FIL was just diagnosed with cancer.... lost the fight 12/27/14 (1 Viewer)

[playin4beer]

For the last month or so my FIL has had to go in and get fluid drained out of his chest cavity. They were taking out up to 2 liters at a time... They were checking into what was causing it.. Last week he had surgery to remove the fluid and diagnose the problem. Just got the results today.. It's cancer.. I know the doctor was leaning towards it being Mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure when my FIL was younger... but I don't have any details yet. Has anybody gone through anything similar to this??

 

[playin4beer]

For the last month or so my FIL has had to go in and get fluid drained out of his chest cavity. They were taking out up to 2 liters at a time...They were checking into what was causing it.. Last week he had surgery to remove the fluid and diagnose the problem. Just got the results today..It's cancer..I know the doctor was leaning towards it being Mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure when my FIL was younger... but I don't have any details yet.Has anybody gone through anything similar to this??

Just talked to my wife.. I guess the doctor did say it was Mesothelioma....

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Sorry gb....cancer is definitely the suck.

 

[greenf7cat]

Sorry to hear. I wish him well and hope he can defeat it. Everytime I turn around, someone has cancer. It's heartbreaking

 

[Foosball God]

Sucks for sure. There is a lot of class action out there in regards to Mesothelioma, he might want to start looking into that.

 

[playin4beer]

Sucks for sure. There is a lot of class action out there in regards to Mesothelioma, he might want to start looking into that.

Yeah, that's the only time I had ever heard of it.. from lawyer commercials.. In-laws aren't the type of people to sue anybody and not sure who they would anyways. The FIL was exposed to asbestos it tearing it out ofschools with his step-dad when he was younger.I've heard of funds set aside for people diagnosed with it to pay for medical bills.. they might look into that aspect.

 

[Foosball God]

Sucks for sure. There is a lot of class action out there in regards to Mesothelioma, he might want to start looking into that.

Yeah, that's the only time I had ever heard of it.. from lawyer commercials.. In-laws aren't the type of people to sue anybody and not sure who they would anyways. The FIL was exposed to asbestos it tearing it out ofschools with his step-dad when he was younger.I've heard of funds set aside for people diagnosed with it to pay for medical bills.. they might look into that aspect.

I'm generally not a litigation first kind of guy either, but treatment could turn very expensive very quickly. He should at least do his research.

 

[cosjobs]

Have your mom checked out. Lots of spouses of former asbestos workers also have problems. Talk to an attorney, too, there should be a pretty decent settlement available to at minimum cover medical costs.

 

[DocHolliday]

Have your mom checked out. Lots of spouses of former asbestos workers also have problems. Talk to an attorney, too, there should be a pretty decent settlement available to at minimum cover medical costs.

Solid advice.Money is not going to help the situation now but it can help decrease the worry of the financial burden caused by the medical costs.

 

[Disc Shark]

I defend asbestos cases. Your FIL and family should speak with an attorney. Mesothelioma is a terrible form of cancer and an experienced asbestos plaintiff lawyer will help the family figure out if there is a viable claim to be pursued. Recently, new medical treatments have extended the lives of some mesothelioma victims, but aggressive treatment is very expensive.

 

[Ketamine Dreams]

Sorry to hear this. Mesothelioma is a bad player amongst bad players. Warren Zevon had it.

 

[Silver & Black]

Very sorry to hear this news. I am an attorney in New York and had a few years experience with this horrible disease in my younger days.

I am very sorry to say that this disease is one of the worst ones to suffer with. I'd rather not share the details here. I am sorry for the hardship and suffering you and your family will have to endure in the months ahead.

I will keep you and your family in my prayers.

 

[whoknew]

I also did a fair amount of asbestos work as a baby lawyer. I'm sorry to hear about your father in law. Its not a fun disease.

 

[playin4beer]

Very sorry to hear this news. I am an attorney in New York and had a few years experience with this horrible disease in my younger days. I am very sorry to say that this disease is one of the worst ones to suffer with. I'd rather not share the details here. I am sorry for the hardship and suffering you and your family will have to endure in the months ahead.I will keep you and your family in my prayers.

