Maggie41
- Thread starter Maggie41
- Start date
Sometimes when people with dementia have some other medical problem it is better not to do anything as the tests, investigations and treatment can cause considerable distress and they do not understand the reason for it. There is also the question of what quality of life will they afterwards? Surgery and chemo can progress the dementia , sometimes quite quickly.
Please talk to the doctor about your concerns
Please talk to the doctor about your concerns
By the way @Maggie41 there is a sub-forum which deals specifically about dementia and cancer which you may want to look at. Its here
https://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/forums/caring-for-a-person-with-dementia-and-cancer.81/
https://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/forums/caring-for-a-person-with-dementia-and-cancer.81/
Hi @Maggie41 my dad has advanced oesophagul cancer and is also having no treatment other than a stent that enables him to eat. His oncologist said that because of my dad's age 88 and the fact that he was also rather frail that she would rather he did not have chemo.
She said if he had chemo it would not cure him and would likely make him Ill due to the side effects and spoil however much time he has left. Chemo and dementia don't mix well it seems .
She was right because dad is still with us nearly nine months from diagnosis and doing well. He is very happy and has a good quality of life. We have no idea how much longer he has left.
Perhaps you should ask to speak to his consultant again. Dad's consultant said quality was more important than quantity although if your husband is much younger you may look at it differently. It is a difficult decision to make but we agreed to go with whatever the consultant advised as long as dad was also in agreement and he was.
My Dad has suffered with Dementia for many years. We found out in June 2018 he had lesions in his liver. This was confirmed as a secondary cancer who was lying somewhere undiagnosed. After many frustrating weeks waiting for a CT scan it was confirmed it started in he colon. He was given months to live. He was offered no treatment or biopsies. Not that we wanted him to be put through all that. At the end of the day he would still have the Dementia. He was put into a nursing home in Sept 2018 and the help we as,a family received was amazing from our local hospice. It was just annoying that we had no help before his cancer was diagnosed. He passed away peacefully a couple of days before Christmas. His death, even though expected hit us like a ton of bricks but now I can accept that his suffering is finally over and hoping he can rest in peace. Thankfully for us my Dad lost his mind before his body and he lived the last few months of his life happy. Singing and dancing with his Grandchildren and letting us do the worrying for him. It gives us some happy memories to hang onto.
Hi @Maggie41,
So sorry to hear about your husband.
The first ever Macmillan Dementia Nurse Lorraine Burgess is hosting a Q&A on Talking Point on Wednesday if it's of interest to you? She supports people with both dementia and cancer and their families with one-to-one help, post-diagnostic education, advice on future planning and emotional support; and works alongside cancer specialists and nursing staff helping them to understand the needs of those with dementia and cancer so she has a lot of experience of the two.
Here is a link to the Q&A thread: https://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/thr...-–-wednesday-30th-january-2-30-3-30pm.113825/
If you have anything you'd like to ask her about you can post it on the thread or email your question to talkingpoint@alzheimers.org.uk. Hope it helps
Best wishes,
Mollie
So sorry to hear about your husband.
The first ever Macmillan Dementia Nurse Lorraine Burgess is hosting a Q&A on Talking Point on Wednesday if it's of interest to you? She supports people with both dementia and cancer and their families with one-to-one help, post-diagnostic education, advice on future planning and emotional support; and works alongside cancer specialists and nursing staff helping them to understand the needs of those with dementia and cancer so she has a lot of experience of the two.
Here is a link to the Q&A thread: https://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/thr...-–-wednesday-30th-january-2-30-3-30pm.113825/
If you have anything you'd like to ask her about you can post it on the thread or email your question to talkingpoint@alzheimers.org.uk. Hope it helps
Best wishes,
Mollie
