Small cell Lung Cancer

I found out to day that my mother has been diagnosed with advanced stage SCLC.  They know it has spread to her liver but have not been able to determine if it is anywhere else.  She is refusing treatment and the docs say that becuase her body is already compromised becuase of several long term injuries resulting from a car accident years ago that chemo would probably do her more harm than good.  They give her 6 months and are talking about hospice care.

What can I expect?  How does this disease progress? What can they do to keep her as comfortable as possible?  Should I count ont he 6 months or expect it to possibly be sooner becuase she has lost the will to fight?  

[confusedgirl43]

maybe you should just stay with your mom talk to her. maybe have family reuion or see if you could bring her home, maybe she does not want to stay in the hospital for 6months. ....i would talk to her see if she would rather stay in the hospital or at home if possible. and whatever she chooses just make the best of it, dont complain just make the rest of her time with you the best shes ever had=)

[LosingMyMindInGA]

she won't be in the hospital, they are putting her in  hospice...we are trying to get here  down here with us and do in home hospice.

[Lisi251]

I am so sorry about your mother....I to have been through the same thing I lost my mom 4 years ago with small cell Lung Cancer with mets to the brain.Every case is different but even through my mother had radiation & chemo she passed within a month and a half.This is such a difficult time I will keep you in my prayers

Lisa

[LosingMyMindInGA]

I never had a chance to come back and update becuase things happened so fast.  

My mother went into the hospital on July 19th.  They ran tests over the next several days.  I got a call on the 23rd telling me she had been diagnosed with advanced stage small cell lung cancer.  At the time she went to the hospital it had already metastisized to her liver.  On the 26th my kids and I drove up to Virginia to see her.  The day we got there she was lucid and we were able to talk, etc.  The next morning she started becoming more and more out of it.  We stayed for a week then had to return home. I called to talk with her/check on her twice a day.  She rapidly became more and more confused, paranoid and mostly just completely out of it.  They started talking about putting her in a skilled nursing facility but on august 13th we got the call that she was rapidly declining.  Her best friend was with her when she passed away that evening.  She went peacefully in her sleep.  It just so happened that she passed away on her 58tth birthday which also happened to be Friday the 13th.