Mom has finished her 9th day of radiation treatment. The focus has been on her right hip and lower back locations where the pain has been most dominant.
Improvement has been minimal at best. She has noticed a slight reduction in her back pain but no change in the hip. Her right thigh, some ribs and a spot on her skull are beginning to contribute to the overall pain level.
The medication she is taking has been able to fight the pain to a draw. Enough reduction to be functional but not enough for her to enjoy any pain free moments.
Her radiation treatment will continue for 6 more days. At that time they will evaluate her case and provide her with a progress report.
The main obstacle she faces is that there is more cancer in her bones than can be safely treated. Long-term radiation will damage more than it will help. As it is she has been having stomach problems for 2 days that can be attributed to the treatment.
The good news if any is that the other treatment has kept her counts low which is a possible sign that the cancer has not spread beyond the bone.
The bone scan, which was used to diagnose her cancer, was the third one she had received. The previous two showed anomalies but the malignancies remained diagnosed.
Because her cancer had remained undiagnosed she had a consultation with a lawyer who also had a medical degree. Her concern was more for the system than any monetary amount she might have received.
However, in California they have malpractice numbers down to a science; the cancer type and the projected life span of the patient are the deciding factors when considering a lawsuit. My mother’s cancer is a type 4 with a projected life span of 5 years or less. Under state law she cannot sue for malpractice despite the possibly botched diagnosis.
I am not sure of how the law works in other states but in California the HMO’s are protected from malpractice suits only the doctor could have been held liable.
4 weeks ago
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