My Mother was diagnosed with Lung Cancer 2.5 years ago and quicky was given surgery to remove the affected lung. On Wednesday we discovered she has a secondary cancer which consists of 4-5 growths on the same side, but they are spread apart. We were not given a name of this Cancer as such but we were told, my Mother and I that the average prognosis is 11 months.
How do I begin to comprehend that in possibly 11 months (or less), (or more) my Mother will no longer be here? How do I begin to accept and cope with that fact? I am deep within denial right now, as well as anger at the speed (or lack thereof) that this has been discovered and brought to our attention. But that's a different topic for another day. I know the anger won't help my Mother.
Going through this the first time was, well strangely easier as the option of surgery with its 90% survival rate and the idea that the Cancer could be cut out. Now where surgery is not an option, there are the possibilities of Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy. The Doctor has perscribed 10 Radiotherapy treatments and a monthly injection for something, with the aim of reducing the size of one (or more) of the growths and reducing my Mother's pain.
She is on Morphine and other muscle relaxants to try to gain some relief from pain and importantly some restoritive sleep. She has been in this pain since April and Doctors thought it to be nerve damage related to the initial operation. But we won't get into that now, as that opens the door to Anger.
Where do I begin?
