My mother is HIV + and she has pancreatic cancer

[Tasha]

My mother is only 46 years old and she found out she has HIV about 12 yrs ago. For the past 2 yrs she have been sick, but since April after she had a surgery to remove her cervix because it was damage and had cause her to have constant bleeding sometimes for 2 months straight. After the surgery she lost a significant amount of weight. She was moved from 210lbs to 180lbs in less than 2 weeks. Her sickness never stop, and the weight lost continues. She keep going to hospital beginning for help for someone to tell her why she losing weight, have lost of appetite, terrible pain in her back and belly. She did a CT scan and it shows she have a large tumar in her pancreas, and 2 lump in her thyroid. They release her from the hospital with only treating the thyroid. But nothing is done about the pancreas. I don't know what causes the pancreatic cancer, but I research and found that her HIV medication can contribute to it. Not really sure. I am so scare, right now she is -120lbs. It hard to see a love one in so much pain and there is nothing I can do to stop. Is there anyone that can give me some advise, I do not want to loose my mother. She is my only friend.

[shasta sue]

I'm sorry your mom isn't feeling well. You sound like a loving daughter, and I will keep both of you in my prayers. Maybe someone on this forum with some medical experience can tell you more about any of those type of questions.

[mecch]

It sounds like your mother needs a diagnosis and treatment for multiple challenges. What can be done to get your mother this treatment? If you care to share, why isn't she being diagnosed and treated for the pancreas?
Is your mom on HIV medicine? If so, how is her immune system.
A quick google search told me that HIV+ people with undetectable viral loads and decent CD4 counts can go through pancreatic cancer treatments successfully. 

[Tasha]

I am wondering the same thing also, why they are not treating the pancreas. They just send her out of the hospital, her Blood count is 544 the last time she check. She is on Efavirenz-stocrin and zidovidine/lamivudine(combivir), ever since she start taking this meds she gets really sick. I did a research on combivir and it's side effects is pancreatic infection. I am so nervous, and scare. I keep telling her to be strong and don't give up, because I have hope, I know we can fight, I just need help, I need to know what to do. I am not ready to loose her.

[mecch]

Tasha where do you live, what country? What access to doctors does she have?  Is this about money for / access to healthcare?

Forum.poz. is not a place that has doctors who advise about medical conditions like pancreatic infections or tumours.   

Maybe you can clarify why you can't get her to a doctor for second opinion about the pancreas....

[Miss Philicia]

Pancreatic cancer is serious, and there are many kinds. I fail to understand why this patients doctors are not being aggressive.

[Ann]

I almost hate to say it, but as Miss P mentioned, pancreatic cancer is often quite serious and unfortunately, sometimes there is nothing that can be done. I'm wondering if this is the case here.

Even if it's that dire, the hospital should have at the very least put you in touch with palliative and/or hospice care.

I'm also wondering why someone in North America is on Combivir. Most hiv patients in the West have long since been switched to Truvada or Epzicon, if not Atripla. You can read about the meds I'm talking about in our Treatments pages.

Tasha, can you go to your mother's doctor appointments with her and try to get some answers? You both deserve some answers about what's going on and why she seems to be getting substandard care.

You're both in my thoughts; good luck. Keep us posted, ok?

Hugs,
Ann