Cancer-bits: Cancer Sucks Part III

Saw Mom's oncologist today and the news was, as expected, bad. The cancer in her lungs has grown and started new growths. The largest in her lower right lobe which is 5.5 x 5.3 centimeters. It has also spread to her spleen.

The wonderful Dr. Tsai told us that she expects Mom to get much worse in the next few weeks. She thinks Mom has "a couple, probably not more than 6" months left with us.

When I picked Mom up today she has a bad cold. When I saw her on Tuesday she had a drippy nose and slightly sore throat. Today she her eyes were red and she was sneezing. She said she also had some phlegm which stopped me in my tracks. Anything with the lungs is BAD. If she gets pneumonia she might not recover from it.

Dr. Tsai listened to her lungs. Mom has diminished sounds where the large tumor is located but she didn't hear any pneumonia. I told Mom she needs to get lots of rest and get this cold under control. She said that she thought pneumonia would be "an easy way to go". Personally I think that sounds like the WORST way to go -- I have asthma and allergies and the thought of not being able to breathe terrifies me.

Mom is still trying to think of ways to "beat this thing" and that makes me so sad. I try to encourage her to think positively while still making sure she isn't doing things that would make herself worse or put her in danger. The nurse and I today reminded Mom that she is not allowed to break another hip! She has reached her surgery quota for the year. Mom thought that was pretty good advice.

Ok the hardest thing about all this is that Mom wants to talk about who will get her stuff and how will I possibly deal with it all. She wants me to start packing up her dishes and shoes!! I keep reminding her that she doesn't need to worry about it but obviously that platitude isn't helping to put her mind at ease. If I haven't mentioned this in previous blogs here it is: My mother is a control freak.

So, hospice meeting at 1:00pm on Monday.