Mum in hospital with bad infection she has secondary cancer. She's gone delirious and very confused. Anyone else experience this?

katrina123, delirium is very common in the elderly when they are in the hospital. All the new faces, different sounds 24 hours a day, etc. One nurse told me 80% of elders have this happen, and around 20% in much younger patients.

My Mom [98] was in the hospital, had delirium, and refused to eat. The lack of eating went on for a month, and having an urinary tract infection made it much worst, once the infection was cleared she had a turn around regarding food and is now eating solid food. This could be temporary or it last for many months.

Just thought of something else. Ask the social worker or nurse if they have anyone skilled in Reiki therapy who can visit your mother.

My sister found comfort in this kind of treatment during her last chemo session. It's a noninvasive method of channeling healing energy to someone.

At first I didn't put much stock in it, but my sister was able to relax with a Reiki therapist and asked me to find her and get her to visit during her last days in the hospital.

Katrina if you go onto the macmillan site and just google macmillan it will soon come up there is an area where you can look up local support groups and I think you may need that right now

Already there GA me dear xxxx

PAGING: JUDE, COUNTRYMOUSE and ANYONE ELSE IN THE UK:

Do you know of any support groups like Gilda's Club in the UK? This poster might benefit from contact with one.

Thank you 😊. I appreciate your reply's, I'm in UK.

Katrina hun if you are in the UK try Macmillan nurses sweetheart xxxx
0808 808 00 00 Mon to ~Fri 9-8

I think you mean stage 2 ovarian cancer? And I believe you're in the UK or Canada? I don't know if there are Gilda's Club branches there but if you're unfamiliar with it, Gilda's Club was formed in memory of Gilda Radner, who also died of cancer.

In the States, there's a network of clubhouses which offer a variety of supports - groups addressing specific cancers, pot luck suppers, musical and art therapy, and it's all free.

When I went there after my sister died, I met so many people who knew exactly what we had gone through. But it can be very, very emotional as some of the people who go there aren't going to make it and are in late stage cancer.

I wish you and your family peace as you travel this unwanted detour in life.

Thank you for your reply I have 2 sons but no one female to confide in. My mum has secondry overy cancer Tha has spread to lynth nodes & liver it is untreatable & she is too weak for chemo to control.it. Thank you for your advice which I have took on board, very kind of you .

Katrina, are there any close relatives in the area? Any of your friends or your mother's friends?

I would ask the oncologist or primary care physician, or whoever's managing your mother's care about specific questions that you have (write them down first and ask from the list so you cover everything that concerns you). At least that way you'll get a better idea of the situation your mother's in.

Are you concerned about hospice care? About costs? About handling a funeral?

You could ask one of the nurses if there's a social worker on staff who could talk to you.

Your mother could be confused from the medication she's given, or from the cancer if its metastasized to her brain.

You might ask one of the nurses if there's a counselor for cancer patients specifically.

What kind of cancer does she have, and what stage is it?