Hi everyone,

i was hoping to get some help to a few questions I have . Will apologise now as I’m not sure I’ll keep this short and sweet because I’m just overcoming news of a new secondary cancer in my mums liver - received yesterday. 

My mum had breast cancer around 7 years ago. Was given the all clear at 5 years. In around 5.5yrs from first diagnosis she developed a brain tumour that wasn’t misdiagnosed and left untreated for too long even though we went private to try to find the cause and solution for numbness she was experiencing in her face. Eventually as the surgeons just didn’t get the operation done in time the tumour burst and bled to the brain. Five days after an emergency operation (which I felt like I had to fight for) we were told it was cancer - a secondary spread of breast cancer to the brain. 

Was as such a shock after we’d been told the type of tumour was nothing to worry about and was quite ‘common’. Just wish I’d have known to do more, get a second opinion etc. But I guess with going private I presumed we were getting her good care. 

It was a long road to recover from the trauma to her brain. She lives alone and it’s really taken it’s toll on her and me and my brother. But my god she’s been strong. 

She had radiotherapy to the brain brain and it shrunk what was left over from the operation. Scans 3 months later then showed tumours in her liver and her womb. We were devastated. We began intravenous chemo a week later. I went with her once a week for 18 weeks. Scans after that showed the chemo was working and shrinking the 7 tumours she had. We came off the chemo on the middle of jan and have spent 2 months on hormone tablets. Yesterday we got New scan results. 2 months on from last. They showed the original tumours in the liver had stayed the same size since the chemo. But that there were several other, new tumours in the liver now. Some attached to the old tumours and others in new areas of the liver.

we're just devastated that it’s found a new way to grow. The oncologist said to look at months in terms of life expectancy now. And to begin to prepare for the eventual ‘end of life’. I just don’t really understand what to prepare for and how long to expect her to have. We’re beginning chemo again in 3 weeks time using the tablet form, two tablets a day for 2 weeks with a one week break. Then we scan and see I guess. 

Does anyone know what the chanches are of her nee cancer reaponding to chemo if it’s just grown inspite of chemo? And had anyone been on the tablet form of chemo and can give me more of an idea about what to expect in terms of side effects vs the last round we did? I’m presuming as the tablets are everyday that it’s going to be more intense? 

Also has anyone dealt with with a loved one coming to end of life with liver cancer and what happens?  

Thank you for any help or advice I can get on here. I’m just feel like we’ve been on such a journey so far and I’ve always found a way to pick us back up and keep going and sometimes forget that we’re living on borrowed time. But after yesterday’s news I’m just pretty lost with it all.