Pancreatic Cancer Symptom Timeline

rhino33 · New User Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 3

Hi all, i recently found out my mother has been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. This started out as lung cancer which we treated last year with chemo and radiation. It seemed to have gone away, and then sudddenly came back with a 10cm tumor on her pancreas, some in her liver, spots in her lungs and in her lymph nodes. we've accepted the fact that she doesn't have a lot of time left and so i've been flying across the country every weekend to spend time with her. we're going to be talking to Hospice this weekend, and she's going to try chemo once more to give her a bit more time. i've read a lot of posts here and some have been helpful, but my request is this:

my sisters and i don't know what to expect in the near future from the cancer, and so we're having a difficult time trying to plan and cope. i was wondering if anyone who reads this with experience could share their timeline on when symptoms started to occur through to the end. right now she has no abdominal pain, and no signs of ascites, but has lost a lot of weight, is not very hungry, coughs frequently and sometimes has labored breathing.

i know all cases of this are different, and i know it's painful to re-live trauma like this but we'd greatly appreciate any feedback and the more we get, the more clear a picture i can have of this battle, thanks.

starseed · Experienced user Joined: 06 Sep 2006 Posts: 51

No one knows...

But she sounds very very close and I would let the family know this, especially if Hospice is in the house. Where I live, Hospice is only brought in when the patient has a prognosis of six-months or less, but people can recover and Hospice then leaves.

That is a lot of metastasis, not sure if it's lung cancer w/ metastasis to the Pancreas OR Pancreatic Cancer that has metastasis spreading all over. Pancreatic Cancer is very fast, faster than Lung Cancer

Palliative Chemo could give more time, 4 weeks to month(s) with hope and can keep the pain away or under control.

Miracles can and do happen and if she stabilizes, your family can relax and take time creating closure.

Right now she seems close to going home.

starseed · Experienced user Joined: 06 Sep 2006 Posts: 51

I also want to say I'm sorry for you and your family.

I try to remember that God loves the one's He calls home. It can be painful, just like any birth, but with that comes new life.

The family who stays, who grieves, who helps, who loves; that pain is real too.

This can be a time for your family to heal and grow and come together through these deep emotions. It's also OK to feel sad or angry or guilty or anything too. Take care of yourselves and each other.

I thought this was going to kill me with my mom, but in the end it is a blessing (it sometimes take time and space to understand, see, and feel it though).

May God bless your family.

rhino33 · New User Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 3

thanks starseed. i'm not sure about the spread either. she had small cell lung cancer which seemed to be gone after the first batch of chemo/radiation. tricky thing about small cell is that it like to hide out for a bit and then come back pretty ferociously. if i had to guess, i would say it is the lung cancer that has spread, but i think the fact that there is a tumor on the pancreas would be the main driver for her future health.

but i again ask of anyone reading this to share thier timelines if possible. was weight loss constant? did eating habits fluctuate throughout or did your loved one just stop eating toward the end? was there build up of fluid in the abdomen, and if so, did it occur toward the end or throughout the battle?

TruthSeeker · Regular Joined: 01 Apr 2009 Posts: 12 Location: Canada

Hi there,

So sorry to hear about your Mom. I just lost my dear mother to stage IV pancreatic cancer on Mar 20th-09. She went very quickly however, and for that I am grateful. Pancreatic cancer can progress very rapidly in a person, and did so in my mother. God bless her. It's time to heal and as a part of the healing, I will share what I can of my experience with you.

Dramatic weight loss is definitely the first sign that something is definitely not right. My mother lost a lot of weight in a short period - 27 pounds, but then we knew she had been watching her diet and so weren't alarmed by this at first. But then my mother was not feeling well this past Xmas, and thought she had intestinal flu. This was followed with bowel problems which were lasting for more than a week with no relief. I was shocked when she said she hadn't had a bowel movement in 3 weeks. There was also abdominal pain that accompanied this and a lot of weakness. She wasn't sleeping well at all. She had gone to see her GP who ordered a catscan. By this time she was starting to experience most of the abdominal pain at night when she tried to sleep on her back, which from what I've read is one of the possible symptoms of problems with the pancreas. Pain that radiates from side to side in the abdomen, and upper back. I took my mother into the emergengy one night because I was fast becoming very concerned that she was in serious trouble and didn't want her to wait any longer to see someone about her bowel problems and pain. This was early March. That night they found a large lump when palpating her left side below her liver, and a lot of tenderness. She was due to have the catscan in the next 2 days. My mother often complained of having little or no appetite up to this point and while I found this odd as she always liked to eat well before, that maybe her age was causing her lose some sense of taste in food. She was 83. Still, she would continue to try and eat as she knew this was important to stay well, which was a good thing. The results of my mother's catscan when we finally sat down with her GP a few days after, revealed a large mass on her pancreas, and mets on her liver. I took her to hospital 2 days later. My worst fears for my mother were confirmed.

