Posts by Kate Lewis48

Angela Wright said:I would opt for radiation—the targets are sensitive. That pressure causes cerebral edema (fluid buildup and tissue swelling), which explains the neurological deficit like the arm weakness. You manage that with corticosteroids—dexamethasone—but you’d administer mannitol intravenously first to pull that edema back.
And I don't buy those stories about there being nothing left to do.
Go check these pages and these sites to try and find a study, or better yet, seek a second opinion.

I honestly envy pure optimism; I’m chronically running low on it.

She just reached out—she's currently receiving a corticosteroid infusion. She’ll need an anti-epileptic medication soon, because with all this pressure, she’s becoming much more prone to seizures; however, since she's an inpatient right now, nobody can pick up her prescriptions. And the hospital doesn't have that specific one in stock. The Chief of Medicine is supposed to speak with her tomorrow—for now, we're still in the dark.

Back when they told her over five years ago that she only had six months left, we didn't throw in the towel. I have to admit, this is absolutely crushing me—even though I know I have to stay strong for her!

Edit: We should be getting a second opinion tomorrow, theoretically. She was first treated in Rhode Island, where she ended up in the ER due to her arm issues and the swelling in her tongue and lips. At the time, we thought it was a stroke.

Hello everyone,

I honestly don't even know where to begin. My mother has been fighting her original breast cancer diagnosis for about 15 years now—it's been a constant battle—and over the years, it has metastasized to her liver and bones. To make matters worse, we just found out yesterday that it has spread to her brain. There is a tumor pressing against her motor center, so her left arm has essentially lost all function. She’s completely drained of strength; she can't even hold onto things anymore.
She was admitted to the hospital today, and the doctor basically laid it out for us: there isn't much left to be done. Maybe some radiation, though we could always choose to decline that. He estimated she has maybe six months, perhaps a year at most. 😢
If anyone here has dealt with a similar diagnosis, please—I am desperate for advice. If we go through with the radiation, will it actually buy her a few more months, or is it just prolonging the agony? She has always been such a vibrant, spirited woman... God, it is devastating to see her like this. Up until now, we’ve always operated under the mindset of "we'll get through this," but now it feels like we won't. Every time I hear her voice, I can't help but think it might be the last time. 😢 How can I possibly help her?

I had my checkup in Washington, D.C., near Central Park... the staff at the front desk were incredibly pleasant, and the nurses were just as lovely...

Regarding the doctors—the specialist performing my ultrasound was wonderful; she was genuinely kind and took the time to answer every single one of my questions. However, the gynecologist? Good grief... she was absolutely miserable. She was grumpy, quite rough during the exam and the Pap smear (heaven help my poor gynecologist!), and when I tried to ask anything, her answers were incredibly curt—it felt like pulling teeth just to get a straight response. And, one more thing... personally, I felt quite uncomfortable. During the examination, the nurse kept walking in and out, leaving the door wide open several times. No one actually saw anything, but it made me feel extremely uneasy... 😠
The internist was also bizarrely strange—a total freak, really! He didn't make eye contact with me even once. He either stared at the floor or glued his eyes to the computer, remaining silent the entire time except to mutter, "Strip down." Once I did, he looked visibly awkward... fidgeting and staring at the ground... truly unsettling. 🤷
To top it all off, he told me I was overweight and needed to go on a diet and monitor my cholesterol... implying that if I don't lose weight, I'll have to start medication...
Yet, my bad and total cholesterol levels aren't even above the threshold. I've been monitoring them; they dropped slightly, then stayed about the same... I haven't taken any additional medication... I won't be returning there unless it becomes an absolute emergency to get some tests done... but that’s that.