Late stages of this Disease

[Angiemarie2000]

The doctors don't seem to want to explain to me what the end will be like. I know none of us want to think about this topic, but the unknown scares me. What are the signs and symptoms of the late stages of this disease. Is it painful, how long will it last. What actually ends it all, is it organ failure?

Will I know, will I have time? Is it over night?

I am so sorry if this topic upsets anyone, not my intentions at all. Just really scared and want to know what you've seen or been told.

Angie

[scattered edge]

I have kind of wondered about that too. I don't have a clue how this progresses .. sigh... and I'm not really anxious to find out I don't expect to live forever, just not ready to go today

I assume, as with everything else with this damn disease, we will all have different experiences.
Rosie

[Ashlee H.]

I recently posted this on a separate thread regarding myths about the dying process -
http://www.curetoday.com/index.cfm/fuse ... le_id/1958

Your doctor should be able to refer you to someone to talk to you about this or contact someone associated with Hospice.
I've been on the board for 3 years now. Some deaths you knew were going to happen. Other times it was very quick.
If you haven't already, get all the necessary paperwork out of the way and then hopefully you won't need them for a very long time.

I have discussed with my doctor when the end is near, I want to be out of pain and won't feel the need to be alert to talk with anyone.
On a bad stay to the hospital, I discussed with the nurse about my DNR and learned there were different types.

It seems like for many of us who fight this disease year after year, by the time the end comes we are ready and no longer scared.

[janklo]

My mom died from breast cancer that had metascized to her liver. I can tell you how that went. . .It was back in 2000 before they did liver resections. By the time she had any symptoms, it was already too far advanced. She found out from a liver biopsy end of June and died August 7. She did chemo, but from the liver cancer, she got terrible ascites. She would have to go in and have it drained every couple of days but it would fill back up quicker and quicker each time. It got to the point where the fluid was presssing on her diaphram and making it hard for her to breathe and she was weaker and weaker, slept all the time and couldn't eat hardly anything. It was a very painful condition. She actually died from a blood clot in her lungs.

I've kind of observed that alot of times cancer patients die from something else, such as a blood clot or a blockage or organ failure. The body can only take so much.

[pearlgirl]

Ashlee H. - your link was spot on, very accurate as far as what I have observed having seen several relatives die of this disease. My great aunt was not the friendliest person, or the kindest, in life, but she smiled continuously while at hospice, right up until the end. I don't remember having ever seen her smiling like that, and we lived three houses away most of my life. Surely her body provided her with the chemicals needed to be comfortable and at ease. My grandmother was one who just slept more and more, finally lapsing into a coma-like state and dying.

[RixInPhx]

Everyone is different, and I think all of us Stg IV's have heavily contemplated this.

I'm in hospital now for digestive issues (I *think* I'll escape tomorrow!! ).

My room-mate here (55-yr old male) was previously a chemo-mate at the clinic, and a month ago he stopped chemo for his pancreatic cancer.
QOL just wasn't worth it anymore for him, and he spent a wonderful month 'back home' with siblings and that part of the family.
His sons brought him back here to Phoenix last week 'for the time remaining.'
He is getting terrible ascites (6 lts of drainage every 3 days) from the tumor, and the only relief is pericentesis (draining).
His family just wheeled him out of here to go home for hospice nursing.
He isn't long for this world, maybe a week; but will it be ascites, or breathing, or cardiac that actually causes death can't be foreseen.
At least he'll have family around him and be pain-free.

Point is, the end will be different for everybody, but you probably will have some control of the final path.

PLEASE STOP WORRYING ABOUT THE END!!
You are only at the beginning of the journey, and have much of life ahead of you. Enjoy it and everything in it.
My tumors are severe and inoperable, and I've survived 25 months on chemo; still kickin' cancer's butt and working the bucket list!

HTH, Rick

[Suze]

Sone of our members have shared with us their final months. Not easy reading, but if you really want to know do a search on our forum on justsing, starbuck, and terry. justsing and starbuck's partners posted under their names towards the end. Terry's daughter posted under her own user name 3sweeties. Gaelen, who wrote so well and so often, even at the end often responded to other people's problems, and didn't dwell on her own. Even so, she is always worth reading, or in my case, re-reading, here, and on her own blog. If you have trouble finding any of this, PM me. Susan

[CheeseHead]

Good posts, nothing to add. Had to blink away a tear at the mention of Starbuck, Terry and Gaelen. Wish I could have "met" justsing.

All the best,
Cheese