My mum has just passed away from metatastic small cell lung cancer and I'm still in shock.

My mum passed away 10 days ago after being diagnosed with metatastic small cell lung cancer and it happened so quickly... Mum was diagnosed less than 8 weeks ago and, the cancer was so aggressive and took her so quickly, I am still in shock that she's not here. I've cried everyday and struggled to function. Mum thought the pain in her back was osteoporosis and arthritis in the spine until her bones began to hurt and she pushed her doctors for a scan. We were all devastated when the scan revealed tumours on both lungs that had spread to her spine and lymph nodes. There were delays via her oncologist for proper pain medication or treatment due to histology report needing to be resent back for second specialist to look at it all, that by the time mums appointment with the oncologist arrived, mum was too weak to even get out of the front door. She had been walking unaided only the week before.

Seeing mum deteriorating so fast was traumatic and even though I was with her everyday, cooking her meals and keeping her company, just after 6 weeks of being diagnosed, mum was being taken to hospital in an ambulance where she remained until she died only 9 days later . The pain mum was in was beyond devastating and she was so terrified of leaving us and this world, it was such a shock to her but dying in pain was her biggest fear. Witnessing my mum helpless and begging for help in those last days....Haunt me. My husband and I stayed at the hospital overnight by her side, holding her hand as did my brother and his wife the following night and, my sister. Mum didn't want to be alone and we, didn't want to leave her. All of her family were with her during this awful time which is the only comfort mum had. She became so distressed the last few days that the morning before her passing, the doctors ran off to assist and gave her palliative sedation, from which she never gained consciousness. 

I sit today, going from feelings of numbness and not believing all this has happened,, to feelings of complete despair. My poor mum. Nobody deserves to suffer the way she did. My best friend, the person I spoke to/saw everyday has gone. I'm hoping in time I can come back on here and give comfort to those who have or are loosing someone to cancer. It's such a lonely and frightening time. I was on here weeks ago searching for hope and comfort when my mum was still here. I feel for everyone going through this, I really do. X

  • I’m so very sorry to hear you have lost your mum Katarinal and that you all had to go through such distress. I lost my own mum under very similar circumstances but with us it happened in a matter of hours and I genuinely feel your pain. I took comfort eventually knowing all her family were with her when she died and I hope you will too.Im caring for my partner who has end stage lung cancer and have been told he has weeks left now. I’m caring for him at home and I can only hope I manage to get it right this time . Please be kind to yourself and know you are not alone. Xx

  • Thank you so much for replying happyhaggis. I am sorry to hear you went through similar with your mum and now, going through this with your partner. It's a terrifying and traumatic time and I'm sure you're doing a wonderful job caring for your partner. Being there will be a tremendous comfort to him. It's tough and all consuming,  please remember to take good care of yourself during this journey too. My whole body is physically hurting and experiencing pain due to grief as didn't realise grief causes physical symptoms as well as just emotionally so please take good care of yourself. We'll done for being able to look after your partner at home, this is what we wanted for mum too but her bowels became impacted due to the opioid meds and her pain was not under control. You're doing an amazing job and I wish you all the love in the world. Xx

  • Thank you. I hope you are ok x

  • I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s so heartbreaking. I’m going through the same diagnosis with my dad. He was diagnosed Easter weekend and there’s no treatment they can give him. I’m devastated and can’t imagine not being able to text him or him not walk through my front door every Saturday for his weekly visits.it feels like this can’t be happening to us. Life’s never going to be the same. 

    I hope you find peace

  • I am so sorry for your loss and unfortunately similar to my beautiful mummy.

    end of feb mum complained of a sore hip groin areas- xray showed nothing so she was told it’s probs start of athritis being 68 and working full time

    end of April her hip gets really bad and she coughed randomly and bit of blood appeared. Got send to xray hip and chest

    xray showed she had broken her hip without falling…sent to hospital and found she had lung cancer which had spread to bone, heart and lymph nodes

    had hip replacement still no symptoms of lung cancer

    Came to my house to look after- hip recovering well but lung cancer symptoms started

    no answers from cancer doctors to see the extent of the cancer and treatment- needed to recover from hip but started to get breathless. Had lots of out of hours docs

    22nd May meeting at hospital to say mum needs to go to a hospice to get her symptoms improved ready for treatmenr

    23rd she goes into a hospice

    25th May she passes away

    im her only child and she is my only parent and I feel so so lost! I’ve got 2 kids who miss her so much

    just can’t process what’s happened!!!

  • So sorry to hear this .. my mum was diagnosed with sclc in may and she’s deteriorating so fast .. yesterday could walk, today so weak on her legs .. it’s so frightening and i’m so anxious and worried  

  • I am so so sorry to hear you're going through this with your dad. 

    I'm sorry for late reply but I haven't been on here since I posted my experience as have been trying to come to terms with what has happened. 

    How is your dad doing? How are you?? I would say that anticipatory greif is brutal and I didn't realise how much the trauma of seeing your loved one suffer and knowing you will loose them, impacts your own body. My body has been so poorly I even thought for a while my own symptoms must be cancer. My advice is, to try and eat well, look after yourself with care. I didn't, I cared for my mum every day for the 2 months she lived after her diagnosis, not sleeping, eating well and living on adrenaline and fear. 

    Sending love and hope you're OK. Xxx

  • J.e.m I am sad to read you went through this with your mum as well. I truly feel for you. It's a shock how quickly this takes someone and how fast they begin deteriorating,  you always think there's more more time. 

    I've read many stories on here that ecjoe how doctors and the NHS doctors failed us and that adds to the distress too. We shouldn't have to battle for them to do their jobs with care and decency. We even had one nurse smiling whilst she told my mum and family on her deathbed, that mum was going to be discharged to go home. Mum couldn't move without nurses having to lift her and, let alone sending her home! She passed 2 days later.....In hospital. 

    Our mums passed away in the same month so I know how you'll be feeling right now. I hope you have support around you. One day at a time....xxxxx

  • Oh I'm so sorry about your mum going through this too and, it's the most awful traumatic experience to witness our lovely mums going through this. We feel helpless but my mum was so grateful she had me there with her and even at the end, she wanted to hold our hands. She even cried out for her own mum in her last days which still gets me now. 

    .what I would advise, just in case the palliative care team haven't advised already ( they didn't my mum ) is that opiods cause constipation so just wanted to urge how important it is to take laxatives. My mum wasn't advised this and then had impacted bowels, had to be admitted to hospital and then was wrongly discharged that same night ,only to further suffer and had to be taken to hospital 2 days later. She never came home. 

    Sending love to you and your mum. I hope you're coping OK? Please reach out if you need a chat. Xxx