So my mother’s been sick with metastatic breast cancer in her bones for almost 6 years now (she had been in remission after a double mastectomy five years before that). Even 6 years ago it was considered "terminal", and we all know it’s just a matter of time. Now it’s spread further onto her liver, and she’s switching to a much more intense chemo treatment (the last one had already made her lose all her hair). Now you might think that after 6 years I’d be getting used to the idea of her passing (I’m 22, she’s 53), but the truth is, the more her treatments intensify and the more pain she’s in, the scarier it is. She’s still living at home, and even though we talk about it sometimes, there are things I can’t bring myself to ask her. Realistically, I know I should just take things one day at a time, but does anyone have any idea really how much time she might have left, or exactly how things end in these cases? I already know to enjoy every day I have with her. Please help.
Posts Tagged ‘remission’
My mother is dying of breast cancer (metastatic) – how will it end?
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010Metastatic breast cancer…?
Monday, June 21st, 2010My mom was diagnosed in 00 with stage 3 breast cancer,had her lymphnodes removed,numerous surgeries,chemo and radiation and was in complete remission.In 05 she was diagnosed with metastatic cancer in her lungs and started chemo but contracted a blood infection at the hospital during a procedure to put in a Hickman’s catheter so she had to quit chemo for 3 months b/c the antibiotics they had her on were so strong the chemo wouldn’t be effective.Three months after going back into chemo she was told she was once again in remission,only for the doctor to call back literally 5 minutes later and tell her that her test results came back and she AGAIN has more nodules in her lungs.More invasive chemo treatments were put it order.All but one nodule in her lung is gone,its not getting any smaller but not getting any bigger so they’re keeping an eye out.Just in Feb. she was diagnosed with bone cancer in her hip. She just finished radiation last week and starts chemo very soon.Pls read details….
I know that no one here can tell me how long she has to live because I don’t think God uses Yahoo, lol. She has been a very strong woman in the past 7 years working full time through all of her treatments. I know even though she puts on a strong front and acts like everything is okay, inside she is scared to death (no pun intended) and has to be wondering why it keeps coming back. My question is, how likely are the treatments to work to shrink all the legions on her hip? Being that it is metastatic and has gone from her breast, to her lungs, to her hip, it will probably just keep spreading. Does being on chemo really help cancer from spreading? It spread while she was on chemo the past 2 years, so does the chemo only treat the cancer she was diagnosed with in the first place? (ie: treated with lung cancer so it wouldn’t treat the bone cancer…) We are all being very strong and support her in every way we can.
*I meant diagnosed with lung cancer so it wouldn’t treat th bone cancer.
Metastatic cancer question…?
Sunday, June 20th, 2010I just found out last night that my mom was diagnosed yesterday morning with metastatic breast cancer to the hip. Her original breast cancer was diagnosed 1999. She had radiation, chemotherapy and surgery. In 2005, she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer to the lungs. Near the end of her chemo, she contracted a blood infection which almost killed her. She had to stop treatments because the antibiotic she was on 24/7 through an IV was so strong she couldn’t take her chemo at the same time, which in turn let more cancer spread in her lung. Since her first bout with lung cancer (minus the 3 months she was taken off for antibiotics) she has been on weekly chemo and herceptin IV drip once a week. I don’t really know what I am asking here, but I’m just looking for some answers anyone has for anything she’s been though. If she’s been getting treatments for this long, and herceptin, which is a medicine to pretty much keep you in remission, why is it still spreading?
She sees her doctor next friday and will find out then when she will start radiation.
Question about metastatic cancer…?
Saturday, June 19th, 2010I just found out earlier tonight that my mom was diagnosed today with metastatic breast cancer to the hip. Her original breast cancer was diagnosed 1999. She had radiation, chemotherapy and surgery. In 2005, she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer to the lungs. Near the end of her chemo, she contracted a blood infection which almost killed her. She had to stop treatments because the antibiotic she was on 24/7 through an IV was so strong she couldn’t take her chemo at the same time, which in turn let more cancer spread in her lung. Since her first bout with lung cancer (minus the 3 months she was taken off for antibiotics) she has been on weekly chemo and herceptin IV drip once a week. I don’t really know what I am asking here, but I’m just looking for some answers anyone has for anything she’s been though. If she’s been getting treatments for this long, and herceptin, which is a medicine to pretty much keep you in remission, why is it still spreading?
Is having Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Bone cancer at the same time common?
Monday, June 7th, 2010I have Hodgkin’s Lymphoma currently and I’ve battled it twice before. I have been in remission after each new occurrence. The Hodgkin’s has come back in my abdomen and is stable. I have recently discovered that I have bone cancer in my leg. This is an entirely new cancer and not metastasized from the other. I am scared. What type of treatment is normal for this type of situation? Am I going to be able to come back from this?
what happens after stomach cancer is in remission?
Monday, May 24th, 2010what happens after a person has stomach cancer and has part of their stomach removed? I mean 3 years after remission? How does the person feel? How does their lifestyle change? What new fears are there? Do you have to see the oncologist, dietician all the time still?
What is the correct cancer treatment for this?
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010If you have a precancerous growth at a different site in the same organ from where you had cancer originally, what would treatment be?
Would you need more chemo because of your cancer history, if you have only been in remission for a few months.
I think the precancerous growth had the same type of cells as the original cancer, or something like that.
What make pancreatic cancer so different from other cancers?
Sunday, May 16th, 2010From everything that I have read about pancreatic cancer it is uncurable. Breast cancer, leukemia, and other kinds of cancer can be cured/brought into remission and I was wondering what is so different about pancreatic cancer that does not allow this type of cancer to be cured/go into remission?
At what age should you start prostate cancer screenings if you have a strong family history?
Friday, May 7th, 2010My husband will be 30 soon and I wonder when he should start psa screening for prostate cancer. His father, paternal grandfather, and paternal uncle all had/have prostate cancer. His father was diagnosed at age 43 but it appears to be out of remission now after 10 years. I’ve read the recommended age is 45 or 50 yrs but if my father-in-law waited to 45 he’d be dead by now. So if you have a strong family history, what’s the best time to start?