How to cope up with mom breast cancer ... - Breast Cancer India

Breast Cancer India

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How to cope up with mom breast cancer treatment .. My diognised with stage 2 breast cancer and we started chemo and done with 2 cycle

lokyBLR profile image
16 Replies

doctor advised for 3 cycle before operation and 3 cycle after operation as we planned to save her breast and decided to remove only lump.my question is saving breast is a good choice or removing her breast is good choice..and after two cycle she is lost her hair...Financially we are not sound and i have heard cancer drugs available depends on their financial structure in this case will be there compromise on quality or all drugs are same.

i cant really see her suffering from side affects of chemo and she is not eating well as i will try all possible ways to make her eat but sometimes it will go for a toss :( .

She is getting treatment in manipal hospital by a oncology surgeon DR. SOMASHEKAR SP, he is very good doctor.

what is the survial rate for stage 2, anyone gone through treatment please suggest me how to cope up with my treatment.

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lokyBLR
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16 Replies
shirdi profile image
shirdi

Sorry to hear about ur mom. If she does not any more lumps breast can be saved.

What ever are the side effects ur mom is facing it is because of chemo and after chemo all will go. During chemo we cannot eat properly, but take care to give her more and more liquid diet. I have taken 6 chemos and after 1st chemo i had hair loss but now after 4 months of the treatment they have grown upto 3 to 4 inches. so dont worry. Once the treatment is over every thing will be ok. If ur mom is at second stage she has 95% chances of survival. Just take care and make her positive. She needs proper diet, moral support from family. Take care

lokyBLR profile image
lokyBLR in reply to shirdi

Shirdi thank you so much valuable reply

manish_vkg profile image
manish_vkgTeamBCI

shridi said correctly, second stage BCA has good survival rate....and related to food try to give her whatever she like but avoid raw fruits/vegetables. she should drink at least 2 litter water per day..as much liquid she will take it will help to remove toxicity from body.

we wish she will be fine soon...its just a toughest exam of life...nothing more than that.

sumeet_shah profile image
sumeet_shahAdministrator

Hi lokyBLR, welcome to the forum. Feel free to ask anything in your mind, and you will get a lot of support from all the other members here.

As for your question, if saving the breast is possible, one must go for it. Outcomes don't change.

I answered a very similar question to your here:

healthunlocked.com/breastca...

I request you to read that thread too.

As for drugs used in chemotherapy, even if you use decent Indian brands, it is absolutely fine, don't worry.

During chemotherapy, there will be ups and downs. Remember, that soon, all is going to be fine, and your mother will be up and about once again, like she always was. It is just a matter of time. Keep her engaged in activities, whatever she can do.

lokyBLR profile image
lokyBLR

Thank you so much for your valuable time.... Dr Sumit I want to understand what is the meaning of survival rate when it comes in breast cancer

sumeet_shah profile image
sumeet_shahAdministrator in reply to lokyBLR

I will give an example. We discuss in terms of 5 year and 10 year survival rates. If 5 year survival rate is 90% for stage 2, it means that, for stage 2 breast cancer, out of 100 patients who have undergone a proper treatment, 90 patients are likely to cross 5 years. Crossing 5 years does not mean they survive only 5 years. They may go on for 10 or 15 0r 20 years as well! But as more and more years go by, the survival rate goes down. So for stage 2, the five year survival may be 90%, 10 year survival may be 60%, 20 year survival may be, say, 30% and like that.

I hope you understood

vkg13 profile image
vkg13

Thanks sumeet sir. but what is survival rate of stage ( T2 N1 M0) of TNBC patient ?

manish_vkg profile image
manish_vkgTeamBCI in reply to vkg13

Dear vkg, survival rate is not so much important better to ignore it ...because all the survival rate data is very old like 1995-2010 and at that time there is no much treatment available for BCA...but now days there is better treatment option available for BCA...

MsLockYourPosts profile image
MsLockYourPostsTeamBCI

Ask your mother's doctor about anti nausea drugs. If one doesn't work, very often another one will. Also she should stay ahead of the nausea and take the pills before she feels sick if possible.

Manish is right about survival rates. Your mother is not a statistic, she is a person. The numbers are fine for researchers, but patients worry too much about them. I have many friends with leukemia who were even told by their doctors that they would only live for a couple of years or would need treatment in a short period of time who are doing very well many years later.

