Mentally Ill family member with breast cancer

Bmg9f

Hello All,

I have a very urgent and complicated issue to find advice and suggestions for. My mother is 63 years old and Is mentally ill. She has also recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. We do not yet know the stage. One of her breasts is very swollen and red and obviously larger than the other so it's not an early state one. Because she is mentally ill she is in complete denial of reality and is refusing treatment saying that the doctors and everyone are lying to her and that she does not have any problem. However at other times she admits something is wrong but refuses to get treated because she says that in her " next life" she will be punished and crippled. She does not want breast removal however the doctor said that it is inevitable. She had hidden the issue from her family for a few months and now the problem is more serious than it would have been had she told us immediately.

It's as if she doesn't care whether we are devastated if we lose her. We know that she does not see it that way as she is mentally ill/ schitzophrenic and is not in touch with reality.



Has anyone encountered this situation. We are trying to explore every avenue to convince her to voluntarily do the chemo and then the surgery. However if she resists I have been thinking of obtaining medical power of attorney in order to get treated. Has anyone out there had do this before? Would they put her in an institution and force her to do the treatments there? Is this possible ?



I am at my wits end and am desperate for help. Please help!

MelissaDallas

Bmg, I answered you on your other post. If you click on the "add to favorites" at the bottom of the screen you will get notifications when you get replies.

edwards750

Bmg - havent encountered such a difficult situation for you and your family but I would seek legal counsel if I was you. Since I am not an atty I dont know if you can force her to have treatments even if she has mental issues. I would think the court would have to declare her unable to make a medical decision for herself or mentally incompetent whatever legal lingo they use now in order for you to be legally able to make a decision on her behalf. Not sure how much legal red tape you have to go through before you get a ruling but I would do a legal consult and see what they say. It is very sad and I am sorry for your mother and you and your family. Diane

Bmg9f

Thank you Diane. We are going through a very difficult time. It is bad enough to deal with one or the other of these diseases, but when they are combined, it is 100 times worse. The only thing I can do is go to the social services/mental health dept to discuss the options, and what can be done to help her...or hope and pray that she will change her mind herself (chances of that are extremely slim i think).