Metastatic Cancer with Primary Uterine Malignancy

sm012023

Hello everyone!

I am writing this on behalf of my mother -- she is 85 y.o, diagnosed with Metastatic Uterine cancer in July 2022 and just completed 6 months of chemo. Her most recent PET scan (after 6 months of chemo) shows about 20% of the cancer still remaining. So we are starting the 7th cycle of chemo this week.

She has been a very active person with walking 1-1.5 hrs each day until June 2022 and she had no symptoms other than fatigue. Her accidental fall got the doctors to do a scan where the cancer was figured out and diagnosed! Yesterday, she had a lot of tough time even walking about 3 blocks and kept complaining of fatigue. That scared me and so am wondering if she can go back to her normal self.

Is there anybody in this group who has had a similar situation so that I can ask more specific questions?

Thank you so much

--RS

cmb

Chemo can be very hard on a person’s system, regardless of age and physical condition before cancer was diagnosed. I had two phases of chemo with two different drugs in each phase (you can read about it in my profile by clicking on my user name). I felt generally okay during phase one, but the phase two drugs were really difficult for me to handle. At times I could barely stand up for more than a couple of minutes at a time, much less walk around the block. And I was 20+ years younger than your mother.

I did need to go in the week after those later chemo infusions to receive additional supportive fluids and antiemetics. I got through all the cycles, but it took a few weeks before I was feeling somewhat normal. But then I started radiation and that set me back again, although not as severely as chemo.

So your mother’s weakness isn’t unusual. But make sure she’s telling the doctor and nurses what’s she’s experiencing as they may be able to provide some additional post-infusions support like I had.

Let us know if you have any additional questions. Your mother is lucky to have you helping her at this time.

NoTimeForCancer

I think we all get hard on ourselves on "how we should be", but when we stop and realize just HOW MUCH we are putting our bodies through with the various treatments, it makes me stop and realize how incredibly resilient we are.

If your mom wants to focus on just doing some things or what she can - a walk around the house vs 3 blocks - to keep active that will probably help. Her activity probably has helped her throughout everything so far but it "rest" is in "RESTorative" so giving in to that isn't bad either. It takes time to bounce back and even then time keeps ticking.

She is so lucky to have you on her side. None of us flight alone and it is a journey for all involved.

sm012023

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1703474#Comment_1703474

Thank you for the wonderful note and all the details. And in your case, each please was 6 months?

Thank you

sm012023

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1703485#Comment_1703485

Thank you for the encouraging note. Yes she has to start slow like you said.

Her issue has been that she runs literally -- hard to control her speed of walking because of which her steadiness is affected and she ends up falling.

Yesterday the PT suggested that I use a walking belt and I have ordered it.

Thank you so much for such a supportive group of folks life you and cmb. Feel blessed🙏

NoTimeForCancer

Would your mother be open to a walker to help steady her? She sounds pretty strong-willed - which is great - but a handful for all of us who have mothers like that!

sm012023

Thanks for your msg and for your understanding. Yes it sure is a handful ! :)

Yes, I have got the walker and also a 4-legged cane and been forcing it on her to use that to walk. Tough job for sure!

Mercorby

How about walking in the pool? There are belts to help with walking in the deep water and two noodles or aquatic dumb bells can help her stay steady in the shallow end. Many pools have specific times for this.

sm012023

@Mercorby : thanks for this idea. Will check with the therapists about this. 🙏