Please help my mam has 6 months left

Its 1.20am, ten hours since my mams consultant rang me to say that her multiple myeloma is aggressive and not responding to the treatment. She was diagnosed two years ago, had stem cell transplant and rounds of chemo but only got 11 months approx before it came back.

 

i have one sibling, im 40 years old and i am devastated. My husband is asleep beside me right now, my four children ( under ten) are asleep. Im here frozen since i got the call. My dad doesnt know only myself and my brother. Ive one friend in my lofe who lives 3 hours away and my mother was and is my best friend. I can breathe, i cant move. Her ldh is over 700 and six months is the max she will get. 

 

Im shocked, im losing the one person i go to with my problems. I feel lile im four years old again. Im not sure i can get through this. I cant watch her fade away. She has no idea and told me that she’s terrified throughout the last two years. My heart is so broken. Im lying here and can’t even turn off the light. Im so scared

  • Hi there ...

    Oh my, this is the second toughest thing we have to go through in life ... second only to loosing a child ..

    I was 36 when I lost my mum, she was my best buddy too .. she adored my son's, and was with us all the time ... she used to ring me, all hours of the day and she'd just sing "I just called to say I love you" and I'd hear her giggling as she put the phone down ...

    Now I know your devastated ... bet you want to scream ... and feel really angry at the world ... but I lost my mum suddenly from a heart attack , she was fine in the morning... at 5.20 that day she'd gone ... never had time to even say good bye... or the million and one things I would love to say .. and if only I could have had one day .. or even one hour ...

    You have some time, to make a lifetime of memories ... fill each day you have ... and admitting your both scared and sharing tears along the way, and rental honesty with your kids ... they need to know it's o.k to cry.. it's when everyone trys to strong, we walk different paths ... doing that together, you will all walk her journey hand in hand ... try not to look ahead .. then it's overwhelming... live in the day .. and one day you'll look back and be glad you did .. 

    My mum went 30 years ago now ... she didn't leave us, she lives in all our hearts .. and my son's still put pictures of her on their face book ... and say what an amazing nan she was ... now I'm on my cancer journey ... and I'm doing what I told you ... I'm living every day ... I'm making as many memories as I can for my close family .. esp my granddaughter Emily ... we make every second count ... and mum's tucked up safely in my heart ... 

    My thoughts and heart goes out to you ... you'll always find someone here, who will listen, and hold your hand ... sending you a vertual hug ... Chrissie

  • Chrissie- thank you. I feel so alone but ur message helped. I suppose the dynamic in my family is complicated. Mam has been in complete denial for two years and doesn’t want to know if the treatment stops working so there are no honest conversations. I habe to fave her and dad next week and pretend nothing is wrong. Consultant is expecting her pet scan to show multiple tumours in soft tissue. Then its down to do we tell dad at that point. He has a right to know but he keeps nothing from my mam. Mam is his rock and he wont cope without her. So its a nightmare. I dont know how i will go into the house next week and pretend im so so upset 

  • Oh what a beautiful reply, brought tears to my eyes.....sending you love and light xxxxx

  • I do know how your feeling right now. We had a week knowing mum was going to die ( she knew also....although I was livid the doctor told her this news without me there)  it really indescribable isn't it? You just can't put into words how you feel. I spent a week with her telling her exactly how much I loved her and tried to do little personal things that made her more comfortable. Chriss is right...your mum will live on in you and her grandchildren......you have my total empathy and love right now....xxxxx

  • Well I think you are wonderful and inspirational.....xxxx

  • Hi everyone 

     

    thank you so much for responding to me. Alfmeister thank you so much especially. Today was weird. I spoke to my mam and she was in great form. Honestly listening to her she sounds so well. Its very hard to get your head around the fact that in about a week when the pet scancomes back we will have terrible news. I got out of bed today. I got dressed. I drove my car behind my husbands car to shopping and sat outsideand sopoke to cancer counselor. This evening i feel terrible again. Im back in bed now, shivering with the electric blanket on. I cant eat. I rang her again andi played the joker. I senther aphoto of my sons holy communion suit and she said “ is it because you think i wontbethere  on theday”. I went numb but continued lti act and say “mam what are u talking about”

     

    my brother is devestated. My mam has soent two years in denial with this horrible disease i honestly Dont know how to function.

     

    one thing my counsellor said to start Considering if i am able or want to be there with her whenthe time comes at the very end. I remember when my own nana died my mother wasnt there and she always said to me she was gladthat she wasnt there because she wiuldnt have beenableto cope. I have witnessed people dying im not sure if im able to watch my mam - is that selfish? Actually just as i type this someth8ng has come into my head - dont decide. Do my best and if i am there i am and if i am not then i wasnt meant ti be there. Maybe i should trust in fate. 

     

    Sorry im rambling but  this lforum gives me comfort

  • I have a feeling you won't get to decide, fate will make that decision for you. I got the call my mum was about to die around 4 in the morning, by the time I had got there she was gone, but she looked beautiful....still had colour, looked like she was having a lovely nap...so I simply kissed her and left....now that image is my lasting one...and it's a really lovely one, I was able to tell her everything I felt in the few days we had...I will always remember, she was an avid strictly fan and when she knew she didn't have much time she was upset she would miss the strictly final....funny what goes through your head....

    The time now for you is surreal, it will almost feel like an out of body experience....we are holding your hand through this....xxxxx

  • Marlyn

     

    thank you so much ,honestly thank you x

  • Thanks for replying. You are so accurate in your post. I thought i was dojng well today but here i am again in bed, afraid to turn the light off and my body is trembling. I now see this is shock. I have to listen  to your advice and slow my head down. I love my parents so much and we have a great two way relationship that now not being anle to take away this pain is unbearable. But i keep reading this forum and knowing im not alone helps. Unfortunately im one of these people that overthinks everything in my life so that doesnt help. Thank god for all you good kind people to take the time to help me x x x i hope as i go through this journey i can find ways to help you too x

  • hi Imlost !

    im in the same situation but with my dad,he has 6 months life left,can you tell me if your mum stayed with you longer than 6 months ,he looks well I  can't belive he will die