My mum found a lump around July last year, “Probably benign” was the initial statement I guess, but they wouldn’t know until biopsy was done. Biopsy was done shortly after, it wasn’t just cancerous but Metaplastic TNBC, a very rare type. Intense chemo followed and we thought it was going well really. Lots of changes in her mood and dietary needs among other things, not unusual.
However, soon after the chemo finished we took her to hospital due to intense neck pain and balance problems. She was kept in for various scans and unfortunately it had spread to the Brain and Spine. All of this during quite intense chemotherapy. It was completely chemo-resistant.
Outlook is 1-2 months possibly, but no more than a year. I won’t forget hearing those words from the doctor for a long time. That was last month, and she’s getting a little worse with each passing day. She’s 63 years old. Seeing her suffering with such a vicious form of cancer is difficult to say the least. Words don’t really do it justice.
Lifes a lottery I suppose, be lucky. Would be interested to hear from others who’ve been in similar situations on making these last few days weeks (Hopefully months) as comfortable as possible.
I haven’t been in this position, so I don’t have a similar experience to share, however, I just wanted to acknowledge your post as this is a quieter part of the forum.
Are you in contact with the local hospice &/or palliative care team?
Also, there’s info on the main bcc site here, or do give the helpline here a ring if you feel you need to talk it through.
Thanks for all of your comments. Unfortunately she passed away on Tuesday. She was unconscious for the last 2 days so hopefully felt no pain which is something I suppose.
I can understand how difficult it must be for you. My mum was diagnosed with breast cancer last week, along with secondary breast cancer in the lung, liver, spine and pelvis. We are waiting on a bone scan and will know this week hopefully what course of treatment they will give her. I am dreading them saying that it is too advanced to treat. She is 59 years old.
It is herceptin negative and has hormone receptors so they have decided to start her on palbociclib and letrozole. A bone scan revealed that aswell as secondary breast cancer been present in her spine and pelvis, she also has it in her arms and legs. They have said that they need to keep a close eye on her liver function as they may need to switch her chemo if there is a dip in that.
not quite the same but I have a similar experience but my eldest brother. Mark had a vicious melanoma, I think I have that right. It was virtually untreatable.
He was only given 8 weeks from diagnosis, he lasted 7.
He lived in Scotland & his wife found a great Care home for him.
We all took 1 day at a time and tried to keep things as normal as possible but it was impossible to do this all the time.
The one one thing we took from it all was that there was no right or wrong way of dealing with the situation. Nothing can prepare you for it. We took in old photographs, talked about all the good times, sat and watched TV with him.
My wife is also fighting her own battle with secondary breast cancer which is in her liver & spine.
It has changed our relationship but I’m determined that it’s not going to tear us apart.