Mom has PPC, bowel obstruction, vomiting, what next?

Hi

My mom has had PPC for 4 years, and things are going worse now, since she ate something that made her sick and got so dehydrated and hadn't eaten. Now the fluid in abdomen and possible tumors on bowels/intestines are preventing her from eating anything, or keeping liquids/food down.

 

Seems from searching this board and hearing doctors that going through chemo is the best way to treat it right now, she's had one round already and its not clear she's been getting better. One doctor says to wait 2 or 3 round before deciding if it's functional. Another doctor says, it seems like it's bad enough now to stop treatment and consider end of life care, which is the first time I've heard this so I'm kind of surprised.

 

Is this situation familiar to anyone? Also told chemo options seem like they've run out. Not sure how to understand all this information.

 

I'm hoping to hear options, medical options, ideas. Not looking for emotional support only.

 

Thanks.

Comments

  • katkritic
    katkritic Member Posts: 4
    I am so sorry to hear about

    I am so sorry to hear about your mom.  I lost my mom a year ago to PPC which she fought for 7 years.  When my mom started having more bowel obstructions and pleural effusion, her oncologist said at this point chemo would be ineffective.  And she's had just about every chemo out there.  For us, it became a quality of life issue.  She decided to enter a hospice facility (Calvary Hospital in the Bronx) where she received great care and compassion.  She understood the value of such a place when one night she was in so much pain, they were able to alleviate it on the spot.  My sister and I were there for her and spent precious time with her.  As sad as it was to know I was going to lose her, I knew that she was going to heaven to be with my dad who lost his battle to cancer 10 years earlier.  

    Good luck with your mom.  

  • Nflinchum
    Nflinchum Member Posts: 75
    katkritic said:

    I am so sorry to hear about

    I am so sorry to hear about your mom.  I lost my mom a year ago to PPC which she fought for 7 years.  When my mom started having more bowel obstructions and pleural effusion, her oncologist said at this point chemo would be ineffective.  And she's had just about every chemo out there.  For us, it became a quality of life issue.  She decided to enter a hospice facility (Calvary Hospital in the Bronx) where she received great care and compassion.  She understood the value of such a place when one night she was in so much pain, they were able to alleviate it on the spot.  My sister and I were there for her and spent precious time with her.  As sad as it was to know I was going to lose her, I knew that she was going to heaven to be with my dad who lost his battle to cancer 10 years earlier.  

    Good luck with your mom.  

    questions

    Hi,

    I am a PPC stage IV survivor for a little over two years. I went into remission for about 6 months and now it has recurred. One of my questions is did your mom have to take chemo continuously throughout her 7 year battle? This time around my CT scan is showing that I have pleural effusion but as of my last scan in Jan. one side had decreased completely and the other side still there but had decreased some. I am truly concerned that since mine came back so quickly that it is going to be an ongoing thing with chemo. My CA 125 test had jumped from 48 to 4075 back in Oct. and since chemo they are finally down to 997 which is good but I have a long ways to go. My dr. will not give me a prognosis not anything about quality of life. I am just looking for some answers and I know everyone is different but it helps to hear how this horrible disease treats others.

    I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your mom. Thanks for any imput you can give.

     

    Nadine

  • katkritic
    katkritic Member Posts: 4
    My mom

    When developed pleural effusion the first time, she was on a break from chemo.  She was on chemo and it resolved.  Then she had it again a few months later.  During the 7 year period, she was on remission for 3 years, then less than a year the 2nd time and then a few months and then it became a chronic condition.  I had to explain to my mom that chronic was basically managing it like hypertension and you just live with cancer.  And she did just that, long enough to see my sister finally get married.  Once she started having bowel obstructions, we were saddened.  I remember meeting her oncologist and we asked what the course of this cancer was and he said it was the obstructions since peritoneal is more of a localized cancer.  I don't know how much or if it metastasized elsewhere because she was always monitored by abdominal CT scans w/o contrast (she was allergic to the dye).  

    This was her second battle with cancer.  Her first was uterine stage1a (contained in a polyp) and had a hysterectomy, no chemo required.  Imagine the shock we had when we found out about this.  Even her surgeon was surprised.  Just shows how fickle cancer is.  

  • My4girls
    My4girls Member Posts: 2
    I was just wondering how you

    I was just wondering how you mom was. My mom too has had many obstructions. the nausea and vomiting caused her to get a GI PEG tube put in. This was to help drain fluids and alleviate the vomiting. But she is still unable to eat more then a few spoonfuls of jello or pudding. Her oncologist has stopped all chemo. 

  • seatown
    seatown Member Posts: 261
    How much chemo?

    rabbitcarrots, maybe I missed it but I can't tell from your post how much chemo your mom had previously. If she has gone thru multiple cycles of chemo, maybe the doctors are saying that chemo is no longer effective for her. I've had only a few different types of chemo since my diagnosis almost 2 years ago. But I'm always asking my docs, "what next?" They have assured me there are many different chemo options for future recurrences.

    After remission of about 6 months, I'm about to restart chemo on 1 of the same drugs I had before. I've been told to wait until at least the 2nd infusion to see any results. But I've also been told to expect that each future remission will be shorter & each future recurrence will perhaps be less responsive to treatment. Obviously I don't look forward to those days.

    Wish I had some meaningful advice to offer. Best wishes to your mom & you.

  • Nflinchum
    Nflinchum Member Posts: 75
    Chemo

    Hi Carole,

    what chemo are you getting ready to take? After a 5 week break to recovery from doxil my dr is putting me on taxol and avastin next week. This is two of the drugs I had when I was diagnosed the first time. Needless to say I am not looking forward to the taxol for I already have neuropathy pretty bad in my feet and hands. The dr wants me to take at least two treatments and see how it treats me. This has definitely been a journey for me. Thoughts and prayers for everyone.

    Nadine