My mum won't accept treatment
I feel so angry, and guilty for being selfish, but I don't know what to do.
My mum is 47 and she was diagnosed with breast cancer last month (we don't know the stage, but it's grade 2). She had a mastecomy a few weeks ago and during the operation they removed some lymph nodes but they were clear. Her doctor wants her to have radiotherapy and the oncologist suggested chemotherapy too, because she's still young and it'll give her a better prognosis for long-term survival, but now she's saying she doesn't want either treatment. I feel so angry, and I feel guilty for feeling like this when really I know she needs my support, but I think she's being selfish and right now I don't even want to be around her. I know that sounds horrible. She said from the start that she wouldn't take chemotherapy, but she only decided yesterday that she doesn't want radiotherapy either, because her oncologist mentioned the possible side effects (tightening of the chest and a slight loss of bone density in the ribs around the area being treated - more superficial than a mastecomy, which she agreed to, so I really don't understand). Whenever I confront her about it I end up making her cry, and it makes it difficult for me because she's asking me to respect a decision I don't understand and that she won't explain to me.
She also has anorexia, and I think part of the reason she's refusing treatment is because she knows she'll need to gain weight to be able to handle something as physically draining as chemo. I know it's a manifestation of depression, but no one talks about it (her doctors have mentioned that she's 'slim' and might need to gain some weight, but they always say it jokingly, like they're tiptoeing around an awkward conversation) and I feel like she's prioritising vanity, or whatever it is, over her life. I've been confronting her about it for years, and I accept that it's something I might not understand, but I still think she's being selfish. I don't know if that just makes me cruel, or if it's valid, but when I try to talk to her about it I just make her cry, so I stopped trying.
I'm 20 and I just left university, and we both live in rented accommodation. I know I'm old enough to look after myself, but I feel lost. I understand that ultimately it's her decision, and her body, and her life, but I don't know if she even understands the risk she's taking. Most of the time when I ask her why she doesn't want treatment she shrugs and says she can do what she wants, or she'll say 'they've taken out the tumour, so I might not even have any cancer left'. I know there's always a risk of recurrence, but can that be true? I feel like if I don't push her to accept treatment and just respect her decision, that I'll be advocating her killing herself. She's still young, and there's no sign that it's spread (so even if there are some cells left they can be treated?), and she's giving up her chance for superficial reasons, or if I'm wrong about that, then for reasons I completely don't understand. I don't want to be angry at her, and I'm angry at myself for handling this the way I have. I know this is probably harder on her than she's letting on.
We don't have other family in the UK, and she does have a lot of friends who have been incredibly helpful and supportive, but she's moving away in a few weeks because she wants some space. She's a very private person so it wouldn't surprise me if she hasn't been totally honest with me.
Thanks for anyone taking the time to read this. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, be as honest as you like.
Comments
-
Step back and realize that it is indeed her life and you can't live it for her, nor feel what she is feeling inside. Your anger may be because you feel she "owes" you more? I would try to get help with that before you can be clearheaded enough to support her. Is it also possible that she feels your pressure and is clamming up as a result?
The worst thing that a person with cancer --especially one with coexisting psychiatric conditions (like an eating disorder) can go through other than the illness is facing criticism, implicit or otherwise, from loved ones. That makes the situation infinitely worse. Sometimes the hardest part of love is knowing when to give others space and not project one's own fears onto them. More easily said that done but worth considering. Just let your mother be your mother for now.
ETA: It's also important to keep things in perspective. Your post title says that your mother won't accept treatment, but that isn't accurate - she has accepted it. She has undergone surgery, which is not only first-line treatment for early stage cancer but usually has the best outcomes. Anorexics crave control over their body. It must have taken some courage for her to endure what she did.
I wish I could say more to dispel your unease. Unfortunately, cancer has casualties that go beyond the patient. Good luck to you.
-
Smutst, your mother has to know herself what she's willing to tolerate and what she's not. Chemo and radiation are both very difficult treatments with possible long term (even life-long) side effects.
Since she's had a mastectomy and her lymph nodes are clear, she falls into the "grey area" for those treatments, and refusing them is not a medically terrible decision.
I think you should explore the reasons you feel anger, so you can get past it and support your mother even if you disagree with the reason for her choices.
Best of luck to you and your mother.
Leah
-
Metformin is supposed to help prevent recurrance. It is a drug for diabetes, and was found recently to have cancer fighting properties. Do you think she might try that?
In the end, it is her life and her decision. I wish you both the best.
-
Thanks for your replies, and for being honest. I think I needed to hear it from someone else, I'm going to apologise to my mum and support her decisions.
-
Can she get testing for the tumor, which here is called an oncotype? That tells how likely the tumor is to have spread. I had a mastectomy and low oncotype scores for two of my tumors. That showed chemo would not be very helpful. I'm not sure why radiation would be considered when your mom had the mast and clear nodes. It was not recommended to me, even after they found one positive node.
I think you can continue to read other posts here and get a better sense of treatment and refusing chemo/radiation. There are medications many of us take to reduce the chance of recurring cancer: tamoxifen for the pre-menopausal and anastrozole for the post. These are usually recommended....so you may want to look into this and find out why the drs. haven't mentioned these meds. They do have side effects, but most women tolerate them well (as I have.) You will see those posting on these boards that do have problems, but remember that those without issues don't bother posting.
We are here for you and your mom, so hang in there.
-
Hi Chris13,
Just looked up oncotype, no one has mentioned it yet so maybe it's not an option on the NHS, but I'll definitely look into it. I think the radiation was recommended because the tumour was quite far back and close to the tissue behind it, so they just wanted to be safe, and they've prescribed tamoxifen as well which I think she'll start taking soon (sorry, forgot to mention it in my original post). Thanks for the advice and support- it's really been helpful.
-
I had a friend that did not want any treatment and had only palliative care, I understand how angry you are, I have with the medical team many times tried to convince a patient to have treatment, some they do some do not. It is frustrating but one can not make a person change when they do not want.
Being anorexic your mom has an image problem, and she needs counseling, for you , I might sound cold, but there is only so much you can do,you can not feel guilty or that you are not doing enough. I learned this with mt friend, she chose her path.
Go back to College and let her live her choice,believe me I had moms of small kids that preferred not have chemo than loose their hair.
You do not need to apologize to your mom,she is lucky to have a caring daughter, just support her what ever her choice is , live your life and show her you love her.
-
I agree with much of what everyone has advised. BTW, anorexia is not about vanity. The issues are far deeper than that. Best of luck to you all.
Caryn
-
Thanks again for your responses!
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team