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Jan. 5th, 2017 08:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
turpsSo, yesterday.
Some of you may remember about three years ago mam had suspected lung cancer. In the end they decided it wasn't that, but she did have a growth in her lung, just they weren't sure what that actually was.
Recently she's been having health issues that led to more scans etc at the end of last year. We took her for the results of those yesterday, and the growth has hardened and got bigger. The doctor said it could be now be lung cancer, but due to the location of the growth the only way they'd know for sure was her having an operation to take away part of the lung and the growth.
On the positive side. If they do that he said it's pretty much certain the cancer -- if it is cancer -- would be gone.
The negative. She's already got bad lungs due to COPD and the growth, so losing more lung could badly affect her breathing even more. Plus, there's the issue her health is so bad that the operation could do much more harm than good.
And if you think I flashed back 15 months to dad being told he had cancer and his health being so bad any operation would almost be guaranteed to kill him, well you'd be right.
Mam's had a feeling she was going to get bad news, and on the way in said she was going to refuse any treatment, and she said that again in the appointment. Then pretty much broke down and cried until we left. And then my sister cried when she phoned from work to find out what happened, and my brother had yet more weight put on his shoulders when I had to tell him when I got home.
It's a difficult decision because the only way they'll know for sure if it is cancer, is if they do that op, but that op could make things so much worse. So what do you do? Just wait as the growth keeps getting bigger? Or try and be pro active and risk much more damage. As of now she's got a tentative date a week today with the specialist surgeon, where he may say no to an operation anyway, and until then has been sent home with a nebuliser to help her breathing.
If they won't operate, or mam says no to that, the doctor suggested some radio could be given to help control the growth, but mam doesn't want that either. She kept saying how so many of her friends have died of lung cancer and she doesn't want to be cut and I have to respect that, but man, it's hard.
Saying that, this has been a slow moving thing so there's no immediate danger, and I'm holding onto that. Maybe it's stupid being so optimistic that things will work out, but that's how I feel at the moment. It's going to suck, and the thought of yet more hospital visits -- especially as they'll have to be in Newcastle and not our local hospital -- makes me want to just say, no! But that's how I do feel, and if that's me wearing rose-coloured glasses, so be it.
Some of you may remember about three years ago mam had suspected lung cancer. In the end they decided it wasn't that, but she did have a growth in her lung, just they weren't sure what that actually was.
Recently she's been having health issues that led to more scans etc at the end of last year. We took her for the results of those yesterday, and the growth has hardened and got bigger. The doctor said it could be now be lung cancer, but due to the location of the growth the only way they'd know for sure was her having an operation to take away part of the lung and the growth.
On the positive side. If they do that he said it's pretty much certain the cancer -- if it is cancer -- would be gone.
The negative. She's already got bad lungs due to COPD and the growth, so losing more lung could badly affect her breathing even more. Plus, there's the issue her health is so bad that the operation could do much more harm than good.
And if you think I flashed back 15 months to dad being told he had cancer and his health being so bad any operation would almost be guaranteed to kill him, well you'd be right.
Mam's had a feeling she was going to get bad news, and on the way in said she was going to refuse any treatment, and she said that again in the appointment. Then pretty much broke down and cried until we left. And then my sister cried when she phoned from work to find out what happened, and my brother had yet more weight put on his shoulders when I had to tell him when I got home.
It's a difficult decision because the only way they'll know for sure if it is cancer, is if they do that op, but that op could make things so much worse. So what do you do? Just wait as the growth keeps getting bigger? Or try and be pro active and risk much more damage. As of now she's got a tentative date a week today with the specialist surgeon, where he may say no to an operation anyway, and until then has been sent home with a nebuliser to help her breathing.
If they won't operate, or mam says no to that, the doctor suggested some radio could be given to help control the growth, but mam doesn't want that either. She kept saying how so many of her friends have died of lung cancer and she doesn't want to be cut and I have to respect that, but man, it's hard.
Saying that, this has been a slow moving thing so there's no immediate danger, and I'm holding onto that. Maybe it's stupid being so optimistic that things will work out, but that's how I feel at the moment. It's going to suck, and the thought of yet more hospital visits -- especially as they'll have to be in Newcastle and not our local hospital -- makes me want to just say, no! But that's how I do feel, and if that's me wearing rose-coloured glasses, so be it.
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Date: 2017-01-05 10:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-05 11:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-05 11:46 am (UTC)Yeah, it does sound like a rock and a hard place situation.
I'll hold out hope too. {{{hugs}}}
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Date: 2017-01-05 04:20 pm (UTC)It was bad news, but I just keep thinking at least it wasn't dad level bad where it was obvious he wouldn't last much longer.
Mainly it's that rock and hard decision to be made. But ultimately, that has to be mam's choice, and up to now she's very much sticking at waiting and doing nothing.
no subject
Date: 2017-01-05 02:58 pm (UTC)I will tell you what my dad said when they told him that he couldn't do chemo anymore, but he could do radiation. He asked what would happen and they said they'd give him 3-6 more months. Without it, it would be 1-3 months. Radiation would have been 4-5 hours of his day each day. He opted for quality over quantity.
If your mam does opt not to do anything, maybe put it in that perspective? Thinking like that might make it easier for you and the rest of your family?
♥ ♥
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Date: 2017-01-05 04:22 pm (UTC)It does help put it into perspective. I've been up there today and she's still very much of the thought not to operate, and I can't fault her for that.
Her breathing is bad enough as it is, so the op would be a really big risk.
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Date: 2017-01-05 05:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-05 03:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-05 04:22 pm (UTC)Thank you ♥
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Date: 2017-01-05 03:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-05 04:23 pm (UTC)Thank you ♥
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Date: 2017-01-05 05:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-05 06:26 pm (UTC)Thank you ♥
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Date: 2017-01-05 06:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-05 06:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-05 07:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-06 08:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-05 10:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-06 08:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-06 12:19 am (UTC)Sending love and positive vibes from across the Atlantic.
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Date: 2017-01-06 08:02 am (UTC)Thank you ♥
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Date: 2017-01-06 07:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-06 08:02 am (UTC)Thank you so much ♥
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Date: 2017-01-06 09:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-06 10:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-06 07:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-07 09:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-06 07:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-07 09:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-06 09:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-07 09:30 am (UTC)