Liver Cancer Patient - Sundowning? (pain, treatment, blood, cure)
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Hello everyone. I just recently became a caregiver to a distant relative who is 55 and in her last stages of liver cancer. She is enrolled in hospice at home and when the nurse came about a week ago she was giving her about another month. My question is, in the last week or two she has started doing/saying some really weird things. But more than that, she seems to be fairly ok in the morning. She can speak fairly clearly. But in the evening, she reminds me of an alzheimers patient who is sundowning (and her mother did die a few years ago from Alzheimers)... She becomes so child like, I have to watch her literally every second of the night while she wanders around, tries to get out the front door, gets naked and walks around. She starts moving stuff around and playing with her walker and saying things that make no sense. She is on a combination of methadone and morphine for pain management. The doctors basically just said that it could possibly be the cancer moving to the brain, but at this point no tests will be run so we'll never really know. This post is more out of curiosity on my part. I thought when I would be a caregiver that it was to what I thought a cancer patient would be like - feeble, needs help walking (if able to walk), needs medicine administered, etc. This is not it, it's like a wasted drunk person all evening/night long. Has anyone else experienced this with end stage cancer patients? I tried looking online but don't seem to find where anyone else has experienced this. Thanks in advance.
I have worked with a few patients whose cancer had spread to the brain. One gentleman who suffered this actually became angry and violent at times - completely out of character.
Anyway as challenging as this is right now, it will not last. This too will come to pass. Focus on safety - childproofing things is often effective. You can get special covers for door knobs and that can be effective, she may not be able to figure out how to open the door with it on. I have seen other people use doorbolts and mount them up high where it is not easily reached. Secure objects that could be dangerous. For behavior that is bizarre but not harmful, don't stress over it. While it might be awkward for you, it might be more stress than it is worth to try to make her wear clothes, or stop rummaging through drawers.
The American Cancer Society offers support to caregivers. You may want to contact them: Caregivers
In the 50's, that isn't very old in the scheme of normal life nowadays. It could be some kind of device the brain tricks one into to stop the shear sadness/depresdion ones feels when the walls are closing in on them.
In my case when the time grows near, I have every intention of going out and kick a grizzly bear in the butt and go out with a bang.... My luck is I'd win the fight and still be looking at the end, but now is have an additional couple hundred stitches...so maybe not.
In my case when the time grows near, I have every intention of going out and kick a grizzly bear in the butt and go out with a bang.... My luck is I'd win the fight and still be looking at the end, but now is have an additional couple hundred stitches...so maybe not.
I came into this world screaming and covered in blood, I am more then willing to go out in the same fashion.
ACS and hospice should have some great information for caregivers. The becoming childline is likely a preperation for end of life.
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