Hi

My 59 yr old mum has very recently been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and is currently suffering a sort of psychosis. I wondered if anyone has any experience of this and can offer any advice, tips to cope. She was fit and well only a few months ago and was then treated for bladder infections then started to suffer with leg and abdomen swelling. Her mental health deteriorated from suffering from anxiety to then suddenly having hallucinations and delusions and and was immediately hospitalised following an episode where her behaviour became dangerous (she became aggressive and challenging and tried to strangle dad). she has since been diagnosed with a 12cm tumour and as her mental state improved and with her expressing a wish to go home, she was discharged.

A few days later |(whilst at home) she cancelled an appointment (to see about having chemotherapy) unbeknown to my dad although was quite lucid if rather anxious. In the matter of another week she again became increasingly anxious and agitated , not sleeping and now has been readmittred after another psychotic episode. In the last week since she has been treated in hospital her mental health has deteriorated rapidly and now is at the point where she is no longer making any sense (heartbreaking). She was due to have a MRI brain scan last Tuesday however refused to co-operate. My dad and I are due to speak with the doctor tomorrow to discuss. There is a history of mental illness in the family (her mum suffered from schizophrenia and died from secondary thyroid cancer at the age of 67), and her younger sister, my Aunt, who has not been in touch for years but has a history of mental health problems has just been also diagnosed with schizophrenia and has been sectioned a few weeks ago (mum is unaware of this).

I went to see her this afternoon and she was so confused and became agressive, she won't take any medication and has become incontinent at times, as she is unaware of what is going on. She looked at me like she hated me today but alternated with hugs, I was actually scared that she was going to attack me at one point, the nurses have had to move her to a side room as she is so disruptive.

I am looking for support and advice really, being a working single mum to three kids means I am not able to support my parents as much as I'd like (i.e babysitters for the hospital visits are hard to find means I can only visit every two or three days when I can organise for someone to take the kids for a couple of hours). The only other family we have are my sister who is actually ill herself with chronic fatigue and is struggling herself.

Thanks for reading xx