Cancer Back?!?!

Ashaki

My mom has stage 4 non small cell lung cancer and was dignosed 2 yrs ago. She went radiation/chemo. Anyways, within the first year her Dr put her in remission said the cancer that had spead to the brain and right above the kidney area were gone, said the ones in the lung had shrunk. Well, ok remission for 1 year now with 6 months of no morphine or any pills for that matter.

Anyways, I found out today she has had a headach for a week now to the point where she is crying, cant catch her breath, cant walk very far without of being out of breath and sweating real bad and sleeping ALOT again. She wont let me take her to the ER.

Please someone I need help....is her cancer back?!?! has it spread again?!?! is it worse?!?! All the same emotions are bad again..crying, worring, wondering, FREAKING OUT! I dont know anyone who hs ever been in remission and if these are symptoms of the disease making its way back. If anyone has answers for me I would appreciate them.

Ash

bubbliemrs

Cancer BAck?
I understand how you feel, I know exactly the emotions that you are going through. I went through the same thing with my mom.
Take courage, and you're going to have to be the assertive one with your mom. I'd say, it is still better to be safe. If she refuses to go to the ER, then make an appointment with her primary care dr. or onchologist and have them run some tests. It may be back, it may not, but it's better to find out so you can take the next step.
One big life lesson I've learned while caring for my mother who's had 2 bouts with cancer, is to take one step at a time, and not worry about what may or may not be. Take it as it comes, and use all the resources that's avaiable to you to help your mom.
She may be just as scared as you are. Stay positive, cry when you must, it does help you gain your composure again. Then push on to helping your mom get treated and healed.
Keep on praying as well.

Wish you all the best, and courage.

soccerfreaks

Answers
Ash, the one most likely to have answers is her cancer doctor. I would say that based on the history you provide the symptoms described should be considered worthy of concern.

Beyond that, the symptoms should be treated regardless of what is causing them and so mom should let you take her to the doctor. I assume that mom is seeing cancer doc on a regular basis, probably every three months, at this point, right? If so, you might wait for the next scheduled visit if she is obstinate in refusing to go to the ER.

In the meantime, please know that whether survivor or caregiver, following a cancer diagnosis we tend to attribute EVERY adverse condition, from coughs to hangnails, to cancer . It is understandable, for sure, but it does not mean that cancer is causing either the cough or the hangnail, although it is a dreaded possibility.

I wish you courage and the strength to convince mom to visit, at the very least, her family doc.

Best wishes to mom and her family.

Take care,

Joe

Ashaki

soccerfreaks said:

Answers
Ash, the one most likely to have answers is her cancer doctor. I would say that based on the history you provide the symptoms described should be considered worthy of concern.

Beyond that, the symptoms should be treated regardless of what is causing them and so mom should let you take her to the doctor. I assume that mom is seeing cancer doc on a regular basis, probably every three months, at this point, right? If so, you might wait for the next scheduled visit if she is obstinate in refusing to go to the ER.

In the meantime, please know that whether survivor or caregiver, following a cancer diagnosis we tend to attribute EVERY adverse condition, from coughs to hangnails, to cancer . It is understandable, for sure, but it does not mean that cancer is causing either the cough or the hangnail, although it is a dreaded possibility.

I wish you courage and the strength to convince mom to visit, at the very least, her family doc.

Best wishes to mom and her family.

Take care,

Joe

Thank you both for your
Thank you both for your replies to me.

I did call the DR. and he wanted her at the ER right away. I went and picked her up for the E right away. Took 10 hours there with blood work, IV, CT scans of the head and chest, x-ray of the chest and a breathing treatment. Out come well, still unsure whats going on. They said the cancer isn't back on the brain and hasnt progressed in the lung soooooo?!?!?! This is a very good thing but, the DR wanted her to stay overnight as her coughing was/is horriable and she refused saying she wanted to go home. The DR was really worried about her and was baffeled that he couldnt figure out what to do for her. He in the end dignosed her with Bronchitis saying that she needs to get in with her Oncology DR whom had him run some of the scans. The nurse went on to say after the DR left even though the cancer is in remission and has not progressed anymore its still could be taking its toll and Quality over quanity.

