Please help. Mother suffering with terminal liver cancer……?
Serious аnѕwеrѕ οnlу please. Dοеѕ anyone know thе progression οf terminal liver cancer?
Mу 84 year ancient mother ѕtаrtеd having nausea 6 weeks ago. 2 weeks ago thеу found 6 cancerous tumors іn hеr liver. Shе іѕ suffering ѕο much. Shе іѕ growing weaker еνеrу day, саnnοt keep food down аnd doesn’t hаνе аn appetite.
I аm taking care οf hеr аt mу home. Hospice іѕ helping аnd trying tο keep hеr pain down.
It іѕ heart breaking tο watch hеr suffering аnd declining each day аnd I јυѕt want hеr tο bе released frοm thіѕ suffering.
Dοеѕ anyone know οr hаνе experience аѕ tο approximately hοw long ѕhе wіll hаνе tο suffer before ѕhе саn pass οn?
Please nο аnѕwеrѕ аѕ tο “whеn God іѕ ready” аѕ thаt dοеѕ nοt hеlр tο give mе аnу thουght hοw long ѕhе іѕ vacant tο hаνе tο suffer more.
Thank уου fοr аnу hеlр.
I do not know,but I am sorry for the pain you’re both vacant through,hopefully,for her sake,it’s not long,god bless you both
At this point you need to consult with hospice care. Your mother is suffering and hospice (in home or in hospice) would be the way to go. You cannot do this alone and your mother needs professional care and medicatiosn to alleviate her sufering. Excellent luck.
when my mother got to that point she went into a coma soon afterwards she didnt live past 2 weeks…
wow im so sry the way it sounds not too long
I don’t know how open-minded you are, but marijuana can really help with pain, nausea, and appetite.
It can make her days more bearable.
have u consulted her doctor about medicinal marijuana to lessen the pain? It comes in pill form and is called marinol, i reckon. I’m sorry she’s suffering so much God Bless.
Try to get her to the nearest Healing Rooms closest to you. The woman who started the Healing Rooms in our area was healed of pancreatic cancer. It doesn’t cost anything. It’s like a doctor’s personnel but they simply pray for you. Many people are completely cured by this method. It won’t hurt to try!
Go to the website below to find out where the closest location is.
My aunt died from this disease last fall at the age of 85. She accepted it and died with dignity and grace. From the symptoms you describe, your mother may have only a few small weeks left. Help her to accept her condition and to place her affairs in order, and do what you can to keep her pain-free. You have my deepest sympathy.
My aunt also suffered liver cancer, and lived about 7 weeks from her initial diagnosis. Please bear in mind that each patient is different, and your mother’s course of the disease may be very different than my aunt’s.
My heart goes out to you and your family. I know that there are no terms of comfort that can be existing right now, so I will keep your mother in my thoughts instead.
You can’t really say when a person will really die there are too many variables.But having witnessed two deaths from this type of disorder I have found that they ordinarily go into a coma as the liver completely fails ( and the toxins in their body get high sufficient) then they pass on.Hospice will make sure she is not in pain they have alot of lattitude with pain medications. My sympathy to you.Hold on you’ll get through this.
There is really no way to know how long she will last. Just help to make her comfortable. I went through this in 95 when my 78 yo mother died of endometrial cancer. Question Hospice nurses about feeding her, like what might she tolerate best. But, f she has no appetite, she should not be forced or even encouraged to eat more than she wants to. It will be very hard — absolutely the toughest thing I have ever done — but caring for her will also be one of the most rewarding things you will ever do. Provide entertainment that she might delight in. We even taped a cut and paste picture my young daughter had made for Mom on the wall at the foot of her Hospice bed. Cool wash cloths on the forehead — open fire on reckon you are an angel! Patience. Time. ALSO, though, try to help her find closure with any issues she has with family members or others. I had to have my brother in jail in another disorder call her (she hadn’t heard from him since her diagnosis) to say he was sorry he could not be there but that he would be OK. She died a few days later. Terminally ill people will hold on until issues are resolved. Do what you can to help her resolve issues. Excellent luck and God bless you and your mother and family!
Here is a site for any research excellent luck?
i reckon she would get better drinking mangosteen juice, its a health beverage. that has been studied for a long time that was found out to have Xanthones that help with different health issues. Check it out!
