Facing Stage 4 Stomach Cancer with Grace: Kristen Bihn's Story
4.7 هزار بار بازدید -
11 ماه پیش
-
Support the Stomach Cancer Prevention
Support the Stomach Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Act! Take action today at GastricCancerAdvocacy.org by emailing Congress now. Help us end stomach cancer!
Kristen Bihn from Bremerton, Washington, received her stage 4 stomach cancer diagnosis after weeks of discomfort. Initially mistaken as pancreatic cancer, Kristen endured several appointments, tests, and scans before learning that she had stomach cancer. This is her story of hope.
Leading into February of 2022, I’d felt unwell for six weeks. I finally decided to see a doctor. My stomach constantly seemed full, and my heart was tender and painful. When I touched the area near my belly button, I felt a protrusion similar to the end of a hot dog. At night, I’d wake up drenched in sweat, despite not feeling especially hot or cold.
Having worked in a medical setting, I knew I needed some specific tests to see what was going on. I scheduled an appointment with my doctor. Specifically, I requested an echocardiogram for my heart along with a CAT scan for the hernia I believed I had in my stomach.
Meeting With the Doctor
At the initial meeting with my doctor, he conducted some blood tests along with an abdominal ultrasound. Unfortunately, the tests revealed several masses that appeared to be metastatic. The doctor called me later to share that I had pancreatic cancer. I was not convinced - my symptoms didn’t seem to match my diagnosis. So, he said it could have been lymphoma. After that, I didn’t hear from him about scheduling follow-up care.
I didn’t have time to waste, as my symptoms were getting worse. I ended up in the ER, where they conducted a CAT scan and shared that I had stomach cancer. I received an endoscopy and discovered that I had a sizable tumor in my stomach. The doctor took some biopsies and gave me my prognosis: stage 4 stomach cancer.
Discovering the Next Steps for Treating Stage 4 Stomach Cancer
Next, I needed to meet with an oncologist. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get me in for three weeks. I was only getting worse. Once again, I ended up in the ER due to a persistent fever. They drew blood, and the results indicated the presence of blood clots. I had pulmonary embolisms in both lungs. The tests showed that the main tumor was growing. I desperately needed to start treatment.
Thankfully, there was an oncologist in the hospital at the time. They were able to insert my port, which allowed me to start chemo sooner than I would have otherwise.
Starting Treatment for Stage 4 Stomach Cancer
To begin, my oncologist recommended chemotherapy. They put me on a mix of cisplatin and fluoracil, along with Herceptin and Keytruda. I stayed on this course of medications and chemotherapy for five months, and we saw great improvement.
I received my no evidence of disease (NED) in October 2022. However, it was short-lived - I had to go to the hospital for Norovirus in November of 2022, and they discovered more tumors at that time. I had to begin second-line chemotherapy to stop the new growths in their tracks. I took a mixture of taxol and cyramza for six months.
Finally, after six months of second-line chemo, I was declared NED again and put on Cyramza for maintenance.
Considering Surgery
Naturally, I’ve been thinking about all the steps I should take to ensure the cancer does not return. I decided to visit with a surgical oncologist to talk about getting a total gastrectomy. However, they were not willing to move forward with it. Since I had such a heavy load of cancer, and since it was in my liver at one point, the oncologist felt that removing my stomach wouldn’t be enough.
I am only taking maintenance drugs at this point. I also visit my doctor for scans every three months and an endoscopy every six months.
Lessons Learned + Hope For the Future
Living with stage 4 stomach cancer has certainly been a challenge. However, I am doing fairly well, all things considered. I deal with some fatigue and I have to nap often to manage my schedule.
My hope is that researchers develop better treatments for stomach cancer that lead to cures. Personally, I hope to set good examples for my children so that they can face unexpected news and life’s challenges with courage and grace.
Kristen Bihn from Bremerton, Washington, received her stage 4 stomach cancer diagnosis after weeks of discomfort. Initially mistaken as pancreatic cancer, Kristen endured several appointments, tests, and scans before learning that she had stomach cancer. This is her story of hope.
Leading into February of 2022, I’d felt unwell for six weeks. I finally decided to see a doctor. My stomach constantly seemed full, and my heart was tender and painful. When I touched the area near my belly button, I felt a protrusion similar to the end of a hot dog. At night, I’d wake up drenched in sweat, despite not feeling especially hot or cold.
Having worked in a medical setting, I knew I needed some specific tests to see what was going on. I scheduled an appointment with my doctor. Specifically, I requested an echocardiogram for my heart along with a CAT scan for the hernia I believed I had in my stomach.
Meeting With the Doctor
At the initial meeting with my doctor, he conducted some blood tests along with an abdominal ultrasound. Unfortunately, the tests revealed several masses that appeared to be metastatic. The doctor called me later to share that I had pancreatic cancer. I was not convinced - my symptoms didn’t seem to match my diagnosis. So, he said it could have been lymphoma. After that, I didn’t hear from him about scheduling follow-up care.
I didn’t have time to waste, as my symptoms were getting worse. I ended up in the ER, where they conducted a CAT scan and shared that I had stomach cancer. I received an endoscopy and discovered that I had a sizable tumor in my stomach. The doctor took some biopsies and gave me my prognosis: stage 4 stomach cancer.
Discovering the Next Steps for Treating Stage 4 Stomach Cancer
Next, I needed to meet with an oncologist. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get me in for three weeks. I was only getting worse. Once again, I ended up in the ER due to a persistent fever. They drew blood, and the results indicated the presence of blood clots. I had pulmonary embolisms in both lungs. The tests showed that the main tumor was growing. I desperately needed to start treatment.
Thankfully, there was an oncologist in the hospital at the time. They were able to insert my port, which allowed me to start chemo sooner than I would have otherwise.
Starting Treatment for Stage 4 Stomach Cancer
To begin, my oncologist recommended chemotherapy. They put me on a mix of cisplatin and fluoracil, along with Herceptin and Keytruda. I stayed on this course of medications and chemotherapy for five months, and we saw great improvement.
I received my no evidence of disease (NED) in October 2022. However, it was short-lived - I had to go to the hospital for Norovirus in November of 2022, and they discovered more tumors at that time. I had to begin second-line chemotherapy to stop the new growths in their tracks. I took a mixture of taxol and cyramza for six months.
Finally, after six months of second-line chemo, I was declared NED again and put on Cyramza for maintenance.
Considering Surgery
Naturally, I’ve been thinking about all the steps I should take to ensure the cancer does not return. I decided to visit with a surgical oncologist to talk about getting a total gastrectomy. However, they were not willing to move forward with it. Since I had such a heavy load of cancer, and since it was in my liver at one point, the oncologist felt that removing my stomach wouldn’t be enough.
I am only taking maintenance drugs at this point. I also visit my doctor for scans every three months and an endoscopy every six months.
Lessons Learned + Hope For the Future
Living with stage 4 stomach cancer has certainly been a challenge. However, I am doing fairly well, all things considered. I deal with some fatigue and I have to nap often to manage my schedule.
My hope is that researchers develop better treatments for stomach cancer that lead to cures. Personally, I hope to set good examples for my children so that they can face unexpected news and life’s challenges with courage and grace.
11 ماه پیش
در تاریخ 1402/08/14 منتشر شده
است.
4,725
بـار بازدید شده