Dear Worried Daughter,

Welcome to our community! I am sorry to hear your mother is having to battle such a rough cancer after two successful battles and especially at her age. She is so fortunate to have you by her side. Just keep in mind, the best baseball players only hit the ball about 30% of the time. I admire your mother for her strong spirit and I believe this is what will carry her through anything.

As everyone else is tellng you, nutrition is the key. If you have to use sugar to boost the calories, don't worry about it. Keep her strong and well hydrated. I would look at the PEG tube, too, if you haven't already. The throat will get very painful and swallowing may be more of a chore than she can handle for a period of time. Remind her she can bite on a bullet for pain but chronic pain does not help the body heal. Pain management has come a long way since WWII (and Viet Nam). With all that is available today, there is no reason a person should have to fight through pain.

Try not to worry and take it one day at a time. Good luck and best wishes for a speedy recovery for your mother.

Ed

SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023