Signs of progression of pan ca

Hello, My  dear sweet 79yr old mother was diagnosed with pancreatic ca and also lung cancer on 06/11/09...She was severely juandice when she arrived at my home, hospitalized a week later and a stint was placed in her bile duct to relieve the juandice....also, a lung biopsy was done and this was also malingnant .....She is very frail and weak, but is still able to get out of bed by herself and continues to have a fairly good appetite...She has had 2 rounds of chemo .......I guess I am just wondering when, what and how the later stages of progression happens and what I should expect.....I know we have a very serious condition and I guess there is really no way to prepare yourself for what is going to happen....Just some educated knowledge from you that have been there and suggestions for emotional support as I watch my dear mother wither away each day....Physically and emotionally drained today......Sharon

I really do not know the signs of progression, but my mom has stage four glioblastoma (brain cancer) and I have been told, "you will just know."  I wish someone could tell me the day, how long this will last.  No one really knows and everyone is different, so I hear.  Sometimes I feel like I am walking through life with a blindfold on.  Every day is different.  Some good - lots bad.  It is very exhausting and you want to scream sometimes.  I have even came close to telling my siblings that I just can't do this and let them hate me for the rest of my life.  But, I could NEVER do that to mom.  When she was diagnosed in February, we were told a good 6 months and the rest would be downhill from there.  So of course we all rallied around her and gave her 24/7 care.  My brother lives in Seattle, my sister in Kentucky and my other brother and myself in Alabama where she lives.  Since mom has not gone down hill really quickly, we have worked out a schedule to rotate the time.  In the beginning, we were all here.  Talk about a nightmare!  Four grown adults moving home to your parents house.  Now that is cause for exhaustion.  Mom cannot do anything but feed herself and brush her teeth.  That is all.  When you think about what you do on a daily basis to care for yourself, you can imagine how exhausting this can become.  Sometimes I want someone to tell me when.  But then I think how selfish that is when the person you are caring for spent years caring for me as an infant and even as an adult.  So, I guess as someone told me, you will know when things get worse.

My friends mom just passed away Tuesday with pancreatic cancer.  She was diagnosed and passed away in less than 6 weeks.  The had hospice from the beginning.  I understand it can become very painful, but hospice from what I understand can make the journey very comfortable.

I wish you and your family well and I will keep you in my prayers.

 

On 7/19/2009 SharonR wrote:

Hello, My  dear sweet 79yr old mother was diagnosed with pancreatic ca and also lung cancer on 06/11/09...She was severely juandice when she arrived at my home, hospitalized a week later and a stint was placed in her bile duct to relieve the juandice....also, a lung biopsy was done and this was also malingnant .....She is very frail and weak, but is still able to get out of bed by herself and continues to have a fairly good appetite...She has had 2 rounds of chemo .......I guess I am just wondering when, what and how the later stages of progression happens and what I should expect.....I know we have a very serious condition and I guess there is really no way to prepare yourself for what is going to happen....Just some educated knowledge from you that have been there and suggestions for emotional support as I watch my dear mother wither away each day....Physically and emotionally drained today......Sharon

Hi Sharon,

I am so very sorry to hear that your beloved Mom has been diagnosed with this terrible disease. I lost my dear Mother to PC earlier this year. She was diagnosed in early March and passed away four months today on Mar 20th. I honor her by helping others as I can.

First I'd like to say that the fact that your Mom is still able to walk about and is eating, are very good signs. The fact that she is able to have and tolerate chemo, is also very positive. Have the doctors given you some kind of indication as to how long she might have, given that she is receiving chemo?

There is a range of typical symptoms and stages of PC, but the timeline for progression of this disease will be unique to each patient. Some of the symptoms that my mother experienced, your Mom may or may not experience :

- Increased bodily weakness - Increased pain - Unable to move and get out of bed

- Decreased interest in food

- Less interested in external matters - home, family. Sleeping more or almost completely through the day

- Irritability, Agitation, Touch/Light sensitivities - Difficulty in finding a suitable sleeping position or in getting comfortable

- Swollen limbs, abdomen due to buildup of ascites (abdominal fluid).

- Brief, scattered periods of alertness. Speech at times incoherent. - Sometimes confused, fearful.

- Arms and limbs very cool to the touch at times even though room is warm.

- Elimination slows down as kidneys start to fail

If you haven't already made arrangements for hospice care, I would strongly suggest that you get in touch them as they can be very helpful in providing your Mom with everything that she will need in the way of pain management and making her comfortable. They should also be able to provide, in more detail specific to your Mom's case, feedback as to what will take place. We requested an inflatable bed for my mother which provided her with a more cushy sleeping surface as she experienced a lot of joint and bodily pain in general.

