Sorry this sounds simplistic, she has lost a lot of weight recently 2+ stone, lots of pain when eating and no appetite, had ultrasound and CT scan for gallstones 2weeks ago , got called in Monday for results and told they found a shadow indicating pancreatic cancer and she is having a biopsy tomorrow, results just before Xmas , lost my dad in 2006 to dementia and liver failure,
Sorry that you are having to post about your mum and possible PC. There are several questions I would ask, firstly do you know what stage of PC she has, secondly if she is having a biopsy why will it take until Christmas before you get results? Finally what treatment is she being offered and how quickly? PC won't wait, don't let her die waiting for test results, she needs treatment now. And don't let them fob you off because of her age, you can ask for a second opinion.
Finally, you must accept your mother's decision, she may decide that she doesn't want treatment and you will need to respect this. But don't let her be coerced into this by excessive negativity of the clinicians.
Hi, Skeet25, sorry to hear your news, it is devastating at whatever age. With pancreatic cancer, digesting the food properly becomes difficult, and people take a medicine called creon, which helps with digestion, and means that your Mum would be able to absorb the goodness from the food that she is able to eat. People normally have a few tablets with each meal or snack.
The doctors can also prescribe some high calorie milk shakes which are used in addition (as I have to remind my husband at times, to food,) not a meal replacement!! Helping your Mum to stop losing weight with anything high calorie that she likes to eat, even if it is only a couple of mouthfuls.
Please feel free to post other questions or queries, we like an occasional update!
Sorry to read your post. It’s awful to watch your Mum lose weight and have no interest in food. My Mum had the biopsy, the surgeon said straight after it , was looking more like Lymphoma and was better news than the death sentence of PC . This was the actual words. It takes time to get the results of this biopsy, by the time we got the results my Mum was in hospital with sepsis. This seems to happen a lot with PC patients.
That’s when we were told the devastating news that it was definitely PC and appointment s were made for her to see an oncologist. My Mum decided on no chemo as it was only adding another 4 weeks , this was the right decision for my Mum as she was losing so much weight with the PC I believe we would have lost her way before the 6 months we had with her, last f she had chemo . We just cherished every moment we had with her .
Im sorry I can’t say anything positive. Maybe your Mum has been misdiagnosed? See what the biopsy results through up. This is a definite diagnosis . My Mum was misdiagnosed so many times with CT and MRI .
cheers , mum got a new appointment for another scan on Wednesday, much sooner then they said , before the biopsy results are know, hoping against hope they are wrong
Just talked to Pam my Big Sister and she is in agreement with me about treatment,if it is chemo then no , she is an SRN and had advice from a doctor she knows who treats this , and mums quality of life is the most important thing
I agree with what you say but please bear in mind that your mum is the patient and in the end it’s her decision. I’m sure she will be glad of your advice.