In hospital, my mother was given blood transfusions to improve her hemaglobin levels and give her some much needed stability and energy, and a drip of saline and potassium. She was put on low-dose morphine for the pain. In the first few days, it was looking like she might have a chance at receiving some treatment. But then she still wasn't sleeping well but there were also distractions and disturbances to this sleep in hospital. Her eating patterns would be off and on. She'd be well for a day or so, and then the weakness, lack of eating and increased pain would return. The bowel problems stabilized as they had her on colase (softener) thankfully, but then the lack of proper sleep was wearing on her. She was doing pretty well to eliminate the fluids they were giving her but then later she started having problems with this too, as her kidneys were starting to fail and the bowel movements weren't happening as they should at this point. The lack of food and sustenance was not helping any of this or her organs. Not long after this her eating slowed right down and then stopped altogether. I wanted the doctors to intervene and think about feeding my mother intravenously, but they felt that this would not be natural and preferred that she try and eat naturally. I couldn't quite understand how they couldn't see fit to feed her? She had absolutely no desire at that point and just wanted to move things along. Her body steadily began to retain the ascites fluid, particularly her abdomen and legs. She passed away not long after this. 16 days after she was admitted.

Not eating can be a sign that a patient's disease is effecting their desire for eating, but then the desire to eat can come back for a day or two with the appearance that the patient is doing well and may stay well. It's hard to predict this. The Ensure meal supplements are very good to give your Mom some nutrition when she is not able or feels like eating regular food. Drinking lots of water is very important for electrolites and to at least try and keep your Mom hydrated, especially if the time comes when her eating does slow down.

Some of these moments you might recognize as things your Mom has already gone through. Others may suggest of things to come. It's really hard to predict. Each individual is different. I hope for your Mom's sake that wherever her journey takes her, that she passes through it easily and painlessly, to a place of peace. All the best to you and your family at this time.
_________________
MEC - 1926-2009 - Your rest is well-deserved ...

rhino33 · New User Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 3

thank you for your reply TruthSeeker, and i'm sorry for your loss. i'm an engineer by trade so by habit my mind seems to keep thinking of this situation like a big problem to solve. sadly, i know there is no good solution, but i appreciate your details as they help wrap my mind around this and cope with it.

TruthSeeker · Regular Joined: 01 Apr 2009 Posts: 12 Location: Canada

Thankyou and your welcome.

Actually, yours is a good approach to looking at this situation. You want to be of help for the benefit of your mom's outcome, whatever that will be for her. It's so important to have someone in your corner when going through something like this, and knowledge is power.

In my mother's final stages, she was surprisingly accepting and did not want us to worry about her, but to take care of ourselves. She was ready. Ultimately, the most important thing loved ones can do is to be there to comfort and ensure that all is being done that can be done. Take care.
_________________
MEC - 1926-2009 - Your rest is well-deserved ...

lizb · New User Joined: 27 Jan 2009 Posts: 2

Dear Rhino,
I have been reading everyone's situation and they all differ. In my mom's case, she passed away January 3, 2009, her appetite was awful but it had been for a while so I couldn't tell if she was getting worse but what we did notice about three weeks before her passing she had become confused a little bit(my mother was only 62 and sharp) and things were not making sense. Also, her sleep had increased. We were finding it more difficult to keep her awake. The way she managed her pain was no different if anything she started forgetting to take her med's. Lastly, she was about as thin as you could possible get, her bowels were black and her urine was very dark. These are all signs. Once again, we differ in every situation. I am sorry for what you are going through but I hope this little bit of information helps. God bless.

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