To sick for treatment

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white4
white4 Member Posts: 5
edited April 2019 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

Hi everyone!

I’ve been reading these threads the last few months religiously. I havent felt the need to post until now. My mom was diagnosed with stage IV MBC just three short months ago with mets to the bone and liver. She has been pancytopenic for about a month now with constant of platelets and blood. Her doctors are just now doing a biopsy of bone marrow and we are awaiting those results. She has been to I’ll for treatment other than a few weeks of radiation in a few weeks of Letrozole. We were told yesterday that her kidneys were failing and they started dialysis. She also has a hospital acquired infection in her lungs (pneumonia) from being placed temporarily on a ventilator. I guess I’m just hoping for someone with s similar story that could shed some hope or light. I’m devastated and don’t even feel like I have had tome to even process that she has cancer. I just want more time with her.

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  • Grannax2
    Grannax2 Member Posts: 2,551
    edited March 2019

    white. I lost my mother to MBC, hardest time of my life. But, I had 1 year and 3 months with her. This has to be just horrible for you. Yes, you've barely had time to absorb it. I have no words of advice. I'm so sad to hear how fast she is failing.

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  • lilahope777
    lilahope777 Member Posts: 51
    edited April 2019

    Hi white4 - Just found your post and thought I'd check in to see how you and your mom are doing. We're struggling with my mom's hospitalizations post-chemo so I know a bit how you feel. How is the pancytopenia being treated? To what do the docs attribute the kidney failure? Here if you want to chat....

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  • white4
    white4 Member Posts: 5
    edited April 2019

    Hi Lilahope777. Mom is stable. Still on the ventilator. Dialysis is going well also. We are still awaiting the results of her bone marrow biopsy. For her pancytopenia all they are really doing right now is transfusing with platelets or RBC when her number drop below a certain threshold. They can’t find any cause of her levels continuing to drop. They haven’t said to much about the kidney failure. Other than it could be from all the antibiotics and medications she was given at first to treat the pneumonia. It’s so frustrating because I jut feel like I’m not getting gettjng all answers I need

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  • SandiBeach57
    SandiBeach57 Member Posts: 1,617
    edited April 2019

    Hello white4. There are many of us that have been pulled from the brink of death. Please keep up your positive energy for your mom. It is not over yet.

    My respiratory system was failing when I was initially diagnosed with liver mets. The tumor cells had traveled to my lungs and were blocking the arterioles. I could not breathe. I had to be placed on emergency palliative chemo and thankfully, my body kept plugging along. After 21 days in the hospital, I became stable.

    So keep holding her hand, keep talking to her. Know that her MO will be doing everything to address if the bone marrow is the culprit. One step at a time.


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  • white4
    white4 Member Posts: 5
    edited April 2019

    Hi SandiBeach57. Thank you for the encouraging words. They are definitely needed!!

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  • white4
    white4 Member Posts: 5
    edited April 2019

    Hi SandiBeach57. Thank you for the encouraging words. They are definitely needed!! My mom is the strongest person I know and if anybody can fight this it's her. I'm just feeling so discouraged by everything her providers are saying. I wish someone would just try some type of treatment her chemo. What do we have to lose?

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  • lilahope777
    lilahope777 Member Posts: 51
    edited April 2019

    Don't be discouraged that chemo isn't be used right away. Letrozole as a first line treatment is still good treatment! There are many research articles that point out same...but here is one if you'd like to take a look. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27554482

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