Don't know what to do

I'm here, because I don't know what to do! I'm grieving the death of my mom, and this grief journey hasn't been kind to me! My mom was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. A lumpectomy was performed, and she underwent a course of radiation therapy. She was told the radiation would heighten the chances of the breast cancer not returning. However, it came back! This time, she opted for the mastectomy. All was well for awhile, then out of nowhere she fractured her rib. It was at that time, she was diagnosed with Angiosarcoma, caused by the radiation therapy she had recieved from the breast cancer. My mom was never informed of the risk associated with radiation therapy which was upsetting because she said if she was informed of the risk, she would never have opted to do the radiation therapy. To make a long story short, my mom then underwent 90 days of chemotherapy, with another round of radiation. Nevertheless, 90days after treatment my mom lost her battle with Angiosarcoma, and recently passed away. The cancer had spread like wildfire! I don't understand why radiation therapy is a treatment option, if its known to cause Angiosarcoma, a rare but highly aggressive form of cancer! To add insult to injury, radiation was also given to her after being diagnosed with Angiosarcoma. If radiation causes Angiosarcoma, why would it even be considered as a treatment option? My advice to anyone who is diagnosed with cancer, is to please do your research, get a second opinion, put your trust in God, not in the health care system, to know this..."ITS YOUR LIFE, YOUR BODY, YOUR CHOICE!" So choose what you feel is best for you regardless of the outcome! I just had to get this off my chest, Thanks for listening! Any words of encouragement is helpful! Thanks in advance!

@dawnblair33 I really didn’t mean to come across as hard or unfeeling, so I apologize if I did. My mother also died this past year, age 99. After a bout with bladder cancer, loss of hearing and covid isolation, she was ready to go. I think of her every time i look at Facebook and see a gorgeous quilt and then it dawns on me….
I’m also going to look for the discussion on death. Members might have good suggestions for you. Will you stay in touch with me?
I’m sending you some flowers for sunshine, warmth and comfort!

Good morning, @neworleanslady1949. You recently had your primary doctor suggest you visit a hematology oncologist (blood specialist) and you’re wondering why you should do this because “you’re too old to start all that”. Well, gosh, my first thought is, you don’t even know what “all that” is!

Your physician apparently has seen a change in your blood results that raised a red flag and feels you need to be seen.
There can be a number of reasons to see a blood specialist, not all of them are cancer situations. There are blood conditions which can develop very slowly over time which need to be evaluated. Some don’t even require treatment.

As for being too old at 70+. I’m right there with you, being a woman of age. I had a very serious blood cancer and I’m now in remission and feeling amazing. I’m still alive to spend time with family and friends, enjoying my hobbies, spending time in nature… There’s so much to live for!

I’d really encourage you to get that appointment with the oncologist to see what all the hubbub is about and face it head on. I’m thinking you have a lot to live for too.

Was your questionable blood work found during a routine physical?

As @mikaylar and @loribmt mentioned, why not find out what your doctor is noticing? The ball is in your court how far you want to pursue what has been noticed. Perhaps you have other medical issues being addressed, and together everything can be overwhelming. I certainly "get it". And sometimes the thought of something new or unknown is pretty danged scary, I get that, also!

Take a few minutes to sit with some paper and pen, write out what your fears are, why you feel hesitant to pursue an answer. Deep breaths, and then just release them. I'm pretty sure your doctor is not making the suggestion "right away", are they? You do owe it to yourself to be informed. Let me know what you think of this, please. And lastly, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I am glad you wrote in, and bet others can really relate to your question!
Ginger

I had hematomas develop in my abdomen after taking weeks worth of Lovanox injections in my abdomen to increase my blood thinner Coumadin as my levels were very low.
I didn’t know my blood levels would oscillate up and down until my PCP did some blood tests.

Now in a monitoring mode I get blood drawn every Wednesday morning and the results are faxed to my cardiologist and he is monitoring my Coumadin blood levels. I’ve gone from a level of 0.1 witch can easily cause a blood clot anywhere in my body to a high of 12.3 witch is very high and landed me in the ER to take an IV bag of vitamin K to bring it down.
12.3 is considered a critical condition in which I could bleed anywhere in my body including my brain or heart.
I now have to submit to a weekly draw to determine my levels for the rest of my life.
My cardiologist monitors my levels of decides on how large or low levels of Coumadin.
Had my doctor not checked my blood levels I could have had a clot or a bleed. Both witch can lead to fatal bleeding or clotting.
I’m on Coumadin for life now but that’s ok because I’m still alive.

I'm on Eliquis

Hi 🙂

How old is old?

I think because people are living long, healthier lives now, your doctor perhaps feels you have many more great years to come?

Seeing an oncologist may give you more perspective and insight on what is going on with your body? Maybe then you could decide. I think everyone is different. If you have many reasons to prolong your life, kids, grandkids, pets, then being "old" is just a number. There are so many effective treatments nowadays, you may have another good 20 years!

I think the information you have the better and will allow you to make an informed decision!

Think about it. Good luck!

Great question: "How old is old"? I just recently turned 70 and, while I'm doing okay, I'm on a ton of meds for depression, seizure disorder (under control), and a bunch of other stuff. Thank heaven for Medicare and my Medicare Advantage plan!!! The problem is, since I turned 70, I "feel" old, and have been somewhat depressed because of it. I know age is just a number, but mine is stuck in my head right now. However, my dad is turning 93!!! in April, and he is still living independently by himself in his beautiful villa in Florida. His life revolves around the country club and his girlfriend, believe it or not. So I don't know why I'm feeling depressed. They say (whoever "they" are) that 70 is the new 50 - so why do I feel so old and somewhat helpless? Anyone else affected by the "age number"?