Happy mothers day everyone...

Donna,

I feel for your situation...

Prior to the cancer diagnosis, my mom had a protruding hernia and wanted to get this fixed. Before surgery could be performed, she went through the litany of tests to prove she was safe for the surgery.

They found a major blockage of her left carotid artery. This had to be fixed first before the doc was willing to do the hernia. She went through with the carotid artery operation. Despite her frail body, my mom handled the operation very well. The surgeon came back a few days later to tell my mom that the surgery went well and that she could look forward to getting the hernia fixed in a few months and that clearing the blockage may have bought her another 10 years. Two months later (bam!!!) her T4 cancer was diagnosed. That was a huge blow to my mom.

This emotional rollercoaster is tough on the patient as well as the care giver. To this day (14 months later) my mom still asks why did this happen... Why did those tests to prove she was a safe candidate for a fairly minor outpatient surgery miss finding the cancer?

We had to twist the hernia doctor's arm to do the outpatient hernia repair after the cancer diagnosis... This done to give my mom a better quality of life.

My advice is to keep your mom focused on the next hurdle... Looking at all the hurdles in front of her she has yet to jump is too much and will only get her more depressed... Also, keep reminding her of the hurdles she has already completed... Remind her that she is progressing forward and celebrate her successes.

Paul