My grandmother is 81 years old and has just been diagnosed with colon cancer and it has spread to her liver. She only weighs 95 pounds and they do not want to try kemo or surgary. My questions is "how long does she have left"? I am not sure and I am really quite upset. I really want to know how much time I have left with her.
Cancer - 7 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
im really sorry to hear this! everyone is different, im not trying to be mean, or sound negative...but spend as much time with her as you can. i lost my grandfather to colon cancer, it spread fast, and happened quick. i would say from the time he was told, to the time he passed, it was less then 6 months. this does not mean your gram will have less time! like i said every one is different, there is also different stages. keep you head up, think positive, and make the moments you have with her special.
2 :
Cancer is something that is very scary, I lost my stepdad that I knew since I was three to it. No one can tell you how much time she has left. It all depends on how quickly it spreads and how much her body is fighting it on its own. I know it sounds harsh, but after watching my stepdad go through Chemo, it might be better for her to not try fighting with chemo. Just spend as much time with her while she is able. Ask her what she wants to do and go do it. Don't think of yourself as much right now because she needs you to focus on her and making her last bit of time here as good as possible. Doing this will make it easier for you when it is time to say goodbye.
3 :
Colon cancer and Liver cancer go hand in hand with each other and depending on how far spread it is, will determine how much time she has left. Plus if she is not going to have surgery, then her chances of a longer time period drop dramatically. No one can really predict how much time she has, as everyone is different. Spend as much time with her and tell her repeatedly how much you love her and enjoy what time you have left with her.
4 :
Why are the doctors saying no chemo or surgery? Have they mentioned the word "hospice?" Many times when the cancer metastasizes (spreads) to a major organ, especially the liver or pancreas, which are filters within the body, this is very serious. Of course, everyone is different, but she may have a few short months if no treatment is considered. I don't know where you live, but NY has a great place called Calvary in the Bronx. You want to make sure that she is kept pain free as much as possible, & that she has "quality" time left with her family & especially yourself. I wish I could offer more encouragement. Phyllis G.
5 :
Sorry about your grandmother. Her age and the advance of the disease indicate not much time left--months perhaps. If you keep your expectation of time low, you will not be as shocked and you will give yourself more time with her as soon and as often as you can. Then every week with her that goes beyond your expectations would be an extra blessing. Good luck and God bless.
6 :
Colon generally does not grow very fast, so usually people have at least a year or two after they are first diagnosed. You have to ask the oncologist for an accurate assessment. On average, people with colon cancer that has spread to other organs (stage IV) have a life expectancy of 5 years or less. The oncologist may have more accurate information on how quickly the cells have been growing thus far in your grandmother, and that might provide a better picture of what to expect. In general, predictions about how long someone will live are not much more than educated guesses, so even if the doc said she had only months, they could be wrong. An acquaintance of mine had stage IV colon cancer and he was initially given a live expectancy of approximately 6 more months. He lived for 12 more years.
7 :
I don’t want to sound mean or scare you anymore than you already are, but you REALLY need to talk to her doctor. Colon cancer patients usually have surgery even if it will not cure them and they are not candidates for chemo or radiation. This is because you run the risk of the patient becoming obstructed or the cancer perforating the colon wall. Not having all the facts I tend to think the doctors believe she will expire before she will become obstructed or perforate. This means she only has a few weeks at most. I am so sorry.
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