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Mom diagnosed with Stage 3B: Not ready to give up
Hello, my mom has been diagnosed with Stage 3B pancreatic cancer. She had her gallbladder removed July 14th along with a bypass done from her small intestine to her stomach since it’s been months she can’t keep any food down. The tumor is located in the duodenum of the pancreas. She has been on TPN since July 8th. The doctors say she’s not strong enough for chemo & at this point has made it seem that it’s pointless and referring us to hospice. We are not ready to give up! My mom is a warrior and we’re ready to fight. I don’t know if we’re making the right decision. Should we get a new opinion? We also want to take her home but the hospital hasn’t been making it easy. Not sure how we can request home health care instead of having her in the hospital which she hates. Any advice or suggestions?
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Hello @ofpeace and welcome to Connect. I am so sorry to hear of your mom's difficult diagnosis. It is good that you are advocating for your mom and seeking alternative treatments. I can understand your desire for her to keep fighting the recommendations of her current doctors.
You asked about getting a second opinion. This sounds like a great idea, especially given your reluctance to follow the advice of her current medical team. Is there a well-known cancer center in your area where you might ask for a second opinion? If not, here is a link to the American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/. If you call them, they might put you in touch with a doctor who can offer you a second opinion.
As you undoubtedly know, cancer treatment can be very taxing and debilitating, especially for older adults. You do not mention your mom's age or other health issues. This information is important for doctors in order to consider the outcome and to evaluate her strength for further cancer treatment.
Will you let me know how you are doing with this decision and if you are able to secure a second opinion?
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Hospice care ends proactive treatment. If she needs more support than your family can provide, try for palliative care. Palliative care allows you to continue the fight to a cure. Good luck.
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1 ReactionHello,
Thank you, we brought her home and under home health care. We are in DFW and trying to get an appt at Anderson MD in Houston. My mom is 56 and didn’t have any other health issues until now. She was in the hospital since June 20th and still really hasn’t since an oncologist! current health providers didn’t offer any guidance and feel like we’ve lost so much time!!
Ofpeace, did I understand you correctly? Your mom has not been seen by an oncologist?
I hope she gets referred to MDAnderson or qualified cancer center. Here's information about Mayo Clinic if you would like it as an option: http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63
She can self-refer or you can submit the request on her behalf.
I'm so glad to hear that you were able to bring her home with the help of home care. How are YOU doing?