Mom has stage 4 ibc with mets

marypage

If anyone could tell me when will we know if the treatments are helping!?

I posted a few months back at the first stages of my mom's diagnosis. I have since been taking turns with my brothers staying with her and helping her out.

She is 77 yrs. old has stage 4 ibc with mets in her hip and spine (plus abnormal activity in her abdomen (whatever that means). she has had 15 radiation treatments on her hip as they feared it would break..plus she was in sever pain and major difficulty walking and getting around. Those treatments have helped her pain and she says she now just has twinges of pain there. she is on her 5 radiation treatment to her spine and says she can tell the pressure is easing. she has had 3 rounds of chemo thus far and we have no idea how many more.  she is currently taking 3 oxy's a day plus darvacet 3-4 times throughout the day.

the dr. say she is not cureable but treatable. serious but not dire.  They also say she is eligible for hospice care.  This is the confusion....can she go into remission? will she be pain free possibly.  no one will say how long they think she has.  we are all panicked and need advice on what to expect.  Our wish and prayer is for her to be pain free and independent again...is this possible?

thanks for listening!

billiegirl

Hospice focuses on COMFORT Care and end-of life care. There is typically a team of care givers that come out to the home and help the patient and their family to make decisions on how to handle pain issues and other needs/services not typically managed by the regular doctor. Usually, people who qualify for Hospice are definitely not expected to go into remission, but this is a question to come right out and ask the DR, if you had somehow been led to believe it was probable. Hospice personell are very good at being able to explain what you can expect. Best wishes.

marypage

Thank you both for your responsese.  I kinda figured if she was eligible for hospice care that they think she wont get better.  There are soo many ups and downs with disease.

Thanks again!