know I was thinking of you and I wish you a uneventful and swift recovery. I look forward to hearing from you when you are willing and able.

Thank you, Colleen. I had a very interesting turn of events. I was minutes away from being taken into the OR after meeting with various members of the surgical team. The surgeon came in to talk to me and he had a look on his face like he was questioning the surgery. We talked 1:1 about my symptoms and the one occurrence I had, how it resolved, how I was feeling since then, the potential difficulties and complications that could occur with the surgery, and how did I feel about having the surgery. Then he said something that took me by surprise. He told me he sometimes gets "messages from above" and when he does he has to listen to them. He told me he wasn't sure this surgery was the right thing to do today and how did I feel about canceling it. I have never had a doctor speak to me about anything spiritual or getting messages, but I truly believed what he was telling me. So I said that if he was OK with canceling the surgery, I was too. He looked at me and said, "Good. Then it's canceled. I'll see you in a couple of weeks for a follow-up appointment and we'll talk more." He then informed the team of what was happening, my IV was taken out, the monitors disconnected, and I was told I could get dressed and go home. I came home and had a low-fat breakfast and have felt joyful all day. It was perhaps the most surreal medical experience I have ever had, but I have total faith in his decision and for all the reasons he made it. I'm looking forward to talking to him more about it in two weeks.

Hello @livingwithlynch

What a surprising turn of events! I can tell you are relieved. It's great that your doctor was able to take a second look at your situation and change his original opinion about surgery.

I'm looking forward to hearing how this unfolds. Will you post updates?

I'll be glad to post updates. It's interesting how twice in my life I have encountered people who just leave me wanting to grab hold of them, sit them down, and try to understand the unexplained impact they have had on me, and how transformative the experience can be. The other time this happened was after the medical staff told my mother-in-law that they thought it was time that she "just go home [to die]" and my then wife and I met with a hospital chaplain. I felt I was in the presence of a divine being dressed in a suit and tie. I could not figure it out, and when I asked him about his background, he was vague and not forthcoming. I didn't understand until I went home and looked him up online. It turns out he is a Buddhist chaplain at this major hospital. Then I realized why I felt such a strong spiritual feeling coming from this person. I felt I could learn so much from him. I will never forget him and that unexpected and amazing encounter.

My liver enzymes were elevated so my chemo tx is on hold until I get my labs redrawn. In the meantime, I’m looking into this radio-frequency tx in NYC. Hope I’m a candidate. Have to have a PET SCAN done first. They drew blood and my WBC count and platelet count is very high so I don’t know what that means, but he wants to wait for the PET SCAN to make an decisions on if he will tx me or not.