Stage 4 cancer

This is very hard for me to speak on things like this but I feel that I need to speak to people that have been through this situation. I’m 22 years old and my nanan was my world she brought me up since I was 3 weeks old. On the 2nd of August this year my nanan was diognosed with stage 4 cancer to both her lung, chest, spleen, liver, bones, lymph nodes, illaric creat (hip) and a 7.5 tumour in her brain. She was 62 She has been going to doctors appointments since February 2018 where they were treating her for siatica she had a number of blood tests, chest x rays, breast screening and follow up appointments for her weight loss which she was loosing each week. I am still angry that this was not picked up. The night before we took things in to our own hands we saw a doctor which explained that my nanans liver was “fine” her chest was “fine”...

how can this be fine when she had cancer from head to toe. I cared for my nanan and to see the person she had become was heartbreaking, I struggled. Sadly my nanan lost her battle on the 14th of October 2018. I had a total of 11 weeks which I will never get over. Doctors explained that the brain tumour had grown from 7.5 to 12cm and she had a bleed on the brain, they explained to us she would not open her eyes. But she did. as this was over the weekend there was no doctors to tell us and guide us through what was happening.

all the family and her dog was around her hospital bed but as she had her eyes open but was unresponsive for 2 days I just want to know if anyone has had any similar experiences where the doctors have told them, I just want to know if my nanan was aware or anything or did the bleed kill the brain cells and she was brain dead? It’s hard because I will never know if she knew we was there..

i am struggling each day as there was a massive mess up with the local GP as she attended 9 appointments and saw 5 different Doctors. 

If anyone that has experienced an loved one with brain cancer I would just like to know if you had any information from doctors as we didn’t have this so we had to guess, we do not know if she could see us, we do not know if she was aware I understand every indiavual is different but anything that could help put my mind at rest??

 

 

  • Hi there ...

    Just had to reply to your thread as I'm a nanna with cancer... and the one person that makes my life worth fighting for, is my little granddaughter in the pic ... she's my world ... and I'm hers ... and I know that strong bond we can have with our grandkids ... 

    I tried to prepair her, in case this cancer wins ... and I've always told her my mum is that brightest star in the sky, and when she asked me if I was going to die, said I'll be the little star next to it, so I can look down every night and see her ... well I bet your nanna is looking down on you ... I know I will with my granddaughter... and they say the last thing that goes is the hearing ... so trust she will have known you were there .. 

    Try to remember her as she was before the cancer ... because you had a lifetime of that nanna ... the cancer was a small part of her life ... I'm sure she'd want you to remember the good , loving memories , because if all you think about is the time with cancer, then cancer will make you a victim too .. push those memories away ... why did I need to answer you, because my granddaughters name is Emily too ...

    She hasn't left you, she just lives tucked up in your heart safely, where no one can take her from you ... you are part of her ... and if one day you get a little sign, know she's around taking care of her amazing granddaughter. . Mind you only get signs when you don't look for them ... sending you a big vertual hug ..  Chrissie 

  • Hi, thankyou for messaging back and I am really sorry to hear! 

    It is very hard because it all happened so quick she was the only person I had as I lost my mum 3 years ago to lung cancer my great nanan 4 years to cancer and recently my grandad in August, it’s been a very difficult time for me as all the people I loved and was close to are no longer here. People say they are with me but I still cannot get over the fact it took my nanan 11 weeks which this took over her body, she was enjoying a holiday in Paris the day before the doctors told us so I am still in shock disbelief and cannot accept she is physically not here.

    i have tried to get comft for many things but I cannot find rest and comfort from nothing, because it wasn’t her time yet and all through her illness all she said is she didn’t want to go which is the hardest thing, so some parts of me feels like she is unrested with what she’s left behind, the time limit and she had so much more life and love to give which she said so it is very heart breaking for me.

    i hope you’re ok, thankyou for replying to me this was lovely to read 

    Emily  xx