Hi all
My mum ( (87) is currently in hospital where she’s now been for 4 weeks. She has myeloidplastic syndrome and was admitted with neutropenic sepsis. She had been having regular transfusions which unfortunately weren’t lifting her HB very much. She was treated with IV antibiotics but last week the consultant advised us that the neutropenic sepsis had returned, her neutrophils were 0.2, her platelets 11 and HB 70 and the hey advise no further medical interventions which has come as a huge shock. Mum is getting weaker by the day, has no apps and is now bedridden. Now we are no longer having blood tests we have no idea what’s happening inside her, is this a sign that death is imminent. Can she possibly survive with neutropenic sepsis without treatment? We just don’t know whether this is the end and to prepare ourselves or something that will pass and we’ll have some quality time left? When asking for a prognosis we are just told “we can’t say”. How do we know what to expect and how quickly?
Hi Allybobz and welcome to this corner of the Online Community but so sorry to hear about your mum.
I don’t have AML but developed neutropenic sepsis 2 times after my treatment for my NHL. I was 61 at the time and it was very very hard to treat….. so I can only imagine the challenges her clinical team are dealing with at the moment especially with your mums age.
A cancer diagnosis like this in the family can be such a challenging and stressful time. There is no exact way to know how this is going to develop but you do need to try and talk honestly with her clinical team or her Specialist Cancer Nurse to try and better understand how best to support your mum and what to expect over the next period of time.
Unfortunately blood cancers like these can develop to a point where there are no treatments that can stop its progress if these conditions so it’s important that she is made comfortable.
When it comes to the practical and emotional challenges of supporting your mum you may also benefit from joining our general Supporting someone with incurable cancer support group where you will connect with others navigating the same support challenges.
The Macmillan Support Line is open from 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00 where you can talk with someone about specific cancer and practical information, get emotional support or just connect with a listening ear.
We also have our Ask an Expert section but do allow a few working days for a reply.
Please do get back to me if you need further help.