Your Mom may experience depression, changes in mood and seem very upset at times, even angry, with you and family. Please be patient and try not to take this personally as it is a response to the pain she is feeling and the changes that are taking place with her physically.

I hope this helps some. It's a tough journey, but know that you are not alone. Enjoy every day and try not to worry about tomorrow but make the most of the time you have together. Also remember to take care of yourself as well. I will be thinking of you both and wish you much peace and strength in the coming days.

 

On 7/20/2009 BCinOntario wrote:

 

On 7/19/2009 SharonR wrote:

Hello, My  dear sweet 79yr old mother was diagnosed with pancreatic ca and also lung cancer on 06/11/09...She was severely juandice when she arrived at my home, hospitalized a week later and a stint was placed in her bile duct to relieve the juandice....also, a lung biopsy was done and this was also malingnant .....She is very frail and weak, but is still able to get out of bed by herself and continues to have a fairly good appetite...She has had 2 rounds of chemo .......I guess I am just wondering when, what and how the later stages of progression happens and what I should expect.....I know we have a very serious condition and I guess there is really no way to prepare yourself for what is going to happen....Just some educated knowledge from you that have been there and suggestions for emotional support as I watch my dear mother wither away each day....Physically and emotionally drained today......Sharon

Hello, My heart goes out to you in the loss of your Mom....My Mother  seems a little weaker the last few days, but her last chemo was this past Tues. and it seems to weaken her... The chemo is given to shrink the tumors in her lung and pancreas......If the CT scan doesn't show a change after the first two sessions of chemo, she probably will not receive any additional treatments....Thank you for the info about the progression with your Mom....I know each person is different, but I feel most all patients experience some of the same symptoms...I do think I will call Hospice, just for some general info and see what the process is for down the road....Thanks again and our prayers and  thoughts will be with you and your family.....My mothers' name is JoAnn.....thank you...Sharon

I am so very sorry to hear that your beloved Mom has been diagnosed with this terrible disease. I lost my dear Mother to PC earlier this year. She was diagnosed in early March and passed away four months today on Mar 20th. I honor her by helping others as I can.

First I'd like to say that the fact that your Mom is still able to walk about and is eating, are very good signs. The fact that she is able to have and tolerate chemo, is also very positive. Have the doctors given you some kind of indication as to how long she might have, given that she is receiving chemo?

There is a range of typical symptoms and stages of PC, but the timeline for progression of this disease will be unique to each patient. Some of the symptoms that my mother experienced, your Mom may or may not experience :

- Increased bodily weakness - Increased pain - Unable to move and get out of bed

- Decreased interest in food

- Less interested in external matters - home, family. Sleeping more or almost completely through the day

- Irritability, Agitation, Touch/Light sensitivities - Difficulty in finding a suitable sleeping position or in getting comfortable

- Swollen limbs, abdomen due to buildup of ascites (abdominal fluid).

- Brief, scattered periods of alertness. Speech at times incoherent. - Sometimes confused, fearful.

- Arms and limbs very cool to the touch at times even though room is warm.

- Elimination slows down as kidneys start to fail

If you haven't already made arrangements for hospice care, I would strongly suggest that you get in touch them as they can be very helpful in providing your Mom with everything that she will need in the way of pain management and making her comfortable. They should also be able to provide, in more detail specific to your Mom's case, feedback as to what will take place. We requested an inflatable bed for my mother which provided her with a more cushy sleeping surface as she experienced a lot of joint and bodily pain in general.

Your Mom may experience depression, changes in mood and seem very upset at times, even angry, with you and family. Please be patient and try not to take this personally as it is a response to the pain she is feeling and the changes that are taking place with her physically.

I hope this helps some. It's a tough journey, but know that you are not alone. Enjoy every day and try not to worry about tomorrow but make the most of the time you have together. Also remember to take care of yourself as well. I will be thinking of you both and wish you much peace and strength in the coming days.

 

 

On 7/19/2009 SharonR wrote:

Hello, My  dear sweet 79yr old mother was diagnosed with pancreatic ca and also lung cancer on 06/11/09...She was severely juandice when she arrived at my home, hospitalized a week later and a stint was placed in her bile duct to relieve the juandice....also, a lung biopsy was done and this was also malingnant .....She is very frail and weak, but is still able to get out of bed by herself and continues to have a fairly good appetite...She has had 2 rounds of chemo .......I guess I am just wondering when, what and how the later stages of progression happens and what I should expect.....I know we have a very serious condition and I guess there is really no way to prepare yourself for what is going to happen....Just some educated knowledge from you that have been there and suggestions for emotional support as I watch my dear mother wither away each day....Physically and emotionally drained today......Sharon