My poor 81 year old mum has not been well for quite some time, she is bent over with osteoporosis, has a pacemaker and 8 years ago was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She also has chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (which thankfully hasn’t needed treatment).
A couple of week ago I took her to the breast clinic because we found a lump on the surface of her breast.
Following a US scan and mammogram the consultant performed a punch biopsy as he said it was most likely to be BC.
He said he hoped the cancer would be a hormone sensitive type which could be controlled by medication but if not then he wouldn’t really recommend radical treatment at mum’s age and with her pre-existing health issues.
Today, at 11am, we will go and find the results.
I feel like an absolute nervous wreck. Thankfully, because of mum’s dementia (if there ever is a silver lining with this wicked disease?), she is non the wiser and will forget everything in minutes.
I (the perpetual pessimist) am expecting the worst case scenario.
But if it is bad news I’m assuming mum would be offered some kind of palliative care, what happens? Will they offer a scan to find if it’s spread (mum has been in a lot of pain in her ribs the last month but GP says it’s her osteoporosis but is it?). Will they just leave her with pain relief etc?
I have little experience in this other than watching my MIL die from metastatic bowel cancer a few years ago and even her driver didn’t help the pain. Her death was just awful and still haunts me 4 years on.
I know I may be jumping the gun but I’m so scared. If it wasn’t enough that my lovely, always kind and gentle mum has a brain now ravaged by dementia, she now has breast cancer!