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Talking Frankly about Living with Advanced Cancer

Cancer | Last Active: Jun 18, 2023 | Replies (508)

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@baboinwv

Any and all comments are welcome because any advise will be helpful at this point! My son, who is 53, has been diagnosed with stage IV metastatic pancreatic cancer. Here is my dilemma he has lived with a woman for four years but never married her and really had an aversion to it considering his last history of two breakups. When he found out about his diagnosis they got married! Now given he has chemo brain all the time he has turned his health decisions over to this woman and she and I do not get along at all! All that aside I feel like they aren’t advocating for his cure but putting band aids on his cancer with chemotherapy! I realize Chemo is a necessary evil for metastatic cancer but I think there are other options with trials that several organizations can help you with. But she just ignores anything I say and I will message her with articles that could be critical to his care. Overall if she were a hospice nurse I would fire her for sure. How do I make him understand this is his life he’s toying with and he has to become proactive. He’s really sick from the chemo and seems he’s in pain a lot even with a 25mg Fentanyl patch and hydrocodone (?) in between. I text her asking questions and she totally ignores anything I ask or say. This is my son and only child and I need some help in dealing with this woman! HELP!

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Replies to "Any and all comments are welcome because any advise will be helpful at this point! My..."

@baboinwv, my heart goes out to you. Families can be challenging, especially during a health crisis.

Your son has stage IV metastatic pancreatic cancer. It is unlikely that a cure is possible (sorry, I know that is hard to hear.) Putting energy into "advocating for his cure" may not be where your son wishes to expend his energy. His focus now is on quality of life and his oncology and palliative care team are focusing on comfort care.

While you and your son's partner may not get along, keep in mind that you share a man that you both love very dearly. It pains both of you to see him suffer. Might you bridge your differences by talking to her about the love you share and to talk about the goals of treatment for your son, i.e., comfort care? Does he have a palliative care team?

Another thought is to talk with a palliative social worker or an oncology social worker. They can offer support to family members as well as patients. They are there for you. Here is more information about oncology social workers.
– How an Oncology Social Worker Can Help https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/cancer-education-center/newsfeed-post/how-an-oncology-social-worker-can-help/

Courage and peace to you.