Thank you... Not the kind of news I was hoping to hear... my wife is already a wreck.

 

[simey]

In-laws aren't the type of people to sue anybody.

My aunt wasn't either until my uncle died from the negligence of a surgeon. My aunt sued for med mal, and they settled with her this past August (almost two years to the day he died). I'm sorry about the news of your FIL.

 

[Silver & Black]

I'm very sorry to be one of the bearer of bad news. However, I think you and your wife will be better served knowing and understanding what your father in law is up against. It is a very painful disease and difficult for family to watch it effect a loved one.

Again, I am very, very sorry to hear this news. Good luck, and stay strong for your wife. She's going to need you brother.

 

[steelerfan1]

For the last month or so my FIL has had to go in and get fluid drained out of his chest cavity. They were taking out up to 2 liters at a time...They were checking into what was causing it.. Last week he had surgery to remove the fluid and diagnose the problem. Just got the results today..It's cancer..I know the doctor was leaning towards it being Mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure when my FIL was younger... but I don't have any details yet.Has anybody gone through anything similar to this??

sorry to hear.FIL and your family in my prayers.

 

[playin4beer]

I'm very sorry to be one of the bearer of bad news. However, I think you and your wife will be better served knowing and understanding what your father in law is up against. It is a very painful disease and difficult for family to watch it effect a loved one.Again, I am very, very sorry to hear this news. Good luck, and stay strong for your wife. She's going to need you brother.

Not a problem.. I'd rather know now.. Not the kind of thing I'm going to pass onto my wife right at this moment though..Sucks because he's the picture of health.. never smoked a day in his life, doesn't drink.. isn't overweight.. he's athletic..Just turned 60 in December...

 

[playin4beer]

Update...

From what the doctors are saying, it's between a stage one and stage two, which is positive news if there can be any.

From the research I've done, no matter what...it seems to be just a matter of time. He's got an appointment next week with

Dr. Sugarbaker in Boston. They are discussing doing surgery because of his age and good health. My wife continues to take it

hard and my FIL seems pretty normal right now. I'm not sure how she's going to be once he starts getting bad. The good thing

is that she has a big family and they all seem to rally pretty good at times like these. She's one of six kids and numerous

cousins, aunts and uncles.

 

[xulf]

Sorry to hear - T&P and make the most of the time you have left with him.

 

[Silver & Black]

Update...From what the doctors are saying, it's between a stage one and stage two, which is positive news if there can be any.From the research I've done, no matter what...it seems to be just a matter of time. He's got an appointment next week withDr. Sugarbaker in Boston. They are discussing doing surgery because of his age and good health. My wife continues to take ithard and my FIL seems pretty normal right now. I'm not sure how she's going to be once he starts getting bad. The good thingis that she has a big family and they all seem to rally pretty good at times like these. She's one of six kids and numerous cousins, aunts and uncles.

I was glad to read that your father in law "seems pretty normal" at present. The last poster's advice about doing things with him now, before the disease begins to make itself felt, is good advice. Make sure to explore all options and get at least two other opinions about having any surgical intervention. The thing I experienced most is that once the disease becomes symptomatic, those symptoms become rapidly progressively worse. And often times, surgeries, while potentially prolonging the life span, have a far worse effect on the patient and the quality of life he/she has remaining to them. I guess my point is to just make sure any decisions made are as informed as possible and take into account the quality of time your father in law has with you guys.Good luck.

 

[Cobra]

Sucks for sure. There is a lot of class action out there in regards to Mesothelioma, he might want to start looking into that.

Yeah, that's the only time I had ever heard of it.. from lawyer commercials.. In-laws aren't the type of people to sue anybody and not sure who they would anyways. The FIL was exposed to asbestos it tearing it out ofschools with his step-dad when he was younger.I've heard of funds set aside for people diagnosed with it to pay for medical bills.. they might look into that aspect.

