Can someone tell how much longer my friend's Mom has to live?

I hope you don't think I'm being morbid.  My best friend's Mom has terminal thyroid cancer (I posted a thread last month). She is many states away, so my friend is not there to see what's going on; she's relying on phone calls from her Dad, who is elderly and out of it right now, he's so upset, etc.  Today, she came to me, crying, and said the doctor told her Dad to get the funeral arrangements done ASAP (she's under hospice care).  She told me the doctor said her brain is "shutting down" (she's unable to recognize anyone, confused, etc.), and soon, she won't be able to swallow.  I did do an online search about this, but can't get any idea if it will be weeks, day, or hours until she dies.  She doesn't have many of the symptoms (that I'm being told) that they list.  Does anyone here, who has had experience with this, have any idea of what's happening?  They thought she would live until March or April.

Thank you.

for a senior who has anaplastic thyroid cancer... I have no idea. She must have anaplastic thyroid cancer if docs says its terminal.. It doesn't respond well to treatments


I have thyroid cancer myself and is cured now with no issues foreseen

I am sorry to hear about your friends mom

She has a rare form (I think only 1% of thyroid cancer patients have it) of thyroid cancer, inoperable. Most patients with thyroid cancer have another type, which, fortunately, is highly-curable. It hasn't spread elsewhere, but the tumor/thyroid has really gotten bigger in the past month. She can't hold her head up.

I'm glad that you are doing well!

Your friend needs to go to her mother immediately. It's impossible to tell how long she has, of course, but it's going to be very soon - "shutting down" is a huge clue. It's possible she is holding on until her daughter says goodbye to her and lets her go. (Even if her mom doesn't recognize her, something in her will know when her family is there.)

I'm so sorry to hear this. You are a good friend.

SwampWitch said:

Your friend needs to go to her mother immediately. It's impossible to tell how long she has, of course, but it's going to be very soon - "shutting down" is a huge clue. It's possible she is holding on until her daughter says goodbye to her and lets her go. (Even if her mom doesn't recognize her, something in her will know when her family is there.)

I'm so sorry to hear this. You are a good friend.

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The experience I've had with that was days.... If I was your friend I would pick up and go now

When my brothers organs started shutting down it was a matter of days

When my mother got very bad, my cousin and I were at the nursing home and I was trying to feed Mom some lunch. My cousin is a retired nurse and, when we went into the hallway to leave, she told me at that point, "Pam, she has about a week left, if that. Do not be surprised if you get a phone call very soon." Very early the next morning, Mom passed away.

Your friend's mother has only days left once her organs begin to shut down. She needs to go now. I'm really sorry.

Thank you for all of your suggestions.

She already went to see her Mom earlier this month, and said her good-byes then.  She does plan, after her Mom dies, to return for the funeral (if possible) and to help her Dad sort things out. She's an only child, and he has no one else to help him. He has to sell his house, etc.  Another problem is the cost of traveling: for 2 plane tickest (she and her fiance)=$700+, plus at least $300 for car rental. She also doesn't have much vacation time at work, having used a week in January for the other trip.

I asked her today how her Mom is. I take it that she's the same. I asked if the doctors had given her a time frame for the end. She said no, but then said, "I keep hearing 3-4 months"--which makes no sense--this was the prognosis in December--so how could it be the same now, on 1/31? (This is why I keep asking you guys for advice. I love my friend dearly, but she always gets facts mixed up, or doesn't ask the important questions from doctors.) 

Now, she told me yesterday that, "...her brain is shutting down."  Today, it's, "she's lost her cognitive reasoning.".  I would assume the first thing means her Mom's brain is "dying off", as one's organs do when actually dying, but the second thing sounds like she's getting muddled about things in general. This is why I asked about how long she has to live. Maybe it's not as soon as I thought(?)

I'm so sorry to hear the news -  I shall be praying to my angel Michael to watch over your friend and her family

I'm sorry, Barbara.

I'm so sorry.

My condolences.