Hello, mum just diagnosed

Hi MrsM03

Welcome to the forum . So glad you joined us as it can be of great benefit to get support around you as you care for your mum .

Going straight to chemo can be a great plan as it is a systemic treatment that not only gets to work on the visible disease but the invisible disease . They aim to achieve stability over the disease or hopefully some shrinkage . My own mum had the same spread back in 2009 . She had quite a significant spread according to the radiologist.She did however has segments 1 to 3 cell in her liver . Sometimes it comes down to size and location . Chemotherapy did a wonderful job and she went on to get a liver resection two years later . If you click on my user name you can read her full story . However unfortunately not everyone gets that response but there are other subgroups of patients you will see on the boards who do achieve stability and use chemo therapy for years as a chronic condition . It really is very individual how each person responds and therein lies the hope in my opinion . 

I will link in a thread on chemo care tips which I wish I had known before hand . The most important thing is to keep communicating with your team . We were so frightened they would stop treatment that my mum endured too much her first year of treatment. The second year they reduced her chemo very slightly and it made a big difference in reducing her side effects . If we could have turned back time !!! Staying hydrated is also important and a lot of research on moderate activity, even a small walk . 
https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_types/bowel-colon-rectum-cancer-forum/f/bowel-colon-rectum-cancer-forum/221768/chemo-care-top-tips--
I will also link in a handy leaflet . Bowel cancer is more fortunate than some primaries to have had a lot of research and funding so there is quite a lot of different treatment depending on cell types . I will link it in underneath . 
In a stage 4 setting it’s a marathon not a race . Unlike other stages this is for the long hall so getting the support and balance right matters both for your mum and wider family .

Macmillan offers free counselling for patients . They have teamed up with Bupa for six sessions . 
Information is available on our helpline . 0808 808 0000 . Our helpline staff can access nursing information , financial advise and emotional support . It’s also a good number to keep handy .

Any questions please do ask .

Take care ,

Court 

https://bowelcancerorguk.s3.amazonaws.com/Publications/TreatingAdvancedBowelCancer_BowelCancerUK.pdf

Big novel post above bits a hard subject to condense .

Send your mum our best regards . 
Court 

cdn.macmillan.org.uk/.../physical-activity

court thank you so much for your reply. Reading positive stories like that of your mum gives me some hope for my own mum. She has been told there are between 4 and 6 tumours in her liver and a 50mm partially obstructing sigmoid tumour. The wait for her oncology appointment is hard going on us all as we just don't know what to expect. 

Hi ,

I found the first oncology meeting was a real reality check and took a few days to get over but if you look beyond that it is also the start of a treatment plan and a solution .

How long has she been waiting ? 

My mum had five the first year in her liver so very similar .

Take care ,

Court 

Only a week so far and the nurse at her appointment where they gave her the results of her endoscopy and CT scan did say there is a wait currently due to staffing issues. Could I ask, would you recommend my brother or I go along with my parents to her first oncology appointment? My dad is trying to be strong but is struggling. 

I actually think that’s a really good idea . It would amaze you how much you don’t remember when you leave these consultations . A pen and paper for notes really helps . 
My dad never went to any consultations . He was on the welcome wagon duties when we brought her home . 
My mum’s oncologist was very relaxed about starting chemo . Told her it had been there for a long time so to go and have a holiday first . 

If it dragged on I would act though .

Its tough on both of them .

take care ,

Court