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My mom, a hero


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Posted

Where to start, this is such a complicated and long story. My name is Ashley. My mother, my best friend, my absolute everything was given weeks to live with whole brain radiation. The last several years I've watched this women suffer and be put thru hell and she has fought and fought! My mom is 63 years old. In 1991 she has a total hysterectomy for cervical cancer. In 2015 she was diagnosed with anal cancer. She did several rounds of chemo and radiation and was cleared of tumors but the damage the radiation had caused her left her very very sick for about half a year, throwing up constantly and severe stomach pains. Finally in March of 2016 they figured out her intestines had been badly melted and she required surgery to have a temporary colostomy bag. During that operation she developed a blood clot in her leg from her legs being in stirrups for several hours. She laid in the hospital for five days screaming in pain, five days later she is sent to a larger hospital and they have to amputate it, several more complications occur during this time but not relevant to cancer. Finally Nov of 2016 she goes in for surgery to reverse the colostomy bag. After surgery for several days she was short of breath which wasn't normal. They find out she has a collapsed lung and tons of fluid in the other requirng at least three procedures. Thanksgiving we are told that she has stage 3 non small cell lung cancer. She does several rounds of chemo and radiation again. The most aggressive form of both. Aug 2017 we are told the tumors are gone. Thanksgiving of 2017 she falls (she's an amputee remember) so his has happened before. Well this time after she falls she is acting strange so she is taken to urgent care to make sure she didn't hit her head when she fell. The do the scan and tell us she has two brain tumors and would be transferring her to a larger hospital. She is put in icu immediately because of swelling on brain. This is Thursday. On Tuesday she undergoes brain surgery to remove small pieces from the largest tumor to reduce some swelling. We are told there are several tumors. Stage 4. A week after surgery she is sent to a rehabilitation hospital where she spends three weeks. Then to another rehab/nursing facility where she is currently. A month and one day after her brain surgery we are told she only has weeks to live possibly seven months but this is with radiation to the brain and it comes with devastating risks. Idk if I mentioned that this is lung cancer that spread to brain. She started WBR on Wednesday, last week. So it hasn't even been a week. She's had three treatments. She should of had five already but the side effects have became unbearable. After the second treatment she started having diarrhea, a sore throat, became confused, couldn't remember the last time she had ate or took meds, stared quietly off into space but was still able to play a few rounds of bingo😆 After third treatment she started shaking, her hands were cramping up pretty bad and she is now unable to move with out assistance. She still pretty confused. The nurses thought maybe she had flu or pneumonia and did some test that were negative so said it's gotta be the radiation. She is fatigued bad, sleeps constantly, this just started too. I'm so terrified that doing the WBR to give her seven months instead of the few weeks without treatment is destroying her quality of life. She wants to continue to fight. My brother is getting married and having a baby..something that she really doesn't want to miss. I'm so devastated. Idk what to do. Im so devastated. I'm not ready for her to go. I'm begging if anybody has any advice any hope anything. I'm begging from the bottom of my heart please help. Thank you for reading,it's long, I know.  This is someone so important to so many people. 

Posted

Ashley,

I am so very sorry to learn of your mom's difficult battle with lung cancer. Indeed, it is a devastating disease. But add lung cancer to your mom's recent medical problems and the devastation becomes overwhelming.  I truly wish there was some piece of advice that would forecast a better outcome for your beloved mother.

If I was enduring what your mom is, I'd ask my wife to enroll me in hospice.  There comes a time in lung cancer where the treatments have diminishing value to both extended life and quality of life.  If I were in your mom's shoes, I would decide my time would be better spent comfortable and among loved ones.

Stay the course.

Tom

Posted

She was put on life support today. She has pneumonia and sepsis

  • 1 year later...
Posted

So sorry to hear about everything.. wow, your mom sounds like an incredible person to have gone thru so much and you seem like such a great daughter. I send you hugs and love. 

Posted

I'm so sorry--sending love and wishes for peace to you and your family.

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