I found out alot more of her symptoms while we were there she opened up to the DRmore than what I was told.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Headachs for a little over a week now ( to the point of her crying with them)
Chest pain (hurt but, more so after coughs)
Pain in upper bones...arms..ect (felt like needle stabbing she said made her cry they hurt so bad)
Shortness of breath/couldnt catch her breath
Hard time walking (not that she couldnt but, she seemed to be unable to balance herself and kept walking as if she were drunk)
Had only eaten 2 pieces of toast since Saturday.
Only had about 1/2 cup of anything to drink yesterday.
Coughing up ALOT of mucus...clear in color but to the point where she had to sit of or choke on it.
Sleeping alot (All Day yesteday and had a hard time keeping her eyes open)
Her eyes were glossy but her skin color was good. Her face is thinner sunkin in by the upper part of her face...eyes/cheek area.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Oxogen there was 89 when she was sound asleep and other times ranged from 93-94
EKG when we first got there she had a very high heart rate which later went down.

You know I put this in the back of my mind I guess when she was put in remission thinking I have my mom back when in reality I knew its still the same out come no matter how much I want all this to just go away. Its very hard for me to face this again knowing Im still slowly loosing my mom and I cant do anything about it no matter how much I want/choose to forget. My mom is my best friend she has always been there. Maybe Im just selfish because I rely on her in my life for day to day things, laughs, sadness or just to be there to talk.

God Bless Everyone!
Ash

soccerfreaks

Ashaki said:

Thank you both for your
Thank you both for your replies to me.

I did call the DR. and he wanted her at the ER right away. I went and picked her up for the E right away. Took 10 hours there with blood work, IV, CT scans of the head and chest, x-ray of the chest and a breathing treatment. Out come well, still unsure whats going on. They said the cancer isn't back on the brain and hasnt progressed in the lung soooooo?!?!?! This is a very good thing but, the DR wanted her to stay overnight as her coughing was/is horriable and she refused saying she wanted to go home. The DR was really worried about her and was baffeled that he couldnt figure out what to do for her. He in the end dignosed her with Bronchitis saying that she needs to get in with her Oncology DR whom had him run some of the scans. The nurse went on to say after the DR left even though the cancer is in remission and has not progressed anymore its still could be taking its toll and Quality over quanity.

I found out alot more of her symptoms while we were there she opened up to the DRmore than what I was told.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Headachs for a little over a week now ( to the point of her crying with them)
Chest pain (hurt but, more so after coughs)
Pain in upper bones...arms..ect (felt like needle stabbing she said made her cry they hurt so bad)
Shortness of breath/couldnt catch her breath
Hard time walking (not that she couldnt but, she seemed to be unable to balance herself and kept walking as if she were drunk)
Had only eaten 2 pieces of toast since Saturday.
Only had about 1/2 cup of anything to drink yesterday.
Coughing up ALOT of mucus...clear in color but to the point where she had to sit of or choke on it.
Sleeping alot (All Day yesteday and had a hard time keeping her eyes open)
Her eyes were glossy but her skin color was good. Her face is thinner sunkin in by the upper part of her face...eyes/cheek area.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Oxogen there was 89 when she was sound asleep and other times ranged from 93-94
EKG when we first got there she had a very high heart rate which later went down.

You know I put this in the back of my mind I guess when she was put in remission thinking I have my mom back when in reality I knew its still the same out come no matter how much I want all this to just go away. Its very hard for me to face this again knowing Im still slowly loosing my mom and I cant do anything about it no matter how much I want/choose to forget. My mom is my best friend she has always been there. Maybe Im just selfish because I rely on her in my life for day to day things, laughs, sadness or just to be there to talk.

God Bless Everyone!
Ash

normal
You aren't being selfish, you are being normal. No one wants to lose his or her mother (well, okay, most of us don't).

Congrats to mom for her results. That is good news, believe it or not. Bronchitis is not uncommon for lung cancer survivors, since the same reasons that caused the cancer for some (smoking, for one) tend to cultivate diseases like bronch and pneumonia as well.

I wish her, and those who love her, the best.

Take care,

Joe