Just diagnosed age 86

[Jaycee]

Hello
My mum is 86 and just diagnosed with cancer.
She has been given the option to have the lump removed and some cells with Radiotherapy afterwards or a full Mastectomy.

Mum is quite frail and has Emphysema along with the usual old age problems.

Feel choosing the first option may be terrible for her as she will have to have Radiotherapy for approx 6-8 weeks (5 days per week) This will really be exhausting for her. The Mastectomy sounds like a big operation so I'm concerned about this too.

Mum has been depressed for many years and gone 'down hill' since dad passed away 4 years ago. Today she told me she doesn't want ANY operation as she wants to die and her time is probably up anyway.

Suggestions please.

Very concerned !!!

[~Pansy~]

Hi Jaycee,

First, let me say that treatment choices are a very personal decision. You are not going to be able to make this decision for her, and should not. But you can provide her with as much information and support as possible.

IMHO, it is God who decides when it is “time to go”.

In my case, I chose the lumpectomy, 47 rounds of radiation and 4 months of chemo. Four years later the cancer spread and was found on my spine. [the story is longer but I’m trying to condense it for you] I was given 6 months to live. That was two and half years ago. When the cancer was found on my spine, I had 10 rounds of radiation but refused the chemo. Instead, I did some research and found that Dr. Johanna Budwig had found a cure for cancer back in 1936. She was nominated 7 times for the Nobel Prize for her work in this area. I bought her book, “Flax Oil As a True Aid Against Arthritis Heart Infarction Cancer and Other Diseases” (it can be purchased on amazon for $6.95 US dollars). I began taking the flaxseed oil (barlean’s brand only) at 3 tablespoons three times a day and immediately eating 1/4 cup cottage cheese (cottage cheese is the american food containing sulfrated protein, in Germany it is quark) after ingesting the oil. Today, I am cancer-free and have cut the oil back to 3 tablespoons once a day.

If I had it to do over, I would never have had the surgery & chemo. I would only have taken the flaxseed oil/sulfrated protein combination. This is what has saved my life.

Also, years ago I was diagnosed with COPD due to allergy-induced asthma and most likely from smoking cigarettes. I used to need my inhalers and nebulizer machine 6 months of the year. I also had to take prednisone a couple times a year (I hate this med, but it allowed me to breath). Since starting the flaxseed oil - cottage cheese combination, I have only had to use these asthma medications 6 days a year. So I think if your mum is agreeable to taking the combination suggested by Dr. Budwig, then not only will it cure her cancer, but much improve her condition regarding emphysemia. Dr. Budwig briefly discusses this in her book.

The success of surgery/radiation and/OR flaxseed oil/sulfrated protein will depend greatly on her desire to live. She needs to feel needed and useful with a purpose for life. I firmly believe in mind over matter and having a positive attitude is imperitive.

One more thing, I have recently read about a doctor in Arizona who was looking for a supplement to ease the side-effects of chemo and radiation for his patients. He divided his patients into two groups. The first group did not want to try this juice he found. The second group was willing to try anything. After three months, the second group was cancer-free. The juice is called Xango. One only needs to drink 2 ounces of Xango 3 times per day.

Personally, I would not replace the Flaxseed oil with Xango. But I now also take the Xango in addition to the FSO and cottage cheese. A win-win situation, I think.

Best wishes to your mum. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask here or in PM.

edited to add: I was told the radiation would be exhausting, however, for me it was not. But for your mum, it may be. I think just getting ready & making the drive to and from the radiation treatments will be exhausting for her at her age. I will keep her in my prayers.

[Cry Tears]

Hi All...there's so much to this disease...our bodies response may be drastically different for each one of us.
I realize todays antiquated treatments are still about the same as it was 50 years ago...
Slash, Burn and Poison
Is still the only optiion given outside alternative medicine.
The type of mouth (tongue) cancer my husband had is very deadly, only 10% survival rate.
He was only 36 years old at that time.
No way did he want the surgery recommended at that time...removeal of half his tongue, his lower jaw from his eye tooth back, gleaning
muslces and tissues surrounding his neck and under arm...to remove any and all lymph-nodes.
It would have left a very cavernous hole in his face...leaving him terribly disfigured and unable to speak.
He did NOT smoke, drink or chew...so was total fluke, no reason for this type cancers.

When we learned the devastating news, that yes, it a was squamish cell carcinoma T2 sized tumour...
our phone began ringing off the wall from many well meaning but very misguided people offering leads to possible cures...
We heard eeverything imaginable!
From "just" having a positive attitude, prayer, and NO surgery!
Coffee enemas, starvation diet, juicing, and most rediculous to
eat hundreds of raw carrots and apples a sure cure, and just about everything under the sun as a sure cure...
Sadly even mulit level marketing vitamins. That caller was down right rude!
Some even went as far as telling us was a blatant sin to not trust God for healing and not have surgery....
would end up burning in h3LL forever if we didn't follow their simplistic home remidies as a cure.
These people can make all sorts of claims...from what they've read or heard.
But have never come from experience.
At the time my husband had been on a very healthy natural diet,
and was taking good suppliments and vitamins, so was no reason he have this type cancer!

