Dream to make my Moms dreams come true- will it b a dream???

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lemonwedges
lemonwedges Member Posts: 4

Hi,

My mother was diagnosed 3 months back with Metastatic breast cancer (the cancer has spread to her lungs, bones and liver), she has pleural effusion and is tapped 4 times in 3 months. She had breast cancer stage 3 in 2006 and received chemo, surgery and radiation and came out a strong survivor then, except for hair loss no other side effects. Now after 7 years we have this news to deal with, my mother does not know she is not going to live long and we have not told her, all she knows is this time the treatment with take a longer time than before. She wants to fight and get rid of this illness and wants to live (she is 58 yrs). My older brother with his family and my younger sister lives with my Mom. I live with my husband in Canada, I came to see my mother two months back and can't decide when to go back to my husband, as I do not have the heart to leave my mom. My mom has been very precious and important to me all my life, she has been my best friend, mentor, inspiration, guide, protector and much more, can't really sum up my relation with her. she has gone through physical and mental abuse from her husband (my father) for over 25 odd years just so that we did not fall short on anything and when I graduated and started working I told her enough was enough and she then decided to divorce him. The first time she was diagnosed with Cancer I was with her through her treatment (my sister was studying in college and brother was working out of the country). It has been my mothers dream to travel to Hawaii and since I live in Canada, I thought I would make her dream come true in a couple of years, and I also got to know that she wanted to come visit me this summer. My mother does not know that cancer is going to take her life someday, all she knows is that its going to take a long time for the treatment. She wants to live and says she will eat better and do activities once she gets better, she wants to live, I want her to live to travel, see my sister get married, see my kids.

My life is on a hold at the moment too, my husband being the only earning member and our family planning is undecided due to this terrible news. I am lost and confused for the first time in my life. I have always been strong and in control, thanks to my mother.

I wanted to know if it is possible for my mother to travel....will she get a visa/ air ticket??? if she has a few years I want to do my best in fufilling some of her dreams if not all.

Thank you very much in advance.

Comments

  • dltnhm
    dltnhm Member Posts: 873
    edited April 2013

    Since your mom is the patient how is it that you know more about her prognosis than she does? I'm sorry and certainly don't mean to sound rude - but your mom does not sound as though she has lost her faculties and at 58 she is far from elderly.



    My mom is 77 and has the onset of Parkinson's and is showing signs of Alzheimer's but she is an intelligent, smart, thoughtful woman and no one in our family would consider withholding her medical information from her.



    Is there something I missed in your post above?



  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited April 2013

    Hi Raveena,

    This must be a terribly difficult time for you and your family. I also do not understand how your mother knows nothing of her prognosis. I am 56 with stage IV bc and would be quite upset to have details of my condition withheld from me. Your mom, unless there is something else going on, is not elderly and is probably quite intelligent. That aside, treatments may allow her to see improvement in her condition and travel at some point.

    I don't mean to be intrusive but where is she being treated? I would be furious if my docs did not tell me what was going on and treated me like an incompetent. I'm not sure that's even allowed in the US. Wishing you the best.

    Caryn

  • Chickadee
    Chickadee Member Posts: 4,467
    edited April 2013

    Count me with the others who believe your mother is fully aware that metastatic breast cancer is eventually terminal. It would have been the most basic information from her oncologist when discussing the scan results. Perhaps she is putting a positive front on for you.



    Whether she can travel depends on the side effects of her treatment plan and how debilitating they are. At times I don't want to go out of the house, usually at the beginning of a new protocol, but eventually I have adapted to the treatment.



    I will be going on a cruise in June. Yes I worry about feeling badly either before or on the cruise but we timed it to be at the end of a treatment period with an extra week chemo break so I think the trip will be fine.



    Once your mother establishes a treatment protocol and she determines how tolerable it is, she can discuss travel with her oncologist.



    By the way I'll be 62 when the cruise leaves the dock. I hope you'll realize your mother is still relatively young and give her lots of love and support. Unless she asks you, or is actually incompetent, she can mange her health decisions.

  • lemonwedges
    lemonwedges Member Posts: 4
    edited April 2013

    I apologize to all for making you'll misunderstand what I really meant by my mother does not know how long she has to live. She is not aware that she has metastatic breast cancer, she is not aware of the term and the doc has not spoken to her about her condition. My mother is an intelligent and smart lady but being a housewife doing only household chores she does not find the need to more informative on cancer and since she has us kids taking care of her she does not bother. I know it is important for her to know her medical condition, but my borther insists to keep it hidden from her...my mother says she wants to get better and be cured (thats why she agreed to go on with aggressive chemo sessions), after knowing this should I still go ahead n tell her that there is no cure and its only a matter of time that she will b us? The doctor said that in her condition she will not be able to travel. Thank you all for replying and I really appreciate the concern and care. Please do continue with it, it is very much appreciated. God bless and give you'll strength.

