Hi all

stella65
stella65 Member Posts: 152
in Peritoneal Cancer #1
Mum has been very poorly after her 2nd Gemzar/Carbo, understandably the docs think it is the chemo and they could well be right but she had exactly the same problems at the end of last year and she was not on chemo then, has anyone heard of Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis? It seems it is something you can get within the fluid in your abdomen, mum has had hers drained ( 7 litres ) I thought they would test it for infection, has anyone had this done? Mum has had a bad infection but there has been no reason given for it as yet, it is such a shame as she was starting to get strong again, walking on the forest with her rolator and now she is so weak again, she has also decided to have no more chemo as she is sure the chemo made her so bad! Has anyone got any suggestions or experience of a different treatment to try? I can't bear to think that she wants to give up, she is seeing her oncologist next week if she is up to it

Thank you to all, Sue X

Comments

  • SOPHIE333
    SOPHIE333 Member Posts: 92
    #2
    Hi Sue
    So sorry to hear yoyr mum is not doing well. Í am in more or less the same position with my mum as she too suffers a lot from the chemo treatments. She is not having any at the moment (still on hormones) but symptoms has gone worse with abdominal pain from squasched and/or inflamed intestines. Though as she can not eat, she needs to be stronger to be able to take more chemo. But she doesent want to. She says she had enough of pain and discomfort and is slowly giving up, that is at least how I feel. And it is so hard. Hope things will get better for your mum and that she will regaine hope.

    Sophie
  • stella65
    stella65 Member Posts: 152
    #3
    SOPHIE333 said:

    Hi Sue
    So sorry to hear yoyr mum is not doing well. Í am in more or less the same position with my mum as she too suffers a lot from the chemo treatments. She is not having any at the moment (still on hormones) but symptoms has gone worse with abdominal pain from squasched and/or inflamed intestines. Though as she can not eat, she needs to be stronger to be able to take more chemo. But she doesent want to. She says she had enough of pain and discomfort and is slowly giving up, that is at least how I feel. And it is so hard. Hope things will get better for your mum and that she will regaine hope.

    Sophie

    Just the same
    Hi Sophie, thanks for your reply, it seems we are in a very similar situation, mums main issues with eating are due a problem with reflux, she is supposed to be having botox injected to try and help keep the food going down instead of back up! I don't know if she will still have it done, as you say, you feel as if they are giving up, I totally understand that by the way, I am sure I would feel the same! We haven't really talked about things, she told me she didn't want anymore treatment over the phone! I sobbed my heart out, pulled myself together and we have just carried on without mentioning it, I don't think my Dad has been able to discuss it with her either, personally I feel if I talk about it I will break down and not be able to stop crying, mum doesn't need to see that but then again she probably wonders why nobody mentions it!! Sophie, can they not get your mums pain under control? Mum has incredible pain and although they are not really sure what the cause is, after a few days in hospital or the hospice they get it under control, she has been wearing morphine patches for months now and except for when it really flares up and they up the dose she is kept comfortable, I am thinking of you and your mum and wishing you both well, SueX
  • Momma Mack
    Momma Mack Member Posts: 6
    #4
    SOPHIE333 said:

    Hi Sue
    So sorry to hear yoyr mum is not doing well. Í am in more or less the same position with my mum as she too suffers a lot from the chemo treatments. She is not having any at the moment (still on hormones) but symptoms has gone worse with abdominal pain from squasched and/or inflamed intestines. Though as she can not eat, she needs to be stronger to be able to take more chemo. But she doesent want to. She says she had enough of pain and discomfort and is slowly giving up, that is at least how I feel. And it is so hard. Hope things will get better for your mum and that she will regaine hope.

    Sophie

    Hi Sue and Sophia
    Hi Sue and Sophia,

    I was diagnosed back in 2/10 with PPC. They drained 7 liters of fluid from my abdomen, the following week they did a debaulking surgery which is very invasive. The surgery was 4/12 hours and I spend 7 to 8 days in the ICU due to complications and another 7 days in the hospital. I was 51 when diagnosed, my daughter was 19 at the time. I did 5 rounds of intra-paritoneal chemotherapy (cistplatin and Taxatere, I'm allergic to taxol) and 3 rounds of IV chemotherapy (Carboplatin and Taxetere). My cancer has not completely gone away, it is at the cell level and I went back on chemotherapy and have been getting it monthly now since 2/11. Different protocols. It is difficult to see someone giving up, sometimes it isn't giving up but giving in. Only that person knows what they can continue with. Modern medicine can be amazing and costly. Maybe it would help to have your mums talk with a councelor that specializes in cancer diagnosis to be sure the reasoning.

