Stage 4 Breast Cancer

[ishaan297]

My mother has been suffering from breast cancer since the past 3 years and dint go under any treatment and passed the 3 years only with the help of yoga. Now she has been admitted to the hospital since the past 3 months and has a pipe attached to her right lung as there is liquid present in her right lung as the cancer had spread to there. She has gone through 2 chemotherapy of carboplatin and taxol. Since the past few weeks she is continuously suffering from high fever as the liquid inside her lungs has changed into puss and has become milky white in colour whereas earlier it was light red in colour. The doctors are confused to carry on with a surgery to remove the infected part alongwith the infected part of the right lung as her blood pressure sometimes drops and her fever is also not improving. On the other hand the doctors are also saying that if they do not operate the puss will spread throughout the body and will become poisonous. Do you recommend her to go through the surgery or is there any other alternative. The culture report of the liquid shows sensitive to all the medicines but the fever doesnt go down.

[Strike3]

Hi, ishaan,

Thank you for updating me on your mother's condition. I'm sorry it's been a while since I checked the forum, here.

I continue to think of you and your family in this difficult time. My very best to you all.

[ishaan297]

Hii

My mother had gone through the surgery yesterday and they removed the breast but couldnt remove the right lung as it is completely frozen. they just filled up the holes with some muscles and cleaned the puss also. Now its all left on chemotherapy they said. She is presently in the icu and after a month they will start with the  chemo to improve the lung. God willingly she might get fine.

Thanks for your concern

[Strike3]

Dear ishaan297,

I am so sorry for your trouble. It is very hard to see someone you love going through this and then having to make critical decisions regarding their care.

I am not a medical professional, and I would never presume to advise you on so personal and sensitive a subject as this.

Are there patient advocates or a clergy member associated with the hospital with whom you could consult?

I went through something similar with my mother. The difference for me and my family is that we were able to talk to our mother while she was still relatively well to determine her wishes in what type of care she would want in the event of a severe decline in her condition.

Do you know what your mother would want to do? Did she say she wanted to fight as hard as she could for as long as she could?

Questions to ask the doctors in this situation are: What happens if we do nothing? What do you see as the best outcome possible from doing the surgery? How successful are these procedures in general? A patient advocate or hospital counselor familiar with these kinds of circumstances can really help you to understand your options and aid you in making these difficult decisions.

My best to you. I am thinking of you in this difficult time.