Evan Siegelman, MD, University of Pennsylvania , speaks on “Imaging of the Peritoneum and Appendiceal Neoplasms” at the PMP / Appendiceal Cancer Seminar on April 6, 2019.
My sister was diagnosed with this at 16. She died at 18. Months before she was diagnosed, she went to a clinic for abdominal pain thinking she had appendicitis. They didn't do anything, they said it was probably period cramps. She has a 4 pound tumor (obliterated her ovary) removed that was starving her out and she went to the emergency room because she almost died. Her jelly belly was the only other clue. She died in 2018. Dr. Sugarbaker worked on her in 2016 or 17, I can never keep the dates straight these days. Her recovery took a long time. A green bean almost killed her cause it lodged between two tumors on the remaining intestine after the cyto reductive surgery. She stopped eating. They put her on hospice and we were told at most 4 months. She lived off TPN through her port, ate nothing by mouth. She lived for 8 months. The tpn was killing her in the end but also helping her stay alive, so we didn't know what to do. After the seizures started we took the tpn away, thinking she had a day or two. She lived for another torturous week. This cancer was a monster. I'm thankful that everyone involved did everything they could to help her. Thank you Dr Sugarbaker, I think you gave us another year with her.
