Anyone on Gemcitabine with Abraxane? How long? Effective?

Thank you for responding. I have an appointment tomorrow in Minneapolis at M Health Fairview so I’ll ask when I’m there if there’s a social worker available to talk to

This is his second. This one has been recommended by our doctor and many people who have gone to him. He has had some relief from the back pain, but not any progress with the hand and foot/leg neuropathy. Thank you for touching base. Be well.

I don't know what the commenter was referring to, but here are several stories of survivors:
https://letswinpc.org/category/survivor-stories/

Hello. This is a terrible shock, and I'm sure that everyone is wishing you well.

1. Is he being seen at a pancreatic cancer center of excellence?
https://pancreasfoundation.org/patient-resources/npf-centers-of-excellence/
2. Do you live close enough to one of the superb pancan centers -- Hopkins, MSK, Mayo, Anderson, among others -- to be seen there? Many people on this site would urge you to move temporarily if you must, in order to get the best care possible. This is a sneaky disease, as another commenter often notes, so it's crucial to have *the* best care possible.

3. If you haven't yet read posts by @stageivsurvivor, please go to his profile page and click on Comments. He was diagnosed in 2012, is in good shape now, and has an enormous amount of useful info.

4. @markymarkfl, @mayoconnectuser1, @ncteacher, @gamaryanne, and @gardenlady1116 also share a great deal of useful info.

Wishing you both well.

@scalettasandy : Hi. I live alone, I have no family nearby, and my closest friends are 200+ mi. away, so I empathize.

Until recently, I had a longtime therapist, and she was a great support. (She retired, which had been in the works for two years; not a surprise, therefore, but bad timing for me.)

My hospital's cancer center has a social worker who has been a great support in various ways; she's an LCSW, so she could provide a few sessions of therapy, and she has put me in touch with the Behavioral Health unit at the hospital, with the goal of my having short-term psychotherapy support (3 mos. is their limit) if I want it. I'm not sure whether I do, but I'm glad it's a possibility.

This is a lousy time to be without support, and I feel for you. Might your hospital be able to help in these, or other, ways?

ETA: If any of your relatives live near a bigger / better hospital, might you be able to move in with them for a few months?

@annsant: Has he tried more than one acupuncturist? I've tried three over time -- one was great but moved to another state; two was (to my min) mediocre; and three was very good/great.

Your positivity is so joyful! Thankyou for sharing!! My husband started his chemo journey today. We’re staying positive!!

My husband has been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer. Has spread to the liver. Went to ER Oct 4 for severe constipation after a family vacation to Munich for Octoberfest. CT scan in ER Showed mass on pancreas and liver. Shocking news!, PET scan and MRI showed spots of omental carcinomatosis. He had his first round of chemo today. Abraxane and Gemcitabiene. He has slept most of the day. Had a little nausea but took meds for that and it went away. He just feels lousy. Hopefully he feels a little better tomorrow. His treatment plan is day 1, 8, and 15 then a week off.
We are praying for progress. He is 68. We are staying positive!! There has to be something out there to stop this cancer. I am so grateful I found this group.

I’m glad you’re doing so well! I can’t imagine going through 40 chemo treatments!! I’ve only had 4 but something bad seems to happen like a clot or fluid around lung, etc after each one and we have to push chemo back and back. I’m just going in for my 4th treatment today. I sure hope nothing happens after this one.
I just can’t get over how positive you are! I sure wish I could get that mindset

You explained what you wanted to well enough. I do not use them. I saw another patient with them & she got them from another patient who no longer needed them. She thinks they helped her. I just had my 40th Gem/Abraxane treatment. The neuropathy started slowly at first and some days it was really wicked feeling like someone was driving roofing nails into my toes, feet or ankles. Other times it was like something was sucking or scraping the bone marrow out of my lower legs. I am trying the acupuncture & although it seems to help, the reversing process is no picnic either as sensations try to return. But I look at it this way: At least I am still here to complain about it. I find that pain meds like Tramadol and Percocet help; just do not wait too long into the pains to take them. I tried gabapentin and lyrica but they did not help. They have side effects too which were really bothering me.
I consider myself lucky in that I have not had much trouble with nausea and vomiting. I still eat most of the foods I did before. I did gain weight, but that can be a side effect of the gemcitabine.
I cannot tell you if those mitts will help or not but they might. Keep up the fight! I am now in radiological remission & continuing treatment at least until the next CT in December.