Really Need Support

Hi Everyone,

I have been a member on the site since my mom's stage IV diagnosis a little over a year ago. Every time I wanted to sit down and do an intro, I would get so overwhelmed with the facts, that I would put it off. Well now I am in desperate need of some support, suggestions and/or advice. Here we go........

My mom was originally diagnosed in December 02 with Stage II BC. She had a lumpectomy, followed by chemo and radiation. Everything was fine for the next 4 years. Throughout the first few months of 07 she started dealing with lymphodema, tiredness and weight loss. Her mammogram in June 07 came back ok. By September she was having fluid removed from her lungs and the tests confirmed that the cancer had returned. This time it had mestasized to her lymph nodes and bones and she was diagnosed with pleural effusion. The started her treatment with Taxol, Avastin and Zometa (once a week Taxol for 3 weeks and then 1 week off). She responded well to it, the tumors decreased in size and her physical condition improved significantly. This treatment plan was continued for about 9 months.

In June of this year, the doctor decided to give my mom a break from the chemo and put her on Femera and continue the zometa once/month. She had scans done the first of August, which showed small progression in the liver, but she also starting to develop some nodules on her breast which prompted the doctor to switch her to Xeloda and put her back on the Avastin every other week and continue with the Zometa 1x per month. After dealing with the insurance company for weeks.....she finally started taking the Xeloda last month.

Scans done on September 26th showed a marked increase in the number of  lesions on the liver and the size of pleural effusion had increased as well. At this time, my mom started experiencing severe pain in her back. (she describes it as a "gripping" pain, sort of like a contraction). She had been taking percoset off and on for minor discomfort, but since she was experiencing so much pain they started her on morphine.

On October 2nd she had the Avastin and Zometa. On her return vist 2 weeks later, she was told that her liver numbers were too elevated to do the treatment. The doctor told her to stop taking the Xeloda and return in one week to check the liver numbers and hopefully get her chemo.

Today we went and received the words I had been dreading since this whole thing started. We were basically told there was nothing else they could do. Her liver numbers were still climbing and it wasn't safe to continue treatment. We were referred to hospice.

I'm not ready to give up and neither is my mom. Hoping that someone can provide some insight or even a reality check for me. I just think that 1 week off of a drug is a short period of time and then I hear so much about liver mets being treated I need to understand why my mom's situation is different. If it helps, here are the liver stats: Total Bilirubin: 14.5, Liver function tests: Alkaline: 11.78, ALT 479 and AST 430.

We did decide to take advantage of the hospice care and will be meeting with someone tomorrow. In the meantime, I will continue to gather information to support my mom and hopefully make sure everything that can be done is done.

My prayers and support are with you all and your families.

Warmly,

Dawn and Joyce (my mom) in GA