I'm generally not a litigation first kind of guy either, but treatment could turn very expensive very quickly. He should at least do his research.

Very sorry to hear of you and your family plight. Is there any chance he is a Navy veteran?

 

[playin4beer]

Sucks for sure. There is a lot of class action out there in regards to Mesothelioma, he might want to start looking into that.

Yeah, that's the only time I had ever heard of it.. from lawyer commercials.. In-laws aren't the type of people to sue anybody and not sure who they would anyways. The FIL was exposed to asbestos it tearing it out ofschools with his step-dad when he was younger.I've heard of funds set aside for people diagnosed with it to pay for medical bills.. they might look into that aspect.

I'm generally not a litigation first kind of guy either, but treatment could turn very expensive very quickly. He should at least do his research.

Very sorry to hear of you and your family plight. Is there any chance he is a Navy veteran?

Nope.. not a Vet..I think part of the reason this sucks so bad is that you really can't find nicer people than my in-laws. Not that you'd wish this on anybody, butthey really don't deserve this. She does daycare and watches all the grandkids for free. Won't take any money, no matter what. We pay for them to go on vacation with us once a year. The other siblings do things for them, but they won't take cash. Now that word is out about this, a ton of people in the community and school (FIL is head of grounds/transportation) are getting involved. They parent club is giving them a prepaid Visa card for the trip out to Boston. They are having a really hard time with all of it because they don't like "charity" and they are private people. One sibling has contacted a Mesothelioma lawyer out of Texas and got the ball rolling. He's turned everything over to his dad and it's up to him now. I told my wife to stay on him and make sure he follows through.. if nothing else, to try and get some money to cover medical expenses. I told her to explain to him that the money is already there, he may as well try to use some.

 

[Cobra]

Sucks for sure. There is a lot of class action out there in regards to Mesothelioma, he might want to start looking into that.

Yeah, that's the only time I had ever heard of it.. from lawyer commercials.. In-laws aren't the type of people to sue anybody and not sure who they would anyways. The FIL was exposed to asbestos it tearing it out ofschools with his step-dad when he was younger.I've heard of funds set aside for people diagnosed with it to pay for medical bills.. they might look into that aspect.

I'm generally not a litigation first kind of guy either, but treatment could turn very expensive very quickly. He should at least do his research.

Very sorry to hear of you and your family plight. Is there any chance he is a Navy veteran?

Nope.. not a Vet..I think part of the reason this sucks so bad is that you really can't find nicer people than my in-laws. Not that you'd wish this on anybody, butthey really don't deserve this. She does daycare and watches all the grandkids for free. Won't take any money, no matter what. We pay for them to go on vacation with us once a year. The other siblings do things for them, but they won't take cash. Now that word is out about this, a ton of people in the community and school (FIL is head of grounds/transportation) are getting involved. They parent club is giving them a prepaid Visa card for the trip out to Boston. They are having a really hard time with all of it because they don't like "charity" and they are private people. One sibling has contacted a Mesothelioma lawyer out of Texas and got the ball rolling. He's turned everything over to his dad and it's up to him now. I told my wife to stay on him and make sure he follows through.. if nothing else, to try and get some money to cover medical expenses. I told her to explain to him that the money is already there, he may as well try to use some.

He needs all the support he can get now. I know the lawyer will check out the school or where ever he ever worked,especially if it's an older school.Good luck and God bless. Sounds like a very supportive family. He needs that.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

I'm very sorry for the news 4beer. You have always been a good guy.

I am paying special attention to this thread. As a kid I did a fair amount of carpet. One job sticks out the most, and that's this time I ripped up entire hallways of tile in this ancient apartment building. No dust mask, no sprinkling water to keep the dust down. I'm "Mr. Positive" and the farthest thing from a hypochondriac, but this has been in the back of my head for almost 2 decades. I'm not the type to sue either, but if this stuff takes me early, I want my girls taken care of.

This thread actually has me thinking of going to this apartment building and pulling up whatever flooring is left and having it tested. It's all of 10 minutes from where I live and I think about it every time I am near.

