Please help me to not Google...

[tingalayo]

I'm trying desperately not to start Googling right now...


My mum is visiting, I haven't seen her in over a month. She's looking quite rough and telling me she's been unwell for ages and not eating and has lost half a stone. She says it started after she slipped in the street and twisted her ankle and landed badly on her hip, she says she hasn't been sleeping because of the hip pain and her polymyalgia makes it worse.


My brain is telling me 'that's not enough to make someone unwell enough to lose half a stone, so she must have cancer of some kind'


Please tell me it's possible to be ill in this way and for it not to be cancer???

[Carys]

My Mum also has very severe polymyalgia, so I understand this condition quite well. It can make people feel very very unwell - is your Mum on steroids for it?

Of course its possible to loose half a stone in a month if you are feeling unwell. Exhaustion and pain alone could cause that! Weight loss have 1001 causes, with cancer being only one of them. I don't know how old your Mum is or if she has other health conditions (I'm guessing she is probably late 70s as thats the most common age for polymyalgia diagnosis) - but as another example a thyroid playing up can cause weight loss, as can depression and forms of arthritis.

Where could you even start researching something like this? You have some vague non-specific symptoms and could go down various [incorrect] avenues online for months and months. Personally I would start at the basics and find out if she is actually eating well enough, and listen to what she tells you. Ask her if she can attribute her weight loss to anything? Ask her if she has seen her doctor? See if she is actually finding she is unable to prepare food? You are clearly very concerned about her, and can see she's struggling and feeling unwell, so instead of playing the 'lay medical professional' and frightening yourself silly - concentrate on listening to her and if necessary encouraging her to see someone medical. :)

[Fishmanpa]

From my own experience, pain is the best appetite suppressors there is. Your mom should be checked out by a doctor for the injury she suffered with the fall. There are treatments (physical therapy) and meds that can help with the symptoms.

Positive thoughts

[tingalayo]

Thank you both, that's very helpful. I think sometimes I underestimate what a range of things polymyalgia can be responsible for, she tells me it can make her very depressed. I have a tendency to leap straight to cancer and forget that she does actually already have something she suffers from and I'm not taking that into account at all or, as you say, listening to her. :doh:
Anyway, as far as myself is concerned I did manage to go the last couple of hours without googling anything :) like you say I only have vague things I could start searching for and that could lead me down a lot of horrible avenues.
Thanks again

[Carys]

Well done for avoiding the dreaded online fear generator! :D

[NancyW]

Well done for avoiding the dreaded online fear generator! :D

I second the above comment, I'm proud of you for not googling..