Mum has stage 3 Mesothelioma but feels great

[m.portelli]

Hi guys, I have changed logins due to work reasons and thought I should be visiting this website more than I have. All was fine...... until the last scan. It's grown heaps and now her life expectancy has gone from 5 years at best to around 12 months. She's 66 and looks healthy (on the surface). She's had her 1st round of chemo. I'm so devastated. Don't know what to do or how to feel.

[shaz-1]

Hi, I'm so sorry to hear about your Mum. My Dad also has meso. He was diagnosed September 2012 aged 76 and was told he had about nine months. He started chemo in the February and since then has had 22 cycles of chemotherapy and ten days of radiation therapy which shrunk the tumour on his back and decreased his pain. He still gets pain but the medication he's on helps with that. The first few cycles of chemo that he had held it back for a while and then it started growing again. The oncologist changed his chemo and thankfully it's been stable ever since. He's lost a lot of weight now, gets very tired and can't walk very far without getting puffed out. Do you know what chemo you're Mum is on? My Dad is on vinorelbine.

[m.portelli]

Hi Shaz, chemo has been hell. My Mum (and I) are both wondering if getting an extra couple of months is even worth it. But from your post it sounds like she may get more than 2 months and that positive. Mum's shingles returned at chemo 2 so no. 3 was delayed and after 3 the shingles has returned again. I hate that she's in pain often resorting to Endone thru the night. She's very short of breath too. We go to get a scan tomorrow to see if the chemo is making a difference. Mum's chemo is Cisplatin and Alimta. I would love her to see her 67th birthday in Feb but she's on a downward spiral with her attitude and outlook. It's very hard not too get caught up into that negative area.

[shaz-1]

Yes it's certainly horrible seeing them in pain. Dad is on Targin and sometimes takes morphine in the night if the pain is too bad. He's just had pneumonia as well and can't seem to get rid of the cough which is bothering him a bit. We went for chemo on Tuesday but his blood count was too low so delayed it til next week, that seems to be happening more lately. Although this time he reckons that's a good thing as it means he doesn't have to have chemo Xmas week and he might feel like having a beer with us haha. The oncologist asked him the other day was he still happy to stay on the chemo if he was to compare the good days he has with the bad days of being on chemo and he said all the time it's keeping it stable he's not giving in. He's had a pretty positive attitude all the way thru so I guess we've been lucky there. I find it hard sometimes as I'm trying to be strong for my mum as well which isn't always easy..they're childhood sweethearts since the age of 14 and I worry how mum will cope when the time comes. Good luck with the scan tomorrow, I hope you get some good news. I'll check in again if you feel like 'talking' again x

[shaz-1]

Yes it's certainly horrible seeing them in pain. Dad is on Targin and sometimes takes morphine in the night if the pain is too bad. He's just had pneumonia as well and can't seem to get rid of the cough which is bothering him a bit. We went for chemo on Tuesday but his blood count was too low so delayed it til next week, that seems to be happening more lately. Although this time he reckons that's a good thing as it means he doesn't have to have chemo Xmas week and he might feel like having a beer with us haha. The oncologist asked him the other day was he still happy to stay on the chemo if he was to compare the good days he has with the bad days of being on chemo and he said all the time it's keeping it stable he's not giving in. He's had a pretty positive attitude all the way thru so I guess we've been lucky there. I find it hard sometimes as I'm trying to be strong for my mum as well which isn't always easy..they're childhood sweethearts since the age of 14 and I worry how mum will cope when the time comes. Good luck with the scan tomorrow, I hope you get some good news. I'll check in again if you feel like 'talking' again x

[shaz-1]

Sorry I don't know why that posted twice and I don't know how to delete it

[Ms_Anticipatory]

Hi Shaz, how have you been? How is your Dad travelling? Mums on a new trial at Epworth and it's stopped the growth of the tumor. But she's learned to live with the pain. It's hard to watch and be the only person she can talk to.