“If she took chemo, she would get nauseous, need to stay out of the sun, etc. I called a palliative provider and spoke to a nurse. Asked her about the situation. She spoke in yes and no answers, haltingly when i asked her direct questions. Would chemo help my mom or make her life more difficult. Difficult.”
My BIL was diagnosed with State 4 pancreatic cancer in Dec at age 69. Decided to do ‘everything’ possible. Had operation. Spent the next 9 months in/out of hospitals, radiation treatment, chemo. He was ‘sick’ 99% of the time for the next 9 months. Essentially bed ridden or feeling rotten not able to do much. Could not keep food down. Every second or third week emergency trip to hospital, in between scheduled treatments. Yeah, he had 9 months of ‘life’ but it was miserable. He was ‘kept alive’ but barely.
Unfortunately, for pancreatic cancer, it’s often caught only late - at the Stage 4 level - when it’s already begun to spread everywhere. No symptoms till it’s already ‘too late’ .
t.