Posts by placidwalker452

Thank you all so much.
Unfortunately, we have truly reached the end of the road now.
My sister is a physician, so having her expertise meant we navigated this journey much better than many who are left to figure everything out on their own.
Mom possesses such incredible willpower and an enormous zest for life, but sadly, even that isn't enough.
Right now, she is being managed with patches and very little fluid intake; amidst all this chaos, it seems there were some brain metastases or perhaps they've spread to the brain. She is completely immobile—just skin and bone, limp as a ragdoll. This morning she had a choking episode; unfortunately, along with all the other metastases, the cancer has consumed her entire left lung and moved onto the right.
By all accounts, she may only have a few days left, unless we are once again surprised by a miracle.
What can I even say? It looks like we weren't dealt a winning hand.
To everyone finding themselves in a similar situation, I wish you so much strength. There are cases where there is still a chance, but it requires immense patience and, unfortunately, a lot of connections and money.
My mother just hasn't had any luck from the very start.
Based on everything I've read and what my sister and the other doctors have told me, this type of gynecological Leiomyosarcoma is exceptionally rare. It is incredibly difficult to detect, and unfortunately, they don't fully understand how it originates or how to treat it because it literally destroys a person before they can even find a way to stop it.
Given everything our family has gone through, I just want to say: please, seek a second, third, or even fourth opinion. We might not be in this position if we had.

I have been debating this for quite some time now, but I feel a profound need to just let it all out and share my experience with all of you here.
My mother is currently in the terminal stage.
Back in May, she was diagnosed with Leiomyosarcoma.
The whole story really begins around July or August of 2012; she had been dealing with various gynecological issues, but they finally reached a breaking point then. After a month or two of trying to manage, she ended up in the hospital for what was supposed to be a routine surgery to remove fibroids that were causing heavy bleeding. That happened in September. Of course, a routine procedure turned complicated, and they ended up having to perform a hysterectomy as well. At the time, the pathology results indicated nothing but fibroids—all five of them.
About a year after that surgery, she noticed some strange discharge and actually had to start using pads! She went to see her gynecologist, but the doctor basically dismissed her, implying there wasn't much left to report anyway...
After five months of endless testing—ranging from potential urological issues to who knows what else—she finally underwent an abdominal CT scan, where the doctor coolly informs her, "Well, the uterus is still in place!"!!!!! Naturally, Mom was absolutely devastated, and through emergency procedures, she was rushed back to the gynecology department.
That was in February 2014. In the meantime, they discovered another tumor on her lungs. First, they attempted to remove the abdominal tumor (it was 3 or 4 months prior, I can't recall exactly). Following the surgery, the outlook seemed positive because the medical team was top-tier, and they believed they had removed the entire mass. They thought it looked benign and told us she just needed to recover before they tackled the one on her lung.
Then come the complications: constipation, stays in surgery...
A month later, at her follow-up, comes a new shock—the mass had grown again, reaching 6 cm. WTF?
The tumors were still being labeled as benign.
Shortly after that, they decided to try removing the lung tumor.
What a mess.
The CT scan and the actual reality were worlds apart. They just admitted her.
She was discharged toward the end of May, and in the interim, the pathology report arrived. It is Leiomyosarcoma. It WAS there back in 2012. Apparently, they are incredibly difficult to diagnose. Even a nurse who is also a physician might miss it until it’s too late, leaving them unsure how to fight it.
In short, we tried alternative methods as well. Unfortunately, nothing helps. I am just watching her fade away.
In medicine, there is simply no help for cases like hers.
Over the last month, she hasn't even been able to walk, even with assistance; for the last three weeks, she hasn't spoken; and for the last five days, she hasn't even eaten, only sipping liquids.
The hardest part is seeing that clear gaze and knowing she is fully conscious.
It breaks my heart when I am changing her, bathing her, feeding her... and tears just stream from her eyes.
I am not alone in this; my younger brother has taken on a massive burden, staying with her while I work, and my older brother is here now that the season has ended. But man... it is so hard.
Please forgive the length of this post, but I just had to vent my frustrations somewhere.
To anyone finding yourselves in a similar situation: do not give up. For some, there is still hope. I know people who have recovered. Sadly, in my case, that won't be the outcome.