Colon cancer matas to liver

suzanne-yes said:

Hi Nonna, Please tell your mom to hang in there. I am 39 years old and was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer at 31. There are more options for treatment and procedures now than ever before with more coming around each day. I had innumerable tumors throughout both lobes of my liver and had remarkable response with SIR-Spheres. If she no longer wants to do chemo or is no longer responding, if RFA and resection or not possible, you might look into Sir-spheres at www.sirtex.com or www.y90support.org. Don't give up and keep looking for hope. It's sometimes lurking in the least expected of places. There are so many people on this list that have wonderful stories and great advice. She'll find the support and encouragement that is needed. Hang in there, Suzanne

Thanks everyone for the responses and advice. I'm sorry I haven't been on but I have just been so overwhelmed. So here is a little more information.

My mom went in the hopital in May last year from constant pain in her stomach that was greatly increasing. The told her she would have to have her gallbladder removed but they wanted to do further testing because there was something suspicious with her liver. After doing a biopsy on tumors they found in her liver it came back as cancer. We met with an oncologist who said it was a very aggressive cancer and she probably only had a couple months and that if she did chemo (which probably wouldn't help much) it might give her a year tops. After a few days she was full blow yellow and extremely sick. It's funny how cancer doesn't reveal itself until you find it. Within a week she was in the hospital clinging to life and they sent her home on hospice and gave her a couple weeks to live.

They didn't give us much hope so we asked for a second opinion (a different dr. within Kaiser cause they won't give you referrals to outside sources). The new doctor said there is no reason to accept that. She is young and there is no reason to throw in the towel. He said he was confident that the 6 month chemo treatment would shrink down her tumors (she had 3 in her lung as well). Well the chemo did great to bring her back to life and we thought it was helping. By the 5th month the cancer started to resist and grow stronger (but we did not know this yet).

They took her off chemo in Novemember. I had been researching since May and got really into natural therapy. I tried pleading my case with her and showed her her options (but I wasn't the one with cancer). She was scared to try because as Americans we are used to Western Medicine. It's safer going with what you know even if its poisin then to try something unknown. Plus, her doctors were against it and kept telling her that she couldn't try this or that cause it would interfere with her treatments. So it was almost 2 months later (late January) and she hadn't had any chemo treatments, natural therapy or even been able to get in to see her doctor. They had to do a catscan 1st to see where she was so they could decide on a treatment. Like I said before...cancer doesn't wear a watch. So I was deathly afraid that her cancer was coming back full force.

When we finally got in to see her doctor he made my fears a reality. He said it was right back where we started. He said they could do another round of chemo and see what happens. He was trying to make things sound hopeful but we wanted the facts. Only after intense questioning did he tell us that this chemo would never cure her...it might only prolong her life. In the stage her cancer was in and her present condition it might kill her faster but if we decided to do it it would only be a matter of time before her body gave up.

So where did this leave us?? She decided to try the natural therapy...but was it too late. That was january 30th. We went to a natural physician and started on a regemin. She was doing good for the first couple days with juicing, coffee enemas, Ion cleansing (foot bath) & natural supplements but she became very weak very quick. She couldn't keep anything down and was often too tired to get up and do her regemin. The last 4-5 days she hasn't really eaten anything. she hasn't been doing her cleansing and hasn't kept anything down. She pretty much just sleeps.

I am so confused and devestated. I can't even describe how I feel. I want to save her so bad but I don't know what to do. I can't force her to do anything. Although she has told me that she wants me to push her I just don't think she has it in her. I don't want to lose my mother. she is the only person in my life (besides my husband and son) and she is the most wonderful person I know. I know that she doesnt want to go and wants to fight for her life...I just don't know what I can do. I am a religious person and I have faith in God but I am very confused right now. I am constantly in prayer and searching for an answer. It is a horrible emotional rollercoaster and there is no way of knowing the right answer. I am just so desperate. I lay in bed at night crying myself to sleep praying, and eventually my prayers turn into begging and then somehow i wake the next morning not knowing how I even fell asleep.

I just got off the phone with her hospice nurse and asked her if chemo would be an option right now. She said that she is much sicker and weaker then last time and she doesn't think her body can handle it. Do I just accept that my mother is going home, that her time has come. How can I ever accept that. do I jsut give in and make her as comfortable as possible or do I fight to the very end...and how do I even fight?? I hope its ok that I writing all this and pouring my heart out. I've never broken down to people I don't even know. I am jsut sitting her crying and desperate foranswers that I will probably never get. thanks for listening.