    I don't know how old your mums are and I have watched my father pass from liver cancer 2ndary to some other cancer at 75 and it took 4 months for the disease to take it's course. It was stage IV at the time and advance so he decided to do Hospice.

    You and your families are in my thoughts and prayers,
    Cathy Mack (aka momma mack)
  • Best Friend
    Best Friend Member Posts: 222
    #5
    hey
    I am pretty sure this peritonitis is inflammation and infection. I think some people can do chemo and work and just roll along. Other people have issues with this stuff. As for her having it without the chemo i do not know. She is probably just so run down and defeated. It's hard for us to hear them say they wanna die and such. I would go in my room, cry, and than go back to her room and tell her she could do it, and to just push a little harder. It's not an easy situation but if we show defeat than they feel like they can give up and it's not always this losing battle.
  • SOPHIE333
    SOPHIE333 Member Posts: 92
    #6
    Best Friend said:

    hey
    I am pretty sure this peritonitis is inflammation and infection. I think some people can do chemo and work and just roll along. Other people have issues with this stuff. As for her having it without the chemo i do not know. She is probably just so run down and defeated. It's hard for us to hear them say they wanna die and such. I would go in my room, cry, and than go back to her room and tell her she could do it, and to just push a little harder. It's not an easy situation but if we show defeat than they feel like they can give up and it's not always this losing battle.

    Hi again
    Hi BestFriend And Stella65!

    Mum is not doing better I am sorry to say, but she got a bit of temper up going to Malta last weekend with us family and friends. And that was a treat today with meeting with her onc. She stared him deep down in his eyes, asking for some answers and at least treatment for a good end of life! Thats my mums fighting spirit. Right now she is in hospital to get surgical help against obstruations in her intestines that are multiplying cause of the cancer and which will stop all the womiting, getting her a better way of life at the moment even if the onc said to her that she would probably not live until christmas. Thanks, onc. Is he god? So here we are and mum is now convinced of living longer than christmas. Good. Also she will meet up with the team specialized in easing pain.

    Hope everything is well with you and that you mums are doing ok.

    Love,
    Sophie
  • stella65
    stella65 Member Posts: 152
    #7
    SOPHIE333 said:

    Hi again
    Hi BestFriend And Stella65!

    Mum is not doing better I am sorry to say, but she got a bit of temper up going to Malta last weekend with us family and friends. And that was a treat today with meeting with her onc. She stared him deep down in his eyes, asking for some answers and at least treatment for a good end of life! Thats my mums fighting spirit. Right now she is in hospital to get surgical help against obstruations in her intestines that are multiplying cause of the cancer and which will stop all the womiting, getting her a better way of life at the moment even if the onc said to her that she would probably not live until christmas. Thanks, onc. Is he god? So here we are and mum is now convinced of living longer than christmas. Good. Also she will meet up with the team specialized in easing pain.

    Hope everything is well with you and that you mums are doing ok.

    Love,
    Sophie

    Hi Sophie, How dare your
    Hi Sophie, How dare your mums onc tell her she probably wouldn't make xmas! I do realise docs are in a tricky situation as they have to make sure people understand the extent of their illness and what the future may hold but sometimes a bit of encouragement without giving false hope goes a long way! Mum is home now and had a spell of feeling off the planet, we assumed meds were to blame and although her nurse ( visiting from the hospice) told her it could be, she also said it could be the illness itself causing the problems, when she had gone mum told me this and that the nurse said this could happen with terminal patients, I hate that bloody word, why did she need to say it, we are all terminal aren't we, thats part of life but as a very ill person it is not what you want to be told all the time! Mum has had her anti sickness meds reduced and is on ampetamines (sp?) and she is feeling quite a bit better thank goodness. I hope your Mum gets her obstuctions sorted, that sounds really nasty, your mum sounds like mine though, a very strong lady with great determination. Lots of love to you and your mum Sophie

    SueX

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