CancerCompass message board discussion started by Conniek on 7/7/2007 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,14129,0.htm Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ I wrote about a month ago about my mom, just thought I would post an update with the hopes that some one may have some advice or feed back.  My mom has gotten progressively worse. She went to the hospital to have the fluid drained from her abdomen, the doctor was unable to find the right spot and sent her home. The next day I phoned the hospital and they advised I get her back there as they feared they may have nicked her bowel with the needle. They admitted her, put her on IV (she was very dehydrated) and anti-biotics. My mom was continually vomitting bile. They kept her for a few days. She had her first dose of Chemo last Tuesday, her feet swelled up so badly she wasn't able to wear her shoes and she was having difficulty walking. They sent her home Wednesday. For the first two days she was able to get up and down the stairs, with a lot of difficulty, but still able to none the less. By the third day she could barely walk, was unable to get off the couch and needed assistance in getting up to use the washroom. We had to get a commode for her since her bath room is in the basement. On day 4 she felt she needed to get her abdomen drained again. She hadn't eatten since day 2, and she did nothing but sleep and throw up bile since her return from the hospital. I called an ambulance to take her in, since she had no strength in her legs to walk. The doctor admitted her immediatley, stating she should never have been released in the first place. The doctor advised us that she had a blocked bowel, but felt that surgery would only make her uncomfortable, and that they likely couldn't fix the blockage anyway. They did more x-rays, and tried many different meds. Nothing has brought the swelling down in her legs and feet. The fluid in her lower abdomen seems to have slowed or stopped, but the upper abdomen remains the same. She is vomitting bile, and is on a clear fluid diet. They finally agreed to send her to Winnipeg as they said that she doesn't seem to be getting any better with anything they have tried. The Dr. figured that her problems (swelling, vomitting bile) were not a result of the chemo, but of under lying problems. My mom is getting discouraged and has refused any further chemo treatments at this point.  Has anyone else out there seen these kind of complications, if so, what was done?  Conniek Sat, 07 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT I know what you are going through.  My mom also had stomach cancer linitis plastica and passed away last week on Tuesday.  Chemo will make her suffering even worse.  I couldn't believe the amount of problems my mom prior to her passing away.  She had painful bed sores, swelling of her legs, feet, hands, belly, and arms, constantly throwing up green bile that they ended up putting a NG tube through her nose so the bile would come out from there due to blockage everywhere, increasing amount of pain, dehydration that caused her to be disillusional, went through so much pain almost nonstop (worse than giving birth naturally and without any medications), trouble breathing bc the liquids was filling up in her lungs that she needed a respirator, trouble urinating due to poor circulation (due to blockage), jaundice, painful bedsores, and the like.  And there wasn't a place on her that didn't hurt.  My mom wanted to die for months.  I really know what you are going through.  We shouldn't have to witness these kinds of horrors done to our loved ones.  Because of my mom's condition, she was also given alot of morphine like 7 units/hour.  I knew things weren't looking so good bc she started having urinating problems.  I became desperate and started applying DMSO gel 70%/30% aloe vera on her every half an hour.  Her pain did seem to go away and she ended up needing only 1 unit of morphine/hour.  I believe she might not have needed the morphine afterall.  Anyways, I know that my mom is now gone but she is in heaven with Jesus.  Her body was only a vessel.  I truly loved her and had so much hope in the beginning that would be cured from this.  It was not God's will.  If your mom does get better, I would try the vitamin c through iv.  My mom did have it but discontinued it due to all these extra problems she has.  i wished she would have consistenly continued it bc she might still be alive.  Good luck with your mom and pray if it's God's will that your mom be cured.  Thereishope Sat, 07 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT