In March I brought my mom, Cherry, to the ED; for the prior 6 weeks or so she had been suffering from a cough and a swollen face. She was being treated for an allergic reaction to new blood pressure meds with benadryl and steroids. She would improve slightly and then kept getting worse, so I finally brought her back to the ED one night on my way to work. I found out that night that she had a large mass in her chest wrapped around a major blood vessel. She had superior vena cava syndrome, the tumor made fluid back up into her face causing the swelling. Within a few days after a lung biopsy, labs, CT scans, and MRI, we got our diagnosis: small cell lung cancer in the lungs, brain and liver.
Cherry began chemo with cisplatin and etoposide for 12 weeks followed by 3 weeks of radiation. Initially, her cough and the swelling improved, but she also began to lose weight, become weak, confused...etc. After her treatments were done, we concentrated on improving her nutritional status.
In September she began to complain of arm pain. It turned out to be an enlarged lymph node pressing on a spinal nerve. Doctor wanted to do radiation again. While at his office, we decided to admit my mom for her dehydration, increased confusion, low platelet count, and to run some more tests bc of her symptoms. After a few days she started having trouble breathing and required oxygen for the first time. We then got news that her bone marrow was full of cancer cells. At that time she was made a DNR/DNI and the palliative care service took over. The next day she passed away. My family and I were all there next to her for her last few moments. She went as peacefully and as comfortably as possible.
Side notes: Over the summer I had gotten tattoo as a tribute to my mom. On my arm is a cherry blossom tree (her name was Cherry), with 2 hummingbirds to represent the 2 of us. This way, I feel like she's always with me.
Also, after she got diagnosed, my brother and his then fiance began making wedding plans - they weren't going to get married for another year or more. After the date was set, everything began to be focused on my mom being well enough to enjoy the wedding. Up until that last admission, there wasn't a doubt in my mind that she'd be at the wedding; I knew she wouldn't be dancing around, but I was positive that she would be there. She passed a week before the wedding. The wedding was beautiful, hard at times, but it gave my family something to be excited and happy about while going through something so difficult. To some degree, we think that she somehow knew she was too sick to really enjoy the wedding. She let go when she did so that she could celebrate with us.
