help! Advice/experience needed

[Sharkey1234567]

hi all

my mum has lung Adenocarcinoma locally advanced to lymph nodes and malignant pleural effusion.

we are currently waiting for markers to come back (currently nearly 4 weeks waiting) - is this too long! All I can think about is the cancer etc growing and making the overall situation much worse!?

also she has had 2 bouts now of being sick - froth and yellow or green bile (not food) and can’t keep any food down (whilst also being heavily constipated I think due to anti sickness or steroid?)

The first time it happened they hadn’t drained the fluid for 11 days and when looked the lung was full and so lung specialist said it was pressing on bile duct making sick. They drained 1.5l and everything was much better - mum was able to eat properly, do walks. Shopping and visiting grandson. They also put permanent drain in and district nurse can drain which was working well.

Since then about 3-4 weeks later it started to happen again but this time district nurse could only drain half the fluid as normal out.

We got advised to take to a and e and when they did the drain it was even less. Is less fluid a good or bad thing?

If it is not the fluid making her sick what else could it be?

Really worrying and at my lowest point.

Any help or experience shared would be a light at the end of a tunnel for me right now

Thanks in advance

[RoyCastleHelpline Partner Ask the Nurse Roy Castle]

Dear Sharkey123456I have sent you a private message on this.

The Roy Castle Support Team

[Lushmush88]

has this been sorted for you now? My dad is not eating as he feels like something stuck obstructing his swallowing and is sick a lot too. Struggling with fluids alsoX

[Sharkey1234567 in reply to Lushmush88]

Hi Lushmush88

What kind of sick is your dad doing? What colour? Consistency?

They think as my mum had pleural effusion that it was filling the lung space up and pushing onto the windpipe/esophogus and possibly bile duct causing the issues with eating/drinking/swallowing etc. When they drained the fluid it initially started helping the issues but it was getting less and less effective and as we then found out afterwards the cancer was rapidly and aggressively getting worse.

The issues had a negative effect on staying hydrated and having strength from eating which made her most likely weaker to fight everything. There was nothing they did apart from drain the fluid to help (talk of a stent to keep it being from being pushed on - but didn’t end up doing anything also talked about doing a camera down the throat to check anything obstructing - again sadly they did not do this) sadly they also did not keep her on an iv for fluids which would in my non expert opinion definitely have helped.

Devestatingly my mum passed away a few days ago. I’m sure her being left to get weaker would of contributed to this.

I would keep pushing with fixing the problem or trying to find what is causing it…getting weaker is natural i think so more important to be able to keep as strong as possible.

I fear they didn’t do all they could quick enough so keep pushing!

I don’t write this to upset you but to hopefully help in saying keep pushing for them to find out and perhaps help it.

Keep us posted on how your dad is doing!