This fast growing tumour had been "allowed" to grow too long and was now causing speech problems.
He'd begged a doctor to remove it, but was told was nothing more than he'd bitten his tongue, take Antibiotics...
This doctor was rude and errogont enough to tell my very educated husband, "I am a doctor, YOU are only a patient!
Finally a month later he sought other opinions, the doctor covering for this rude doctor was back from vacation...
Within hours the wheels were in motion.
He had surgery the very next week.
But by this time it had spread because it was not removed when my husband had asked .
So he needed a very radical surgery, hemi-glosectomy...
removing half his tongue and the floor of his mouth.
He refused to have the radical they'd advised....ONLY if the tumour was not within 1 centimeter of his jaw.
We thank God every single day this was NOT the case...the type of surgery was heartbreak enough.
He then recieved 8,500 rads of radiation over a 14 weeks course.
It did cause him fatigue, but not too bad.
That was in 1986. My husband is still alive today and enjoys better health.
Sadly...his folks blamed this all on me...told me to my face on the very next Christmas day
that I was a direct cause for his cancer
because we adopted 2 unruly older children from Mexico 1 year prior to this.
Our biggest trial was dealing with them...sadly they held this conviction till the very end.
What could have been a blessing...was only a curse...but that is what THEY chose.

Thank God his speach is perfect and you can hardly tell he had any such surgery....
even a dentist has a hard time beleivingl he's had this done except for the scars under his tongue and the radiation tatoos.

I worry about if we had opted for that well meaning advice everyone kept giving us, if he'd be alive today...
or would he have suffered a torturous death by allowing this to spread like it often does.
I'm glad we listened to good and sound medical counceling.

Cancer is a radical disease that needs radical measures.
Like crab grass, it at least needs to be cut out if nothing else is done.
I worry about these "cures" given by so many well meaning people.

Have these cures been studied, given double blind studies?
If so...who'se controlled these studies?
There's so many factors that needs to be considered.
What quality of life will the patient have?
How much longer will the Patient enjoy should they opt to not do anything?
What if the surgery and radiation, chemo works and gives a few years of quality life.
Every body responds to medicines and cancers in vastly different ways.
I have seen many elderly patients breeze thru this type surgeries...but then I've seen them suffering as well.

This is the hardest decision to make...but your convictions must be firm where you'll have no bitter regrets.
If were my own mother....I would think long and hard before I would put her thru such a radical surgery.
Especially when she has no will to live, and only wants to "go home".
It also scares me to think of the way staff infections have been almost epidemic in some hospitals!
Would anyone want an elderly loved one suffer that sort of ending? I think not!
And when a parant is that age...they tend to agree with their children.
I too would have her try the flax seed oil...you just never know how a placebo works.
Some cases has been miraculous.
I fully beleive that our days are numbered and only God can make that decision as to when our time on earth is thru.

A cancer goes 3 ways when left untreated....
1: It will spread
2: It will naturally go away by your immune system attacking it.
3: It will stay the same for some time.

I don't mean to argue this "cure" many may have had...but what if you'd had no surgery, radiation and chemo....would you be alive today?
I know several medical people...who'se wives have suffered from cancer.

They would have done anything to just have given them flax seed oil as a cure...
but perhaps they've learned the many horror stories of those who'd opted for a natural "cure".
My Rhuematologists wife had MS...it took 20 years to finally to diagnose her.
She died last summer from heat stroke...she was only 60 years old, was an RN a gifted artist...such a lovely person.
They would have done ANYTHING for a cure for her...
He's very open to natural remidies and eats a very healthy natural diet.

My husband has researched and studied for years natural foods, remedies and cures and the effects on cancers and other diseases.
Yes...keeping a positive attitude will help, but will in no way cure this.
Animal products are deadly to cancers!...big time deadly!
Read the Book "The China Study"....it will open your eyes when you learn the connection between animal products and disease.

I would abide by my mothers own wishes, if she refused treatments...this decision must be hers and hers alone to make.
You MUST be willing to let go, and Let God!

I wish you well...and that God will heal us all!
Blessings, Cheryl

[Buttons2]

Jaycee you're in shock & pain right now,the thought of losing your mum is devastating I'd imagine. She's made her decision,I'd honor that. Perhaps you can go with her to the next doctor visit,she will be getting the options & might need your support to get the doctor to focus on her quality of life now. This is her body,let her decide & see where it goes from here. At her age I think it's very likely she has simply lost the will to live. Make everyday count......HUGS,Buttons

[Jaycee]

First of all I would like to thank everyone for their support.
Mum ended up having a mastectomy and is doing quite well however, her dementia is getting worse but that's another story.
What does concern me is that she has been back to the surgeon three times for drainage. Today would have been the fourth time but the procedure wasn't done because we had to wait 2 and 1/2 hours as the doc. was held up. Mum wouldn't wait after an hour so we came home.
Is this normal to keep having drainage? The side where her boob was taken off is very swollen and seems to have fluid still.
Thanks

[Buttons2]

Jaycee, I have no experience with this,however I urge you to call the surgeon! Doesn't sound right to me....

We here in the US are busy preparing for our Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow,thus you might not get many replies (many people are traveling also).

glad your mum agreed to the surgery,what's next? chemo?

I'm not much help,just want you to know I care & realize how much stress you've been under,HUGS to you & very gentle HUG to your mum.

Please keep us updated,I would think mum needs to see a doc & the sooner the better.....does she have a follow up appointment? Can you take her to ER? And I sure hope she's not in alot of pain.

Take care,Buttons

[msmaggie]

I had a mastectomy (at age 40..) and came home with drains. I was taught how to drain them myself and record how much was coming off every day. After over a week + I went back to the surgeon to have the drains removed. It doesn't sound as if your mother may be conscientious enough to be able to do this for herself, but I wonder if your doc/surgeon would order to have a visiting nurse come every day and check it. It sounds odd to have to go back to the doctors office for this. But the good news is that the drainage should subside after awhile. But it should be attended to.

Good luck.

msmaggie