standard of care?

[zacsmimi]

Mom, age 86. Suspected GI bleed due to weakness and low Hematocrit. Colonoscopy today. I am a RN which means next to nothing when the patient is your own mom (lol)...

the GI doc found a "growth". I was in there, I saw it on the screen. It was big, and it was ugly, and yes, it was bleeding. He biopsied it... and I said, "what are the chances that is benign?" and he said, None, really. I asked who he would send his mom to, and he picked up the phone and called the surgeon right then. They called me back within the hour!

THe "growth" is at the juncture between the transverse colon and the decending colon. He was not able to get past it with the scope.

Obviously one concern is avoiding a possible bowel obstruction...

I didnt even THINK of staging things...

She is in pretty good shape for 86 but, she is 86...Mom had breast CA 40 years ago but has been clean since. She has no other comorbidities... she had her aortic valve replaced a year ago; and she swore she would not have any more surgery.

Im trying to prepare for what the surgeon may say and for questions from the family...the GI doc said maybe it could be repaired laporoscopically (sp!)... and that the growth was about 2" X 3"...

thoughts?

[globalRN]

pretty big tumor...will need surgery obviously at the very least so u need to see if mom is really adamant about the no surgery policy,''

bowel obstruction is a risk and it is not pretty when it happens...also surgical

currently she is already suffering the effects of the tumor with gi bleed and anemia

..not doing anything is not going to make it go away