  • lemonwedges
    lemonwedges Member Posts: 4
    edited April 2013

    My mother is being treated in Mumbai (India).

  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited April 2013

    Lemonwedges,

    I am assuming that your mom is Indian. I don't know if this always true but in some cultures protecting people from bad news is considered a kindness (I lived in Afghanistan for several years and this is exactly how it would be viewed). As a matter of fact, I think that not telling the pateient bad news used to be very common in the USA as well,several generations ago and still exists to a small extent. You know your mother. Would she want to be told the truth? Personally, I would be furious with my children if they chose to withhold information on MY medical condition from me.  Is it important to your mom to be part of the medical decision process or is she content to just do whatever is recommended ? Are the side effects of the treatment giving her a good quality of life? I think in the end, you should really suss out what your mom would want, not what you or your brother thinks is best for her. Wishing you the best.

    Caryn

  • S3K5
    S3K5 Member Posts: 606
    edited June 2013

    Lemonwedges,

    Just came across your post. I hope you mother has gotten over the initial side effects from her treatments. I can understand why the doctors in India don't discuss everything with the patient herself - they feel that protecting her from bad news is good for her. When I was diagnosed with Stage IV, my oncologist told me that even though it is not curable, it can be controlled. I understand that your mother is relatively young and she is definitely very strong to go through chemo once again. Are they giving her any endocrine therapy (AI, biophosphanates, etc)?

    There are a lot of women on this board who have been stable with chemo and other systemic therapies. If she feels up to it, there is no reason why she can't travel.

    Regarding obtaining a visa, you are not applying on 'medical' grounds. So why would they not give her a visa? All she needs to do is convince the counselor that she is visiting Canada/USA and will return to India within a specific time.

    Good luck with everything. I know it is hard to see someone you love so much, go through this.

    Desi.

  • lemonwedges
    lemonwedges Member Posts: 4
    edited July 2013

    Hi All,

    Again thank you for the care and concern. Firstly, my sister and I did explain to my mom in detail regarding her condition and she did not react to it. This was end of April. But we also told her to believe in miracles and herself and never to loose hope. She was a very strong lady not just in this condition but always. She wanted to live and agreed to all or any treatment the doc would recommend. Apparently in her case neither miracles or medicines worked as her cancer cells were aggressive as stated by her doc.

    Secondly and with a very very heavy heart, would like to inform that my Mother passed away on the 28th of May. 27th night she collapsed as she was exiting the bathroom (my sister and I avoided a fall as the cancer had reached her bones), we rushed her to the nearest hospital, they said she needs to be put on ventilator and did a central line procedure. Her feet at the bottom were turning blue and her BP was so low that the monitor could not detect a reading. She was in the ICU and no one was allowed in except if we brought in medicines which the doc asked. Her heart rate kept dropping and 12 hours after admission to the hospital she left us without a word as the ventilator was in her mouth and she was unconcious. The reason, multiple organ failure and scepsis. Her right lung was filled with liquid completely (tapping was done on 22May and 1.2L liquid was extracted), her stomach was filled with liquid and her liver was swollen.

    The docs always took an Xray of the chest only, we were unaware of the effects in the other organs. The only reference they made was to a PET scan taken in Jan 2013. My Mother had only 4 months between diagnosis, treatment and the end. I am not sure what to say here, she was to come visit me this May, but instead I was there since Feb and attended her funeral in May. After almost 5 months leaving my husband and job behind I have returned with so many questions and ofcourse a grave loss which is irreplaceable. I returned to my husband and soon to my job too but still dont feel I have returned. Part of me got burried with my mother, my strength and confidence.

  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited July 2013

    My condolences to you and your family. I know that this is a difficult time and hope you will heal in time and remember all of the wonderful things that made your mother so special. She lives always in your hearts.

    Caryn

  • S3K5
    S3K5 Member Posts: 606
    edited July 2013

    Lemonwedges, I am so sorry for your loss. I don't know what to say. Hopefully, time is the best healer. 

    My condolences to you and your family.

    Desi.

  • Letlet
    Letlet Member Posts: 1,053
    edited July 2013

    I am so sorry to read this, condolences to you and your family :((

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