Blue Faery’s Blog
Living Beyond Liver Cancer
Kay's story is not just about the care she gave as a nurse. It is also about her own fight for survival. She survived breast cancer and advanced liver cancer, also called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). These battles turned her into a strong patient advocate and a trusted volunteer. She is a testament to the power of persistence.
Misunderstanding Liver Disease
Dr. Jody Olson didn't come from a family of college graduates. He was the first. When he began college, he thought he wanted to become a lawyer. A popular TV drama about attorneys and his natural love for debate may have influenced him. A wise college advisor told him to study science, just in case he decided to change his career plans. That advice opened unexpected doors.
Healing Through Living Liver Donation
At first, Dr. Pillai dreamed of becoming a trauma surgeon. She loved fast-paced procedures and the hands-on nature of surgery. As she planned her future, she saw that trauma surgery meant long, unpredictable hours. She realized having the kind of life she wanted outside of medicine would be hard.
Explaining Liver Cancer Treatment Options
Dr. Singal's path to hepatology — the study of the liver — wasn't straightforward. He considered other specialties. Then he went into gastroenterology (GI). He liked the appeal of quickly solving urgent problems. In GI, one can treat a patient with bleeding with an endoscopy and send them home the next day.
Liver Cancer Causes, Symptoms, and Care
Dr. Moon became interested in studying liver health in medical school. He enjoyed the problem-solving aspect of diagnosing and treating digestive and liver conditions.
Cherishing Time with Loved Ones
By a stroke of luck, Bonnie and Warren were able to identify a suitable physician to help with Warren's treatment on the day he was going in for his biopsy. They overheard the GI doctor mention the name of an interventional radiologist (IR) who successfully treated HCC. So, they asked about the IR, who coincidently happened to be there that day.
Optimizing Cancer Support
Initially, Greg was eligible for a transplant, which gave him the best odds of survival. The liver transplant process is very extensive. The healthcare team has to ensure whomever they provide a liver for is not only going to be able to survive the surgery but also the post-treatment care.
Prioritizing Quality of Life
The GI offered to get Jimmy on the transplant list. However, Jimmy did not want to take a liver from somebody who was younger or had kids to raise.
Advocating for Cancer Patients
Although he was in his 70s, the hepatologists recommended liver resection (i.e., surgery) as a treatment option. They told Swapna and her family that he was a good candidate for resection and it was possibly curative.