Are the community or palliative nurses involved at all? They really should be involved at this stage to help you and her x 

Yes they are, nobody today, so I did feel a bit lost, but my children also doing lots so I get a break. I have heard about some briefly ,rallying round" is it common ? X 

The community nurses will be available 24hrs a day, please call them if you need a visit.

They are there to help you and your mum.

Yes that is common, take it hour by hour, it's a difficult time for you. 

Thank you, it really is an awful time x

Hello Joannemarie and thanks for posting

I am sorry to hear about your mum's situation and appreciate you wanting to know what is going on with her health.

To be honest it isn't unusual for patients to have good and bad days but without being involved in your mum's care it is difficult for us to say what may be happening.

If your mum has a community palliative care nurse ( sometimes called a Macmillan nurse) I suggest speaking with them to see if they can come and assess your mum. Failing that and your mum is under the care of the GP ask if they can come out to visit her at home. 

Whilst it does sound like your mum has taken a turn for the worse this could have been triggered by the fall that she is now starting to recover from.

At the same time I have experienced a number of patients who at the very end of life have deteriorated quite quickly to then to have a sudden improvement before going down hill once again.

It sounds like your mum may also have some oedema (swelling caused by a build up of fluid) in her legs that is now leaking, so this also needs looking at. This can be caused by not moving, the cancer itself or a sign that the heart or kidneys aren't working too well. There are things that can help manage this depending on the cause so do ask the doctor or nurse involved to take a look.

Times like this are never easy, try and take things one day at a time and get as much information from the team involved in her care to help both you and your mum at this time.

Please get back to us if you need any more information or support.  You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

All the best,

Naomi