My Mum is 84 and has mid-stage dementia and has been in a care home for 2 years.
She has recently had some post menopausal bleeding.
She has always been adamant that she never wants any medical intervention of any sort.
Since post menopausal bleeding can be a sign of cancer, I have initially over ridden Mum’s wishes and allowed some investigations to take place. My reasoning being that the dementia has robbed her of the ability to change her mind, and if the cancer is early stages, it could be treated with a high chance of success.
However, I am now worried that I should not have taken her for the ultrasound and attempted (but failed) biopsy. It felt wrong
Next steps are a CT scan and a biopsy under sedation.
I know that if the cancer is advanced we would not let Mum undergo chemotherapy or any other treatments with significant side effects.
However, if the cancer is Stage 1 or 2 the treatment would be a hysterectomy and there is a high probability that this could successfully treat the cancer.
It is also possible that the investigations might show that there is just a benign fibroid, rather than a cancerous mass
I am now wondering if the proposed treatment was say a hysterectomy, would even that be the right course of action. What would the impact of a major operation be on someone with mid stage dementia?
Therefore, if we wouldn’t want her to have the operation, why would we even need the biopsy under sedation and a CT scan?
I know that I have to make the decisions on behalf of my Mum, and I want to make the best possible decisions for her. It is an extremely difficult situation; hence I am seeking advice from others who have been in similar situations.
Do we proceed with investigations and possible surgery or halt the process now?
She has recently had some post menopausal bleeding.
She has always been adamant that she never wants any medical intervention of any sort.
Since post menopausal bleeding can be a sign of cancer, I have initially over ridden Mum’s wishes and allowed some investigations to take place. My reasoning being that the dementia has robbed her of the ability to change her mind, and if the cancer is early stages, it could be treated with a high chance of success.
However, I am now worried that I should not have taken her for the ultrasound and attempted (but failed) biopsy. It felt wrong
Next steps are a CT scan and a biopsy under sedation.
I know that if the cancer is advanced we would not let Mum undergo chemotherapy or any other treatments with significant side effects.
However, if the cancer is Stage 1 or 2 the treatment would be a hysterectomy and there is a high probability that this could successfully treat the cancer.
It is also possible that the investigations might show that there is just a benign fibroid, rather than a cancerous mass
I am now wondering if the proposed treatment was say a hysterectomy, would even that be the right course of action. What would the impact of a major operation be on someone with mid stage dementia?
Therefore, if we wouldn’t want her to have the operation, why would we even need the biopsy under sedation and a CT scan?
I know that I have to make the decisions on behalf of my Mum, and I want to make the best possible decisions for her. It is an extremely difficult situation; hence I am seeking advice from others who have been in similar situations.
Do we proceed with investigations and possible surgery or halt the process now?