Will it ever end?

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Hi everyone,

I have joined this group to gain some knowledge so that I can help support my mum.

in 2017 my mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer that had spread to her liver. After chemo and two major operations she was told she was cancer free.

then last year she went for her first 6 month scan and was told that the cancer had metastasised to her peritoneum and that it was stage 4. Treatable but not curable and surgery was out of the question.

She has been having fortnightly chemotherapy with target therapy (I don’t know the correct name for this) and last week she had a scan and was told the cancer in her peritoneum had GONE! But there were bits around her spleen now.

she has now been referred to The Christie in Manchester for potential surgery to remover the tumour on her spleen.

so now we wait!

it’s been such a rollercoaster and I know that nothing is ever certain but I don’t know how to feel about it all. We were so happy and excited when she was given the all clear before and then it came back, so I daren’t be excited about it again.

I am usually the one who takes my mum for her appointments and treatment so I like to make sure I try read up on things so I ask the right questions, my mum isn’t the best and remembering and understanding what the doctors are saying to her, I think she gets overwhelmed.

any way thank you for reading. Any advice would be really welcome.

court over 4 years ago

Hi Meg_B

Big welcome from me to the forum . Your mum has been through a lot already and do understand . If you click on my user name you can read my mum’s story ! We too wondered when it would settle . I think my survival strategy was to think of it more like a chronic condition that required input from the hospital team to keep her going in a good direction and the robust scanning did achieve that . However whilst this did help me process it all she did in fact start to get into bigger stretches between treatment and it’s now been five years . I think that’s considered cured !

I think the positives from your mum’s situation seems to be her response to treatment and it appears to have a surgical solution . However I do sincerely appreciate your mum has to endure it all and it’s physically and emotionally exhausting going through it . My mum focused more on her wellbeing and left the details to us . Maybe it’s their way of processing very difficult information.

The waiting on these decisions is so hard on everyone ! Not sure if your mum is the same but the MDT part seemed to take a long time but once the decision had been made she was in hospital for surgery within a couple of weeks and we hardly had time to think too much about that .
The other aspect I am grateful for the surgeons are highly skilled !
I hope you hear something soon but happy to chat through any aspect .

Take care ,

Court

Helpline Number 0808 808 0000

Meg_B over 4 years ago in reply to court

Hi thank you so much for replying!

I can’t believe how similar other peoples stories are to my mums. It’s awful yet comforting if that makes any sense?!

im so happy to hear your mum is at the 5 year mark! That’s really amazing. It gives me so much hope.

when we found out that my mums cancer had come back my son was only 3 months old and I couldn’t stop thinking about him growing up without her But he gives her something to focus on which like you say really helps.

im hoping when they have a meeting at the Christie they say she’s eligible for surgery but it’s just a waiting game till then isn’t it.

again thank you for replying ️

FormerMember over 4 years ago

So sorry

FormerMember over 4 years ago in reply to FormerMember

So sorry for this horrible roller coaster everything is a waiting game and so frustrating and stressful keep us posted and wishing ur mum and you best wishes