You can’t argue with your mom. ☺️ And at the age of 87, it is her wish to go out on her terms…I respect that! Our family is very pragmatic too so I admire the frankness in which this is all being handled. Your mom will be able to enjoy her time with family and friends without the side effects of chemo.

It will be important as the disease progresses and her immune system wanes, that she avoid potential infection risks. Wearing a mask in public settings such as churches, elevators, doctor’s office, or even cozy settings where there are a lot of relatives or friends talking and laughing can be helpful to avoid airborne illnesses. Mom may feel fine quite some time. But as I mentioned earlier in another post, as the blast cells multiply they will crowd out her healthy cells. So symptoms most common are shortness of breath, bruising, possible prolonged bleeding from a cut, headaches, etc., If she develops a fever of 103.4 that is an immediate call to her oncologist for directions. Usually that can indicate an underlying infection which will require hospitalization with IV antibitoics. (Been there…).
Another thing to consider for the future is talking to her about hospice care when the time comes.
I wish your mom well and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to tag me @loribmt. That way I’ll get a notification and will respond sooner! Does your mom live on her own?