After care for bowel cancer

Less than one minute read time.

Hello everyone, my elderly (87) Mom has bowel cancer, she has had a colostomy(about 3 months ago) but she is too frail to undergo an operation to remove / reduce the tumour so the outlook isn't good. The consultant says that the only further potential treatment would be radiation but she doesn't want to go back into hospital and frankly we (sister and I) think that the side efects would probably outweigh the short term benefits. She is supposed to have a monthly visit from the district nurse, she had had 2, the first nurse had her notes but hadn''t read them, the second hadn't got her notes at all so neither had any idea what treatment she had had (including the bag) or why they were visiting. They don't visit at all now, they phone instead, which, as she is rather deaf, isn't in my opinion much use. She is in discomfort, she puts the feeling down to food she has eaten that doesn't agree with her which mught be true but she is careful with her diet. Anyone got any advice please?

Anonymous
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Hi Joan,

    Not a very nice Disease,but for your Mum to treated like that,someone needs a kick up the Arse. No elderly Person should be treated like that. If I was you I would contact the Hospital or your own Dr and

    give them what for. Hope you get things sorted.

    Take care and be safe Big Hugs Love Sarsfield.xxx

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Hi I am sorry to hear about your mum. I can't understand why they didn't remove the tumour when they did the colostomy.

    I had bowel cancer July last year and they removed the tumour and gave me a tempary colostomy which I hope to have reversed soon.

    An elderly friend of mine who is 85 had the same thing she had radiotherapy but couldn't finish the course due to being very tired. What she did have shrank the tumour enough for it to disappear.

    I think the way the nurse's have treat your mum is appalling, they need to visit her. I would definitely make a complaint against them and inform your GP of her treatment by them. It is usually your GP who organise's visits from the district nurses. I know because I was one.

    Definitely do not let them get away with it your mum needs help.

    As for the feelings she gets when she has eaten, they could be a form of IBS brought on by the tumour. You can get medication to aleviate the symptoms. Your mum needs to see her GP about this. If she doesn't want any more intervention to get rid of the tumour then she can at least get some medicine to stop any discomfort.

    Good Luck to you and your mum.

    Love Julie x

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Hello Joan,

    I am sorry to hear that your mother was given almost short shrift by the PHNs. Not only could your complain about this to your mother's GP, but possibly also to the PHN supervisor. It is hard to understand.

    In the meantime see if her GP can also recommend that she have the services of a Macmillan nurse.

    Laurpat

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    I think that you and your mother should also contact the PHN in her area, and see if the GP could recommend her for a Macmillan nurse.

    Laurpat

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    So sorry to hear that your mum has been treated so badly. It's a total disgrace, please talk to your GP, get a Macmillan nurse, get medication and tell the Gp how bad the nurses are being at doing anything for your mum.

    Love to you both

    Jen XX