Mum has deteriorated quickly!

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I live at home with my Mum and Dad who are 85 and nearly 86. I apologise for the long post!

My Mum was diagnosed with Womb Cancer last July (2021) when she was 84 after some months of post menopausal bleeding and a large mass which she expelled in June and had a full hysterectomy and everything removed in a surgery in September 2021. At the MDT meeting in October they staged and graded her cancer as 3C2 and also said that in a follow up consultation in November that some cells were on her bowel lining and in the sigmoid rectum and that they may have done a bowel resection alongside her hysterectomy surgery but as this was major surgery and not in her best interest they did not go ahead.

She had 5 out of 6 cycles of chemotherapy (Carboplatin) every three weeks from December and had another CT scan on 25th February. She saw the oncologist on 12th March who said that the scan showed the cancer cells had now spread into the womb area and around the bowel area (not in the bowel). We were told that the chemotherapy had not worked to clear the cells and the cancer had grown anyway. The oncologist prescribed Letrozole hormone tablets to help shrink the cancer cells. My Mum also had a blood transfusion of 2 units of blood.

In the last three weeks or so my Mum has not been eating much and had not been able to go to the toilet and there had been some blood.

We has started to have discussions about the Community Pallative Care Team and a referral was being made last week. My Mum had a bloated tummy in the last few days and had been feeling nauseous. She had a consultation appointment with her oncologist on Tuesday this week and they had said they thought that was a sign that the cancer may have spread and could be fluid and was saying about an ultrasound scan.

Fast forward to yesterday and my Mum is vomiting up what looks like dark liquid and continues being sick. We take her into the acute oncology ward and after a scan and putting her on drips for anti sickness and then antibiotics they say she has a bowel obstruction at both ends of the small and large bowel and that is why she is blocked and is going to need major surgery - and maybe a stoma bag to make her more comfortable so she can eat and come home or not fo the surgery and then it is maybe a poor outlook. She has a NG tube and a catheter and she looks so poorly.

We are currently waiting for the surgical team to call us so we can go to the hospital and they tell us because they were having a meeting. I am so worried for my Dad who is nearly 86 and the rest of my family! I am not ready to lose my Mum yet.

  • Hi I replied to you yesterday in the Womb group. I hoe you can get some answers here as well.

    Hugs, Bxx


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  • Hi B,

    Thank you for your reply. It has been a whirlwind couple of days. We had the surgical team and doctor come on Thursday and explained to my Mum and to us that she has further bits inside her abdomen and as well as the bowel blockages surgery was not going to be an option and no further medication would improve the cancer as it has spread to fast and too much. This means there may not be much time left - weeks or possibly a couple of months?

    The only decisions to now make are whether my Mum comes home which she wants to do and we talk to the Pallatve Care Team and the Discharge Planning team to arrange equipment and carers and the package.

    At the moment Mum is still connected to an NG tube and Catheter and fluids by drip (including some antibiotics etc) but she won't have the drip and fluids is she is at home.

    It has all happened so fast and it is more the effect on my Dad and the rest of my family...2 sisters and 2 brothers. We all all grown ups but none us are ready to say goodbye so quickly....

    I know we have to make the very best of every day. She was not doing great last week but at least she was talking and walking and almost 'normal'. And now it is all so different.

  • I felt like I should write an update. Since writing the above post it was such a whirlwind. My Mum spent 9 days in hospital and then was moved to a local hospice where she spent 12 days. Sadly my Mum passed away last Tuesday - 3rd May. She was surrounded by family and will be greatly missed.

    In her last few days she was well looked after and was on great form and had started eating and drinking and was chatting to us. 

    We were not ready to say goodbye to her so soon Cry Broken heart but she was well loved.

    We are going through the processes and arrangements at the moment. 

    Sending love to everyone going through their journeys. Xx

  • Hi . I'm so very sorry to read your Mum passed away last Tuesday in the hospice. I'm glad to read she was on great form, chatting, eating and drinking with you and all the family.

    It's very hard on all the family and I've no doubt she will be sorely missed by you all. Unfortunately cancer doesn't discriminate on who it chooses. I'm incurable at 68 and no-one else in family has ever had cancer.

    I send you my very heartfelt best wishes, thinking of you and your family, B xx 


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    Womb cancer forum

    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

    "Never lose hope. Storms make people stronger and never last forever” - Roy T Bennett