What is Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is a cancer of the lungs characterized by the presence of malignant tumours. Most commonly it is bronchogenic carcinoma (about 90%). Lung cancer is one of the most leth...
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My Mom has Stage 4 Lung Cancer
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10:22AM, October 28, 2008
This is the time and date that I found out that my mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer that has spread to her Liver and bones. My mom is not a smoker, showed no signs of having anything wrong with her. My mom had been complaining of chest pains and being sore around her ribs, or as she says "right below my bra." My mom went to the doctors on October 22, 2008, the day after her 57th birthday, to find out what was wrong with her. At that time she has had a series of CAT scans, bone density tests and a mammogram which all proved that she had cancer and it had spread. She started IV chemo around the first of December and right around Christmas time she had lost all of her hair. She did about 6 treatments of chemo and they did a CT scan and her results came back that her tumor in her lung had decreased by 20%. Since this was good news the doctor wanted her to take Tarceva and as long as she didn't get any worse she could continue taking pill form chemo since the IV form was making her very tired and ill. August 9, 2009 my mom called me crying because she was in a lot of pain and could barely move. We took her to the emergency room and she was given pain medication and they decided to admit her. August 10th they did a bone scan that determined that there was not a single bone in her body that the cancer had not spread to...which would explain her pain. They decided to do a couple of radiation treatments and told her that they would do 10 treatments and then she could decide if she wanted to go back on IV chemo again...she was against that. She was in the hospital from August 9-21. She agreed to 7 out of 10 radiation treatments and some Palliative care before she decided she had enough and wanted to go home. The doctors released her under 24/7 care and Hospice care at the home. I was told by the oncologist's nurse that she could possibly have 3 months to live. Mom is doing ok at home. She is still in a lot of pain and her doctor/Hospice have not 100% found out what will make her better. And she cannot get comfortable anymore. She goes around the house in circles trying to find the best best, chair, couch that she can sit in. Posted on 09/16/09, 04:09 pm |
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HI Amanda. My mom was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in December. She was also a non-smoker (one of the 15+%). Her cancer doc decided against regular chemo and put her on Tarceva first thing. She's still on it and thankfully the radiation they did on the painful tumors in her bones have worked so she is in minimal pain. I see in your post my future. I'm scared and wish we were not so helpless. How are you able to let go and let god? 
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Please don't be scared - easier said than done. Although I am functioning as a well individual, I know what I have and the possible consequences. Between now and the time the consequences become obvious, I will ignore that 'scarey' part of my future as long as I can. God guides my fate.
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Sorry I've not posted in a while...just a lot of things going on with Mom and work. Mom has been on a slow decline since last Monday. Everyday the week of Sept 28-Oct 2 we would notice something different about her. She fell on the 30th and the 1st. Hospice put a catheter (sp?) in and we had to convince mom that she didn't need to get up to pee to just go. On the 3rd we celebrated my niece's 4th birthday and most of our family was in town to celebrate and tell their good bye's to mom. My sister from IL has been in town since Monday evening and we have been very glad that she has been here to help and spend time with mom/us.
I was finally able to tell my mom last night that it was ok to go and we would be ok. Probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do and honestly I had to have my sister in the room with me because I don't think I could've been able to do it alone. I'm ok with my mom dying. I want her suffering to end and we all hate seeing her this way. I just had a hard time telling her that it was ok and we would be fine. My fiance said that Hospice visited today and thinks that she will pass this weekend. Her declining blood pressure and her actions are giving a lot of signs. We are now trying to decide if we should let her pass away at home or take her to the hospital where Hospice has rooms available. In some ways i'm leaning more towards the hospital because I don't want the constant reminder of my mom dying in her bedroom and with her getting worse it would probably be in our/her best interest to be somewhere that someone is able to help her in a matter of seconds compared to waiting at home for Hospice to show.
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Sadly my mom passed away on the 10th. My last post on the 9th said that hospice told us that she would not make it through the weekend...they were right. When I got to the house on the 9th that night mom was pretty much in a comatosed state. Her breathing was like nothing I had ever heard before, her eyes were open in a nonresponsive stare and she was no longer corresponding with us. My sister was up and down all that night checking on her and gave her meds at 6:30am on the 10th. Right before 8am Stephanie heard my mom and it sounded like she was choking, that was her last breath. Her visitation was the 13th and her funeral was the 14th. My sisters and I are doing ok. We are relieved that mom is now able to rest and no longer be in pain. Her birthday is Wednesday and i'm dreading this day knowing that she is not here anymore.
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I DO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING THREW MY DAD HAD LUNG CANCER AND 3 BRAIN TUMORS, ,,, AND SADLY TO SAY HE IS NOT WITH ME ANY MORE , ,,,,HOSPIC IS THE KEY THEY WILL KEEP YOUR MOTHER COMFROTABLE AS POSSIBLE , I KNOW THIS BECAUSE MY DAD HAD IT, THEY WILL HELP YOU TOO......IF YOU ASK,,,, JUST HANG IN THERE THE BEST THAT YOU CAN , IT IS HARD SOME TIMES , BUT JUST KEEP ON GOING, EVEN IF ITS HARD,,,,,GOOD LUCK,
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My story is so similar to you Amanda. I wrote to you before when my mom was alive and now she just passed on Nov. 4th. She was in such mental anguish, I made my peace with her before she died. We spent so many beautiful and precious moments together in the end, just telling each other how much we love each other and holding each other. I am so grateful she is no longer suffering, although my suffering has just begun. When you love someone to that degree you just want whats best for them, and for them not to suffer. I also told her to go "home" to her family because she missed them so dearly. She was concerned about the sorrow she would inflict upon me, my dad and my 2 year old. She was right, there is alot of sorrow, but also relief. I will pray for our moms, may they Rest in Peace.
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God Bless all of you who have lost a parent recently to cancer. I hope my daughter and two sons handles my death as nobley as ya'll seem to do. I wish you and your families a serene and peaceful Thanksgiving.
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