HELP!! Mom wants to stop treatment!

DanaNAndy
DanaNAndy Member Posts: 7
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
My mom was recently diagnosed with T1 N4 base of toungue cancer. She's 2 1/2 weeks into a 5 week course of IMRT radiation and 1 day/week chemo. Her throat is swollen almost shut and the pain killers arent helping. She wants to stop treatment because of the pain its causing her. Anyone have suggestions how to help her better deal? Anyone have similar experiences?

Thank you in advance!
Dana

Comments

  • laurena
    laurena Member Posts: 16
    #2
    Oh oh, I just replied to your other mail. Yes the pain is brutal, don't stop now, but get as much painkiller as she needs. You can administer liquid morphine through the tube with a syrynge. Take it one hour at a time. Get as many people as you can to help her. Neighbours co-workers anyone. She needs people to be with her day and night. Try to distract her with other things. I had therapeutic massage that put me to sleep. If you want I can put her on the prayer list in our church? What is her name?
    Re-assure her that she will get trhough this it will get better and she will survive but she has to fight and endure. Go with her to the oncologist and insist on better pain management. Let me know if anything works. There is a special mo9uthwash for cancersores from radiation. Ask the doc.
    Laurena
  • DanaNAndy
    DanaNAndy Member Posts: 7
    #3
    laurena said:

    Oh oh, I just replied to your other mail. Yes the pain is brutal, don't stop now, but get as much painkiller as she needs. You can administer liquid morphine through the tube with a syrynge. Take it one hour at a time. Get as many people as you can to help her. Neighbours co-workers anyone. She needs people to be with her day and night. Try to distract her with other things. I had therapeutic massage that put me to sleep. If you want I can put her on the prayer list in our church? What is her name?
    Re-assure her that she will get trhough this it will get better and she will survive but she has to fight and endure. Go with her to the oncologist and insist on better pain management. Let me know if anything works. There is a special mo9uthwash for cancersores from radiation. Ask the doc.
    Laurena

    Thank you so much, Laurena. Her name is Susan Baldwin. That would be wonderful.
    I did get ahold of the nurse yesterday. They called in something for thrush, she thinks that might be why her throat is so painful. She can get stronger pain meds Monday, but not before because they can't be called in.
    She's getting discouraged and swears that this will be her one and only course of cancer treatment. Should it not be gone, she wont do this again. I guess I can't blame her, but I'd like to see her do all she can to survive this.

    Thank you again!
    Dana
  • laurena
    laurena Member Posts: 16
    #4
    DanaNAndy said:

    Thank you so much, Laurena. Her name is Susan Baldwin. That would be wonderful.
    I did get ahold of the nurse yesterday. They called in something for thrush, she thinks that might be why her throat is so painful. She can get stronger pain meds Monday, but not before because they can't be called in.
    She's getting discouraged and swears that this will be her one and only course of cancer treatment. Should it not be gone, she wont do this again. I guess I can't blame her, but I'd like to see her do all she can to survive this.

    Thank you again!
    Dana

    Hello Andy,, is that your name?? Hopefully this is the only treatment she needs. I only had 5 weeks radiation, nothing else, and I'm still here. Hopefully this will also be enough for your mom. I will put her on the prayerlist this week. Let me know if you need more advice. All the best! God Bless.

    Laurena
  • laurena
    laurena Member Posts: 16
    #5
    laurena said:

    Hello Andy,, is that your name?? Hopefully this is the only treatment she needs. I only had 5 weeks radiation, nothing else, and I'm still here. Hopefully this will also be enough for your mom. I will put her on the prayerlist this week. Let me know if you need more advice. All the best! God Bless.

    Laurena

    Sorry I now see your name is Dana not Andy. OOps!
    Laurena.

    PS make sure your mom gets lots of nutrition. Does she see a dietician?

    Laurena
  • lilypiersch
    lilypiersch Member Posts: 3
    #6
    laurena said:

    Oh oh, I just replied to your other mail. Yes the pain is brutal, don't stop now, but get as much painkiller as she needs. You can administer liquid morphine through the tube with a syrynge. Take it one hour at a time. Get as many people as you can to help her. Neighbours co-workers anyone. She needs people to be with her day and night. Try to distract her with other things. I had therapeutic massage that put me to sleep. If you want I can put her on the prayer list in our church? What is her name?
    Re-assure her that she will get trhough this it will get better and she will survive but she has to fight and endure. Go with her to the oncologist and insist on better pain management. Let me know if anything works. There is a special mo9uthwash for cancersores from radiation. Ask the doc.
    Laurena

    Laurena.....I am so happy I found this web site. My mom is about to start radiation and, of course, very scared! She was told this was the worse kind of radiation ever. I saw that you went through it. How long did it take for you to feel your normal self again? and are there any long term side effects? thanks for your answers..
  • cindya
    cindya Member Posts: 4
    #7
    lilypiersch said:

    Laurena.....I am so happy I found this web site. My mom is about to start radiation and, of course, very scared! She was told this was the worse kind of radiation ever. I saw that you went through it. How long did it take for you to feel your normal self again? and are there any long term side effects? thanks for your answers..

    I went through 32 IMRT treatments in the spring. I also developed Thrush and it was the worst pain I had ever experienced. I was on Difulcan for the Thrush and liquid morphine for the pain. I got to the point that I was sleeping 16 - 18 hours a day and it was the only way to get me through the pain. The Difulcan takes a couple of days to work, but it does help tremendously. I have gotten Thrush at least 4 times since I stopped radiation. I have also had to undergo chemo and I get "radiation recall" after each treatment. The chemo brings back the symptoms of radiation. My mouth gets sore again and sometimes the Thrush comes back.
  • laurena
    laurena Member Posts: 16
    #8
    lilypiersch said:

    Laurena.....I am so happy I found this web site. My mom is about to start radiation and, of course, very scared! She was told this was the worse kind of radiation ever. I saw that you went through it. How long did it take for you to feel your normal self again? and are there any long term side effects? thanks for your answers..

    to lily. it took me two years or more to feel better. I was never my old self again. See my website at this site. Laurena

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