Just found out my mom has cancer

Staph
Staph Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Caregivers #1
Hi. New to these boards. Just found out that the lump in my mom's neck (removed) is squamous cell carcinoma. Still don't know where it originated; the waiting game. So scared. Anyone here been through this?

Comments

  • AmberHall
    AmberHall Member Posts: 6
    Hello there Staph. My name is Amber and not going through exactly the same thing, but my dad has advanced prostate cancer. I am new to this chat thing also, bt with all the emotion stuff thought it may be good to have people going thought the same thing. I am very scared for my dad also. What all are they saying with your mom?
  • 8965
    8965 Member Posts: 34
    Hey you
    Im new as of November 05 my dad got diagnosed with lung cancer. I think I went through a shock stage and thought of what life would be like without him and all the negative that goes with it. Now on his 4th round of chemo and he is responding well, Ive learned its one day at a time. I love my dad so much and hate to see him sick, but I also know he is a fighter. Im so proud to be his daughter and I have days that I cry and project into the future but I dont let them last long. For the time I spend with him now is about the moment not what the future has in store for him. After the second round of chemo he got weak and low white blood cell count and it was scarey to see him so sick, now I know what to expect and he does to and some days are good and some days are bad but as a family we stick together and take it one day at a time. God Bless you and yours this site is great it got me through some of my worst days. Stay in touch
  • Staph
    Staph Member Posts: 2
    AmberHall said:

    Hello there Staph. My name is Amber and not going through exactly the same thing, but my dad has advanced prostate cancer. I am new to this chat thing also, bt with all the emotion stuff thought it may be good to have people going thought the same thing. I am very scared for my dad also. What all are they saying with your mom?

    Thanks for sharing your experiences. We just found out a few days ago, and her meeting with the oncologist isn't until Monday. I find that I'm thinking too negatively, and when I try to think positively, it scares me also. At this point I figure that we really don't know much until Monday. But I can't help but feel bad for my dad, and especially my mom. I know that she's thinking that her days may be numbered - heck, how can she not when I myself am scared of the same thing?! It's just so unfair. She's so young! I look forward to the treatments that I know are coming, as they give me hope. But then I still feel soo bad for my mom... she doesn't deserve all this! I know no one does... it just is all competely unfair. And it's so tough keeping a happy face at work, and trying to keep this all hush-hush at the moment. Don't really know what to say when I myself don't know much. But I'm glad to have found this site; a venting area. I just personally don't know anyone who's in the same boat...
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    Staph said:

    Thanks for sharing your experiences. We just found out a few days ago, and her meeting with the oncologist isn't until Monday. I find that I'm thinking too negatively, and when I try to think positively, it scares me also. At this point I figure that we really don't know much until Monday. But I can't help but feel bad for my dad, and especially my mom. I know that she's thinking that her days may be numbered - heck, how can she not when I myself am scared of the same thing?! It's just so unfair. She's so young! I look forward to the treatments that I know are coming, as they give me hope. But then I still feel soo bad for my mom... she doesn't deserve all this! I know no one does... it just is all competely unfair. And it's so tough keeping a happy face at work, and trying to keep this all hush-hush at the moment. Don't really know what to say when I myself don't know much. But I'm glad to have found this site; a venting area. I just personally don't know anyone who's in the same boat...

    Staph. Hi! Yeah, I remember when my mom told me she had uterine cancer...I was crushed. But, she survived that, then got breast cancer, survived that. Moms are pretty tough. Now the things reversed. I had colon and breast cancer. I am surviving, too. But you are right, this is a great place to go for support, also under the cancer forum. My colon cancer, to tell the truth, should have me gone by now. But I had 37% survival turnaround to 95%. It was squamous cell. Yeah, skin cancer in my colon. Never could do anything right. Tell mom to not give up, hope is a VERY powerful weapon. Also a good laugh got me thru some bad times.
    Kathi
  • Saby
    Saby Member Posts: 2
    Hello..7 years ago they found a lump in my mothers neck as well and it was found to be cancer from unknown origin. She went through every test imaginable to find out the origin and they found that it to be betwwen the lung and breast so most likely breast cancer. At the time I was living with my husband and young kids on the other side of the world. I was told that she onlyhad months to live so I moved back home temporarly put the kids in a school near her house and my husband stayed overseas. She went through chemo and radiation and herceptin. After a year of all that she was cancer free for 6 years!!! Unfortunately she did not do routine scans only blood tests and this summer ws diagnosed with a brain tumor and cancer in the clavicle collar bone area. We are still living overseas but in a country closer to home and I came and helped her for 2 months over the summer. What I am trying to say is please have hope. It is very important to have a positive attitude and make sure your mother makes future plans such as trips... clases she may want to take anything THE MIND IS VERY STRONG.. That is what got my mother through it all the first time. Right now she wants to give up and is very weak and since i had to come back she is going down hill. You can imagine my predicament... I am a disaster here I cant stop crying my eyes are permannatly swollen. Now my children are older and I cant just take them out of school like I did before.