Hello to everyone,
I am writing this from far north in Estonia, I am 20 years old and my 53 year old mother was diagnosed with 3rd stage endometrial cancer in early December of 2020. She had complained about lower abdominal pain month prior and visited several doctors until a tumour was discovered in her left ovary. More tests were done, including biopsy to determine the cancer type, also several scans across the entire body.
Initial diagnose was bit more positive, tumours were located in the left ovary and the uterus. Unfortunately after few more scans it was clear that the cancer has spread further- left ovary, uterus, surrounding lymph nodes and lower part of abdominal cavity. No upper body metastasis.
Current plan is rather minimal, previous plan included surgery but now they have decided to start with chemotherapy (she had her first treatment today). She is feeling okay currently (just few hours after first therapy ended), treatment lasted more than five hours and she received two different types of medication (that I cant name). She will receive another dose in 3 weeks and third dose 3 weeks after second time. Then they decide further steps.
Of course news like this always shock everyone, my mother was slightly upset but held up quite nicely. Me and my brother's family immediately tried to look out for positive sides and outlooks. Rather shy and seemingly cold reactions as it is usual for northern europeans, nothing new here. Dark humour is common among estonians and so it is among our family, so that is lightening up the mood a bit. But yes, I think we all have cried by now in the family. I try my best not to do it in front of my mother because I like to maintain a mentality that cancer diagnosis does not equal a death sentence, which I know is true. I like to take it as any other disease, which has much higher survival rates as ever before. Although sometimes I do feel like I might be fooling myself.
I have battled with depression since last year and was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which sometimes does play role in the way I see the whole situation. But most of the times I try to see it as realistically as possible. And keep myself in check.
She seems to worry about how others go through these difficult times more than about herself. She has plenty of loving family and friends around her, with the only negative side being the ongoing pandemic which makes meeting with friends impossible.
My questions mostly would be:
1. How severe can the chemotherapy side effects get? She was given quite a long list of possible effects and prescribed medication for nausea and muscle/bone pain.
2. If anyone has gone through similar situation themselves, what might be some advice that is important and often not spoken about.
3. What is the outlook for this type of cancer and stage? I do realize that every person is different and every body reacts differently. She is otherwise healthy woman. How likely is that she does come out of this as a cancer free person (I am not scared of unlikeliness).
Thank you!!
