My Mom Has Been Fighting Her Heart Out.........

My Mom was diagnosed with a form a stomach cancer last year, it was in her dua denim and she had blockage and they removed some of her stomach. The doctor gave her 12 months to live also, but we got a 2nd opinion and she beat that already. Her Tumor broke up and traveled to ger breast and now she has breast cancer and only some in her stomach. She's been through so many up's and down's. It's been the hardest thing watching my Mom go through, i am the only Girl w/ 3 Brothers and me and my Mom are very close, I miss how things use to be. There is no cure for my Mom's cancer, the Doctor say's she is on borrowed time. She is not helpless my no means but she is very weak and thin and sleeps so much. She told me that if this chemo is to hard on her she will stop her treatments all together, that was so hard to hear but she still has hope that she can get strong and live out the rest of her life semi normal! It hurts so much that I feel like no one understands my pain. I am 24 and my Mom is only 54 and was such a beautiful vibrant women and then cancer got a hold of her and just tore her down, it really is so sad what it does to people. I still pray to God and hope for a miracle, I can't give up. She is so tired of fighting but in a selfish way i want her to hold on and not give up! i am pregnant with my 3rd baby and i want her to see him/her born, she loves my babies so much, they pulled her through many hard times this past year. I still can't imagine my life without her. I hope someone can understand my pain!!

I think we can all understand your pain, otherwise we wouldn't be here.  This sickness has effected all of us on so many different levels.  My father is currently battling stomach cancer.  So far he's stable, but it's still a very aggresive form of cancer. 

Best thing you can do is continue being there with her...spend as much time as you can, make sure she feels loved.

Thanks for your reply it means alot to me to hear I am not alone. My Mom is also stable for the time being, weak and thin but fighting through like always. Thinking of her breaks my heart, I see her alot and talk to her everyday, thats what keeps me positive and not depressed, I want to spend every moment possible with her. I was the kind of person that thought this would never happen to us, (my Mom especially) goes to show we have no control over our lives to some point and that we should never take anything for granite. Thanks again and I will keep your family in my prayers!!

No, I feel your pain, and you are not alone.  My dad has stage IV stomach cancer diagnosed since Aug, and has had many ups and downs since then.  He is now jaundiced, and has been off of chemo a month, only to find out the chemo hasn't really been working.  My dad has been such an important figure in my life, the one that has given me courage to do a lot of things, and I'm crying now, because it breaks my heart so that he is going through what he is going through.  I can't imagine my life without my daddy, and I find it so unfair that someone as fit and active as he was has to be reduced to this.  I pray every day to understand why things happen the way they do.  I know that we all have our down moments, and I am having one now, but I send nothing but love and positive vibes to you and yours, and I pray that everything turns for the better for your mommy.  Right now I feel like I'm 29 going on 9 =)

He has been off chemo and he is doing ok?? That's my fear, when my Mom goes off of chemo, will she not make it very long. Will the cancer get worse and worse fast. So far the chemo has stabilized her cancer but it still broke off and traveled to her breast. I always see my Mom's innocent face in my head, not prepared for any of this. My Mom was also so heathy and fit! She use to say I have iron stomach, how ironic! My mom has been dealing with this for  year since last august, we were on vacation when she felt a lump in her stomach, it grew it a matter of months! So we know it's an agressive cancer. My Mom is my only parent, so loseing her to me is loseing soooo much. I don't know why tihngs like this happen to our families but i know it hits us like a brick. How can this be fair, how can these innocent great people with still so much life to live suffer so much and have to know what is ahead for them. I just hold on to every bit of hope while my Mom is still here. I won't give up on her until she tells me I can't do it no more! Keep me updated on your Father! I will be praying for you and your family!

Thank you so much! I will, and keep me up to date on your Mom! Talking to other people going through the same thing has really helped keep me on the ground and functional.  My Dad's cancer is also aggressive, but so far it hasn't knocked him down severely by being off of the chemo.  He just had another tumor found and drained in a bioduct, and a radiation stent was placed in him for 24 hours.  They have asked us if we wanted to press on with the chemo if he is able to gain more weight and get stronger.  (His billibubin is out of whack right now and they don't want to overload his liver)  Of COURSE WE DO!  I know it's frustrating, and I'm done crying for the moment because my tear ducts are depleted=)  We are seeking a second opinion at the Cancer Treatment Center.  Keep your head up! =)

 

On 9/27/2007 tashfish wrote:

  Right now I feel like I'm 29 going on 9 =)

You said it...I feel the same exact way.

Hi,

I am new to this message board and read all of your stories.  Boy are we all in the same boat or what.  My 81 year old Mother was diagnosed with non hodgkins lymphoma of the stomach in May.  24 rounds of radiation which were completed this week.  I am a little older than you (42) and I'm amazed at your strength.  I am an only child.  I have stopped working and  moved in with my Mother to take care of her.  She too is extremely weak, sleeps all the time, eats nothing but Boost and is very despondent.  I too try to keep positive but get so frustrated because I feel I'm doing all the fighting for her.  I beg her all the time to eat and walk around to keep her going.  It's exhausting and I find myself giving her tough love way more than I'd like.

You guys are inspirational.   You're in my thoughts.

 

 

My mother was diagnosed in Nov 06 with stomach cancer.  She started off with 3 months of chemo and then in Mar 07 she had a complete gastrectomy followed by another 3 months of chemo.  She had a PET scan 3 months after chemo was finished and it showed no more cancer.  She just had a CAT scan which is now showing soft tissue along the superior aspect of the surgical bed (0.9 x 1.2 cm) which the radiologist is saying "may represent a new gastrohepatic ligament lymph node' and recommends short interval follow up exams or PET/CT for further assessment. Her Oncologist did not seemed concerned and scheduled a CAT scan for Jan 08.  Needless to say, we are now very worried that the cancer has returned.   Mom just had her 76 birthday last month.  She is slowly regaining her strength, her hair is finally growing back and she even went back to work part time.  She is trying to stay positive about the lastest test results but I'm sure she's worried.  Hopefully she can continue to work her part time job and we will just have to put this in God's hands and hope the cancer has not returned.