Mother diagnosed with melanoma-again after many years

Floridagirl2 · Regular Joined: 19 Jun 2008 Posts: 16

I'm devastated as you can imagine. My mother had melanoma on the bottom of her toe 25 years ago. They amputated her big toe and that's the last she's been bothered with it. no other moles have ever appeared.

9 years ago she had uterine cancer and had surgery for that. then treated with radiation. about a year or so later she developed bad digestion problems. She'd go to the doctor and they told her it was a result of the radiation. she was given antacids and ther pills to calm the stomach. It would help on and off. Later it got worse. They then blamed it on gastroparesis because she's had diabetes for many years now. after a year or so of that theory, a doctor said that wasn't it. Then they told her it was diverticulisis. So she was put on a diet for that. Well that wasn't it either because she'd still get nausea with vomiting even after avoiding those foods they told her to.
Finally they did a scope. No polyps and nothing wrong in her colon.

last year her digestion got even worse where she'd spend more days nauseated than she did well.

she has been working all this time until one day, they sent her home from work and told her that she was moving too slow and she wasn't able to do her duties. She went to the doctor and her liver emzymes were off.
they ordered an ultrasound. Doctor saw a mass and off she went for a ct scan.
She was diagnosed with cancer of the liver. Since the doctor could feel a mass in her groin area, he biopsied it. It was malignant melanoma.
Pet scan results: mets to the liver, pelvic bone, and lymphs.
After 25 years without problems, we are all shocked. How can this be? No additional moles to warn her. If anything we thought it was the uterine cancer that had spread.
Well, docs have given her bacarbazine and cisplatin, but discouraging her all this time. He basically gave her two months to live. She opted for chemo anyway. She is now round two of chemo but her doctor pretty much said that her hepatic labs have not improved and he doesn't feel this is treatable at all.
She is very yellow, doesn't eat much, is tired. These symptoms were there before chemo so it's not the chemo making her ill, its the cancer and her liver.
she doesn't qualify for trials because of her liver. I had suggested to the doctor about Novalis radiation but when he inquired about it, her liver mass is too large and she has too many in there for this type of radiation.
He won't giver her IL-2 or interferon because of her liver being so poor.
Because i don't want to give up, I went and consulted a chinese doctor of herbal medicine. I know the prognosis is grim but man what can i do. I don't want to lose my mother. I'm not ready for hospice to just sit around and wait to die.

tonester · Experienced user Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 83

Floridagirl my thoughts and prayers are with you, your mom, and your whole family.

You are a good daughter and I'm sure your strength and love for your mother is making a difference.

If your mothers current doctors are not performing to your satisfaction don't be afraid to see different doctors. Your mom is worth it.

If you need to vent or just chat we are here for you. The people on this forum definately understand your grief and anger.

Hang in there girlfriend.

Tony
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****Kick'n Cancers Arse Since April 2007****

You can check out "My Story" at the link below.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9083

Floridagirl2 · Regular Joined: 19 Jun 2008 Posts: 16

I would love to take her somewhere else for a second opinion but she said she trusts her oncologist very much. Sad

She doesn't want to go anywhere and i got scolded once for trying too much. Confused

She's old school. Originally from cuba where people trust the first word that a doctor says. Her in America, we question everything. so the herbal doctor was the only thing i could do without her physically being there. I filled out a form and he is sending herbs according to what she has.
the only thing the doctor has been agreeable to is getting her tested for the melanoma gene. So will have to wait for those results. It's not that he's being mean or anything. He's actually very nice, very compassionate, very direct with me and her as well. But you know, it's my mom, not his.
Her bilirubin is very high. I'm just very overwhelmed with grief and a sense that we have no control over this. This has totally overtaken her body in just a ravenous way.

Floridagirl2 · Regular Joined: 19 Jun 2008 Posts: 16

ugh! My mother has her second chemo treatment but according to her labs, she's not improving in liver function and flat out told her that he wouldn't be doing a 3rd.
Monday she is to have the PET scan to see if her tumors have changed but the doctors says he doesn't expect the result to be positive.
He basically told her that he would like to make her comfortable. So basically that means, Hospice.
She won't go to anyone else because she says "if there was anything that could be done, he would do it"

I'm so frustrated and angry about the whole situation.

brainman

Floridagirl2, I am so very sorry about your mother's cancer. I can certainly hear and understand your frustration and anger. It is never easy to see someone you love having such terrible problems.

You and your mother are in my thoughts and prayers.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

tonester · Experienced user Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 83

I hope this doesn't sound too brutal or abrasive.

Ultimately, it's your mothers choice on what to do.

Maybe she would rather spend her time enjoying family and friends etc.

Take advantage of every minute.

Make some memories.

I truly wish you, your mother, and family the best.
_________________
****Kick'n Cancers Arse Since April 2007****

You can check out "My Story" at the link below.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9083

Floridagirl2 · Regular Joined: 19 Jun 2008 Posts: 16

she wants to live but like me, she's feeling like there are not choices.
I'm afraid it's too late for making memories. she's too tired to even hold a conversation

brainman

Some of the most meaningful memories I have of my mother's last few days were of times spent holding her hand and talking to her... even after she could no longer "communicate" back. {{{Floridagirl2}}}
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

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