Hello all. My name is Isabel and my mum has breast cancer. I am 22 years of age and I am supporting her to the best of my ability.
I have decided to use this forum as a means of support as I am struggling to cope well with coming to terms that my mum has been diagnosed with breast cancer for the 3rd time in 1-2 years.
It started out as a routine check up in 2020. She was diagnosed with stage 3. She had surgery (mastectomy).
After surgery she was in remission until she was diagnosed again late last year with it coming back to her left breast, stage 2.
Again she had surgery but this time she had radiotherapy too. It had spread to her lymph nodes (left armpit) and so she got lymph nodes here removed too in surgery.
Just 5 months later, she has flared up pretty much everywhere - inflamed, on her body. She began to lose the ability to sit up without issue, and as she was walking out of a shop near where we live, she fell onto the ground. Turns out she has a rare autoimmune disease called myositis. She had a blood test and CT scan done as a result, to rule out the return of cancer.
She has developed dysphasia too with the myositis. She has been struggling to swallow so badly that she would almost choke most days.
Doctors urged her to stay in hospital for a few days, to be tested and helped with the disease. She ended up staying for 7 in total, with a drip of IVIG every evening and other medications given.
She has been home since Tuesday, and is currently diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. The cancer has metastasised to her spine and her kidney. Because it is such a volatile form of cancer (HER2), doctors are not sure how quickly it will progress.
She is too poorly for chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery.
As I type this I cry because I am worried for her. It is hard not to get emotional most days.