Looking for support

favoriteja

My name is Jacquie and I'm not sure how to use this site exactly. I'm in search of finding a network of others out there caring for their Mom's and going through this journey with them. I find it difficult at times to always keep up the positiveness. Sometimes, I just want to let myself be mad, because I'm so tired of this fight. Most of the time, I try to make the most of our situation, but I am angry and so sad to see my Mom in pain right now. She has been battling since Sept. 07 and is now dealing with mouth sores that have turned into growths in her mouth. We are actually looking forward to her getting them removed by the oral surgeon in a week. Cancer has a way of making the oddest things seem good. Who would of thought that we would be excited for her to get part of her tongue sliced off just so that she could eat and drink without pain.

My Mom has done Taxol, Carbo, Avastin, Doxil, Gemzar and maybe a few more. She's had a full hysterectomy. She's had some good time too. 2 trips to Hawaii, 1 trip to Disneyland, 1 trip to Victoria, and just lots of special times with her grandkids. My 2 girls are 8 and 12. My mom is very close with the kids and that is a special bond. I have one sister that is 10 years younger and lives 2 hours away.

Hoping to find some encouragement on those nights when I wake up and don't want to go back to sleep to the same dream. This time in my dream, my husband was losing his battle to cancer. The good news was that it was just a dream, the bad news is that my Mom's cancer is not.

Barbara53

you are not alone
Hi Jaquie,

You have found the place. There are several of us here taking care of our mothers, and like your Mom, several of the poor dears are out of options. My mother is quite old and beginning to fail. Changing the course of events is impossible now.

There are people here in all sorts of situations involving ovarian cancer -- you and your mother have been through so much that you probably have lots of helpful experiences to share. Also please check out the caregivers forum (it's lower down on the list of forums). There are several women with children who are also caring for their moms, so you'll be in good company there, too.

Good luck with this day. At this stage of the game, every one of them is precious.

wonderingalice

Hi Jacquie
It's a bittersweet welcome to this board, and I'm sorry you are watching your dear mother fight this difficult battle. My 57-year-old mother was diagnosed with Stage III UPSC, an uncommon and aggressive form of endometrial cancer, in June 2008. Because it acts and is treated similarly to OVCA, I visit this board as well as the UPSC board. My mom had a hysterectomy, chemo and radiation, completed in March 2009, with recurrence December 2009. Debulking surgery Jan 2010 and now on second-line chemo (new drug called Ixempra) which is hitting her hard. My mother was very active and loved spending time with the dogs and horses outdoors. Now she is nearly bed-ridden. The tumor has come back already, the chemo is really just holding it steady at the size of an egg. It's discouraging. The only piece of good news that we got (that it was shrinking) turned out to be a mistake, and a cruel one at that. I am angry, too. Lately I feel that I have just given in to the feeling that nothing will be okay or the same again. I am an only child and no children of my own - it's been a lonely road. What makes it even harder is that I live 8 hours away from my parents - I've been visiting as much as possible but it is so hard to leave each time. I look to these boards for the courageous stories of other women going through the same thing...mothers and daughters...I know about the dreams. The other night I dreamed about going to a treatment center with my mom and when I woke up for an instant I thought her cancer was all a dream...another rude awakening.

I apologize if I sound gloomy - I know you are looking for encouragement but it's been a bad week for me and I know sometimes it just helps to know that someone else feels the same.

In caring,

Al.

msfanciful

Hello,
Welcome to our board
Hello,

Welcome to our board we are glad to have you; I am sorry about your reason for being here; however please know there are many women who have not only gone through this cancer, but those who are and have taken care of their mothers' in their most fragile state.

There is also another board that may be helpful and I believe it is listed under "caregivers/caretakers?".

Regardless, please feel free to ask any questions and between all of us and our various experiences, we will be sure to help you in many ways.

I will also pray that you continue to have strength through this very difficult time for you and your mother.



Sharon