Hospice Care For A Wonderful Mother

This story is about my mom, Carla. The most loving, nurturing, and fun-loving spirit you would ever meet. Almost exactly a year ago, my mom was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. There were no symptoms. No warning signs. My brother, Marcus, had passed away at a young age unexpectedly in 2011. My mom had a never-ending stomachache from our loss, and stress of caring for my father, who sunk into the bed for the last several years due to his grief. The pain finally took her into her doctor, where they ran tests and found a spot on her liver. We hoped and prayed that it was benign. My family couldn’t stand any more bad news... during the time after my brother had passed, we also lost my grandmother and uncle. My mom held us together during all of that. She didn’t deserve this. After multiple trips to the dr and the hospital, there it was. Stage 4 metastatic esophageal cancer. Not operable. Chemo started... side effects nearly caused a perforated bowel. Still she remained positive. New chemo.... among all the other side effects, caused hearing loss. Still she remained hopeful. She was approved for immunotherapy. We were so excited. What we read was of miracles and recovery. She got her first treatment. Shortly after, she suffered multiple liver blockages, stents placed, and surgeries. Which landed us where we are now. Week 3 inpatient at Siteman Cancer center. Roller coasters of her feeling a little better, pneumonia, blood clots, to hardly being able to move, and barrages of doctors telling us what they can and no longer can do for us. Her oncologist, whom we respect, trust, and love has suggested that any further treatment may cause her to suffer more. We are now considering hospice. No matter if she goes home for hospice, or to a comfortable hospice home, insurance does not pay for this. Not even a percentage for 24 hour nursing care or room and board. She does not qualify for Medicaid or Medicare. My dad, though worried beyond belief, is still working nights to pay for her care. We are taking shifts to make sure she is never alone. The estimated cost for a month of hospice is around $9-10,000 and many require this up front. We have a social worker helping us with options, but I am reaching out to you, our friends and family.