Am I supposed to have learned something?

pinkattitude81
pinkattitude81 Member Posts: 3 Member

My mom had breast cancer and resisted testing, or even admitting that she was struggling for years. When she initially told me and my sister that she had found lumps in her breast I immediately asked what she needed or what was she thinking needed to happen next. Her response still haunts me. She said she was going to pursue alternative therapies…and I had no idea what that meant. She said that she didn’t morally agree with oncology and that they were scammers. I just wanted to be supportive because she was very tight lipped about the whole situation and my only request was that if she found more lumps or signs of spreading she at minimum would see a surgeon to remove the cancer in her body. She agreed but I found out later that she had no intention of seeing any legitimate doctor. She was convinced that the truth was that the best way to treat her cancer was through a combination of faith in God and using natural remedies. I really wanted to respect her decision for her body but at the same time I couldn’t silently see her dying because of some guy who has a website that is total misinformation about how he naturally cured his cancer by faith and dietary supplements. I remember getting in a screaming match with her about how God gave us modern medicine and that maybe his plan was to instruct us to further our knowledge of our world to help save us. But she was almost brainwashed by factions of online zealots who blamed people who have cancer on themselves adding shame on to everything else she was dealing with. I suppose that to some extent that entire belief had maybe something to do with stem cell research? Idk..but she was in the middle of a divorce living with unmonitored cancer and every morning for two years I would stay up all night until 4am to make sure she was breathing and that lead to me drinking to a point that I wouldn’t remember finding her and being more traumatized than necessary. However, when she inevitably was not going to make it I was the one who had to tell her mother and sisters that the whole situation and she was gone within two weeks. During those two weeks I was in the hospital 12 hours a day unable to leave her room for even a few minutes to gather my strength. I am still so guilty that I wasn’t able to go to the icu with her and she was in intense distress of being alone. Later on that day and day after she was screaming in pain because the hospital had run out of medication due to Covid..there was police tape everywhere and I was alone. When I was fully made aware of the severity of her condition and that she wasn’t going to be mentally there any longer I had to make the call to consent to hospice. I couldn’t go to her funeral because I had been so exposed to Covid. I’m so angry that there is a community that is built around guilting people into believing in religious manipulation and causing others to lose loved ones like I have. I feel like I should do something to share her story or maybe do something good for my community because I’m paralyzed by the whole situation. Idk what is right to do but I’ve never reached out to anyone other than a few therapists who couldn’t even understand what I had really been through.

Comments

  • pinkattitude81
    pinkattitude81 Member Posts: 3 Member

    I’m really not trying to start any discussion in regards to what anyone should do with their body or choices are. I just feel so much guilt and anger about my own experiences. Idk if anyone else has felt emotionally traumatized by missing their parents funeral or about not being involved enough or advocating for their loved ones by speaking up. Idk what to do with all of this I’m feeling or what I’m supposed to do now.

  • HoldUrHorses
    HoldUrHorses Member Posts: 6 Member

    So sorry for what you have been through.

    Here's the thing: we can't control someone else's medical decisions. (Been there too with my Mom.) Depending on the type and location or spread of cancer: the treatments are diverse and could have limited results or worst case scenario, cancer may not respond to chemo or stop responding when metastatic. Even with modern medicine, there is no permanent cure that all cancer cells have been eradicated after treatment as they can survive in the lymph system and/or the blood. So, recurrence after treatment or spread before treatment is problematic and perhaps fatal.

    Everyone chooses their decisions- some decisions are made by fear or misinformation but everyone has a right to believe what they do and experience the consequences of their decisions.

    Death of a parent is very hard and you are very much greiving. It takes time to sort through it all but you will get there. You cared, you gave it your best effort. Being a caregiver or family member is very stressful in dealing with cancer.

    Patients experience fear, misinformation, denial, false hope, and coming to terms with mortality. It is alot to deal with. Sounds like your Mom did what she thought was right. Even if you would have chosen differently, you have to accept it. In terms of hospice, they are available for anyone with less than 6 months to live and many people don't know what it is and come to it very late as I did also. You did all you could so try keep your thoughts in being proud of your efforts of all you did do, not what you couldn't control.

    My mom also passed so there was cremation (her wishes) but no funeral or gathering because of Covid. I took care of her towards the end and it was the hardest thing emotionally that I have ever been through. When the dust settled, a year later, I got cancer and am in treatment and have learned more than I ever wanted to know about how involved and unpredictable it is.

    Some things I have found helpful is: lbbc.org (life beyond breast cancer) for information and look into cognitive behavioral therapy which suggest ways to reframe thinking to alleviate stress. There are also free grief groups (Vitas or others) - you don't have to have used their service and other cancer support groups for family members- American Cancer Society, Susan Komen… support groups don't solve the problem but it is reassuring to hear other people feeling exactly like you do.

    Wishing you all the best.