It sounds as though it may not be long (days/weeks?). There is not sufficient clinical information in your inquiry to hazard a guess, though.
Question for family health check place. As much as possible, keep her comfortable, and just be there for her. Don’t be worried to touch her, caress her, stroke her hair, forehead, if that does not disturb her. A moist or wet washrag will help keep her mouth moist if she cannot drink. Question her what foods or beverages sound like they would taste excellent, those are more likely to stay down. She may be testy and want to be alone some of the time and allow her this part of the grief process also, but be close, as she will need you more than she will want to admit.
If she is amenable, use this last opportunity to converse in with her of vital things, but don’t place out chit-chat if she is wanting that instead. If there are any things or people your mother wants to make contact with before she leaves this mortal coil, make every effort to do that for her.
This is one of the most hard things you will undergo in your life, and a huge opportunity for personal growth for you. Part of life is dreadful and sad and heartbreaking, and the ability to experience those emotions make you more real and in touch with the pleased times when they are there. Avail yourself of all social support networks, as you have already done with hospice. If you are religious, question for help from your church; if you have a circle of friends or family, they can be helpful also. It may be a largely introspective time for you to assess your own life, and how you want to live the rest of it.
There are several excellent books regarding end of life issues, and I would encourage you to make use of those also.
You have my deepest sympathy.
Finaldx said exactly the right things.
To tag on: No one can predict precisely when a name will pass. An oncologist I know will gve patients (or their families) time frames (when questioned). Then he always adds, “But my patients surprise me all of the time.” That said, talk to Hospice or her oncologists – they have both the initially hand knowledge of her case and the clinical experience to profer a guess.
When my dad was very ill (he died three days later), another oncologist said, “Last week, I didn’t reckon he would make it more than a few days. He has anything from a few days to a few months. Probably a week or two.” Timing often seems to obsessed by “is the patient ready.” Some seem to hold out for a last stay with a name. Or die the moment the person who has been at their side non-stop goes to bathrom. Talk to hospice — they can help clarify.
And the mechanism of death can vary. Liver failure. Respiratory failure. Infection (pneumonia). Dehydration.
Steps that are taken in her care can either hasten or prolong the dying process. One thing to reckon about is hydration and food. Always offer these (presuming the patient is able to consume the safely — i.e., they can pass a swallow test) as to do otherwise is cruel.
Do you do IVs for hydration? What about tube feeding? Both would prolong her life — assuming that is the goal. (If I was your grandmother, I would refuse tube feedings and or IVs). What about antibiotics? (If I was your grandmother I would od them for things like a UI strip infection but not things like pneumonia). But there are no “right” decisions here — you must make your own way.
Please work on pain management. In my mind, this should be the highest health check priority. THIS ALL NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED WITH HOSPICE. FEEL FREE TO CONTACT THEM ON A WEEKEND, etc.
A few observations:
a) Don’t withhold on the medication unless she wants you to. Some patients want to trade clarity for pain. (While the meds can produce respiratory depression — that ought not be the greatest concern for a terminal patient.)
b) Try to get her on a regime that includes both long term and break through relief. Something like Oxycontin taken every 12 hours or a pain patch. Even an IV drip (although the others would be simpler to administer).
c) For break through pain, get something that lasts 4 to six hours. Some repsond better to synthetics and others to morphine. There are pills, liquids, etc. It is vital to keep pain in control — it is simple to get on a roller coaster. Pain requires more meds to get it below control than it does to keep it below control. Sometimes holding off on pain meds means you end up both hurting more and using more.
d) Sometimes adding something like tylenol or advil will help.
e) Check for things like a UI strip infection. Very painful and very simple to cure.
f) Offer distractions from the pain. It might be reading her a pet book. Or talking. Or listening to composition.
g) Try to control side effects like nausea and constipation. There are effective meds for both.
i) Don’t ever be pleased with her comfort UNTIL she is.
Most of all, try and find some joy in the time you have together. While it will always be bittersweet, I suspect you will treasure the time you washed-out with her. She is lucky to have a name like you.
Sorry to hear your news, you’ll be in my prayers.
I don’t have much to say, other than all people are different.
God Bless