Q&A: Mom has stage IV colon caner, spread to almost everyone, and bone marrow disease on top of that.?
Question by Overwhelmed daughter: Mom has stage IV colon caner, spread to almost everyone, and bone marrow disease on top of that.?
My Mom has colon cancer in 2004, surgery, told everything good. Cancer reappeared 2006, more surgery and did some kind of pill form of chemo that she took at home. That seem to go well. Then about a year ago she was told that she had a bone marrow disorder (mylordesplysia (spelling) where her bone marrow had pretty much stop producing. She has shots to help increase her red and while blood cell counts and has had a few blood transfusion. In March she had two tumors that actually burst through her skin. Malignant. PET scan done, shows cancer in colon, upper part of right lung and under chest wall on left side Is told that chemo not a treatment option due to her already low immune system, but they do radiation on the tumors. 17 Treatments. Now a lump has shown up on her neck neck, and a new MRI shows that the cancer has gone to her pelvic area and at least into the bones and soft tissues of her left leg. The will do ten treatments of radiation to try to help with pain in legs, as she is barely able to move. They say palliative care is all they can provide, what they are not telling us is how long they thing she can live with all this disease. I know it’s an unknown, but would like thoughts and or opinions on what others think. Thanks for your replies. I am currently provided care for her. Thinking about looking into hospice so that I can get some help, but is it too early for that?
Best answer:
Answer by Belliger
Hello,
I am really sorry about this, it is a tragedy.
I would agree that making her comfortable, and keeping her as pain-free as possible, are among the prime objectives. I think that getting a hospice involved now, at an early stage, is a very good idea. At least, it would be in the UK, I am not quite sure where you are.
I don’t think a prediction of how long she can live with all this, is going to be at all easy, and that a wrong guess would be very unhelpful. Internet answering is perforce, a long way away from the action.
I hope this is of some help.
Best wishes,
Belliger
retired uk gp
Give your answer to this question below!