We lost my sister to ovarian cancer a year ago. She went through chemo and was hospitalised more than once with Neutropenic sepsis.. Her journey through this disease was horrific.
A couple of months ago my 95 year old mum was diagnosed with CML. Her diagnosis was the side result of several blood samples taken for a different matter.
We saw a consultant two weeks ago. He suggested she starts taking Imatinib, said it could stop the leukemia progressing to the acute stage.
The consultant was very nice, said that this medication could have some side affects. Both mum and I asked various questions, received a wad of info to read at home & were asked to let him know whether or not mum would want to start taking the Imatinib within a month.
Upon reading the information we were given, I was surprised to find that both the side affects and ‘things to monitor during treatment’ were pretty much identical to the chemo my sister was on ( intravenous).
Nowhere in the info sheet does it mention the word chemo, nor did the consultant mention it.
Looking Imantinib up online is confusing.. Some sites describe it as oral chemo, others don’t.
I didn’t mention the word chemo to my mum.. We discussed the more frequent side affects - tiredness etc, which could actually make her feel worse than she does now.
Mum decided that at her age she really doesn’t want to be made to feel worse for whatever time she has left.
Yes she’s tired and her joints ache, but for a 95 year old who still insists on mowing her own lawn & does her own housework she’s amazing.
What would you do?
Hi Tina1953
i am very sorry to hear about your Sister and your Mum. Life can be so cruel sometimes. I had a different form of blood cancer to your Mum so I don't have any knowledge of the treatment and drugs used for CML. You could try posting in the CML forum which you can access by clicking HERE and hopefully you will get some responses. You can copy and paste this post and then just create a new post in that forum.
I can see that you have already found the friends and family forum as well. I hope things go as well as they can for your Mum.
Paul
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