Marilyn:
When my Mom told me she was in stage 4 of the cancer, I just remember feeling an unknown fear. Cancer to me meant a sure death. And stage 4 to me meant that she would not be here with us much longer. But, her doctors were always amazed that she fought off the cancer as long as she did. Her one doctor had a name for her(because she beat the odds)but I can't seem to remember it now. From the diagnosis of Stage 4 till her death, was 4 years. So, the doctor's don't really have all the answers.
On the subject of doctor's giving the right answers all the time... My father died last December from lung cancer. Diagnosed in November and died in December. Such a difference from my mothers long fight with the killer. The doctors originally diagnosed him with bursitis. Pain in the shoulder, radiating down the back. He always had back problems, so with his history, assumed it was age related bursitis. This started around the time of my mothers death in July. It got increasingly worse. My father lived far from me, and he grew up not complaining about himself. He took himself to the doctor and didn't tell us anything about his increasing pain. I looked into his medical papers after his death and found out that his doctor never found the large cancer in his lung. This was found after 5 months after he was admitted to the hospital when he could not get off his livingroom chair. I was so livid that they didn't find this cancer sooner. I am not sure if the outcome would have been different. Just miss him.
You and your mother will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Prisca:
You have my deepest sympathy. About the time your Mom was diagnosed, my Mom and Mother-in-Law were also found to have breast cancer. My Mom's fight lasted 20 years. My Mother-in-Law died after 5 years from diagnosis. I wonder why the doctor's did not do a mastectomy after finding the lump in your Mom. In my mothers case, the cancer had spread to the lumph nodes, that's why she had chemo following surgery. My mother-in-law's cancer had not spread to her nodes, so no chemo was recommended in her case. Maybe that's why her cancer returned so quickly and spread to her lungs. I don't know. But, like your Mom, she lost her fight after 5 years. People make jokes about mother-in-laws, but she was just a great, caring person. She is also missed.
Let's hope and pray they find a cure soon. Take Care.
Mrs. Shakita