Might be worth doing, just for the piece of mind.

 

[playin4beer]

Wife and SIL are with the in-laws in Boston to see Dr. Sugarbaker...This is the latest:

Met with Dr. Sugarbaker and they are looking at removing the left lung. We are having VQ scan and PET Scan right now. Tomorrow we need to come back for pre op for an outpatient surgery that he will have on Thursday. The procedure he is having Thursday is called a cervical mediastinoscopy. This tests the lymph nodes for cancer cells. This will let us know of he has to have chemo before the main surgery.

On a positive note, the siblings were finally able to talk the FIL into hiring an attorney...

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

I defend asbestos cases. Your FIL and family should speak with an attorney. Mesothelioma is a terrible form of cancer and an experienced asbestos plaintiff lawyer will help the family figure out if there is a viable claim to be pursued. Recently, new medical treatments have extended the lives of some mesothelioma victims, but aggressive treatment is very expensive.

good post

 

[BeTheMatch]

Wife and SIL are with the in-laws in Boston to see Dr. Sugarbaker...This is the latest:

Met with Dr. Sugarbaker and they are looking at removing the left lung. We are having VQ scan and PET Scan right now. Tomorrow we need to come back for pre op for an outpatient surgery that he will have on Thursday. The procedure he is having Thursday is called a cervical mediastinoscopy. This tests the lymph nodes for cancer cells. This will let us know of he has to have chemo before the main surgery.

On a positive note, the siblings were finally able to talk the FIL into hiring an attorney...

What state are you in? I could probably give you some attorneys' names that specialize in this. I have a lot of contacts in this area if you're interested.

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

Wife and SIL are with the in-laws in Boston to see Dr. Sugarbaker...This is the latest:

Met with Dr. Sugarbaker and they are looking at removing the left lung. We are having VQ scan and PET Scan right now. Tomorrow we need to come back for pre op for an outpatient surgery that he will have on Thursday. The procedure he is having Thursday is called a cervical mediastinoscopy. This tests the lymph nodes for cancer cells. This will let us know of he has to have chemo before the main surgery.

On a positive note, the siblings were finally able to talk the FIL into hiring an attorney...

What state are you in? I could probably give you some attorneys' names that specialize in this. I have a lot of contacts in this area if you're interested.

ditto.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

 

[playin4beer]

I'm in Michigan...

As far as I know, one of the BIL's is handling it... There are six kids total, my wife is the second oldest.

We've been married just over 15 years, but I don't feel like I should be the one pushing him to hire an attorney.

Pretty sure he said the lawyer was out of Chicago...and he told me the name & website, but I'm drawing a blank right now.

 

[playin4beer]

Update:

If you were reading this thread and then helped me out in my "Boston" thread, you'll know my FIL didn't have the surgery to remove the lung and lining. Out in Boston we had the whole family and took over the hospital waiting room. After the nurse came back after an hour and a half when it was supposed to be a 4-6 hour surgery, we knew it wasn't good news.

The tumor was attached and wrapped around the aorta and surgery was too risky. After he was discharged, we came back home and he was scheduled for chemo to try and shrink the tumor and make it release from the aorta. This summer has been a tough one on my wife, but we have done a lot of family things and tried to make the best of our time. On the positive side, the chemo hasn't really affected my FIL adversely except to make him tired.

We had a big family/community party for him with a live band.. must have been close to 500 people there, it was great to see all the extended family and friends.

The reason for the update now, is that my wife, SIL, MIL and FIL are all in Boston today. He has tests/scans tomorrow and then will get the results to see if the chemo worked. If it did, they can schedule the surgery. If not, I really don't know.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Stay strong gb. T&P for your family.

 

[shadyridr]

#### YOU CANCER!!!!!!!!!!! #### YOU TO HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Epic Problem]

Stay strong gb. T&P for your family.

 

[Monsieur Meursault]

How old is the FIL?

 

[playin4beer]

How old is the FIL?

He'll be 62 this December..Ironically born on the same day, same year, same city, same hospital as my dad.

