New To The Group

mopar said:

Cindy:
Welcome to this site. I'm sorry to hear your mother and you have been through so much, but what a blessing to still have her with you at 89 years of age!

Until these past few years I didn't know that a blood clot in the leg could be related to OVCA. And since OVCA doesn't usually present with symptoms in the early stages, it's too bad the doctor's didn't think to check at that time for your mother. The fact that she has been through so much and is still here shows a great deal of strength. Understandable she is weak and tired. Have they checked her red blood cell count? Maybe it is low. Her CA125 really came down after surgery, which is good. I can understand the 'wait and see' approach, as it would probably be difficult for her to go through chemotherapy. Is the blockage in the intestine from constipation or have they checked for something else?

Please keep us posted and feel free to ask any questions. There are so many of us here who have first-hand experience. I just received my last chemo treatment for a recurrance in February. My first was in 2000. I was also a caregiver for my mother who had colon cancer.

In the meantime, I'm sending prayers and hugs your way.

Monika

Thanks Monika. I have been busy reading all the posts here. There is so much everyone has gone through. Mom is going back to her oncologist next month. I really don't think they will do much of anything for her. She also has arthritis in her spine and the rest of her bones so it is just a matter of almost everything being worn out by her age now...90. She has a great doctor who is amazed at her perserverance. It is a blockage in her intestines but they have her take Reglan for it. I don't much care for that because of all the side effects so we use it as a last resort. I find that if I bombard her with lots of fruits and juices she is okay. She has occasional pain in her upper right side but a heating pad and tylenol seem to work for now. I guess her biggest problem is that she gets frustrated because she cannot get up and go. My Mom was active..even shoveling snow until she was 85.She does cry a lot. Because she has such a tough time with medication and it's side effects, her doctors are always reluctant to prescribe anything. I can see where she has gone downhill a lot since the surgery. But it is gradual. She is too frail to handle chemo or any more surgery. So as hard as it is to say this , I think the doctors are just letting her be for the rest of her days. Last year we spent evry holiday in the hospital including her birthday. It got so the cleaning folks knew us by name. I took family leave for three months and then went back to work part time for another three. Finally in November I went back to fulltime for two weeks and came home one day and my legs went out from under me. I ended up having a spinal tumor removed in December. So I spent 2 months learning how to walk. Since Mom and I are the only family we have it was a scramble to get someone to look after her. But I had two friends who took turns.When I got home the very first night she got sick..every time the blockage in her intestines acts up she vomits and just gets very sick. So there we were both of us with walkers. But she gradually got better. And I did too. I now have some help with her for a few hours each week and I'm hoping to go back to work in late October. It was some year! I continue to learn so much from all this. Mostly that all the people I have come into contact with through all this are very special...strong, giving and very faith filled. It has been a blessing in many ways to experience all this. For now I just try to enjoy the time I have left with my Mom. Thanks for the reply.I wish you well too. Cindy

groundeffect said:

Hi Cindy,

Your pushing fruits and juices to your mom was just what I was going to suggest-I know they're great for older folks.

My father in law is 90 now, a 5 year survivor of colon cancer. He's had his tough times, too, and we love that we've had all this time to enjoy with him. I hope you'll have at least the same with your mom. I'm continually amazed at how fragile old folks can seem, but how tough they turn out to be!

I had blood clots as a symptom of cancer, and have a greenfield filter, too-those are the 'easy' parts of all of this. Your mom must have a lot a fatigue, but it's good to keep her moving - you, too.

I wish you the best, and hope you will have much peace and joy with your mom for as long as possible.

thanks for the kind words. I didn't really know anyone else who had a Greenfield filter. Heck, I didn't even know there was such a thing. I am just glad there is and it works. Yes, Mom does get tired and sleeps a lot on good days. Others she is just restless. Some nights she does not sleep at all. But she does walk around with her walker every few days and gets excited when she does. I do enjoy the time we spend together even if we just sit and enjoy being together. I have even started my little tape recorder to record all her stories. We make the best of things as much as we can. I wish you all the best also. It is nice to meet you. And I hope we share more conversations. Cindy