Mom Has Metastic Breast Cancer Disease

wosmith

Hello Everyone,

I am in dire need for some information.  Hopefully you can please help me and give me some guidance.  My mom has metastic disease.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, when they operated and removed a mass.  Since then she was supposedly cancer free.  We just recently found out (in June of this year) that the cancer had spread to her brain.  They did surgery in June of this year to remove a brain mass.  She had radiation treatment shortly after the surgery and was doing fine.  She went home and started to lose the use of her legs.  We went back to the hospital and they discovered that she had a mass in her spine.  She had surgery in late July to remove a mass in her spine, wherein they fused some discs and she now also has rods and screws in the spine.  After this she went to a rehab facility and within one day, she developed a pretty severe infection.  She was right back to the hospital where they reopened the incision in the spine to clean things out and put her on some pretty heavy antibiotics.  During this time, they also discovered that she has several masses in her lungs.  Right now she is in a rehab facility where she has been since October 20th of this year.  Her rehab progress to regain use of her legs has been extremely slow with very little progress.  Her doctors are anxious to begin her radiation and chemo treatments, but the facility is saying that she cannot undergo the treatment while she is in the hospital.  Her chemo doctor has suggested that she could admit her to the hospital for the chemo portion, but she states that her treatment is only for one day.  The radiation doctor is saying that his treatment will take 2 weeks, but that he cannot have her admitted for just radiation.

I have a call in to the neuro surgeon to see if he can have her admitted under his care and both doctors can do her treatment while she is in the hospital.  The problem is that the rehab facility will not hold her bed, so we will probably have to find another facility for her to go to afterwards.

My mom is very unhappy where she is right now, but with her limited to no mobility she cannot go home because she lives alone.  Long term care is an option but finding a a facility that will let her do the chemo and radiation is a problem.  My question to this forum is whether this is the case with all facilities, is this a general rule because of the other patients or just some facilities don't allow the chemo/radiation for what reasons?

Please I would love to have some guidance/help with these decisions.  I don't know which way to turn.

camul

Wosmith

You.may want.to see.if'it is an insurance issue that is.limiting.what they can do.  If she is on Medicare, that would certainly restrict what options she has, as well as her length of.stay, what is.considered rehab and what would be.considered new treatment.  I w o Ulf make an appointment with her caseworker and find out what is actually the h o of up.  At least then you know where and what you can expect.

1surfermom

I'm so sorry your mother is going through this.

Wosmith,

 Although this is not my personal experience have you tried Ronald McDonald House? It was recommend to me when I was deciding if I was going to particpate in a clinic trail for radiation. It may be an option if  there is one close to the facility where she will be receiving treatment. This board is filled with members that may give you some additional information and ideas.  Love Surf