 

[simey]

I hope you all get good news today, playin.

 

[Epic Problem]

How old is the FIL?

He'll be 62 this December..Ironically born on the same day, same year, same city, same hospital as my dad.

whoaThat's almost as crazy as me meeting my wife in the same building that my mother met my step-father in. (step-father only dad I've ever had)

 

[playin4beer]

Appointment in Boston this week went as good as we could hope. Doc said the chemo IS working and shrinking the tumor. FIL was sent back home to go through two more treatments and then another appointment back in Boston on October 1st. If everything looks good then, they will schedule surgery for November.

Thanks for all thoughts and prayers..

 

[whoknew]

Appointment in Boston this week went as good as we could hope. Doc said the chemo IS working and shrinking the tumor. FIL was sent back home to go through two more treatments and then another appointment back in Boston on October 1st. If everything looks good then, they will schedule surgery for November.Thanks for all thoughts and prayers..

Great news. Congratulations.

 

[johnnycakes]

Is he being treated at Dana Farber?

 

[playin4beer]

Is he being treated at Dana Farber?

No.. Dr. Sugarbaker at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

 

[johnnycakes]

Is he being treated at Dana Farber?

No.. Dr. Sugarbaker at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

OK, still top-shelf. Dana Farber is part of B&W.ETA: Dr. Sugarbaker is on the thorastic surgery team at Dana Farber.

 

[BigJohn]

Appointment in Boston this week went as good as we could hope. Doc said the chemo IS working and shrinking the tumor. FIL was sent back home to go through two more treatments and then another appointment back in Boston on October 1st. If everything looks good then, they will schedule surgery for November.Thanks for all thoughts and prayers..

 

[Epic Problem]

Appointment in Boston this week went as good as we could hope. Doc said the chemo IS working and shrinking the tumor. FIL was sent back home to go through two more treatments and then another appointment back in Boston on October 1st. If everything looks good then, they will schedule surgery for November.Thanks for all thoughts and prayers..

:applause:

 

[Epic Problem]

Did you look into any of the class action stuff? I know those companies are getting raked over the legal coals and forking over lots of . No reason this should be financially burdening your family.

 

[playin4beer]

Did you look into any of the class action stuff? I know those companies are getting raked over the legal coals and forking over lots of . No reason this should be financially burdening your family.

Left that up to the BIL's... I haven't heard much news on that issue. As far as I know, they did end up getting a lawyer and has met with him a few times.

 

[playin4beer]

Appointment in Boston this week went as good as we could hope. Doc said the chemo IS working and shrinking the tumor. FIL was sent back home to go through two more treatments and then another appointment back in Boston on October 1st. If everything looks good then, they will schedule surgery for November.

Thanks for all thoughts and prayers..

FIL had testing and scans done yesterday to determine if the chemo had indeed shrunk the tumor enough to proceed with surgery...Well the news was better than we could have hoped for... According to Doc Sugarbaker, ALL that was there before except one small spot

is gone.. he had a very good response to the chemo. So good in fact, that they aren't even considering surgery at this point. They are now planning

on doing a "maintenance" plan with chemo and then seeing the FIL back for another PET scan in February to see what is happening at that point.

Wife wants to celebrate tonight

 

[Keerock]

Appointment in Boston this week went as good as we could hope. Doc said the chemo IS working and shrinking the tumor. FIL was sent back home to go through two more treatments and then another appointment back in Boston on October 1st. If everything looks good then, they will schedule surgery for November.

Thanks for all thoughts and prayers..

FIL had testing and scans done yesterday to determine if the chemo had indeed shrunk the tumor enough to proceed with surgery...Well the news was better than we could have hoped for... According to Doc Sugarbaker, ALL that was there before except one small spot

is gone.. he had a very good response to the chemo. So good in fact, that they aren't even considering surgery at this point. They are now planning

on doing a "maintenance" plan with chemo and then seeing the FIL back for another PET scan in February to see what is happening at that point.

Wife wants to celebrate tonight

Extremely awesome, GBP4B!