Stage 4 lung cancer Diagnosis for my Mum

My Mum has just been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. She has a 4cm tumor in her left lung which has  spread to her lymph nodes and lung fluid. We have an oncology appointment next week and she is taking steroids and anti sickness tablets to help her eat. She has lost 3 stone and this is what initially caused her to get a blood test which eventually got to the lung cancer diagnosis. 
 

I feel distraught, all over the place. I am better when I am with her and when I am not I am crying all the time. Trying to give her the very best days she can and she is better since being able to eat. I think I would feel better if I knew roughly how long she had. Does anyone think that oncology will tell us an approximate time frame?

 

Thank you to anyone who replies.

Faye x

  • hi im sorry about your mum my mum too has been diagnosed with stage 4 andme too havenot told her the stage would not help her it would not do her good.,  my mum, is awaiting a meet with oncologist but she is not very fit im hoping thjey offer her xx how is your mum doing why do they no offer her any treatment xx breathing is hard to see try zappain regularly apparently it works as good as oromorph and can help the breathing if taken regularly just getting my mum, to take it but she worries she will get addicted bless her but she is trying it and she says it makes the pain a little better so she is going with it at the mo xx

  • Since Mum has been on the steroids she is perking up as she cant eat which means more energy, but very frail as she lost so much weight. We are seeing Oncology tomorrow to find out what treatment she can have if any. The worrying part is the malignant pleural effusion which has shown cancer cells in her lung fluid. I guess tomorrow we will have some more information. 

     

    We just have to take each day as it comes which is hard as humans do like to predictability x

  • Thank you xx

     

    i did not tell her and we've agreed she's actually no sicker today than before she knew. So we're taking one day at a time and booking time in together xx

     

    why is this community so much easier than talking to my family?

     

     

  • Thanks Faye same to you xxx

  • Because we can talk as we feel things and not worry about upsetting others. It is also good to talk to people going through the same thing as you are or who have experienced it. Perhaps it is better for your Mum then if she does not know, I think sometimes the information can be too much for some people.

    So Mum has been told she would have 6 months max if she does not have treatment but she has been given the option of combined chemotherapy and immunotheraphy starting in the next 2 weeks, we hope this will prolong her life so that we can create more memories together.

    It is hard to believe but Mum said she is feeling better now than 6 months ago. Although at the hospital today her legs gave way and she fell down the stairs, I don't know how I managed to catch her and pull her up, I think she would have broken bones if not. The whole thing made me feel so sad as her muscles are getting weaker and weaker :( I still feel so in shock, I just don't know when this is going to sink in.

     

    xxx

  • Hi Faye, 

    Sorry to hear about your mums diagnosis. 
    My mum was diagnosed with stage 4 small cell lung cancer in July, she's had 3 lots of chemo and a week of radiotherapy, the dr told us she has 6-12 months with treatment, to be honest she's doing amazingly she's up every day, walking round the shops the lot. I'm just reading some threads on here and petrified of things turning. I live with my mum now with my children so we get to be here every day. 
    sending you lots of love 

  • How are you doing? Sending love xxx