RitaB

I've posted before but it's been awhile. My sister was diagnosed with lung cancer 2 years ago with a 9 cm tumor in her left lung (non-small cell). After bouts with different kinds of chemo and radiation it spread to her liver and brain. And when it kept spreading in the brain with yet another kind of chemo she was taken off all treatments and hospiced called in. She is not bed ridden but is not to be left along b/c of possible seizures. That was about 6 mos ago when they told her she was terminal. And she will go anywhere if someone will take her. I live 2 hours away as does another sister. We all met Sunday in Atlanta area for lunch and I couldn't believe how she looked. Her face, neck and cheeks are so swollen. She is starting to have headaches now that sometimes require a prescription pain med. She gets so so tired (she pushes herself all the time - she doesn't know what it means to go slow but now she is having to). She is having some memory problems (she doesn't read b/c she can't remember what she is reading) and sometimes her speech is slurred and her thoughts can get confused, but mostly she is completely coherrent. Anyway, as we left it was as if she was saying good bye for the last time. Maybe she was, but then maybe she wasnt. I just wanted to share that to get it off my chest. It is so hard saying goodbye not knowing if you'll get to see again. We do have the heavenly hope and will see again there, but again it can be hard.

But also, her chest congestion isn't getting worse, but the lung tumor is growing and that is causing some of her face and cheek swelling. But since this isn't the way my mother died of lung cancer I can't relate this to her, can anyone share with me what to expect?

I appreciate all of your help. I have grown to really love this board.

RitaB