Pat

sanjana266 profile image
sanjana266

Hello vkg , I also was detected with 2 bday stage and I was triple negative , after completing my treatment by gods grace I am totally fine I will complete 5 yrs now in May , just give ur mother a good healthy diet lots of support , and a lot of positivity she will be totally fine yes and during the treatments ups and down will be there , but all will pass away god bless u mother

mintzz profile image
mintzz

Hello loky BLR,sorry to hear about ur mother but be positive and keep ur mother positive.God is great and just have faith in him and ur dr.give ur mother lots of fluid and nutritous food,after chemo everything will be fine.it will be 7 years down the line in may so just take care and be positive.

sumeet_shah profile image
sumeet_shahAdministrator

Beautifully said by all above. Just ignore the survival curves, is what I too tell my patients. Each and every breast cancer is unique and one can never predict. I will tell you one more thing:

When I was at Tata Memorial Centre, we used to see a lot of patients in the stage 4 of cancer. For some of them, we used to think that this person wont make it even beyond three months. But after six months, that patient would turn up, fit and fine, with a broad smile on the face. And why? They were lively. And with an attitude of 'Come what may, we will see!". Trust me, there is more to a positive attitude than you can think of. My five years at Tata have changed me completely as a person and moulded me in a very different way than what I was. I dont have words to tell you, how much I have learned from my patients, especially child cancer patients. Every day of life is too precious to let any negative thoughts enter the mind. I very well understand, what it feels to be a cancer patient, and having undergone a massive treatment, which takes a toll on you, in all ways - emotionally, physically, financially, mentally. No doubt about that. So thoughts about survival are bound to crop up in the mind. But if you try, you can bat all those things off your mind and enjoy each day as it comes. And such forums play a very important role here. This bit of 'positivity' is what I try to instill in my patients. Because I know it does help.

shirdi profile image
shirdi

Thanks Dr. Sumeet for such a guidance.

U have truly said that live the life as it comes. I also used to think a lot but have noted that it will give only tensions only. I think i have got bonus life as very less patients from accident or heart failure get and we are lucky that there is so advanced treatment. I remember previously if any one is detected cancer it was wait and watch only. But now medical science has developed a lot that we all have got bonus life. So i tell to every one what ever it comes tomorrow we dont have control but to be happy today we have control over it

manish_vkg profile image
manish_vkgTeamBCI

Hi shirdi...i would like to correct you,its not just a bonus life bcu this statement still show some negative energy...this is life bcu no one knows what will happen next second..live life like nothing happened..any kind of negative thought towards life is painful for us...there is only way to enjoy the life...whatever comes accept and enjoy the moment...even i used to say to wife...Jo hota hai Acche ke liye Hota hai...this time i also said the same and now she is asking whats good in that...i said, still God give me chance to live with you what else i want...even healthy person can died next minute no one knows...so whats the worry....

Let say, if some one try to irritate us and we feel irritated then he will put more efforts to give you more tension so same thing apply to problems..lets ignore them otherwise it will be more...

MsLockYourPosts profile image
MsLockYourPostsTeamBCI

In the US the expression that "tomorrow you could be hit by a bus" is often used to point out that we never know our future, so we should live each day as if it might be our last and make it special. I don't know if the expression is used in other parts of the world, but I'm sure you get the idea.

Do you have beverages like Boost and Ensure in India. They are used here for patients who need to increase their calories. You can also do drinks with ice cream, soups, especially cream based ones, whatever appeals to your mother. Several small meals during the day often help more than a regular meal schedule. One piece of advice from friends is to not eat your favorite foods, as if they make you sick you will never want them again.

I'm sure your mother feels like this will never end right now, but it does, and down the road it will seem more like a bad dream that is over than reality. I am 6 years out from my last surgery and radiation, and while I make sure to get checked and get my mammograms, those are honestly the only times I think about my breast cancer. I have been amazed at the number of woman I have met who have also had breast surgery and have moved on in their lives as well.

Pat

jitenthacker profile image
jitenthacker

My wife is a 3rd stage cancer survivor. If the cancer has not spread beyond her breast (metastatis) be rest assured that your mother will have a good recovery. Cancer is not such a dreadful disease now because of the strides Medical Science has done in curing cancer ( people still get affected by hindi movies and think it is the end of the tunnel). Tell your mother and all other family members to have a very positive attitude, tell her that with every passing minute she is getting better and better and better and better.

You too, have a positive attitude, since the family environment will help in keeping your mother positve. Do ensure that your mother lives in a very clean environment and eats lot of nutritious food.

Since you donot have good financial position, your oncologist might be using good drugs but a tad cheaper ones, the only problem with them is that they have a more side effects than the more expensive ones.

Side effects are quite severe, she might feel burning sensation inside and have nausea and fatigue. If her hair are falling it is better to get her a hair cut (seeing falling lumps of hair, does effect women psychologically).

Have faith in God, this time too shall pass. Do take good care of your mother.

Our prayers are with your mother and your family.

Regards,

Jitendra. Thacker.

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