81-year-old MIL waiting on biopsy results

What a difference a day makes.  Two days ago, MIL was feeling human, but the past 24 hours have been diarrhea hell.  Not sure if I mentioned it or not, but MIL (I don't want to use her name because she's much more sensitive to privacy than me) has ambulation problems -- specifically, she walks very slowly with a walker due to a childhood injury and inadequate surgical repair.  So walking the 15 feet from her bedside to the bathroom takes several important minutes when diarrhea sets in.  I put her on liquids -- Gatorade, chicken broth, etc., and Immodium and after being up all night, she's been sleeping for the past few hours.  She's already questioning if it's worth it given her age.  How do I respond?  I just tell her it's her body and only she can make the decision to have or not have treatment.  Before treatment started, I told her the same thing, but added that I hoped she would at least give it a try but that I would respect her decision either way.  What do I tell her now?  I don't want to tell her it'll get better because everything I've read says just the opposite.  I'm just at a loss of how to help her.  If all goes according to the onc's schedule, he wants her getting treatments every two weeks.  So she has next week to recover before she goes  back and starts again.  Oh -- and hair loss has already started.  Should she get a buzz cut or just get it cut short?

Just called the onc and he said pack a bag and meet him at the office in the morning.  Looks like we're hospital-bound for a few days. 

Sorry I haven't been around for a few days, but after my last post (temp 101.6...), I called her onc and we met at the hospital and she was admitted because her WBCs bottomed out (0.3).  That was Tuesday, and she was discharged Friday with WBCs back up to 7.2.  Platelets and RBCs still low, but not alarmingly so.  She was very sick and so weak she couldn't walk for several days.  Still no let-up from the chemo symptoms, although her onc promised she would "feel like new" these last few days before she gets her 2nd round of chemo Wednesday.  He said he would dial it down this time and admitted she got too much the first time around.  Her mouth is a horrible mess and she won't use the "Magic Mouthwash" or anything else to help the symptoms.  She's living on Ensure and scrambled eggs (and peanut butter milkshakes I make with Ensure). 

The part that scares me the most is that her mental abilities have deteriorated so severely in such a short time.  This is a woman that could balance her own checkbook and handle her own affairs and now she's so confused she doesn't remember whether she's taken her meds.  It's like she's aged 10 years in less than two weeks.  She goes back and forth between continuing treatment and being sick for the rest of her life and giving up treatment and accepting that it's her time to go.  She stays in bed most of the day, getting up only to go to the bathroom.  What kind of life is that?

She couldn't be left alone while she was in the hospital because she kept forgetting where she was and would try and get out of bed to go to the bathroom (she has ambulation problems and needed assistance because she was too weak).  

Thank you for the MUGA scan mention Bonnie -- I missed that on your original post but will bring it up with her Onc Wednesday, IF she decides to go.  

Thanks Bonnie for the ideas.  I'll try the rice pudding and see if that works.  Problem is she's lactose intolerant and that makes it harder buying pre-made foods.  Not a whole lot of lactose free stuff out there...so I make it at home with Lactaid.  I'm sorry you lost friends and had to leave the board, but trust me when I tell you that your support is a big help to others -- if you can do it without hurting yourself in the process. 

And Kathy, thank you for your support.  I used the countdown approach with her today and I think it may have helped a little..."after tomorrow it'll be two down and three to go..."  That's just of the AC though.  Her onc plans to do some form of chemo every two weeks for about 5 months before they attempt surgery.  

I did a reality check today with my time off at work and found out I have 5 days off left before our new year starts July 1.  I decided it's best if I let my daughter take her to her chemo treatments (as much as I want to be there to hear what the doc says) so I can conserve my time off and use it when she's sick and needs me here with her.  If I could just win the lottery...but that would mean I have to buy a ticket...and who has time for that?   

Say a prayer that tomorrow goes smoothly and that the days after aren't as hard on her as they were last time around.  And thanks again for your comments and support.  (Bonnie, I still want to hear your story...)

Hello Bonnie -- the 12 week will be Taxol.  What's the difference between the two?  Right back atcha with the prayers.